We took this as a birthday weekend excursion for my husband so we could have some couple time and relax in the spa. We were very impressed by how easy it was to get on and off the ship, and we enjoyed much of the food as well as the comedy shows. Cabin was a nice surprise as well. Overall it was a relaxing getaway.
The main things we didn’t like were the ship’s layout, lack of attention to repairs, inconsistent service, and general cleanliness. It was definitely a worthwhile trip for a quick getaway, and we plan to do short cruises with the line again, but Carnival isn’t our preferred cruise line.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Long Beach was a breeze! Everyone was super friendly and helpful.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Deck food was top notch, better than any cruise line I’ve been on so far. Wasn’t super impressed with the main dining room or Italian restaurant, but the steakhouse was outstanding! Didn’t go to the buffet. The Dr. Seuss breakfast was fun, but the food was just ok.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The weekend was a bit chilly, so we didn’t get into the pools. Hot tubs were always crowded. I had always heard Carnival trivia was great, but there didn’t seem to be very much of it, and it was at off times for us. We spent a lot of time in the thermal suite. I loved the chairs and some of the saunas, but there were issues with the showers working properly. Items were in need of repair in the changing rooms as well.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We loved the comedy shows most of all. Billy Washington was the absolute best! This was the first time I’ve been to a truly adult comedy show on a cruise line. Usually adult means the comedian is allowed to use a few four letter words. This was legit comedy that crossed over to blue and tackled some tough issues. We had a lot of fun.
Children's Programs
We don’t have children.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Our cabin steward and steakhouse server were outstanding. Spa was good too. Enjoyed our couple’s massage. I appreciated that they asked me at the end if I wanted to hear about products and respected me when I said no. That almost never happens on cruise ships. Other places, such as the main dining room and bars, were hit and miss. I’m used to the higher level of service overall that I’ve gotten on other cruise lines, but I also pay more for that.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship is oddly renovated. It was like a Frankenship with different incongruous styles cobbled together. The small size made some things easy. That said, there were lots of places you could get to only on certain elevators or by going up a deck crossing something and then going down a deck. The main dining room was very difficult to get to because it was on the opposite end of the ship from where we were staying. This is annoying on any cruise, but a short one makes it even worse because you really don’t have time to learn how to navigate.
I was surprised that there was not more cleaning going on. I saw plenty of external washing going on overnight, but throughout the day, people would randomly leave food and empty dishes throughout the ship. Things did not get cleaned up nearly as often as I expected. There was a plate of half eaten bacon sitting in the hallway on our deck that was there in the morning when we left and was still there when we returned to our cabin several times over the next eight hours.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Loved being in a spa cabin! It was ambulatory accessible. We had enough room to store my wheelchair easily since it folds. The grab bars and extra space were helpful. Enjoyed being able to just walk out of our cabin, go around the corner, and go directly to the spa. The deck was adults only, so it was mostly quiet. Bed was extremely comfortable, much better than what I’ve had on both Princess and Royal Caribbean. There were some minor quirks with the cabin layout, and there were some items that needed to be tightened or repaired, but overall the cabin was a good experience.
Ship tip
Take the 4-day cruise instead of the 3-day one so you have more time to learn more things are and don’t lose opportunities for fun.
Meh. We enjoyed the nice weather, but we weren’t impressed with the shore excursions offered and were a little nervous because of security alerts. It was nice to get away, and the city looked pretty from the ship. Port area was just ok.
Did express walk off. Couldn’t have been easier. We really like the carnival system of being able to pick your own time to leave through the app. It didn’t take long at all to disembark, and we were able to walk right off and continue touring Long Beach.
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