Less Impressed than Other Cruises

Although I felt like my two sons and I had a very good time on this cruise..the on board activities were great, and the stops were amazing. ....

We couldn't help but notice that several staff members seemed either under-appreciated (mainly by the cruise-goers) or over-worked.  Our stateroom was cleaned in a rush, and a couple things slipped by...mainly dirty dishes in the cabinets, and a terrible odor in one of our closets.  One of the bed sheets appeared to be dirty (it may have just been stained), but I got a fresh sheet from the steward.   Our toilet clogged up at least twice a day, sometimes even if no one used it (We knew the plumber by name by the end of the trip)

We chose anytime dining, and were very disappointed with the service in the dining hall.  It seemed that the wait staff found us to be an inconvenience, and at several meals we felt utterly forgotten.  Another diner at a nearby table told us that's because the waiters work so hard to forge a relationship with their regular diners (in hopes of a good tip) that they all but forget about the "anytime diners".  That does seem like a likely reason.

My other recommendation is to update or expand the internet options on the boat.  Even though I have a MIFI, it didn't work on the ship at all, and the ship's internet was spotty at best...so if you NEED the internet (like my boys say they do) you may be very bored on the ship.

I do feel like the ship did a very good job of having healthy options for those of us that want to eat healthier.  I was able to eat plenty of fruit and yogurt (with skim milk) for breakfast every day,  a huge delicious salad (with every topping imaginable) for lunch, and my personal favorite, salmon with veggies for dinner every evening.  This was the first cruise that I actually felt like I did really good with my eating habits, so thanks to Carnival for that.

All in all, it was a great cruise...mainly just little nit-picky notes...I will be taking another cruise in the near future (February), and look forward to many more.