Not all that

Item: Carnival Paradise
Rating: 3.3
Author: davethemailman5

Carnival Paradise Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

davethemailman5

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 15

Overall rating:

3.3 out of 5

Verified Review

5 Night Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 20, 2023

Ship: Carnival Paradise

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: R241

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

We intended to go to lounges and enjoy musicians, do some adult things, and just have a good time laying back. Instead, we found an overcrowded all adult area, and even to get a Pepsi was an up charge. The biggest disappointment was, we needed Internet, and while we paid for it, we almost never had access to the Internet. We have a handicapped child at home and needed to be able to call them at all times. The Internet service was abhorrent. Overall it was not what literature promised on too many fronts. Is this how all Carnival cruises are? Very disappointing.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Went as expected

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Food was good. Up charges for drinks such as sodas was ridiculous

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

Absolutely nothing good for retired couples

Entertainment

1 out of 5

All geared towards specific subset of the population

Children's Programs

Because we had no kids with us

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Our room steward (mark) was excellent as was the dining room employees. The entertainment employees did nothing for retirees.

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

Very clean but the fact that the only all adult area had waiting line for chairs and was overfilled at all times should be an indication that tiny part of the ship was not large enough to accommodate this population.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Only problem was being right beside the engine room. Was very loud and we could not hear announcements and we did not sleep well. This should have been a discounted cabin.

Ship tip

Don’t

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Tampa, Florida

5 out of 5

Boarding and disembarking there

Thumbs Up 0

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

Yes, walking tour. Was not good. The tour involved going to different shops and listening to sales pitches.

Thumbs Up 0

George Town, Grand Cayman

3 out of 5

Excursion was cancelled night before. Reason given was not enough people signed up. Left us very little time for us to choose another excursion.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Well organized.

5 Comments

javawoody 1 year ago

I believe you learned cruising is not for everyone

Thumbs Up 1

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donf407 1 year ago

Unfortunately cruising is not for everyone sorry you had a bad experience I would recommend trying again on one of the bigger non budget ships however a lot of your issues are just part of cruising

Thumbs Up 0

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AuntPinkie 1 year ago

Appreciate your details. Sorry you were disappointed. Soft drinks are not included on most cruise lines. Internet tends to be spotty but seems to be improving. Hope you find what you are looking for.

Thumbs Up 2

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Oops sorry 😞 thanks

Thumbs Up 1

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karlgrgurich 1 year ago

Ohhhh. I can understand your disappointment. I think you’re right…a lot of literature paints a very nice picture. It’s unfortunate, but, you really need to do a lot of leg work to find the cruise that’s right for you. Our preference is Princess. We find it relaxing and elegant. I’m sorry it was such a disappointment.

Thumbs Up 1

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Other reviews of this sailing

Decent Cruise for the Price