This cruise was our 5th cruise and we knew what to expect from Carnival. We did have a great time with lots of laughs. I can't wait to they make the casinos smoke free, it is such a turn off when you are trying to play and people are chain smoking. The ship is getting a bit worn and needs a facelift, but the overall experience was good.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was easy minimal wait time in the zone area.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food and drink was good in the restaurants, but the buffet was ok.
Skybox Sports Bar
5 out of 5
Great service and had all the games on
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Comedy was great, casino was fun. Can pass up the hairy chest contest!
Entertainment
4 out of 5
All performers were good. The Lip sync battle needs some work, but funny.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service is always good. Staff are always attentive.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was clean, just needs a face lift. Its starting to look dated.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The comfort of the cabin was good. The closets smelled like BO and the bathroom had a terrible urine oder. I really think it is time for a facelift. Balcony was very dirty by the drains, yes it is the back of the boat, but it really needed to be swept out. The sunsets, port views where outstanding.
Embark and debark, parking is easy. If you are a Veteran it is free parking, when you are about to park, please let them know and go in with your drivers licenses or VA card and letter stating you are a disabled Vet. Visit Galveston port website for more information.
Go on the Zip lines tour, it was alot of fun! You do not need to bring a back back with you the ship is literally right there. You will get a little dirty from the zip line, but you can go back on the ship and change. Eat and drink on the ship. Since it was an overcast day and we just walked around the little port and spent time on the beach after we went on the zip line, it was the typical shops you would see at the Carnival ports.
We went on the snorkel, sharks and rays tour. Great time and our tour guide Kim, Leslie and Frances where great and provided tons of information. We took a boat ride from the ship to the port and jumped on another boat for a 21 mile ride to the site. Outstanding views and great conversation. They are all about safety and will help if you never snorkeled before. The reef was beautiful with lots of fish and coral bring a camera or gopro. Sharks and rays were good, but really was not my interest.
Underground caves on the mainland. 35-45 min boat ride to the port from ship, not too bad, but take your meds if you get seasick. After you arrive you are given a short briefing and then taken to the caves, half the ride is highway other is jungle dirt roads. Beautiful but bumpy. Once at the caves, you will be taken over to the lockers and get into bathing suit, shower off and put on your wetsuit, helmet and lift jackets. They have large American sizes but they are a bit snug. Then off to the caves you go, great experience, but you need to make sure you can traverse the rocks and be able to bend over. It is very natural, but the tour guides are not as educated on the formations as I have experienced in the states. But you literally swim most of the time though the caves. The lunch after was great and then onto the boat you go. You may have time to shop or lay on the beach, but it is not a lot of time. We just crashed on the beach for 30 min before we left to get back onto the boat and headed to the ship.
Galveston and Customs have changed things since our last cruise. The lines to get off of the ship were extremely long and many of us that purchased Jewelry or higher dollar items were escorted to the Customs agents so we can pay tax on the items we purchased. It is very minimal, but we skipped the lines and go out faster than others.
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