If you are planning a Cruise on the Carnival Spirit, here are a few thing we noticed on our October 26th 2009 sailing to Mexico... When arriving at the port of San Diego all looked normal. We checked in and went to wait to board, The port was packed and the Elation was Leaving the same day. The workers inside the port had no idea what they were doing, every time someone new came into the port, they had a new way of running things.(move here, you can't stand there, you must sit down) Not a great start! Once on board you were not able to go to your cabin and drop off your carry on, you had to drag it around until 1:30. The checked luggage arrived quite quickly and the room was very nice. Things were turning around and seeming more like other Cruises we have been on. On day two we met our room steward, Johnson, Where had he been? Haven't a clue! Only saw him once more the whole cruise! The crew was very nice and took care of you very well, The food was less than great, but not bad. The bar service was the one of the few high points, along with the service in the Main Dinning Room. The Wait Staff was one of the best we have ever had on a cruise!!! After Dinner each night we would take a walk around the deck, each night the same trash was sitting in the back of the ship, looked like a place where the crew would smoke and drink on break, Eight nights and it never went away just got bigger! 300 children on board and we never really saw them. Club O2 did a great job of keeping them busy and having fun! Although there were many thing that could have been better, The Cruise was enjoyable and the Staff and Crew did a good job at making you feel welcome. No vacation is perfect, but Carnival needs to look closer at the workings on board and the day to day operation of the Spirit!