Love, love, love!

It was so well coordinated, from picking your half-hour arrival slot ahead of time during the online checkin process, to being greeted and ushered into the appropriate line. As we actually arrived during our chosen time slot (not 2 hours early as some standing in other lines had done), we were very quickly processed in and screened and headed on board! Fastest ever!

We used the main, midship Your Time dining room every night and developed a rapport with our wait staff, Dexter, Dominick and Laila. They were wonderful! So very efficient and personable! One night, due to lack of table availability when we checked in for a table on the app, they wanted to seat us in a different section. We let them know that we would be happy to wait until a table was available in Dexter’s area. It didn’t take long, and it never happened again the rest of the trip. The food was always delicious, steaks prepared just slightly more done than what you’d see in a steakhouse (so ordered 1/2 to one step more rare than our usual). You’ll love it if you can get in their section! Tell them Debbie and Harold sent you. We used the aft dining room for breakfast several days, and it was well run, allowing for a pleasant but fairly quick meal. The food was fresh, hot and tasty, and prepared as requested. We visited the buffet for breakfast and lunch sometimes, and found it easy to use. The ship was nowhere near full, probably 2/3 or 3/4 max. It was nearly always possible to find a table, though of course the ones by the windows were always taken first. The food selection was fairly standard, looked appealing, and was probably hot when it went on the plate. Most often for breakfast at the buffet I had a fresh cooked omelette. The one time I was in a hurry and had pre-scrambled eggs, I didn’t like the texture or taste. I used the Mongolian Wok a couple times-you grab a bowl and fill it with all the noodles and veggies you want as you edge closer to the woks. Once it’s your turn, you tell the chef what meat (beef, chicken, calamari or a combination when I was there) and what sauce (Szechuan, …?…barbecue, black bean or a combo) and they cook it up for you. Delicious if you pick the right stuff. I especially liked the Szechuan and black bean sauce combo! Desserts were fresh fruits, jellos, cookies, and half a dozen beautiful cakes that they sliced up fresh for each passenger. Also Swirls ice cream and frozen yogurt is there, available 24 hours. We never used the pizzeria which is also open 24 hours, but we’re told by other passengers that it was very good, with a delicious thin crust. Another feature in the buffet area is a draft beer dispenser, operated via your Sign and Sail card! It was either 36 or 37 cents an ounce, swipe your card and pour your own! Had lunch at the taco and burrito bar by the pool one day. Fish taco was very good. Lots of toppings to create it your way. Also had lunch at the Italian restaurant on deck 11 aft, Capitano or something like that, and it was amazing! They give you a paper menu and you find a table, then check off what you want. Pick one of 3 pastas, full or half order (and a half order was a nice sized bowl for lunch), pick from about 5 sauces, pick from 5 or 6 proteins, bread or no bread, salad or no, dessert or no. Someone comes by and picks up your slip and gets your drink order. Service is very fast and the pasta with clam sauce and garlic shrimp was killer good! I was sorry I waited until the last day to visit!! Here again, the crew was very cheerful and seemed happy to have us on board. We didn’t use room service on this ship. There was not much you could get besides a continental breakfast, a couple of sandwiches, wings.

We really aren’t into a lot of activities, but I did enjoy the ropes course! After my husband went back to the cabin for a siesta, I decided it was probably my only chance and it was time to woman up! So I got harnessed up and climbed up to the starting point, looked out over the beautiful ocean from the heights of the (14th?) deck without walls, grabbed my 64 year old courage and off I went! So, yeah, I’m bragging, so sue me! The inner route is a bit easier, they told me, more suited to your first go around. Right up in this area they also have mini golf, ping pong, pool tables, and other stuff. Because the ship wasn’t full, it was fairly easy to get access.

None

Our dining room staff, Dexter, Dominick and Laila were perfect! They were not only extremely good at their jobs and efficient, but very friendly and made us feel like valued members of the Carnival family! Our room steward, Tony, is second to none! We’ve cruised and vacationed quite a lot, and have never had a cleaner room experience! We’re very impressed with the job Tony and his assistant did every day. I’m also impressed with his ability to recognize each of us, even from the back as we walk away down the hall. Without fail, he’d call out a greeting using our names and be right every single time, from the first day! Those are the people we interacted with every day. There were countless others that we might only have seen once or twice, but their combined contribution to our experience is also very important. There were very, very few crew members who seemed to be just marking time, hating their jobs, waiting to get away from all of us. Over all, the crew was cheerful, helpful and eager to assist in any way they could, and seemed happy to be back at sea!

It was easy to find everything on board using the maps by the elevators and the Hub app. The Hub app was offline a couple times, but not often or for very long. Common areas were very clean, and crew members were constantly wiping down high touch areas, especially around the elevators and stairwells. We happened to be in the elevator lobby when an elevator malfunctioned and was put out of service, and within hours it was repaired and running fine. That was the only thing I experienced on board that wasn’t 100% at all times.

Ocean Suite #7234 is in a nearly ideal location, just a little ways forward of the forward LARGEST bank of elevators. We had Your Time dining in the deck 3 dining room that is just aft of the forward elevators, so very close by. It’s also pretty convenient to the adults only Serenity area on deck 15; just ride up to 12, walk a few steps forward to the single elevator then up to 15. It’s also convenient to all of the entertainment that pops up intermittently all day in the atrium area by those forward elevators. The suite itself is very comfortable and roomy, and everything was in good repair. King bed, couch, coffee table, upholstered chair, desk with chair. Next to the bed is a roomy closet that’s half hanging and half shelves, then four large bureau drawers, then on the corner a triangle shaped cabinet with two shelves. Under the desk is the mini fridge and another triangle shaped cabinet with two shelves. Over the desk is a glass shelf with glassware and room for other items. In the dressing room is another closet that is half hanging and half shelves. Across from that is the dressing table with stool. The lap drawer has plenty of room for cosmetics or whatever, and there are four drawers to the side. The top drawer conceals the hair dryer, and the three drawers below will hold your personal items. The bathroom has a granite floor and dual granite sinks, four glass shelves in each corner for toiletries, a swivel makeup or shaving mirror, and a jetted whirlpool tub with adjustable hand held shower.

As we were in a suite we had priority disembarkation. I believe the procedure was first those carrying their own bags off, then the Platinum level members, then suite guests at 8:30. We were still at breakfast at 8:30, so we don’t know exactly how much of a crush there might have been, but when we were ready, we basically went to the exit area anushered to a line with about six people in it, scanned out, and away we went! Easy peasy!