My husband and I are Diamond VIFP cruisers with Carnival, and this was our 58th cruise. He surprised me with this cruise for our 40th wedding anniversary. We don't usually cruise in the summer because of the heat, and crowds, but the Elation is configured so there is hardly ever a line anywhere. The food was better than several of the Carnival ships we've been on, and the crew friendly and attentive. That's all a reflection of the Captain and Hotel Director! We particularly enjoyed Kevin, the Cruise Director on this cruise. We were so impressed that we booked Fall 2017 while onboard. Now we can hardly wait till next week, when we are doing a "back to back". I love that this ship still has a theater with full New York style stage productions. If it's your first time cruise, take advantage of the "Behind the Scenes" tour. It's worth the money!