Upon hearing that Carnival was beginning to leave from San Diego, my family decided it would be a great first cruise for 5 year old twins. We took a New Years cruise to fit in winter break. My husband and I have cruised previously (including on Carnival).
Embarking was pretty quick and straightforward. We had one of the first embarkation times and made it fairly smoothly on. Getting off the boat was unexpectedly quick if you checked luggage. We were off the boat hours before we anticipated we would be.
Spa
The obstructed view, really had no view. We did not care about the view, but rather enjoyed being able to open the french door and let in the sea breeze. If you want some ocean air and want to save money, it is a good option. If you want a view, not the room for you.