We will not cruise Carnival again based on poor service, food, and overall lackluster feel. Our kids had a blast at the Ocean Club, hot tubs, and frequent visits for icecream and Big Chicken but as a discerning adult there is A LOT to be desired.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
The food was hit and miss. The dining room and buffet food quality was disappointing. In previous cruises, you can order multiple appetizers, entrees, etc. but this was not the case on Carnival. More rules about ordering. The Italian and steakhouse meals were considerably better quality but not fantastic.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
The kids loved the hot tubs and would have swam but the water was freezing due to California temps. Heating the pools would have been nice. The spa services were great. When it was raining and at port all the shops and casino close, so offering other ship activities would have been nice.
Entertainment
1 out of 5
We only saw 1 comedian but it was pretty amateur.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
Our kids really enjoyed the Ocean Club and asked to go back the next day. The Ocean Club felt very safe and secure with how kids were checked in and out.
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
The level of service was the most disappointing part of the cruise. Any type of special requests was considered a major task or simply could not be done. For example, getting an ocean view seat for breakfast when there were 30 tables open and they could not accommodate. The pacing of the meals was poor. Our kids were falling asleep at the table 2 out of 4 nights. There was no sense of pride in a job well done.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The bunkbeds were great for the kids. It was a standard stateroom so we knew the size was small. We were glad we upgraded to the ocean view. Our cabin was cleaned consistently which was great.
Ship tip
You get what you pay for. Next time, we will pay more and upgrade to another cruise line.
A boating shuttle was needed to get to Catalina Island which took half of the day which was ridiculous. With the transportation challenges, I would rethink having Catalina as a port. It was actively raining the entire day so there was not a lot to enjoy besides shopping.
There was nothing beautiful about this port and is ranked #6 most dangerous city in the world. It rained all day and I'm not sure why Carnival wouldn't have found an alternate spot where there was sunshine further south. The rain was guaranteed and in the forecast a week before.
Appreciate your feedback. The beauty of the industry is all of the options. Hope you find what you are looking for. Glad your children enjoyed themselves, even if they took over the hot tubs against the guidelines.
Not that this reviewer will see this since he did a phone booking and review, but Ensenada is the port of choice because it is the only large enough foreign port close to the southern west coast US that fulfills the archaic requirement that a foreign flagged vessel starting and ending in the US MUST stop in a foreign port before the trip is finished. Do not know where they got their safety information but Ensenada is relatively safe, despite Baja California being generally unsafe. Many places in the US and Canada are a lot worse.
I applaud that you have enough self-awareness that you recognize that a premium or luxury cruise line is a better fit for you. I would also recommend doing research on the ports of call *before* booking your next cruise. And remember that cruise lines can't just change a port stop at the last minute because "it's sunnier a little farther south".
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