Pretty typical Carnival cruise with plenty of activities.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation went smoothly. Check in time was 12-12:30. Got there at 11:30. Was on the ship in less than an hour overall.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food was ok. Had some really good food in MDR and had some duds. Seafood was good. Prime rib and tenderloin were below average. Skipped MDR 3 nights due to lack of menu items. Service was good in MDR. Buffet was average. Usually only 1 side open at dinner and very few food choices. Breakfast in buffet was a madhouse. Lunch was best meal options with Guys Burgers, Guys BBQ on sea days, Burrito bar and Pasta bar, plus buffet. Didn't do specialty restaurants.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Was plenty of activities. Lots of towels on chairs and no people in them on sea days. Serenity deck was full most of time. Enjoyed the dive-in movies and trivia.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
I didn't think too much of the shows. After several cruises, they seem kind of cheesy. Didn't think the show performers were that great. Liked the adult comedy shows. The musicians were good, especially the Sea Monkeys. Great band and the two singers could sing a variety of music very well.
Children's Programs
No kids.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Room steward was visible and available. Always referred to us by name when we passed by. Wait staff was great as well. Bar tenders in the Red Frog Pub and drink servers out on deck bringing buckets of beer were the best. Cruise Director Simon was also very good.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Ship could use some TLC. Casino was smoker's paradise and at times hard to walk thru. Design of the ship was fine except for Serenity deck is right next to waterpark, so had to listen to kids screaming on waterslides all day. Really liked the 5th floor lanai and the ocean plaza area.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
This is listed as an inside room, but you get a window looking out the front of the ship. Room was spacious and clean. A/C wasn't very cold. There is an open deck area in the front of the ship that you can go out and look around. Only negative was it was loud during docking on the port days. Lots of vibration when the ship is moving to the side towards the dock or when leaving. Also, some banging noises when we were at sea when it was windy. Nothing to keep me from booking room again.
Ship tip
Try the pasta bar in the Italian specialty restaraunt for lunch. It is free and you can sit down and order a custom pasta bowl with lots of options.
Took water taxi to the beach. Beach is nice, but local vendors won't leave you alone. Made it almost unbearable. They walk back and forth on the beach constantly pestering you.
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