Did this cruise as a birthday celebration and it was awesome. From the food, to the entertainment, the activities and the ports of call. Carnival in years past has had a so-so reputation which is why I avoided them for so many years but their new XL class of ships is a dream vacation. I can’t wait to try the Mardi Gras & Jubilee.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation itself was smooth as butter.
This next part isn’t Carnivals fault but be warned parking in the port of Miami isn’t the easiest. So if you have a late arrival time just show up maybe 30 minutes earlier to deal with tunnel traffic and parking. Don’t wanna miss the ship!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Carnival’s quick service options is the best out of the three cruise lines I’ve sailed on. I might even say that Guys Burgers might be the best burger I’ve eaten on land or sea!
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Had a lot of fun at the different dance parties and trivia events. Bolt the roller coaster and the ropes course was worth the price of admission for this cruise! They are called the fun ships for a reason!
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Color My World is my favorite show I’ve seen on any cruise ship. Celestial Strings was also outstanding.
On the other hand the Circus show is one of the worst things I’ve seen on a ship. The aerial acts were fun but everything else was boring.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
This rating is a little biased compared to my other time cruising with the mouse.
No one was ever rude or disrespectful. But I missed having our same wait staff every night. Having a different waiter every night because we jumped from restaurant to restaurant was just not as fun. Also our room attendant did a great job but we barely saw him. He was like a ghost.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
It was a standard balcony cabin. It was clean and spacious. Love the new storage setup where you can choose to hang clothes or drop shelves and fold them.
Ship tip
Pay for Bolt! Anything that can be affected by weather do not put it off (ultimate playground). We tried to do the ropes course again on the last sea day but the winds were to high and they remained closed all day.
If they offer the Hop-On Hop-Off don’t book it even though it’s dirt cheap. It’s not a true HO-HO as they take you to 2 places and make you get off.
Our tour guide was informative but I should have known a cheap excursion would not be the best experience.
Next time no excursion and I’m just gonna do the Free Beach that is in the port.
Same comment as embarkation.
Not carnivals fault but traffic getting out of port is awful!! The tunnel was closed due to a marathon and they even had to delay sail away for the cruises that were leaving this day due to the traffic.
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