Overall, for this being my first cruise - I would say, it was awesome. From the entertainment to the activities, from the food to the drinks, from our stateroom to the ports of call - it was fantastic. There are things moving forward that I would do differently such as not purchasing a data plan (as that did not work 4 to 5 out of the 7 days), purchasing a little larger room, and getting up to the pool decks earlier (as there were guest holding chairs for upwards of a couple hours). All of the staff were polite and courteous, they made sure we were well taken care of and they never missed a beat! Any questions or inquiries we had , were addressed and answered in a timely fashion. Thank you, Carnival.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
My embarkation experience was great. Everything went smoothly, from boarding the ship to finding our rooms, to getting our bags.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The ship main dining rooms had a good variety of foods. It was really important to me that there were many options because I don't eat certain foods (beef and pork). I really enjoyed Lido's (buffet) - which we went for lunch and dinner (on some days) and the Steakhouse (to celebrate my friends anniversary).
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
I enjoyed the activities that were on the ship. My favorites were the Trivia (of all sorts), Hasboro Game Shows, Deck/Main Lounge Parties, and Punchline Comedy Shows.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The DJ's and our Cruise Director shows were by far the best; both kept us moving and grooving.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The ship personnel did a very good job of catering to the guest. The waiters were fantastic, keeping the dining areas stocked with foods and making sure there were clean tables to sit at. My room steward was the best, EDY made sure my room was cleaned and towels/washcloths/new and clean bedding was stocked everyday.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The common areas were cleaned everyday. They had people around the clock making sure the ship was tidy and presentable for guest. The one thing that was of concern was the smell of sewage. Some days it was so bad, it seeped into the elevators. You could smell it on the Decks (leading off of the main floor) and the Gateway.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Overall, it was a nice size room (I would've liked it if it was a little larger) and well maintained by our room steward. It was my first time cruising so, I know for next time to get a little larger room so, that my guest and I come move around comfortably.
Ship tip
Take advantage of all of the activities they have available and have fun!
I thought this was a nice port. We were able to go to an "All-Inclusive" beach, where we were able to enjoy some very good Mexican inspired food and enjoy some fun in the sun. The transportation to and from the port was seamless and appeared safe. There were lots of vendors selling goods. I found that they weren't too pushy and was able to accept "no" without harassing us any further.
I thought the port was fun. Like Cozumel, there were vendors there selling souvenirs and other goods. The only thing I wish I could've done was get my passport stamped. The person that was responsible for doing it, was not there (which Carnival has no control over). I thought the island itself was awesome. We purchased an excursion through a private company that allowed us to see the city and visit the rum factory. The island (areas we visited) appeared safe; we had a well informed guide that showed us around. he took us to get some authentic Belizean food, which was by far the best food I tasted.
Out of all of the ports, I think this was the best one. It had everything you needed as you arrived. There was a "free" beach right on grounds, you didn't have to leave the port if you did not want to. We purchased an excursion through a private company that allowed us to visit the Sloth and Monkey hangout. We were able to interact with the sloths, monkey, and birds. We also visited an Iguana farm, where we again was able to interact with them. After doing so, our guide took us on a tour of the island allowed us to visit some of there most sought after locations and took us to Zipline. Our guide was friendly, respectful, knowledgeable and well informed on their culture. He took us to eat at one of their most popular restaurants where we ate some of their delicacy.
Costa Maya was just an "okay" port. There wasn't much for me to do, this appeared to be the smallest port. We (my friends and I) only stayed on the port for about an hour before we got back on the ship.
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