Good Cruise with Great Crew

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 22

Review summary

Carnival Paradise is a nice ship, small for today's standards (about 70,000 tonnage). We had an inside cabin on Upper deck aft, for 5 of us. We were cozy but comfortable. It was worth it to upgrade from 4A to 4C. There are very few balconies on the ship, so plan on a window room if you choose outside cabin. The ship is best for what it is used for, 4 and 5 day cruises. Service was top notch. Our dinner staff was outstanding, led by I Made and his team from Indonesia. Jeffrey was our cabin steward and his service was top shelf. Adem from Turkey served us sodas with dinner, was so nice, and I kept seeing him throughout the days, he worked hars, wore a lot of hats. Bar staff and all help and crew were very courteous. The whole team works extremely hard to give us a pleasant experience. We left in a middle of tropical storm Thursday but the mood was festive and we were very safe. Sea Days were nice, plenty to do. My wife one $200 on bingo. Steve the cruise director does great job. Casino was very nice, slots were fun. I attended two shows from Punchliners with comedian Thomas Brown. We saw as a family the G rated show, then I alone saw the R rated later show where he "goes there". Both routines were funny. Do not go to the late shows if you are easily offended. The ship allows you to enjoy a variety of experiences. The main pool area is party central during the day. 11 aft has a second pool that is quiet, and 9 aft has Serenity Deck, adults only. Rex Nightclub was hopping every night. DJ played 80's and hip hop mostly, but mixed it up nicely. Camp Carnival was a hit with my 5 year old. She preferred to eat there every night and wanted to return each day. Camp crew were very safe nice people. Cozumel was very fun, went to Carlos and Charlies after my family swam with Dolphins. Safe and pleasant. Bring small bills. Taxi drivers and flea market folks had little or no change. If I forgot anything or anyone, I apologize, I did the best I can on my review. Here are my constructive comments: Beds were hard. Putting in new beds or offering rooms with different firmness would add value. The water slide had a 48 inch requirement. Installing a smaller slide with less height requirement in the kid pool would add value. Also, updating the pools would be excellent, and putting in a big screen movie screen for movies under the stars. The cuisine was good, but I wish there was more variety. Having a better cut of steak than flat iron steak would add value. Lobster night was nice. Buffets were well stocked. The team serving there were very courteous. Ice cream was excellent. Please put ESPN in the rooms. I would like to thank Carnival and its crew for a great vacation experience. Joe R. Valrico, FL

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Ports of call

Tampa, Florida