This trip is my fourth cruise and my wife's fifth cruise. I have cruised before with Celebrity (Canada & New England) and Princess (Canada & New England and Alaska). My wife sailed with Carnival about twelve years ago. The trip was spontaneous as it coincided with my winter break and my wife was able to get time off. I was a bit skeptical to sail with Carnival given its reputation but I had some pleasant surprises.
Overview:
I went into this trip with an understanding of some of the differences between Carnival and the other lines I have taken. For the price I got, I had a week of good food, good service, a nice cabin, and absolutely beautiful weather. The cruise director was comical but very polite and gracioius. That said, I have learned that although I certainly would consider cruising with Carnival again given my experience, there are things about this line that do not match with me. This line is somewhat "pushy" with trying to sell you drinks, take your picture, and sell you pictures. This was also true of excursions. Much of the fellow cruisers were excellent but there were a bit more who were a bit crass. There was also a large number of children on this line (which is to be expected-it is very kid-friendly.) Specific reviews for each area follows:
Cabin:
We were in a nice spacious cabin with a balcony. Although other reviewers noted they made little use of their balcony, we certainly used ours. At the end of the second day, the weather allowed for it with a light jacket and it was quite warm the following days. The bathroom was servicable with shampoo and shower gel pumps in the shower but my wife indicated conditioner would have been good.