Overall a great cruise. We had seen other reviews that the ship is a little cramped but our experience was very good. The limited pool space is really the only challenge but even this is manageable. Entertainment was great and the itinerary for Southern Caribbean was fine. We did have 2 1/2 consecutive sea days which is fine for us but something you may want to be aware of in case you like more breaks in between.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very smooth embarkation. We were given a time and we were on about 10 minutes early.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
There were plenty of places to eat on ship, as always. For breakfast, we mostly ate breakfast either in the main buffet area or on deck 5 just outside Ocean Plaza. This was smaller but very quiet and comfortable. We did three specialty restaurants for dinner and they were all excellent. Dining in the main dining room was good but not great. I suspect this is by design to drive folks to the premium specialty restaurants. Still good service and overall good food. Lunches were mostly pool side and main buffet area. Don't forget to try Guy's Burgers!!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Cruise director did a good job with onboard fun. Lots of trivia, bingo and poolside games. Of course there is the casino and I donated accordingly :-) This ship had a great kids zone but it was just me and my wife so we did not use it. The walking track is up by the kid zone so we got a good look. The walking track was a little small and snug and it was very windy up there...but still ok.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
I thought the entertainment was great with a good mix. Musically there was an acoustic guitarist, a Latino duo, a pop duo and a full band and the piano bar. We hit them all at various times. They were all great. The piano bar was a border line Karaoke event, trying to pull people up and sing their own suggested song. Fun but my preference is for letting the entertainer entertain and let the audience sing along with him. Karaoke is a separate event and there was plenty on board.
Children's Programs
We did not have any kids with us but in typical Carnival fashion there seemed to be plenty of kids activities.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service was great overall. Our cabin steward, Anak, was great. All the bartenders were friendly and getting a drink was pretty easy.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Carnival did a nice job revamping this ship with many updated amenities and areas. I love Red Frog Pub the Havana Bar area. The Serenity (adult only) area is three decks high but a bit awkward of a setup. The pool is on deck 11 and is kind of small. There are more chairs on deck 12 and the Serenity bar is on deck 14. It is a smaller ship so even when sitting in the Serenity area you can see and hear everything going on in the main pool area. Overall there were only two pools (one in Serenity and one in main pool area) so this was a bit cramped at times.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Very comfortable and clean. Our steward asked if we wanted service once or twice a day. Balcony views are always great and relaxing. It was a typical cruise cabin in size which is fine for two people.
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