Carnival Paradise Review
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I had heard that the Paradise was an older ship, but that didn't prepare me for the poor state of the rooms. I could tolerate the rickety drawers, out-of-date features, and lack of storage, but the rooms were not clean. Windows, mirrors, walls all had visible signs of previous guests and were not cleaned while we were there. I never saw the room steward, and I even tried leaving a note. They obviously don't have enough staff. The other two rooms in our family had the same issues. They didn't always replace towels. 2 of us had days where they didn't clean our room at all. It's amazing what an unpleasant effect that had on our trip.
There were electric issues: lights flickering, making noises. And there is literally only one plug (not an outlet with two) in the whole room, and none in the bathroom. They were working on the electrical system on our floor every day, but no improvement that I saw.
We noticed a lack of personnel at dinner too. They were always rushed -- no time for chatting or warmth. They were working very hard, too many tables or not enough help. It is no fun at all to be with staff who are not having fun.
Cabin Review
Ocean View
Location was a little far from the stairs. Like most other rooms, it has two bunks that take up wall space. There was a too-small tv stuck in the opening where a larger tv once was. Drawers don't glide, not enough storage, only one single plug in the whole room. No fridge!! And ice was not available near the room. Not the same number of chairs in each room, some had no chair. But we did sleep great: Beds and bedding were luxurious and comfortable.
Port Reviews
Tampa
The port is industrial, so it's not a fun start like Miami.
Key West
We arrived as shops were open for the first time since the hurricane. They were all so happy to have people again! They had all worked very hard to get things running again. We rented a golf cart from HydroThunder, that was a fun way to get around. It was a little hard to find a cool, quiet lunch spot, but looks like there is lots to do. "Key lime pie on a stick" sounded good, but the chocolate dip drowned out the lime. I'll go for straight pie next time.