If you are a family with kids, and have not cruised before, you will have a good holiday, and some elements were handled very well. However Carnival overall simply does not meet the standards set by other cruise lines we have experienced
EMBARKATION was quicker than other lines, and bags were also at our cabin more quickly.
The ship is kept beautifully clean, but the decor is a jumbled cacophony of Art Deco, Egyptian, Chinese, Renaissance, Mexican, and any other theme the drunken decorator could come up with. Layout is easy - most public entertainment areas, bars, dining and activities on decks 2, 3, 9 & 10, and clear guides throughout. CABIN is good - slightly more storage and bathroom space than interior cabins on other ships. Main problem with layout - the Adults Only Serenity Retreat was right below the water-slides: shrieking children are not our idea of serenity!
One of the few places where Carnival exceeded RC. There was similar layout and cabin space to other ships, but more clothing storage space and more bathroom space, and the TV is set up high out of the way, unlike other ships which have it taking up space at desktop level.