The ship was a disappointment. Cruise staff, entertainers, housekeeping, dining staff, all very very good at their jobs. Guest services, shore ex staff, onboard shopping staff, were not in the right head space at the time I encountered them. They may have been overworked or overwhelmed dealing with the day to day but they always seemed ready for a fight. I still can't believe they put me on a ferry to the mainland when I clearly did not belong there. Makes for a good anecdote, though.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Got to the port around 11:30 and I was on board in 30-45 minutes. Not crowded at all.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The layout of the buffet was difficult to navigate. Not a lot of selection. I had early dining and the staff in MDR was great. I had the same server for 90%, William, and I love developing a relationship with the server over the course of the week. MDR food was very good. Guy's Pig & Anchor was very good, especially for breakfast. Line was a little longer that I prefer. Street Bites on the Lido was a great snack every afternoon and there was never a line (food there was different enough that I think a lot of folks were afraid to try, but I love trying new food). Italian dining was good and sushi was very good and reasonably priced.
Bonsai Sushi
5 out of 5
I went late night, as it was one of the only options. The place was empty but the staff was wonderful and attentive. I had some sashimi some noodles and a cocktail, all for under $20
Street Eats
5 out of 5
Never a line, the food was very different, but I like different. The portions were small and exactly what was needed for an afternoon snack.
The Carnival Deli
2 out of 5
The sandwiches looked so appetizing, but were actually very disappointing. The meat was very dry and the bread lacked flavor.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I judged the Legend of Lido comp and that was fun. Not enough Hot tubs and they filled up fast.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The performers were great but the shows themselves, with the exception of the Magnificent Circus (which I absolutely loved), the shows were a bit lackluster and poorly presented. The audio was very bad in the main theater. One of the dancers, Harry (I called him Prince Harry) was so sweet and engaging and made me feel special. The piano player, Keith, was a highlight. So talented and great energy. They had a female comedian, JC, who was hilarious! The other male comedians were just OK. I don't like when they base their comedy around targeting stereotypes. I would rather hear a funny anecdote.
Children's Programs
no children
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Dining staff, cabin stew, were all fantastic. Guest services however seemed to have a negative response before they even listened to the issue. I had a huge scary incident and the staff were reluctant to take it seriously at first. After getting corporate involved they finally agreed to resolve the issue to my satisfaction. Also I was over charged on 3 separate occasions throughout the week, mainly due to negligence on the part of the employee.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
For a ship only one year old there were many obvious signs of wear and tear. I believe many of the materials used were of inferior quality. It did not at all meet my expectations.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
It was a square inside very spacious. I did a cabin crawl with the travel group and many remarked how surprised they were at the roominess. The bathroom was tight but the glass shower enclosure was a plus.
Ship tip
Lower your expectations. One major plus in the design is the casino is glassed enclosed so the noise and odor of smoke does not travel through the ship as badly as other designs.
This is a great port, but here is where my unfortunate incident occurred. I was accidentally put on a ferry to the mainland and was left to fend for myself with no Carnival rep anywhere. I called the 800 # on the back of the keycard and corporate was able to contact the ship by email only. After a very scary 3 hours I finally made my way back to the ship. There are more details but I won't go into it, just water under the bridge at this time.
VERY crowded. I went to the Aviarius excursion, which is right on the port grounds and found it to be a very pleasant way to enjoy the port without all the elbow to elbow of what was going on below. This consists of a series of overhead rope bridges that connect a series of bird sanctuaries. It travels over the pool areas and the dolphin enclosures and has a fantastic view of the ship. It was only $14.
Weather wasn't great, but the port is massive and lots to do and shop. Good restaurant and bar. You can ride a skyride to the beach area (which is maybe a 1/4 mile trek). I took a boat to Maya Key and because the weather was so iffy it was not crowded at all. The food was good and the snorkeling was OK too. Lots of caged animals, big cat, lots of monkey, and an old blind sea lion that was very photogenic, verbal, and hungry. The staff allowed some guest interaction with many of the animals. There was a very clean pool too. The twenty or so of us on the excursion really had the place to ourselves. The rain didn't start to come down until we were on our way back to the port, so all in all it was a good time.
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