I've been on a few other Carnival cruises and a couple of other cruises with different lines, but my experience on the Carnival Paradise was the best by far. From our room steward to the food and activities on board, it was a great experience! The Carnival Paradise is in the Fantasy class, so it is an older and smaller ship, but it does not lack in amenities or activities! I actually love this ship size, because it's easier to get around and doesn't feel overcrowded. Our room steward was Robi, who was very friendly and helpful. We didn't need much extras besides a couple of towels and pillows, but he brought them very quickly. The room was also super clean. I've been on other ships where things like the fixtures are dusty/dirty, but that wasn't the case in my room. The cruise director Leon made this the funnest cruise ship to be on. There were SO many fun activities planned! Try to check out everything that Leon is a part of especially, because he is hilarious. We were seated with Oscar in the dining room, and he was also great and provided excellent service. The Punchliner Comedy Club was fun. Kirk Smith, one of the comedians on board, was hilarious. The only con we experienced was in the port itself. We purchased Faster to the Fun, but they didn't have anything marked in the Tampa port, and when we tried to get off, we weren't allowed to bypass the line, so it ended up being a waste. Other than that minor thing, everything else was perfect. Even though it was rainy and overcast most of the trip (which is to be expected this time of year), we had the time of our lives. Read Less

We are a 50's couple. My BF has never cruised before, and this was my 7th cruise, having cruised on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival. We chose this ship due to time constraints and job issues. We embarked on our adventure a little late. I originally purchased FTTF, but changed my mind. Sure glad I did, because we were on board only about 1/2 hour later than those folks. Embarkation was smooth. We boarded about 1ish....at the back end of our time slot. We headed straight to Guy's for burgers, and they didn't disappoint! We think that those fries were probably the best we ever had! We got to our cabin about 2ish. We had an aft balcony on the empress deck. Our first impression of the cabin was that it was spacious. The only thing that I missed was a sitting/sofa area. Our room steward, Marvin, was the best that I ever had. He was friendly, knew us by name from day one, and always made sure he kept ice in our room. Thanks Marvin! Hope you are enjoying your time off with your family! Dinner that evening was in the buffet, as we wanted to be on deck when we sailed under the bridge in Tampa. It was really cool, and I'm glad that we got to have that experience. Day 1 was a day at sea. We lounged on the deck above the pool. There were plenty of chairs, but I'm guessing it would have been more difficult to obtain a chair closer to the pool. We had room service deliver coffee/pastries that morning, and every other. Delivery was prompt and timely. We ate a late lunch in the buffet, and a little lunch later. Planned for formal night in the dining room. Formal night was very nice. If I remember correctly, we both ate prime rib. We enjoyed our table mates, and even made friends with one of the couples....we hope to get together again. Service was good. The best desserts of the entire cruise were the chocolate lava cake (or whatever it was called) and the creme brulee. Hard to choose which one was better. Day 2 - Honduras. I booked a charter with Roatan Ocean Adventures. It was awesome. Herbert was a wonderful host. We got to experience zip line and snorkeling. Herbert's snorkel guides were the best. They swam with us and pointed out all of the interesting and beautiful wildlife. This adventure took the entire day, and we didn't have any time to shop when we returned to the ship. Dinner in the dining room. Day 3 - Cozumel. I booked a private tour with Tours Plaza. Sergio was our guide. We had a great day. Visited the ruins (small ones on cozumel) did some shopping, and visited the tequila factory. In addition Sergio took us to the other end of the island to see the beautiful coastline and have a snack and cerveza at Coconuts. I would highly recommend this tour! Dinner in the dining room. Day 4 - Sea Day. Another day by the pool and relaxing. Enjoyed dinner again in the dining room. Food and service were good. Unfortunately, we had to pack to go home. We chose to keep our luggage for faster debarkation on Thursday. General comments: Entertainment was good. We loved the rock and roll and the 70's and 80's show. The comedians were good, and we really enjoyed the cruise director....HEY LEON!!! I was a little concerned with the reviews that seemed to be all over the place, but we really enjoyed this cruise. The seas were a little rocky at times, but that is something that is beyond the control of the cruise line. Thanks Carnival! We'll be back! Read Less

We chose this 5 night cruise out of Tampa for 2 reasons: celebrate husband's birthday and stay in Scenic OV cabin positioned on top deck with ceiling to floor windows looking straight out (only 2 rooms of this type on Paradise). The cabin was wonderful; the best we have had on 30 cruises including our cabin on Celebrity Edge which we were on in Dec. Beyond the cabin, this cruise was so much fun. Cruise Director Leon was always seen and involved in all sorts of activities day and night. One night he literally danced on the round bar in the atrium. A couple nights they had good recent movies in the lounge and 2 comedians did shows every night except one night. The nightly shows were really entertaining with great scenery/costumes and the dancers upbeat and in perfect unison. The only negative was the food selection at the buffet was ok but not great so we ended up eating breakfast in the dining room which is something we would rarely do. Meals in the dining room were fine (we are not picky eaters) and we were impressed that the wait staff would ask our names and remember them throughout the dining experience. Just off the new Celebrity Edge we were expecting an experience lower in quality but honestly we had a whole lot more fun on the Paradise (we are in our 60s!!} than we did on the fancy, upscale Edge. If you don't expect 5 Star food this ship delivers in a lot of other ways. Read Less