We booked this cruise for a family of 5. We have children aged 13, 15, and 6. Embarkation seemed to last an eternity, but once on board, our cabin was ready and was nicer than expected. The beds were surprisingly comfy. E-186. Very little motion noticed at this level. Ship noise was evident, but not overwhelming. We were located aft, but quite convenient to the buffet, and an endless supply of ice cream and coffee. Wayan was our cabin attendant and was extremely attentive and friendly, as was most of the crew we encountered. Always a friendly hello in passing. A little bit confused as to the tipping procedure. My wife has cruised before, and was provided envelopes for us to better direct our tips, as opposed to the recommended gratuity directed to classes of cruise staff that Carnival does. That said, we paid the recommended, and then gave cash to our cabin steward. It's unfortunate that our cabin window was filthy on the outside, but I realize it must be very difficult to keep them clean, but we were still afforded breathtaking views.

I was for-warned about the drink prices, and other incidentals that could put a huge dent in our vacation budget, so we had a big decision to make regarding purchasing the drink plan! We opted not too, and we were fine with that. We still ended up spending about the same amt had we purchased it. We steered clear of the photos, and although we posed for some, we didn't purchase any.

Casino was nice, and much nicer after my wife got her first ever ROYAL FLUSH on the video poker machine. Only 8 bucks down and she wins 1,000. I have to admit, this may have skewed my entire perception of the cruise from that point on! Read more