We had two and a half days at sea before first port of call. That's a lot of time on a boat. Prepare for that if this is your situation. Sun is intense, so plenty of lotion is recommended. Checking off a visit to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel in one week is a really great opportunity. Next time around I would probably attend more activities, but I think it took this time to get our bearings straight. This is a fairly low-priced cruise line. The people on the boat are a true slice of Americana. I like having a wide variety of people around me, others may not.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
If you are a planner, like my wife, make sure to dog-ear $140 for parking for the week. She doesn't miss much, so not sure how much this cost is advertised. The parking structure is not owned by the cruise line, so certainly they aren't going to discuss it too much. The structure itself is well staffed and managed. I was warned that the embarkation process is an exercise in patience, with long lines and grumpy people. Maybe I expected the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised how seamless the process was. There is some waiting in lines, but nothing over the top. Getting on the boat is fun and Carnival makes you feel special from moment one.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Considering it is all inclusive food, the ship does a great job of providing options that are included in the package, but different enough so you don't get tired of the same flavors. Burgers, pizza and tacos are abundant, although those lines get to be a bit annoying. The buffets are well maintained and the food is tasty. Dinner is served table style and the staff is amazing. We bought the drink package which makes you think you are getting a deal. Not sure in retrospect that it is. You can only get one drink at a time, and the bars tend to be understaffed. They make all of the drinks from scratch, which is nice, but takes a long time as most order frozen drinks. I just wanted a beer and the wait was 15 minutes per. Wish I could have gotten a couple at a time in a bucket, but that was not an option with the package. With the drink package, tips are said to be included, but you will still get a 'bill' that you need to sign with a space for a tip. When you don't tip, you feel like a cheapskate. Wish they would remove that for the inclusive folks and allow me to tip cash if I feel someone went over and above.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
You will not be bored unless you choose to be. All day everyday is an eclectic mix of activities for most ages. If you are bringing 16-18 year olds, they may get a little bored, but then again aren't all 16-18 year olds bored? Add that to a lack of connectivity (unless you buy an additional package) and you may need to do some more planning ahead of time.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Such a great mix of entertainment from musicians to comedians to actors. They mix it up so you can hang out at your favorite spot each night and see a different act each time. We aren't talking John Legend, but it is quality entertainment.
Children's Programs
Older kids
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
This is where Carnival really shines! You can tell they spend a lot of time in selection and training of their staff to ensure your experience is special. Everyone we encountered was smiling and offering a welcome, typically using your first name. Suripta, Rudolfo and Jennifer at the Alchemy bar were just stupendous!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Very clean ship. You may get annoyed at all of the cleaning on the outside of the ship, but some things they can't do while in port. They tend to keep it low key, but you may find yourself having to move (no more than once) to avoid the smell of paint or the sound of banging.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had four in the room, but it didn't feel cramped. You will also not spend too much time in there. Our room steward was amazing (name escapes me). He was always smiling and using our first names. Very clean.
Ship tip
You will want to identify where the smoking areas are (if you aren't a smoker) and plan around them. The casino on the fifth level is very smoky and is a major throughway on that level. Level 11 above Lido and some other areas as well. It will overwhelm you. Also, do the excursions. They are well worth it!
This is a fairly industrial port. Don't get too excited. It is designed, however, for getting you on and off. People are professional and keep you moving, but it ain't pretty...
Jamaica and it's people are truly amazing! The port experience is as special as you will see in an arguably 2nd world country. You can get all of the souvenirs and tastes of Jamaica without leaving the port (although I recommend going further). The people in the terminal are helpful getting you where you need to go.
You will need to get to the port on a boat, so expect a longer wait as opposed to Jamaica and Cozumel. The port has plenty of shopping and food. The town of Georgetown, right outside the gates, also has plenty of the same.
Very busy port. Five other ships there when we were. Well organized - you will get swooped away on your excursion very quickly. Not a big island so you will get where you want to go pretty quickly. Very clean and lots of shopping and food here as well.
They will announce rules for disembarkation, but it turns out they are mostly guidelines. They attempt to have you leave by floor, but most folks just leave. Apparently they won't stop you from leaving if you aren't on the proper floor. Also, you can opt to have your luggage picked up for you and taken into port. This seemed like a quicker way to leave, but it turns out on our day that those bags were delayed. So we brought our own bags off and ended up saving time. The lines to get off are a lot slower than embarkation. Prepare for this, as you will be anxious to get in your car, but that won't happen quickly. Expect a minimum of 90 minutes from leaving room until reaching your vehicle. People are grumpy at this point as well.
Thanks for this review. We sail out April 28 and it’s nice to hear good things about the ship. I sailed the Dream 2 years ago for the first time and had a wonderful time. We had the sea days on the back end and that seemed to slow down the cruise or make seem boring after having toured 3 ports. I’m anxious to see how it will be with the sea days in the front. Glad you enjoyed your first cruise.
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