Ok, first off let me say that both me and my boyfriend (23, 26) are first time cruisers. I also read a lot of reviews, and posts on the boards before I went (he did not) so I was incredibly prepared. Overall, I enjoyed myself and plan on getting back on a boat ASAP, as for him, not so much (it has nothing to do with Carnival, he just decided cruising was not for him) First, embarkation went extremely well. We were not VIP. However, as we were checking in a security guard asked if we would help run a test and we agreed. After they ran the tests, they put us in VIP. We got there around 11 and got on the ship at 11:45. We had an oceanview stateroom on the riviera level and loved it! I liked having the window (except for when we were feeling the motion). The water was incredibly choppy for most of the cruise, so we rested a lot in our room, and found it comfortable and provided enough room. Our steward was great, although I do not remember his name. He always had the room cleaned and our cooler filled with ice. The MDR staff was the best part about the cruise (I also forget their names)! Our waiter and his assistant were incredibly attentive and made the experience great! We also had great tablemates. Carnival did a great job matching us up with people. We actually ended up hanging out with our tablemates (there were 8 of us all together) several times outside of dinner through out the cruise! It was too cold to enjoy the lido, but we did hit up the buffet there and the coconut grill a few times and it was just fine, nothing special but definitely not horrible. We also did not attend many activities on the boat, as there were tons of football games on, so we hung out at the casino bar watching them, and playing in the casino. We did watch the performance of Hey Mambo the first night, and did not like it. New Years Eve was great! Carnival did a wonderful job making the evening special for everyone. There was free champagne, music, lights, hats, noisemakers and a party. Debarkation went smoothly. We were in the car by 8:30 am. We didnt do much on the ship the whole time, layed around a lot (since the weather was not to great), and watched a alot of football and movies. However, I had a great time on my first cruise and am already planning my second!