Very good value. Affordable which leaves extra money for excursions and splurging. The only areas I found any fault surrounded accessible soda options and cleanliness.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation went smoothly. We boarded early and made our way to the open dining deck for brunch. Our staterooms were available fairly early so we could have a look. Safety drills (Muster Station drills) was somewhat unorganized hard to understand. The instructors did not utilize anything to amplify their voices, so it left the people who could hear explaining the instructions to those that couldn't.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The dining was very good in my opinion. Lots of variety and the food taste good and was hot and fresh. The one complaint would be options for beverage program. Carnival's soda program allows guest to buy soft drinks, however, there is limited access to soda. You have to get soda from the bars which are always crowded, which is fine for drinkers but non-drinkers just wanted soda should have alternative options to utilize the program. I actually would have given a three star based on the access to soda, however the food quality and variety made up for the lack there of.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
My children spent most of there time in the pools and on the water slides. We also played cornhole toss and ping pong. Not sure if bingo falls under this category but we also participated in a few rounds of bingo. Also, even though I don't gamble, the casino was always full and my wife and mother spent a decent amount of time in there.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
My family loves live entertainment therefore we make a serious effort to take in all the live shows. We watched Cat In the Hat story time with Dr. Seuss. A show titled Flick which incorporated the most popular songs from American Cinema performed live and also a rock concert which showcased the most popular rock songs from the last few decades also performed live. All the shows were very good in my opinion.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
The children in my party only visited the kid's club once for maybe an hour, so I don't think they have enough activities or personnel to keep the children busy or entertained. We took a Disney cruise last summer and they my children used the kid's daily if that's a fair comparison.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Service was good and staff was very friendly. A
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The layout was fine, the cleanliness and upkeep was a completely different story. The first thing we noticed was dirty exterior windows, pretty much all of them. We had an aft balcony so overlooking the balcony showed signs of chipped paint and rust and more dirty glass. They actually pressure washed our balcony and painted some of the exterior while at port in Freeport Bahamas. We had a clogged shower drain that flooded our bathroom for the first two nights until maintenance repaired and the floor of our staterooms needed to be vacuumed better. Our Steward was very hardworking and friendly but I think he just too heavy of a workload (too many cabins under his charge) during very busy times the pool deck gets pretty messy but they'll always get it caught up. I would suggest having more help with the staterooms.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
We opted for the one king and sofa bed in 6454 and the two twins and sofa beds in 6456. The rooms are smaller than I've experienced with other lines and the sofa bed is extremely uncomfortable. This is technically not a bed and it doesn't pull out. The mattress/seat cushion reminds you of the rubber foam used for floatation devices, ( I'm sure it will float if needed). The backrest cushions were stained. And anything stained in public rooms are never usually anything good. The room does provide lots of closet and drawer space and the tv had a good variety of channels.
Ship tip
Get your sodas before your meals when outside of the dining halls. The lines at the bars are so long your food will be cold by the time you get your drink.
We booked a Sail and Snorkel and missed it. Very disappointed, wanted to experience this. I suggest either visiting a beach, taking a tour or some sort of excursion at Nassau. This was my second in two years and it's busy, busy, busy, like visiting a big crowded city with shopping being the only activity.
Took a very good city tour and tour of The Garden of the Groves, however Freeport was devastated by a hurricane last year and they're still in the cleanup and repair stage and I'm guessing funding is slow if not non existent, therefore the island is in desperate need of repairs and investments.
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