GarrettR

Well this was my first cruise. I traveled with my fiance and we've never been on a cruise before. I can honestly say the ship was in great condition and the accessibility of the food was great. We ordered room service a few times and had breakfast come to us for a few of the days. The TV's in the room were a bit dated but then again I doubt you go on a cruise to watch tv in your room. The ship was of a decent size and we were impressed by the scheduled dinners. They were top notch. My fiance even ordered the lobster TWICE in one night and they brought it without so much as a peep. Our first night was spent exploring the ship and trying to get a feel for what type of activities were available. We didn't spend much time in the main lounge where they had singing and dancing and shows of all sorts. We were just not into it. The main bar was beautiful and the piano player was a nice touch. The other bars here and there were also sufficient. We aren't heavily gamblers but playing the slots in the ship's casino was great. I even ordered a drink from a floating waiter that brought it to the slot machine I was playing at (just like Atlantic City!). Our second night (our fun day at sea) we went to the ships spa and gym area and though we didn't use the spa it seemed quite lavish and pampering. The gym was sufficiently equipped and the view of open glass all around gave the gym a spectacular (if slightly nauseating) view. The lunch/dinner buffet was adequate and the breakfast was a great way to start our day. By far the thing we enjoyed the most this cruise were the shore excursions. Our first destination was Grand Turk and we spent that day on a Catamaran that took us out into the ocean where we went snorkeling. This was my first time and it was a great experience. I've never felt so at peace with nature as I viewed marine life as an active participant and not someone staring at it apart behind thick aquarium glass. Afterwards we were treated to unlimited drinks (careful it's easy to drink too much rum) at which point the catamaran took us to a private beach area with beautiful sand and temperate water. It was great j7umping straight into the deep end and swimming ashore. Half Moon Cay was beautiful. The sand was fine and doughy and the water and beach itself were picturesque. We snorkeled here as well and were privy to close up reaching reef areas flourishing with coral and beautiful marine fish. Again we had a spectacular time. Our final day was spent in the Bahamas where we enjoyed the amenities of the Atlantis Resort. By this time we were pooped and we spent this day relaxing ashore. We went to the resort beach and although beautiful in it's own right, it did not compare to Half Moon Cay. All in all we had a splendid time and are looking forward to our next cruise. In the end we found our ship small and lacking in activities we were specifically interested in but the seaside theatre was great. Being outside under the stars at night was a beautiful experience too. The ocean was beautiful in the daytime and we spent a bit of on ship time staring at it. All in all we enjoyed ourselves and are already planning our next cruise. It looks like this might be a bi-annual event for us. Carnival is a great way to go. Our ship was packed and lines were a bit long but that's to be expected where free food is concerned. I highly recommend this cruise line to anyone considering a cruise.