After reading all the reviews I was VERY worried about going on this cruise. Let's be honest - they don't sound so great. Here's my take: Nothing is perfect - It's all about what you make of it. This was our second cruise. Our first was on the Carnival Breeze in January of this year as a family of 3. We did Carnival Paradise in November for just my husband and I as a celebration for my 40th birthday. We had an Aft Balcony (U239). The room was small, but it was perfect for the two of us. Plenty of storage. Balcony was oversized and was where we spent most of our in room time. The steward was AMAZING and even knew our names when he saw us far away from our room! The ship is older but clean. Food was good. Not overly amazing - bud good none the less. We had late dining and our server was great - again saw me on the Lido Deck and knew me by name! Our first stop was in Grand Cayman (tender). I had FTTF - we were told to meet in a certain place on the ship - however, no Carnival Employee ever showed up. We finally just said forget it & went down to exit the ship. Luckily we got off very easily. I had reserved a cabana at the Royal Palms Beach Club (Not through Carnival). We had a great time - drinks, food & snorkeled with our own gear right off the beach. Our second stop was Cozumel with a Carnival Excursion. We did the VIP Champagne Catamaran Sail & Snorkel (This was NOT the FURY excursion). There were only about 12 of us on the boat - it was AMAZING! Not crowded, food & drink were plentiful and the fish were beautiful. We even saw a golden eel. They also offered photos for purchase which was perfect because I hadn't taken many. The photos were emailed within a day or two and they were amazing & there were sooooo many of us both in & out of the water! The shows on the ship were really good. The performers were so talented. The rock&roll show was not my favorite - but that music isn't my cup of tea either. The 80s show was amazing. Even my husband who isn't in to that type of thing commented on how talented the performers were. We honestly had a great time with everything. There were bumps in the road but like I said - it's all what you make of it.