Our first cruise was a few years ago - 8 nights on the Carnival Legend, so perhaps we had unrealistic expectations for this shorter version on the much-older Fascination. Regardless, we were definitely 'underwhelmed' by the experience.

We traveled with another couple (friends from our town) and really enjoyed our time together. Unfortunately, much of it was spent commiserating over the boring food, the sometimes half-hearted entertainment, and the lousy port advice from the excursion staff.

First, the food: because we could barely catch our breath once we went through the trying registration process, we ate the first evening at the buffet on the Lido deck. Now, we didn't expect anything overly impressive from the buffet, so we weren't disappointed. The food was edible, mostly warm, and quite varied. Breakfast was another thing - the meats were usually cold and the coffee was really bad. Because evening two was formal night in the main dining room, and because we decided not to overpack with suits and such, we again hit the buffet for much the same fare as the night before. You can imagine our excitement to be seated in the main dining room on night three; unfortunately, the food was nearly as predictable there. Main dining breakfast on Day 4 was equally disappointing; we were seated with four other people we had never met, so the conversation went from hushed embarrassment to a monologue with decidedly too much information shared. This ship needs an upcharge restaurant to offer a better level of cuisine, at least in the evenings. The bottom line? Don't expect the lavish meals you read about on many cruises and you won't be disappointed. Read more