It was ok for the money. This does kind of seem like a Wal Mart of the seas based on the passenger populations and the quality of the food. But the crew and staff were great, and the ship was really clean so it made up for some of the "cons". Would I go on Carnival again? Probably not. This was mostly out of convenience since we live in Texas.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
They specify several times to not arrive early or you'll be turned away. We got there a little early and were waiting but then the lady told us to go on in, "the earlier the better". So we go thruigh theproicess of checking in and checking paperwork etc, then get upstairs to the big holding room. Where we had to sit and wait for over an hour before we could board.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Buffet was ok, you could tell a lot of the food was pre-made or packaged food - not fresh. Seating was difficult during the busy times and the bus-persopnms are constantly hovering over people to clean off the tables as soon as you are done with a single plate or cup. I had to back them off a couple of times from taking my plate when I was not finished. They were always nice about it though. Main dining room was nothing special. The only entrée i had that did not taste overcooked was the braised beef. The sirloin was tough as shoe leather, the stuffed chicken was flavorless and overcooked. Apps were tiny portions, which is ok since you can get as much as you want I guess. Peach soup was surprisingly good. All of the staff were very nice, polite and prompt.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I didn't get to enjoy the pools because they are so small they get overcrowded easily. Plus the "main" pool doesn't have any steps just ladders on the side, which is difficult for me with my bad back. That is ridiculous. Fitness center was nice. We did not try a lot of the other activities so I can't comment. I did get an acupuncture treatment and a massage though. I was not very impressed with the acupuncture but the massage was amazing! Ask for April.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All of the staff on board were helpful and kind. Regardless of what their job was or where you encountered them they were all very polite and willing to answer questions.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Thies is of course an older ship, and some things could be improved, such as the size and layout of the main pool, more restrooms throughout the common areas. Overall thought the layout worked, and the ship was kept very clean in all areas.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
We had a balcony cabin, deck 9, midship. Size was okay, balcony was nice with no obstructed view, Shower was tiny. Bed was a king size, and barely fit in the space. Mattress was terrible - lumpy and hard. Couch was not very comfortable. You cannot control the temp in your room, which seems a bit ridiculous to me. It was way too warm during the day.
This was the worst disembarkation experience ever. They ask you to choose if you want to self-disembark by bringing luggage yourself - supposedly you get the earliest spots - or to tag you bags and be assigned a group. They will take your bags to a holding are to be claimed once you are off the ship. We chose the tags. So they start calling out groups. The self-bag peopls are the first 2 groups, but then they start mixing in the other groups so the poor slobs carrying their bags ahve to wait in this huge line with the other people who aren't carrying their own bags. A lot of people go early even thought they are asked to wait, therefore crowding the stairways (don't even try to get on an elevator) to get to Deck 3 for disembarkation. We ended up standing and waiting on Deck 5 to be called for about an hour (we went down early once we saw how crowded the elevators were getting). There was no where to sit and wait, so we had to stand. I am 58 years old with a bad back, so this was not fun for me. Then we finally get called and make our way down the stairs to deck 3 and snake around in a long line to get off of the ship. It was excruciating.
Everyone needs to remember you get what you pay for really applies to cruises. I try and find a way to have fun no matter what ship I am on. Getting off the ship is always the worst.Sorry the trip didn't meet your expectations. We board in two days and I absolutely could not be more excited.
Sorry the cruise wasn’t up to par. One thing to consider is to take a longer trip. 3-5 day sailings are typically a party crowd and 6-7 day are families 8+ draw an older crowd because they tend to have more vacation time. We’ve been on various lengths from 4-9 days. The longer trips are always more quiet and relaxing.
Sorry about the issues. I agree about the pool ladders! On disembarkation day we sit in buffet area after eating. We hang out drinking coffee till our group, the last is called.
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