A Mixed Bag

I found this cruise to be a very mixed bag.  It was my first cruise experience and I am not sure that I would go on another Carnival cruise again.  

Our dinner service waiter team, Michael Ivan, Francis, and Rowel, were great.  Very polite, helpful, and unobtrusive.  (This was made very apparent when we had to move tables one night for a medical issue because that service team made Michael's SHINE.)  Redian at the Alchemy Bar was also a stand-out employee, an attentive and excellent bartender.

The entertainment at the Encore Lounge was terrible.  We walked out of two shows shaking our heads. The comedians weren't very good either, we walked out of two of those shows as well- the jokes were tired and not funny.  

However, the VERY talented Mic Control did sets by the Alchemy Lounge, occasionally joined by The Smoking Brass.  They were fantastic and I much preferred them to the "stage productions."  We made it a point to show up to their sets on several nights and enjoyed a wide variety of songs from all decades.  I'm from Nashville and they could absolutely hold their own at any live music joint in town.

The spa was a disaster.  Not only did they get the scheduling wrong for many of my friends on the trip, the women at the front desk were rude and unhelpful.  It was strange because we got at least 2 flyers a day promoting spa specials, so I felt like they wanted my business.  But I didn't feel that way when I was there.

We had a balcony stateroom, which was just ok.  Our cabin steward had it cleaned every night while we were at dinner.  The decor and furniture could use some serious updating (the curtains were stained, there were scratches in the faux leather couch and most wooden surfaces), but we were comfortable, and it wasn't as small as I was expecting.  I was not happy the night after balconies were cleaned while we were at port and several of the balcony dividers came open at 5 am and slammed around in the wind.  A special tool is needed to close them and it took an hour and a half for someone to come see to it.

Lido deck is loud and crowded.  The pools are tiny and there's standing water everywhere after it rains.  I made a point of avoiding it. The tequila and rum bars were crowded and slow so save your money and go to the Alchemy Bar instead.  Wandering around on that level (5) we found a few quiet spots that were great for hanging out and relaxing with family.  The Pig and Anchor BBQ spot open on sea days was tasty but get there early because lines are LONG.

The highlight of the trip was Althea's Behind the Fun Tour on Saturday morning.  I really enjoyed learning about the logistics of a ship so large.