ChrisW13

Carnival seems to be all about fun; from start to finish, everyone seemed to make it their goal to make sure everyone had a great time. Big Tex was a great cruise director - friendly, full of information, and professional without being afraid to crack a joke or two. The pools are salt water, straight from the Caribbean, but it really wasn't that bad; you just take a freshwater shower or a dip in one of the fresh water hot tubs afterwards and you're fine. The casino was great, but it was really smoky, and even if they designate a table as non-smoking, the table right next to you might still be smoking; I had a cigarette in my face the entire time I was at a non-smoking table because I was in the end seat and a guy at an adjacent table in the seat closest to ours was smoking the whole time. Also, they had one $5 blackjack table and three $10 tables; all of the $10 tables were literally empty (except one or two people), while the $5 table was overflowing and had a waiting line. Rather than opening up another $5 table or turning one of the $10 tables into a $5 table, they just kept everything as it was, which seemed kind of strange. Other than those small points, everything else notable is covered in other parts of this review. Overall, we had a great time and would almost definitely do it again if the opportunity came up.