Overall great trip. Expected more from a brand new cruise ship (we usually sail older ships). Didn't seem worth the extra money to us but still had a great time. Not turned off from sailing Carnival in the future, but there were enough significant differences that we would probaby try a different cruise line or go back to Norwegian in the future.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Great. Smooth and organized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food was good but nothing spectacular. Main dining room had a good selection of dishes for dinner that was always changing. We ate here a lot. Breakfast in the dining room was far better than the buffet breakfast but left a lot to be desired in both locations. Fruit was very lacking as was dessert items that were not pudding texture. Very limited options for both of these things.
What we noticed about this ship was that all of the food was split up throughout the ship. In the past, the ships we have been on would have a big buffet with many options, a dining room, and specialty dining (for extra $$) around the ship. We are usually big buffet consumers- eating most of our meals there, but the buffet was, dare I say, embarrassing on this ship. You absolutely could not satisfy a whole group of people with varying meal ideas in this single space. We rarely ate here because the options were very limited- like 6 trays of food revolving in 4 different areas of the buffet line. Luckily, it was just my husband and I traveling and we can compromise and decide on a meal type and go somewhere else. There WERE different meal options scattered throughout the ship, but if someone in your party wanted a hot dog and another person wanted chicken nuggets, you would find yourselves split up between decks 8 and 16. Each of these different areas to eat was probably better quality food than it usually is sitting in the buffet, but I was very turned off by how far you had to go to get something you wanted. We left our toddler son at home on this trip, but if we would have brought him, I am not sure how we would have satisfied his hunger in a timely manner on this boat.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Ropes course, mini golf, basketball court, waterslides, many pools, etc. Fun for the whole family.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We were not bored on this ship but have seen much better as far as entertainment goes. The 'big' shows that normally take place in the theater of the ship were pretty limiting. Singers and dancers a couple of times in there, but no acrobats, magic, or other big show worth being excited about. Comedians were bountiful on this boat. There were at least two comedians on board at all times with PG and 18+ shows every day (on repeat).
Had a terrible experience with comedian Manny Oliveira. Very trashy comedy that way crossed the line.
Children's Programs
No child with us.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
We always have good experiences with staff on cruises. Our room steward, Adrian, was very personable and did an excellent job on our room. He introduced himself to us upon imbarkation and was very friendly.
We had no bad experiences with staff, but did notice that the introduction of using cell phones for dining room reservations and viewing menus in the dining rooms made the experience less personable. It felt like the waiters were just there to punch in an order versus interacting with us and giving the 'dining room experience' like we have had on other ships. Not their fault- more an issue with the cell phones than anything.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Most storage we have ever had in an interior cabin before. Very sizeable shower and good layout.
Did not feel "Caribbean". Very pushy with people there and all tourist trap. Could not visit a beach for less than $80 for two people- 20 dollars taxi one way and 20 dollars admission to beach for one person.
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