Other than the port (either debark *first* or *last* - don't go in the middle!), the Eastern Caribbean cruise from Port Everglades is a blast - all of the stops but Nassau are very kid-friendly.
The staff onboard was super friendly, and seemed to almost always go out of their way to be helpful to everyone they met.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Embarkation proper was OK - but the process at-port to get checked-in and waiting to board with my 3 grandkids was sheer craziness. My daughter and son-in-law told me that it is *much* smoother doing the airport check-in at Miami (where they're cruised from previously), and I'd strongly suggest not doing port check-in at Port Everglades.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food and beverage service was fantastic! We didn't visit any of the specialty restaurants, but my Cheers service was super smooth, dinner each night in the main dining room (we were seated right by the rear window) was awesome.
Our waitstaff crew (Philip, Bandana, and Antonio) were amazing!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We enjoyed the main pool a couple times.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The shows were decent - the entertainment crew sang really well..but their dancing seemed barely coordinated, and the choreography didn't make much sense for most of the songs they were dancing to
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
Camp Ocean was fantastic! My grandkids loved playing with the other little kiddos.
Angela was the epitome of professionalism and politeness, and had great interactions with all the kids.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward Komang talked to us in the hallway every time he saw us, was always super efficient in getting our rooms serviced every day, and gave high-5s to my grandkids when they came through.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The overall layout of the ship is good - it was confusing at first, but with my previously-cruised caught and son-in-law along, I learned to navigate it rapidly.
The common areas were very well taken care of.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The basic layout and comfort of my cabin was good - I liked the balcony on the back, and being able to connect to my daughter and son-in-law's room via the balcony doors.
Komang did a great job keeping the cabin clean, but it definitely was showing age and need of a dry dock revamp. The AC unit was barely able to keep the cabin cool enough to sleep, it felt damp (more so than the hallways and other areas of the ship) almost the whole trip, and the balcony showed signed of needing some major maintenance (significant rust along the base of the railings, the connecting door not staying latched open, deck in need of some repair, etc)
Ship tip
Keep your balcony door open as much as possible until/unless Carnival gets a chance to revamp the ship.
We didn't do any excursions at Port Everglades. Inbound and outbound processing, including baggage collection on debarkation day was very chaotic and felt barely organized.
Nassau is *not* a port-of-call worth taking kids to, unless you have a good excursion booked (we didn't book an excursion here). The hawkers are very aggressive - even pitching cigars to toddlers!
What an amazing beach! I'm not typically a "beach person", but Half Moon Cay is fantastic! The water was so clear and just the right coolness to stay comfy all day we were there. The kids' sprinkler play area kept my grandsons happy and occupied for a long time, and they loved being able to "go deeper" with their daddy in the ocean.
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