Enjoyable Cruise. First time for both of us on the Pacific side. The ship was rocking and moving a bit more that we had experienced before, not sure if it was just rough or this is normal for this cruise. Nice ship but does need the gen 2 updates to add more specialty restaurants that Carnival touts on the newer ships. Overall good food, entertainment, good value for the week long cruise.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Had Faster to the Fun so boarding was a breeze. Room was ready and bags showed up quickly. Muster drill was the usual.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Had early dining in the Gold Pearl and ate there every evening. Had three great waiters. Quickly learned our preferences. Were seated with two other couples that did not show up to all the evening dining. Food was good. Did try a few appetizers out of the ordinary. All were good. The sea day brunch in the dining room was adequate but not a wide variety of choices. Did breakfast in both the buffet and dining room. The Omelet station was fast and got what you wanted. The BBQ offerings were OK but being from Kansas City, not up to what we get at home. We did find that many of the desert offerings in the dining room were also available at some of the stations in the buffet so getting seconds was easy.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Got in the Serenity pool after we returned from our shore activities and it was not too crowded but the deck around the pool was HOT since there was not much water splashing. Did have a spa cabin so we used the spa Thalassotherapy Pool, a big Hot Tub. Did get a couple massage that was soothing.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Thoroughly en joyed the live band that preformed in the lobby area. Good tunes and variety. The two main stage show was mainly singers over recorded music. The lip sync finalist was as entertaining as the pro's. Did do some trivia games on the sea days.
Was a little disappointed with the time schedule of some of the main activities. Coming from the mid-west, having to adjust for the 2 hour time change and the ship also changing time zones along the way, things like the 80's parry and late entertainment was past our bedtime.
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our cabin attendant kept our room in shape. Evening bed turn down, towel animals, even replaced used towels in the afternoon while we were out on activities. The dining staff was quick and responsive. Everyone we interacted with was friendly, responsive and courteous.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The layout of the ship was fine. My travel companion did comment that the center atrium that ran from deck 3 and up was different that on ships she had been on before. The decor of the pink coloring with donuts and spots on the walls is different. The ship was functional but does show some signs of age in some areas. Would be nice if the casino had a wall or air-wall to separate the cigarette fumes from the main level 5 promenade to the back of the ship where most of the bars and dining rooms are.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
This was Spa cabin that had a few extras like some toiletries, robes, different large towels and access to the Spa facilities. Overall a nice cabin for the two of us. Both of us felt that being high up on the front of the ship the cabin was noisy from the waves hitting the bow and at times sounded like it hit it twice, once on the front bulbus and then on the bow. This was our first time on the Pacific and in a cabin this high. was not expecting this mutch movement and sounds of the waves. At night we could clearly hear the ship breaking the waves at 20 knots running to the ports and back to LA. Past experiences in The Caribbean seemed smoother.
Ship tip
Get a spa cabin if you really want to use the spa facilities otherwise look for a cabin in a lower deck as most folks reccomend for picking preferred cabins
The old Spruce Goose hangar makes a very good place to board the ship and exit. We had Carnival provided shuttle to and from LAX that worked well. No long wait with faster to the fun. Worth the express boarding and the cabin being ready. We took our own luggage off the ship which was not that difficult with a good roller bag.
Did not pay for excursion. Took the boat ride to the docs and then walked to a small beach you can see from the ship. Was an enjoyable little beach. Walked a little at the port and grabbed lunch from one of the Bar/Taco shops.
Be on Deck for the sail away as the sunset and scenery this evening was outstanding. Great views of the arch and the setting sun lighting up the few clouds with lots of color.
The ship docks in a working port and you get shuttled to the gate to get out to the street. We caught a taxi to a Walmart nearby to grab some souvenirs and supplies we missed packing. The area does seem rather rundown and I would not want to be just roaming around and get lost. The little taxi cabs / converted old VW's look like oversized golf carts and go buzzing around town and saw them everywhere. Overall the ride and time there was fun and safe.
This port looks like a much more modern and developed city compared to Mazatlan. From the ship you can see a large shopping mall that is a short walk out the checkpoint and across the road. If you need some odd and end there is also a Walmart next to that. It was a nice mall with many shops including a large department store.
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