This was our first, and probably our last Carnival Cruise. We enjoyed our Christmas vacation and loved the decorations on this ship.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was a breeze in Mobile, AL! My family purchased FTTF and it was well worth it!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Lido Buffet - food was average buffet food. Cakes & desserts during lunch were great! So glad you had sugar-free/no sugar added options... please include more than one option at a time.
Main dining room food was a step above Lido deck, but it still didn't wow me on most evenings. I had read many reviews on the Sea Day Brunch and thought we definitely didn't want to miss this... but the service was so bad on both days that I don't recommend you take the time to do this. Food quality was ok, but not anything special.
Alcohol I purchased was over priced, but tasted good.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Pool was freezing... of course it is December, but we sailed to Mexico... couldn't you heat the pool? The hot tubs on lido deck were always full of children. The hot tubs on Serenity Deck weren't comfortable for more than 1 - 3 people and there wasn't enough seating to wait for a spot.
There is plenty of Trivia options, but not much else.... I suggest more games focused on family participation.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
OMG, the Country Road Show was not good! The songs played before the show started was great. The singing during the show was only so-so... and plot of the "show" was lame.
Musicians in the atrium bar were good every evening while I waited for dinner in the Celebration Dining Room.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Main dining room wait staff on Day 1 and on Sea Day brunch were slow and not very friendly. I'm fortunate that my family happened to be seated with Mr. Sudarmanto (aka Sugar) and his team on Day 2.... we requested him every night after that. That team felt like family. My daughter had a special diet requirement and they treated her like royalty and made sure everything was perfect for her. Unlike the dining staff on Day 1 who made her feel like it was a problem to have a special diet. :( So glad we lucked out with Sugar and his team! My family even hugged him every night after dinner. :) Sugar deserves 5 stars.
Brooks, on the fun squad, was a jerk. He deserves 1 star. He isn't funny but tries really hard. He comes off arrogant.
Paulie, the cruise director was bubbly and geniunely appeared to want guests to have a good time.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was in excellent condition for the age. It was clean and comfortable every single day.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
This was our first time in an ocenview stateroom and the size was about what we expected. It was clean and well maintained. I do wish there were more options for air conditioning...it was either freezing or hot. The dial on the vent in the ceiling was very touch sensitive. The shower water was either scalding or freezing and from the Facebook group posts I find this is typical for this ship.
Ship tip
The ship is small, well designed and easy to navigate. It does not have bells and whistles, so if you are looking for a "resort feel" this isn't it.
I did not do an excursion with Carnival, they were all too expensive. My family went to Mr. Sanchos via a taxi at the port. The shopping center you are dumped into is big and has lots of haggling vendors.
My family had FTTF and disembarkation was clunky... only 2 elevators working and only 1 of them fully functioning... I yelled across the area to Paulie, the Cruise Director and one of his minions about whether both elevators were working and they snapped "yes, they both are!" then I heard him radio the elevator operator to see if there was an issue... don't be snotty that it is working if you don't know. The two lines to exit weren't moving equally. The disembarkation felt like a herd of cats leaving. There were so many people funneling through that once on the escalator in the terminal someone actually fell and they had to emergently stop it. Customs lines moved swiftly. There were plenty of guest relations to help navigate where to go for taxi, uber, hotel shuttles, or parking.
I would not judge the entire Cruise Line based on one cruise on an older, smaller ship on a short itinerary during the busiest time of year. This ship is primarily aimed at first time and budget conscious cruisers and away for the cruise line to get a few extra years out of an older ship. Try one of the newer, larger ships on a longer itinerary during a less crowded time of year for a much better experience.
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