We always have a great time on Carnival. It's not perfect, and there are some issues here and there, but overall, you can't beat the value, and the difference between Carnival and, say, Celebrity, isn't enough to lure us away most of the time.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We scheduled an embarkation time, but when we arrived, everyone was in line regardless of a scheduled time, and despite our early arrival, it was very busy. Despite this, the line moved relatively quickly and the experience was good despite the wait.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was very good. We enjoyed the dining room, had great staff and great surface. The buffet was what we've come to expect, and had a good selection.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
It was extremely hot, so we spent most of our time in the pool, or, in the library (of all places) playing monopoly and had a very good time.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The main show was pretty good, the rest of the entertainment was mediocre at best.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff is always the highlight of a Carnival cruise. Our waitstaff, cabin steward and everyone else we dealt with were great!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship's layout is what we have come to expect. Takes a few days to remember where and how to get through from one place to another. The common areas were generally clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was what we expected for an interior cabin. There was enough room, and it was clean. Cabin steward did a nice job of keeping us in towels and keeping things clean.
Ship tip
Bring your own snorkel gear - at least the mask and snorkel. Be the first in line to get off the ship, especially in August.
The straw market was interesting, and had a nice lunch. August was probably the wrong time to visit (but we have school age kids) because we had feel like temps approaching 120 - would have had more fun exploring if it wasn't so hot.
This "private island" is really just a resort on a island otherwise inhabited by locals. 90% of the people got off the boat and plopped down on the first stretch of sand they found, making it very crowded. We walked down as far as we could, and found a less crowded spot. Again, it was SUPER hot, and no shade to be found. Still, being in the water was nice. We weren't able to rent snorkel gear which was a disappointment - should have brought our own.
Was super easy, especially since we had passports. People without passport (which seemed to be the majority) had to wait in a super long line. We were able to walk right out, and they are now using facial recognition technology to check you out, so didn't even need to show the passport. Bags were waiting for us and then straight on to our shuttle.s
Monopoly in the library?! Lol everyone cruises different. Glad you had a good time. Was on liberty and also enjoyed it. Wish they would clean the aft exterior. Looks bad next to the other prettier ships. Thanks for your review!
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