Ok overall. Shop around. Read the comments to get the best trip for your money. Will cruise again but maybe on a bigger, newer ship. Carnival is well known for entertainment especially for kids. My teens got bored this time.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Went smoothly. Don't forget all ID requirements if you do not have a passport.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Very nice main dining in the Normandy room. Food court has a great selection to choose from whether it be a pizza to Chinese, Mexican or all American hot meal.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Pools? Forget it. 3 tiny pools full of little kids trying to snorkel and jump in. The serenity lounge for 21 and over is so packed with 18-21 year olds. No place for middle age to go to relax. My teens enjoy the O2 club. We all took in many shows. During the day it gets boring not a lot to do since the pool area are so crowded. We napped a lot out of boredom.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Comedy club and other shows were excellent for earning entertainment.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
O2 club great for teens. Keeps them occupied. Dancing, video game area, shows together and scavenger hunts
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Wait staff/food service excellent! However our cabin was very dirty and our cabin steward only stopped 1 a day. Our previous sailing, same ship, our cabin steward came frequently to check on us and our room was spotless. I am disappointed to pay so much for a dirty room
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Bathrooms throughout the ship were frequently dirty and smelled. Previous comment describes our room. The dining tables were not very clean often we had put our arms or hands into sticky food left behind. Common lounging areas were kept clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Comfort was good. Cleanliness, NO. Smudges on the mirror. Bathroom smelled, shower was dirty. dust all over glass shelves, room smelled like it had not been cleaned in a long time. Very disappointed!
Ship tip
Read over ALL boarding documents. You must pay gratuity fees either before or on your last days of your sailing. At the moment its $90. per person for the week. So if you have 4 people in your cabin you will be charged $360. for gratuity for the week. So many people were at the courtesy desk asking why they were given these charges on the last days of sailing. You must pay them. So on top of the total cost of the cruise you will also pay a $90. gratuity fee per week, per person. Make sure you are prepared with birth cert., photo ID etc. If you have a passport be prepared with other documents! Also don't waste your time purchasing bottled water for your room. If you take an insulated drink container you have access to water, coffee/tea and juices all day at the food court. You can fill up as many times as you want all day/night. Soda/pop and alcohol is not free. You can purchase a can of soda for $2.89 if you want or buy a soda band at around $50. per person. But the wait times at the bars for a soda are very long. My kids did not drink $50 worth of soda. Waste of money.
Best time ever! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Just laid in the water. Warm, crystal clear water. Beach chairs. Went to the pool area, loved it. Danced in the water. Had drinks at the swim up bar. Lunch provided by the ship on the island. Wish we would have stayed there a few days. We hated to leave! Would have rather have stayed there 2 days instead of going to Grand Turk.
Have to get a mini van taxi with warm air conditioning and packed like a sardine in it at $10 a person to shuttle to shopping or the beach. Long wait times. Another island not worth going to. Very, very stifling hot. Hard to stand and wait for a taxi with no air conditioning. Our clothes were soaked with sweat when we returned to the ship.
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