As a first time cruiser, I thought this cruise was amazing! We had 8 people in our party, 4 adults and 4 kids ages 12-18. Everyone loved it.

Embarkation was a breeze. We were in our cabins by 12:30 and eating on the Lido Deck by 12:45. The buffet was immense with plenty for everyone to choose from. Some of the items I remember were fried chicken, a carving station with ham, roast beef, turkey and lamb, pork chops, salads, rice, and breads. Carnival has great breads, pastries, and desserts. In addition to the buffet, there is 24 hour pizza (really good pan pizza), 24 hour ice cream, a deli, and a grill that made hamburgers,hot dogs, fries, and steak sandwiches. Everyone found something to eat and believe me, you won't go hungry.

The cabins were great. We had a suite, a balcony room, and 2 interiors all on the Empress Deck. The suite was awesome, with a jacuzzi tub, vcr, mini fridge, bar, seating area, and an unbelievable amount of storage space with 2 closets and a ton of drawers. It was a very functional and appealing design. The balcony room was a lot smaller than the suite, but nice, and the interiors were fine for the kids who were almost never in them. Read more