Before going on this cruise I read some poor reviews of the ship. I shouldn't have believed a word.... Yes, the Paradise is a smaller ship but therefore less people, simple and wonderful.
Download the Carnival Hub App, and purchase the 5$ (flat rate, one time fee) to keep in touch with other passengers and know what's happening on board. Every little thing from dining, events, map, etc, is listed here on the app. It doesn't look like much until you get on board and connect to ship's WiFI. You DO NOT need to purchase the WiFi plan to use this app or messenger feature.
We had early dining arrangements meaning less waiting and more time for after dinner events and shows. The food was, fantastic! I chose at least 3-4 appetizers per night to take advantage of the culinary diversity. Breakfast options are buffet style or the taco bar (excellent). Or, if you'd rather, the Elation Dining room with waitstaff. No complaints with either. Of course, if you wait for busy dining times you will wait longer for buffet. I read some upsetting review about the lack of late night food. Well, I found I had plenty of options. The Lido deck offers late night snacks and after 2300 a pizza station. How much can you eat in a day, anyway? We did not use the drink package, if I booked again I WOULD purchase this... expenses do add up, however I did not think the prices per drink were too high - about what I would expect to pay in a restaurant or bar. The catch is that BOTH people in the room must purchase.