Loved the ports of call and the Celebration! Great family time and it never felt too crowded. Families, if you could mind your teenagers after 10p I think everyone’s cruise would be more enjoyable. Just some, not all, rude kids running around in packs were a minor irritant.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
A boater died in the channel which caused a significant delay in our departure while they investigated the accident. Not Carnival’s fault at all but some inconsistent communication and dropping people off at nearby shopping area then not allowing them back to terminal was less than ideal. We waited for almost two hours to get on board. Got to our room after midnight. Carnival did give everyone onboard credit which was the least they could do so at least they tried to make it right.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate in the MDR most nights and the food was fine. A few meh meals but overall we were happy. We really like the app for reserving a table. Grab a glass of cherry pie red wine from steakhouse bar while you wait for table in MDR. Yum! Went to tappanyaki place one night and it was fun. A little cheesy so probably would have been more appreciated with younger kids but still a good experience. Guy’s and Blue Iguana were solid as usual.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The gym was top notch. Ropes course was fun and mini golf too. A few in our party rode the coaster while it was in service (it was broken down for a good bit of the voyage) including my 80 year old mom and they thought it was fun. We really liked the aft pool even over serenity deck one because it had large wading area with just few inches of water. So nice to look out and see the wake and the view.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Really great. Carnival keeps it fun. Love and Marriage show never disappoints. Deal or no deal was really fun too. The few productions we did see I enjoyed.
The circus themed show was really interesting. It dragged a bit at times but props to Carnival for pushing the boundaries of what an at sea production can be.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I’ve never had an issue with Carnival teammates/crew. Lovely, hardworking humans. Our room steward kept things tidy and respected our constant coming and going from room.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We loved the layout of the ship. We felt it dispersed the crowds really well. Even some smaller ships had longer lines because the layout isn’t as well thought out. So kudos to Carnival for a great design. Everywhere we went there was someone cleaning windows, emptying trash, etc. Super impressed with how clean everything was despite the large number of people on board.
The only knock we have is that the Cloud 9 Spa is in the bowels of the ship unlike in the Vista class. My wife still used it but missed the views while relaxing.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
It had everything we needed. Perfect for the two of us. We love having a balcony.
Ship tip
Everyone says it but worth repeating—your cruise is what you make it. Make a fool of yourself, dress up, do something you’d never think to do at home. You aren’t going to see any of these folks again anyway. Bring a chill attitude and go with the flow.
We arranged to rent a Jeep through a vendor on TripAdvisor. They met us at the port and shuttled us into town where we were given a late model Jeep. It was perfect. We zipped out to Maho Beach before the crowds to see the plane fly overhead (so cool!!) then were able to drive through Marigot. We ventured up to Grand Case and loved the laid back vibe there. Enjoyed a terrific lunch in GC then did a slow loop stopping at overlooks on our way back to Phillipsburg. They dropped us off at the port and we had a good amount of time before ship left port. So it’s doable to drive the entire island and take in a few sites without feeling rushed. Highly recommend.
Only knocking it down one star due to the rain that fell almost entire day we were ashore. We enjoyed walking around town and seeing the fort even though we were soaked to the bone (we brought ponchos).
We did an excursion through Carnival that has dune buggies and zip lines. Despite a bumpy trip to get out there it was a fantastic way to spend the day. Highly recommend.
I was on this cruise as well I didn’t get to my cabin till around 11 i believe, we sat in the terminal since 12 noon it was a horrible first day they gave us 20$ on board credit for lunch the next day so i guess that was them making up for a whole missed sail away party but the rest of the cruise was awesome
6500 people. That's a lot of people. We were on her last April. Beautiful ship. To many people for us. That's why we stick with the Vista class. Just right.
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