I went on this cruise with my octogenarian Dad. We are both very active for our ages. This was my 31st cruise, and probably about the 8th with Carnival. I usually choose Carnival or Royal.
We stayed at the Embassy Suites on 17th St. prior to the cruise. I'd highly recommend this hotel based on its location, facilities, and free breakfast and happy hour. We paid approximately $140/nt with no added resort fee. This presented great value for what we received.
The ship is in overall good shape, but the reports about rust are not an exaggeration. Nothing here will impact your experience much, but when you first get on the ship and look up, you will see rust spots all over. This is the worst example of a rusty ship I've seen on my 31 cruises. Sometimes, rust areas will "leak" down the windows causing unclear views from windows. Again, I don't want to sound like one of "those" people, but it would be nice if they addressed this in the near future. Otherwise, the ship was in pretty darn good shape. Previous reviews spoke of sewage smells. I never smelled sewage once, and I was all over the ship always taking the stairs. Check out the deck plans before your voyage so you don't spend wasted time getting lost when on the ship. You cannot pass through decks 3 or 4 due to the main dining room galley, so you will be forced to transit above or below. They should do more to "suck in" the smoke in the casino. Their only solution thus far is a large blower fan at the entrance that forces the smoke in the casino so it doesn't get too far outside. This helps to keep it in, but the smell is repugnant inside.
This cabin was in very good shape overall. The balcony was a little dirty, as were the balcony chairs - mostly paint over-spray and rust. Gede, our cabin steward, was exceptional with his cleaning and friendliness! The cabin is in a great location - very close to the mid-ship stairs and the only noise was from passengers in the hallway.