We were pleasantly surprised with the overall quality and cleanliness of the ship. The decor was rather gaudy compared to lines like Celebrity and Princess (think Las Vegas), but it wasn't overbearing. And it didn't feel overly crowded.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
I had heard that the food quality on Carnival was mediocre, but we found the selection, quality, and presentation of meals in the main dining room to be as good as any we've had on a cruise. The buffets were lower quality, but still not bad, and the desserts (in both areas) were wonderful!
Entertainment
1 out of 5
The entertainment options were definitely lower quality and less interesting than we had enjoyed on other ships. We're not "clubbers," so I can't speak for the music in the bar/lounge areas, but the larger programs (game shows, comedians, etc.) were rather tacky. Nothing like the trapeze artists or high-quality concerts that we have seen elsewhere.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone was extremely nice and helpful! My wife really liked the decorative animals that the staff made each night out of towels and left on our bed (or in the case of a monkey, hanging from the light fixture!).
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The small pools (no lap swimming) and lukewarm hot tubs keep me from giving it the highest rating.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our inner stateroom was actually larger than the ones we had on Celebrity and Princess, though a bit plain in its decor. The water pressure could have been a bit better in the shower, but it was sufficient.
We took a taxi to Estero Beach, but it was a big disappointment--the sand was flat and dirty, and there was almost no one there (in January). But we did see a group of seals sunning on a sand bar across a cove! The tourist shopping area was cute, but we didn't spend much time there. We wished that we had gone horseback riding in the mountains.
We took the tram to the Nature Center and hiked to the top of the mountain. We wanted to go farther, but we were late getting started, and getting to the shore proved to be VERY slow due to the fact that they had to rely on ferries; cruise ships can't dock in Catalina.
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