I went with my wife and two of my kids, ages 6 and 14. This was my third cruise, but my first in the new class of "big ships". It was my wife's and kid's first cruise.
About the ship:
Carnival considers this as one of the large ships, although everyone else considers this as a medium sized ship. To me, it looked pretty big. Their design is long and narrow. There are a lot of options for entertainment and food. The ship has 10 decks, three banks of elevators, several bars (over 10 of them) and 4 pools. The decor may be a bit outdated, but I didn't mind.
Obrstructed (somewhat) view balcony, really close to the elevators. Ample close space, with lots of storage space. The location was pretty quiet, and we didn't hear anyone from either above us or below us. Really good location. Would book it again.