We decided to cruise on Carnival Paradise due to it being the best itinerary for our travel date. The ship just came out of dry dock & refurbishment in March 2018. They added Waterworks, Guys Burgers, shopping options like Pandora & renovated all rooms. We were not first time cruisers but this was our first time on Carnival. As previous Disney cruisers it’s hard for any other cruise like to compare but I can say we were pleasantly surprised. We traveled with our 2 sons ages 13 & 19. We booked a balcony room. The room was clean & balcony was new. The entertainment was good. The comedians did PG shows in addition to adult shows which worked out well for my family & the nighttime musical performances we good also but it’s not Disney & trying to compare the too is like comparing apples & oranges. Simply you can’t compare the 2. Food on carnival is good & I recommend your time dining. It worked great for us. If you have children, plan on staying at the water slides as the pool area is the center of the party for the adults. If you do like smoke, stay out of the casino area. Circle C was great for our 13 year old. There wasn’t as much for the 19 year old just because he’s too old to hang in the teen club & too young to enjoy the night club but he still had a great time. We loved the excursions we booked. We highly recommend beginner scuba in Grand Cayman & the dolphin swim & Xplor Park in Cozumel. If you do Xplor know that it takes the whole time your there so no time to shop or check out Cozumel but if you like zip lining this is the place to go. Also the cruise director Leon was great. All in all one of our best family vacations & my husband & I look forward to cruising without the kids on Carnival in the future. Also book faster to the fun. It’s worth it for debarkation!