Loved the cruise and we will do another one next year. The ship was good. I wouldn't say great. The staff and performers were amazing and all went above and beyond! Food was good and we felt spoiled. All the ports were fun and it was really cool to be floating on a giant resort!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We walked right on to the ship an hour early. We had a set time of between 1-1:30 and we decided to try and see if we could get in earlier. We were told to go into the "Early and Late" line. The whole process was so easy and super quick. We were on board in just a few minutes eating lunch and then our rooms were ready by 1:30 pm.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We loved our waiter, Luis in the Black Pearl Restaurant! However, we weren't able to get him for a couple of nights and the substitute was not nearly as personable. In the main dining room, the food was always good. Although, sometimes I felt it to be a bit repetitive. Loved having as many appetizers, entrees and desserts as we wanted. The dancers always put on a show and the last night was especially touching and made us all tear up a bit.
We loved the Coffee Bar and went there every day. The bar service was always attentive and super fast, especially the Adult pool bar on Deck 11. The regular bar on the lobby floor was just so-so.
The buffet was hit or miss, but always gave you plenty of options.
We also tried the Steakhouse, which was good. But, I would say it didn't live up to the hype of all the reviews I've read. To be honest, we had better steak in the main dining room. I think it was just a bit fancy for our taste. We are simple people. lol
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We tried pretty much everything to do during the day and loved it all! We even went to the Morning Show with Alex (The best cruise director ever!!), Trivia and the Clue performances. All were good. Trivia was probably the only thing that needed work.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The Playlist Productions were top notch! The Lip Sync Battle final performance was phenomenal. DJ's were fun too.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I loved how everyone remembered your name and I always felt well taken care of.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The pink walls and odd designs didn't bother me. But, you could tell this was an older ship and could use some upgrades.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
There were three of us and it was a bit tight for that many people. (We are not small) Next cruise we will book a second room for our teenage daughter instead of sharing. All was functional except the tv kept having issues. But we weren't really there to watch tv anyway. It was nice having the balcony.
Ship tip
The layout is confusing since you can't go the full extent of the ship on all floors. (Only decks 5 & 9 I believe) So, you have to do a lot of up and down in the elevator. If I were to go back on this ship again, I'd probably use the stairs a lot more. (Less of a wait) There are certain areas of the ship where you smell sewage, like where the trivia is held, so beware. You get used to it. Also, one of the main thoroughfares is the Casino, which is smoking. So, you inhale a lot, if that bothers anybody. I would probably choose a different venue to go thru next trip.
We did the Top 10 excursion offered by Carnival. WAY exceeded our expectations! But, probably our least favorite stop. They are doing a lot of construction and the city is not as modern as the others. But, we felt safe at all times.
We did not do an excursion. But, took a van to the Malecon to shop. LOVED this port! We want to go back. We then took a taxi to Pepe's Tacos. The best in the world!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
It was ok. A lot of waiting. But, in order to get 3,500 people off the ship, it has to be somewhat in order. We had to be out of our room by 8:30 a.m. and then we didn't get off the ship until around 10:30, I think? So, there is a lot of waiting around doing nothing since all the restaurants and shops are closed. But, it didn't take long really.
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