As I think I made clear, Carnival cruises are what you make them. Yes there are a lot of young people, kids and 1st time cruisers but that's what makes it fun. You meet tons of people, have shared experiences and basically let someone else cook and clean for a few days. Taking into account the pricing, I think it's a good value. Be reasonable with your expectations and you'll be thrilled. Be demanding and inflexible and you'll be miserable. You decide.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Although a bit confusing at times, the whole process from arrival to stepping onboard lasted maybe 30 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food on a Carnival boat is what you make it. By that it depends where you eat and when. Breakfast in the main dining room is always great. Buffets were hit and miss, with long lines at times. Guys burger joint was a favorite of the wife's, I preferred the Tacos on the other side. Drinks were easy enough to get, Although the bar staff was overworked. Out of all of the bar staff, only few were engaged. Violetta at Alchemy and Luis at Tequila bar stood out. Its almost like Carnival tries to limit consumption by pacing service. Just a thought.
Piano Man Bar
4 out of 5
A Carnival favorite. James was talented and funny.
Alchemy Bar
5 out of 5
Best drinks on the ship! Look for Violetta, she makes the best old fashions and sidecars
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There always something to do on the ship. We gambled, got a couples massage, sunbathed, you get the idea. Plan your day and enjoy the variety.
Spa Carnival
4 out of 5
Did a couples massage as always. Grace did a great job without overselling. A bit pricey, but very nice.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
Only saw the "The world works here" and it was underwhelming. Maybe the other show was better, but what a waste of time. Carnival keeps putting more emphasis on comics and smaller acts around the ship, not stage shows.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
From the room steward all the way to the dining room wait staff, very friendly and professional.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Design is outdated and gaudy, but it's Carnival. Cleanliness was good, great at times. Parts of the ship were run down a bit. Could really use a extended dry dock and refurb.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
interior cabin wit plenty of space for 2 people. You have to remember this ship was designed for 7 days cruises, there is PLENTY of space for 3 or 4 days.
Ship tip
It's your vacation. Don't sweat the small stuff. If you're having fun double down. If it's just ok, move on. There is plenty to do and see.
If you've never been, be ready for people trying to sell you stuff. Other than that the duty free Jewelry stores and such are good. Can't miss with a Senior Frogs
Beautiful. Absolutely needs a dock as the tender situation takes a long time. Food on the island was ok, drinks not included so budget or skip. most people just used beach chairs.
If you get nothing out of this, hear this. HAVE A PASSPORT. The line without was slow and very long. We were off the ship and at our car in 20 minutes from having our number called.
Appreciate your detailed feedback. The older ships are gaudy, that was what seemed to be expected when sailing to the Caribbean. Actually, I sometimes find it fun. Glad you mostly enjoyed your cruise.
I saw "The World Works Here" last month and walked out after a few minutes because it was so cringy. They really need to get back to the flashy Vegas style shows.
Thank you for sharing your review I'm glad you had a good time. We cruised with Carnival once on the sunshine and we went to three ports Aruba, Curacao and Grand Turk.
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