After taking a similar cruise a couple of years ago, I wanted to see the NEW Panama Canal. And I did, at least 3 locks and the lake in the middle. Other than that, this was not a good cruise.

Check-in has been streamlined at Galveston, but it is still somewhat confusing and some people who were scheduled to check in much later that we were actually got through faster than we did - although we supposedly had "priority" check-in. Guess Carnival didn't know they had so many Platinum and Diamond cruiser?

HOWEVER, the Canal passage itself was handled very strangely. We were watching the forward camera on TV, while watching the actual passage from the back on the balcony. ALL the Aft balconies were filled with people, but the "management" couldn't decide whether to have the Panama Canal "expert" piped into the rooms or not, so we had to prop the door open into the hall to hear anything - and then the forward camera went out. Technology is NOT a strong point on this ship. Read more