I think Carnival and RC are like Chevy and Ford here in the U.S. You will find lovers and haters of both respectfully. I gave them a shot but in the end they came up short. I wish all cruisers with any line, safe and happy travels.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Except for missing the actual porters taking luggage, went fairly smooth. We ended up carrying on all luggage, because there were so few porters and so many passengers. Lines moved well in my opinion.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Was not impressed by much of anything except for Guys burgers(awesome),tacos at Blue Iguana and Steakhouse 555(very good). Buffet was dismal at best(kinda hospital vibe). Chibang was blah and Guys Pig and anchor was awful. Could’ve just been a bad week, I don’t know.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
4 Stars due to the Bolt(adrenaline rush), and ropes course(husband enjoyed it.) Did not sail with kids but plenty for them to do. Enjoyed Serenity the most. Fitness center was a huge disappointment. Nice machines, but very small and dark honestly. No windows, Very odd.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
First show of Soulbound had technical difficulties and was unable to resume. I understand this just happens sometimes but Carnival was not prepared in many aspects of entertainment on this brand new ship. See full review. Rockin 80s glow party was fun for sure though. And the piano bar with Ben was very entertaining.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
We had some great as always and too many unhappy or somber crew members. Feels sorta like they are just on auto pilot.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Brand new ship so it was clean. However, the ship layout is not good in my opinion. Everything feels disjointed and oddly compartmentalized. Some love the zones or neighborhoods but they just didn’t make sense to me. The decor while fresh and new had no cohesive vibe.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
I really hated the location of this balcony room. This is 100% on me as I did not catch that this room was 2 decks up from outdoor hot tubs and public lounging space. I usually research well but I missed it. It was loud and very un private feeling. Just keep in mind if you’re booking aft deck 9 and up, you’ll get it too.
Ship tip
This was my first Carnival ship. Previous RC cruises. I knew but was not prepared for the abundance of unruly and disrespectful kids on board. Kids knocked on our door and ran several times, left food outside our cabin door several times(on camera). Kid climbed into a very dangerous space and basically had to be rescued, passenger caught it on photo as security officers arrived. I understand it’s a family cruise but still….
We tragically had a passenger die on board therefore causing a 2-3 hour delay arriving in port. No fault of Carnival on that. The absolute lack of signage and directions on this ship is nuts. That paired with the worst wi-fi I’ve had on board and the Hub app not updating, made the experience brutal.
Parents forget their kids need to monitored at all times on the ship they just let them do whatever they want hell they want and don’t even say anything very disrespectful kids shame on the parents but thank you for your thorough review
Parents forget their kids need to monitored at all times on the ship they just let them do whatever they want hell they want and don’t even say anything very disrespectful kids shame on the parents but thank you for your thorough review
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