This was our first cruise with Carnival and it was a nice introduction to the cruise line. We showed up early to our check in time and boarded the ship within 15 minutes. Miami was a very busy and hectic port but once we went through security it was "smooth sailing" from then on. Carnival has The Fun Ships and they did not disappoint. Everywhere you went there was a party and celebration going on. We even relaxed and did some trivia and there was a tie so the crew made them do a dance off to see who got the prize. Our cabin was great and we had awesome service but the extended balcony was not really worth the upcharge. The food was awesome and the Pinnacle Steakhouse was the highlight. The show were very well done and I always looked forward to seeing ending my night with the adult comedy shows. The service on the ship was superb. Our steward stopped us in the hallway on the first day to chat. He knew our names before we even met him. Every staff member on the ship said hello when we passed them and seemed to really care that we were having a great time. The port we went to were breathtaking! Grand Cayman was nice but was incredibly busy and congested and the currency exchange was not in our favor. A $20 lunch turned into about $30 after conversion and tip. Cozumel was breathtaking and the Amazing Race excursion was a blast. We went cave tubing and zip lining in Belize which was exhilarating but make sure you bring water shoes. Our favorite port was snorkeling on a catamaran in Mahogany Bay. That was the most fun. We have already booked another cruise for Dec 2018 based on how much fun we had here.
This cabin was close to perfect and we really enjoyed it. There were only two of us so we had tons of room. The bathroom was the standard size that you'll get on any cruise. It was really nice to have the couch because we could had a space to keep our stuff without using all the counter space. The counters could then be used to get ready. We converted our twin beds to a king and it was very comfortable. We had plenty of room and got extra blankets and pillows from our steward. We were on a 7 day cruise and had plenty of drawers and closet space for all of our clothes. The only thing I didn't like was that we paid extra month for the extended balcony which wasn't worth it because since we were on the very back of the ship our balcony slanted down. We weren't any farther out than any other balcony so it wasn't worth it to me. Also, being on the very back puts you right above the engines so you feel the vibrations a lot more. I wouldn't stay there is you get seasick very easily.
Very congested and busy. US dollar exchange rate was disappointing. Beaches were pretty but there are much better beaches throughout the Caribbean.