We booked this cruise because we wanted to go on a large ship. It is clear that on Carnival, going on a large ship seems to mean giving up service, waiting in long lines and having tons of kids everywhere. Simple things such as special requests at dinner could not be done. This ship is definitely built for families and kids, so if you are traveling as a couple take another ship or another cruise line all together. This was not our first Carnival Cruise, but it is definitely our last
Embarkation
2 out of 5
When we embarked (11:30am) we were given a letter saying that due to "corporate circumstances" we would be leaving port 2 hours late. A crew member told me that there was some filming going on. Carnival must have know about this and should have communicated this to it's guests before they were in line waiting to embark. We could have taken a tour of Miami, gone to the beach, anything but sit on a ship for 7 hours with very little to do.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
The buffet served the exact same breakfast menu every day. I had to send 2 dinners back because they were simply inedible (carbonara sauce was coagulated, steak was cold and 'blue' in the middle, Crème Brulee was the consistency of soup...). We ate at the steak house twice and it was excellent. Too bad we had to pay $70/couple for a decent dinner. Lunches were good because 2 specialty restaurants served lunch at no cost.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The food was wonderful and the service was great as well! Order the art at the table dessert ~ it's really something to see. While it was a great dinner, the service and food was not that different from other line's (RCCL) dining room or what the service was like on Carnival even 5 years ago.
Entertainment
1 out of 5
There are 2 small pools and 2 hot tubs open to the entire ship. With a ship this size, that's a joke. The pools were over-run with kids all day/evening long. There were 2 additional hot tubs on the Serenity deck, but impossible to get a seat after 9am.
Children's Programs
2 out of 5
This was only OK... no different than the IMAX theatres at home. It cost about the same as well and was only playing Marvel-Comics-type movies.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
There was nothing spectacular here. We had to ask for any kind of turn-down service and then it was simply to have our towels refreshed. I was also shocked that there was no acknowledgment that we were VIFP members. In the past, we have received a complimentary cocktail, a fruit plate in our cabin or even a simple thank-you not. Nothing was done. Apparently Carnival only does this for Platinum or Diamond members now.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
for a ship this large, it seemed extremely claustrophobic and confined. Any windows on the lobby decks (3 - 4 - 5) were obscured by lifeboats. Say what you will about the neon lights and glass elevators, but they make that area much more open. There was really no décor to speak of.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
it was nice... no different than any other inside cabin on a Carnival ship. One odd thing was the towel origami. We had 2 different ones for the entire week! If we moved the towel animal off the bed, it was just re-used the next day. It sounds like a minor thing, but part of the fun of returning to the cabin at night is to see what towel animal was going to be hanging around the cabin.
Embarkation port. Since we left port late due to a Carnival Corporate Obligation, they should have notified guests in advance so we could have toured or done to the beach.
We did not do an excursion, but walked up the beach past the commercial port and had the beach to ourselves. The water was lovely, but there is definitely still a lot of damage due to the hurricanes. There was a TON of beach glass that had washed up and it was fun to collect. I wish we had stayed in this port longer.
The low rating here is because there was a transit strike in the downtown area. The ship announced that the strike had been settled before we got there, but it hadn't. The city tour shore excursion that we took was re-routed to show the other side of the island which simply consisted of driving through neighborhoods and looking at houses. Not good.
I was on this cruise and sorry every complaint the reviewer gives was not quite. We were told we were leaving late. The filming was a small part. The state of Florida was doing a health inspection top to bottom no one could speed that up. The ship was kept on schedule for drills and meals and never 1 line. You are on vacation relax enjoy smile what else can you do. Btw the food was spectacular in the restaurant every night.
LOVE Carnival and we don't travel with any young kids as far as your VIFP depends on how many cruises you have taken with them...we got free bottles of water with our 2nd cruise not alot but it was something😉the more you cruise the more perks you get....gives you motivation to cruise with them and not the other guy😉
We go during off seasons while kids are still in school.. less kids, usually cheaper prices and we hadn't had many issues. Most of the time when the ship is new or you have new crew things can be off for them so if that happens and you have a boat full of kids it can be crazy.
Maybe Holland America or Celebrity Cruise Line will better suit your needs. Carnival is a Fun Ship Cruise Line and is geared towards families. Celebrity and Holland have an older crowd usually and very few children.
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