I had a really great time......

Embarking was a little nerve-racking this time. We were escorted onto the ship to customer service without our ship and sail cards to be told personally that our room had to have the carpet cleaned and so the carpet was a little damp and there was a "blower" in our room to dry it quickly. We were given complementary 4 free drinks to make up for the inconvenience. It was a little scary to be taken on board this way with NO explanation and with our passports in the hands of cruise line staff. We did the whole muster thing, and it was hot, that a woman passed out in our muster station area. There was a lot of excitement all in all.

The main dinging rooms were wonderful. The food was amazing, and every night dinner was a new amazing experience. The buffets, were less exciting. There were not really in sync with our schedules, so we typically only at breakfast buffet, and then stuck with the pizza pirate place or the grill. We ordered a great deal of room service.

We tried to do the CLUE game. However, most of the clue opportunities were not available during times when early dining could participate. It was really frustrating to start and then not be able to participate. We did enjoy shopping, and bingo (largely against our will). We loved Punchliner Comedy. I would recommend that the serenity deck be open later at night and into the very early morning. That was when things were settled down enough on the ship that swimming and relaxing on the pool would have been less chaotic and crowded, but every thing closed up by 12pm.

We went to Punchliner Comedy EVERY Night we could. We loved all 4 of our comics. I would like to suggest that Carnival discourage making fun of people with disabilities both physical or developmental/cognitive. The "retard" jokes are just mean. It's time to retire that party pleaser. Was I offended? No. It just wasn't funny, and those that did laugh really ought to be ashamed of themselves.

I did not travel with children.

Zeena @ Guest Services was really great. She was the first person we met on board, and was a contact person for all of the issues with our room. She was tirelessly patient and never seemed to not be available to help us work things out. I watched her handle another guest on board, a man, who was very upset about a situation and had clearly been drinking. She handled his complaints (screaming and yelling in her face) and threats ("someone is going over board") and very demonstrative body language with dignity and grace under fire. She handled the next guest like the angry man had just tipped her a million dollars. Angelica--also at guest services: (I spent a lot of time at guest services) I watched her handle an angry guest (also intoxicated and screaming in her face). She handled that client's situation with ease, as if the person were totally rational and sober, and the guest walked away happy. The next guest got a huge smile and not a hint that Angelica had dealt with rough words or unkind treatment. Our Dinner time Wait Staff was outstanding!! Danilo was the master of the table, and by the end of the 2nd night, knew our names and anticipated what we would want to drink. By the end of the cruise, he could predict what we would want off the dessert menu. He was friendly and jovial. He must have been tired, but never showed an ounce of impatience or shadow of weariness. Anina was a head server with Danilo. They worked well together! She anticipated what we needed throughout dinner before we knew we might need. Butter appeared as if by magic. Plates of food were served with a flourish--each one to the right person--even though she hadn't taken our order! She was a delight with a bright smile and welcoming air. Igor was a waiter at our table. He was kind and made each of us feel as if he was there as our own individual waiter. He made jokes and winked and just made everyone at the table feel at ease. Frederick was a waiter at our table as well--and his primary focus was beverage service and plate removal. He was so gentle, and almost shy. We just looked up and he was there filling glasses with wine or removing plates or clearing unused items out of the way. The dinner time service staff was amazing. I felt like they were a part of my family by the time I left, and not seeing them every day was hard to let go of. Donna was our room stewardess (more like goddess)!! She was amazing. There is nothing like coming back to a tidy room and a freshly made bed. She was wonderful. She knew my name, and I didn't know who she was. The moment I walked on to my deck and stood outside my room she greeted me by name. She was friendly and eager to help out. If I could have packed her in my suitcase and brought her home I think I would have. She is marvelous. She checked on us to make sure we were ok--even when she was at the other end of the ship. I swear she knew our voices. Milos: A man of all salesmanship. KEEP HIM!! I originally noticed Milos in the dining room, he was selling the shot of the day. Then he sold me a bottle of water, then a drink in the mad hatter's ball room. Then another drink on the lido deck. After awhile it was just fun to find him and buy drinks from him in all the different places on the ship. He was a flirt, and made me feel cute and attractive--which was fun--because it was two seconds of flirt while I bought my drink and nothing more (I am married and older--it's nice to feel cute and attractive--but not be pursued or overly flirted). I think he liked the interchange as much as I did. I swear he could have sold me sunshine on the deck and I would have given him my sale and sign card!! Titus: Another waiter in the Mad Hatter's Ballroom. I loved Titus--because he actually wanted to sell drinks! He kept track of where he had been when he went around the room, and came back to where he left off. He stopped back with me, when my glass was empty!! Even during the show. Because the ballroom was so full, it was hard to get drinks in there...and he was super sweet when I had had too many alcoholic beverages, and was in need of water to sober up a little. He just keep bringing it to me throughout the show; and never acted like he was put out. I really felt like he enjoyed his job, and that he cared about what I was feeling, and wanted me to have a good time--even if that meant that he was serving water--and he wasn't bringing me a bill to sign--and so I wasn't "tipping" in the typical way.

The ship was clean. And felt well maintained. The staff worked tirelessly to keep things clean and looking nice. There were a few things that were not so great: The casino stinks--it stinks up the whole ship. It is the designated smoking area on the ship, and it smells horrible. The design makes it so centrally located that the stink travels up and down the halls and down the stair wells. If there was actually a fire on board, I don't know if anyone would know--because of the stink of cigarettes. There are areas that you cannot access on the ship very well without walking through the casino. I don't want to smell like a cigarette ashtray--it's nasty. It cannot be healthy for the staff of the ship to work in such a confined smoky area. It makes the place feel dingy and unattractive. There needs to be better ventilation or air purification around smoking on board. There was clearly a water problem on board the ship. Our room had a leak of some kind that was attributed to the air conditioning system. The hallway outside our room was soaked, and there were well metered spots down the hallway that were wet from dripping pipes, that looked to be related to the fire sprinkler systems. I heard about this on multiple decks, and our room was not the only one with a leak. Our room smelled musty.

Size and comfort and general cleanliness of the room seemed to be ok. The wet carpet was an issue. First and foremost--there was a blower in our room for the first 8 hours or so of being on board. Our room was basically not available to us because of how loud the blower was. It was so loud that we couldn't hear each other unless we yelled. The carpet dried eventually, but the room smelled a little musty, and my travel companion had congestion and a runny nose while we were in the cabin--it disappeared when we were not in the cabin. We were compensated with drinks and the steak house dinner choices one night at dinner. Getting actual information about what was the source of the water was not possible. I was concerned that the previous guest had been ill or vomited in the room (which happens) but was not given a good answer about what happened. Then I was told it was air conditioning condensation, then I saw water dripping out of pipes in the hall way ceiling. Then I smelled sewage in the hallway between the door and the bathroom right were the wet carpet was. Having a clear answer would have gone a long way to reassure me about the nature of the leak. People get sick on cruise ships. I want to know if I am at a higher risk because the last cruiser had the flu and departed that morning, or if there is a potential for Legionnaire's Disease (black lung disease) in the water coming out of the air conditioner. I especially want to know if the carpet I am standing on in my bare feet was covered in raw sewage less than 3 hours ago or if the fire sprinkler system is not working on the ship--preferably before we leave the dock. I have already paid--it is my choice to forgo the trip if I determine that the risks are not to my liking and I would prefer to disembark. I am not an unreasonable person. I just want the information I need to make an informed decision. When I am not getting clear answers it causes me to wonder what is being hidden from me and why.

Getting off was stressful due to the customs hold up. But Carnival was Cool.