Going through the Panama Canal was fascinating. We had a balcony cabin and spent most of the day there, starting with room service for breakfast. While going through, the TV had commentary on what to look for and what was happening, how many gallons of water were displaced, how much it cost to go through, how many ships a day go through etc. It takes a couple of hours to go each way so it was nice to have a balcony.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Because this was a Journeys cruise, they brought back a lot of "throw back" activities. They did the horse races, frog races in the pool, the captains cocktail party with everyone invited, not just platinum & diamond passengers. Every sea day had lectures on topics such as art, astronomy, social media, and photography with a guest lecturer.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
There were more dance productions because of a longer cruise, but a couple of them were similar to ones we had just seen in November on the Carnival Splendor and Vista. The singer Marcus Anthony was good and several of the comedians were fantastic. We enjoy going to the Punchliner Comedy shows.
Children's Programs
We had no need for the children's programs and in fact there were very few children on this cruise with it being so long and not over a school holiday.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Our dining room staff was great. Our head waiter the first night for Our Time Dining was Milos and we requested him every night after that.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The interior of the ship was clean and well maintained for an older ship, but balcony railings were in need of refinishing. We enjoyed the smaller ship experience with fewer passengers and fewer lines everywhere. The theatre and comedy club area had plenty of seating and seats were comfortable. Elevators were plentiful, fast and rarely crowded.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Aside from the balcony needing to be painted due to rust and the railing needing to be refinished, the room and balcony were typical of any Carnival ship we had been on.
Ship tip
This sailing was a little rougher than most. I am not sure if it was where we were sailing, weather or the size of the ship, but there was definite movement many nights.
Security was very strict and slow. Embarkation was unorganized and confusing. Wait in line, sit in chairs, wait in line. It was raining and we had to go outside to get on the ship, then go under a leaky canopy, outside and then on.
Small island, several of the usual shops, beach right by the ship with free chairs. Free WI FI at Margaritaville that we did not know about. If you go in the ocean there, I guess it is a little rocky, not nice and sandy like Roatan.
I had been looking forward to doing an excursion there, but there were torrential downpours most of the day and we had to cancel. Fortunately, we were able to get a full refund.
We love this port. There is a beautiful beach within walking distance of the ship. Nice place to grab a beach chair in the sun or shade and get a drink for Fat Tuesdays right on the beach. Beach chairs are free, but if you want a clam shell to cover 2 chairs, there is a $26 charge for all day and if you don't get the front row, you just see the clam shell in front of you. Not worth it in my book.
Easiest disembarkation ever. There is an aquarium right there and we could have left our bags at the terminal in a separate area while we went. Taxis are abundant, but we caught a shuttle that took us to the airport, right outside of the terminal for $8 per person. (Carnival transfer was $20 per person)
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