This was our 4th cruise with Carnival and will probably be the last. We had a really nice time and enjoyed seeing the Panama Canal, certainly a bucket list trip. We traveled with another line last year and did notice the difference in food and entertainment when we returned to Carnival.
Trying to board the ship in Ft Lauderdale was a very poor experience. The entire set up was like a cattle drive in a warehouse setting. Once we were on board we were very happy with our cabin, which was ready and our luggage arrived very quickly. Excellent service by our room steward and the ship overall is in outstanding condition and was spotless at all times. I agree with other comments on the strange decor of the ship - snake skins and statue of liberty make a strange combination. However, the ship is in outstanding condition and the crew does an excellent job with the maintenance.
The dining room service at dinner was very slow, food was a disappointment. Most nights there wasn't a featured item on the menu, nothing that you felt you had to have. It was surprising to see the comfort food on the menu but given the number of children, it made sense. However, there wasn't a lot for adults that wanted something besides fried chicken. During the day, the buffets were very crowded.
Deck 10 - room 1035. Loved being this high on the ship. Balcony was great. Being able to walk up easily to Serenity Deck and other public areas a plus. Room was very quiet even though it was close to the main pool.