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Exceeded my Expectations! by
Viviene BT from Santa Barbara, CA Sailing date: Aug 2010Pros: Friendly staff, amazing food, excellent entertainment Cons: The cruise was too short!!! I planned this cruise for my boyfriends 23rd birthday. It was the 3 night cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. Going through security was much less of a hassle than I was expecting. We were greeted by friendly and warm staff that helped us with anything we needed.
After we got to our room and settled in our room keeper knocked on our door to introduce himself and asked if there was anything we needed. That right there was impressive enough.
Through out our cruise there was always a helpful staff member to answer any question. I did not encounter one staff member to be negative, cold, or even dead pan in any sort of way. I'm not saying everyone was jumping around , but whatever time it was the staff was happy to make us happy.
The food was amazing, the entertainment was great and every where we went we found something to do. Mind you, we didn't plan any on board activities. Also, the prices on drinks were surprisingly decent! Ship QualityAfter getting to know the ship for a day, my boyfriend and I found our way around pretty quickly. Dining/FoodEverything was free and delicious. There were 2 buffets and a sushi bar. We had our time dining and the food was too good to be true!
We also didn't realize how nice the restaurant was so we weren't dressed as nicely as we should be, but we weren't turned down at the door. Stateroom QualityWe had an ocean view room and they took the two small beds and put the together for us. I never felt crammed or claustrophobic there either.
We had our room cleaned twice a day and if we didn't want room service or we weren't awake, he came back later. Ship Staff QualityLike I said before, everyone was very friendly and very helpful. If they did anything different, my entire trip would have been different. They made sure that they were here to help us feel good and have a good time. Entertainment & ActivitiesFree entertainment!!
Russ Nagel was a stand up comedian that performed 2 nights and he was hilarious!
I felt like the ship had entertainment for every age  
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Ensenada, MexicoKAYAK!! We got a few feet away from the 'blow hole'. Our tour guides were SO awesome!
Especially when we went kayaking because it was a bit dangerous, but they made everyone feel very comfortable and safe.
Don't Miss: Go Kayaking!! 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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  Amazing Cruis by
Adam A from Redlands CA Sailing date: Jul 2010Pros: Lot's of food, tons of entertianment, amazing shows Cons: Alcohol was soooo expensive The ship was beautiful, and my wife and myself had such a good time were already talking about our next cruise Ship QualityVery large ship with endless things to keep you entertained Dining/Foodfood is everywhere and its free I ate pretty much non stop Stateroom Qualityrooms are a little small, but it's a boat so what do you expect. They clean the rooms twice a day so it's always clutter free and nice. Ship Staff QualityAll the staff was amazing, they are always willing to help tell you where to go when your lost on the giant ship, and they all seem so happy Entertainment & ActivitiesNever a dull moment, there is always something to do if you want to, but nothing is mandatory so at any time you can just sit back and relax.
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Ensenada, MexicoVery fun, I recomend the tour to the blow hole, it's so much fun and you et to go to the market where you can bargain to get stuff.
Catalina Island, CaliforniaVery fun, kind of small though so we ran out of things to do
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Our First Cruise!!!! by
A Traveler from Las Vegas, NV Sailing date: May 2010Pros: The Evening meals where great.... staff all friendly. Cons: the buffet food was a little less to be desired, we had one glitch with room service, b ut other than that it was a great all around experience. For our first cruise it was great, We would reccomend this for anyone just getting their feet wet. Ship QualityConsidering it is a 10 year old ship, We though it was in good shape. We thought the cabin was smaller than the pictures led us to believe Dining/FoodEvening meals were great. The atmospher and servers were awesome especially "Nellie" she as awesome Stateroom Qualitysmaller than expected but it was fine. Very clean no problems Ship Staff Quality
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Ensenada, Mexicothe wine tour was great.... got to see some great country side.
Catalina Island, Californiabeautiful... cant wait to go back and parasail.
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A wonderful cruise! by
Natalia G from Sacramento,CA Sailing date: May 2010Pros: Very cheap vacation with family Cons: allowness of drinking alcohol in public places in front of children We had a wonderful vacation with family. This is the best vacation if you are travelling with kids because you don't worry about food and how your children would spend their time. Ship has a great programs for children, so parents can enjoy while their kids participate in those programs Ship Qualityship is always clean and tere is a great service there Dining/FoodYou can always have food even if you oversleep in monings Stateroom Qualityit was a little bit small for family of 5 people, but there were always service Ship Staff Quality
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Children's Programsgreat especially for teens
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Ensenada, MexicoI did not see anything new there
Catalina Island, CaliforniaI excpected more. There is nothing to do there just shoping
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We had a ball!!! by
Kimberly W from Ceres, California Sailing date: May 2010Pros: Towel folding class--dinner service--our steward Cons: the host of Bingo The staff made us feel very special, they were kind. The towel folding class was crowded and we wanted to buy a book, but the line was way too long. The Bingo host was trying to push us out so she could get started...please allow more time for the book buying (we didn't get one) and have the Bingo lady lighten up a bit... Ship QualityThe cleaning staff was quick and friendly. Dining/FoodGreat time...however, at breakfast we were seated with a family that was not interested in sharing a table. It was uncomfortable and we left to go to the buffet instead. Stateroom QualitySlept well...enjoyed the quiet. Ship Staff QualityWe love Curtis, our steward!1 Entertainment & ActivitiesThe shows were fun...the spa was OK...they tried to selll expensive products, didn't enjoy that part. Children's ProgramsWe utilized the 15 to 17 year old program..loved it.
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Ensenada, MexicoMight want to prepare people for the "hard sell" at the Bufadora..
Don't Miss: The painter who uses spray cans! Catalina Island, CaliforniaRained on Catalina....
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A memorable birthday cruise! by
Nino M. from CA Sailing date: Apr 2010Pros: Meeting new friends at the dining table. Cons: No mayo at breakfast buffet. My wife and I had wonderful time at Carnival Cruise Paradise . We enjoy the walk at Catalina Island, bought some souvenirs from the stores and snack and drinks from the eateries. We had enough time to take some pictures. The trip at Ensenada, Mexico was enjoyable too. We had a trip to Bufadero (Blow Hole) and witnessed the amazing geysers how it shoots water 100 feet high. We enjoyed the numerous gift shops and bought some souvenirs to take home. A taste of the fresh fish tacos and shrimp tacos. Plus free margarita at the historical casino. We took some pictures too. There's a lot of things to do in Ensenada. It is worth coming back.
We had wonderful time and fun-tastic Carnival Cruise with Paradise.. Ship Quality
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A perfect getaway by
Rhiannon E from Bremerton WA Sailing date: Nov 2009Pros: the food and service Cons: that it had to end The staff was friendly, food was delicious, service was great, tons of activities. It was the perfect honeymoon Ship Qualitythe ship was HUGE! big and beautiful, always clean Dining/FoodThe food was amazing! Convenient 24 hour room service, buffet all the time, dinner was amazing. They had every kind of food you could immagine. IT was WONDERFUL Stateroom QualityIt was orange. we were smart and got a room close to the elevator. It was perfect though. cozy!! No wasted space Ship Staff QualityFriendly staff. They remembered us by name. Whenever I would leave the room without my husband they would ask where Mr. Kyle was. It was really nice. We would get to dinner and they would remember what kind of beer my husband drank and what kind of juice I liked. Very good staff! Entertainment & ActivitiesThere was always something to do, never a dull moment Children's ProgramsWe didnt bring kids but we plan to next year 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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Catalina-Ensenada Carnival cruise by
A Traveler from Sacramento, CA Sailing date: Mar 2010Pros: Stateroom staff was excellent! Cons: Prepare yourself for very heavy, rich selections. The ship is lovely, older, but still maintained failry well. Not alot of shopping options though, would have liked to see more variety there. small pool, but lots of places to sit. Ship Quality
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First Timer Impressions by
Roger D. from La Canada, CA Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: The food! The room! Cons: Long lines and annoying waiters As a first time cruiser we had nothing to compare our trip to. Generally, we had a great time. Embarkation was a slow process and next time we are going to arrive even earlier. After you get on the ship, everything goes smoothly. I enjoyed the fact that the tip was included in your bill...that reliived a lot of guessing about how much to tip. Ship QualityThe ship is extremely well kept up. Everything was clean. The decor is that of one of the beautiful liners that used to cross the Atlantic. Dining/FoodThe food was far better than expected. We ate a couple of times in the dining room where one sits and gets waited upon. My wife and I actually enjoyed the buffet area better. There was a wider choice of entrees and we found it more fun. In the dining room one sits with other passengers...this is OK if you like to talk...however, sometimes with fellow passengers it becomes "work" to keep conversation going. The waiters in the dining room can also become annoying. Our waiter kept talking to us and making jokes...we wanted to be left alone. I think he was just after a bigger tip. There was a place to get pizza 24 hours a day. The desserts were varied and great and the apparent hit of the buffet area was the 24-hour ice cream machine. Stateroom QualityWe had a room with a window (very important---don't save a few bucks by getting an interior room). The bed was real comfy and we slept real well. The bathroom was larger than we expected and had a great shower. Ship Staff QualityThe staff took superb care of our room. We never even saw them. They would always notice when we went out and then took care of our room. We never had to call for any problems. The cruise director was a little annoying. Whenever there was a an introductory show, he would talk way too long and really drag things out. What really got me mad about him was that on our last day, when we all attended a fairwell meeting, we practically told us to give the ship high ratings on the comment card. He said that even if you think the ship was average, please mark "excellent". No wonder this ship gets a high rating! Entertainment & ActivitiesThe activities were pitiful. Playing scattergories with the staff is NOT entertainment. Other things they had was a "hairy-chest contest" (a little bit disgusting), and ice sculpture demo (a little slow!), a towel folding lesson (I don't need to fold towels in shapes of animals), a library hour (they let you borrow books), and an art auction (what they were actioning was NOT art!) The most entertaining show was the karoake contest, but, of course, that is not too original. 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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The Cruise that should have never sailed by
Phil C from Morro Bay, California Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: Our Stateroom with partial view balcony Cons: The Cruise sailed even though a series of severe storms were occuring The ship was good. Carnival Cruise Lines made poor management decisions in allowing the cruise to proceed. It was very rough going. My wife had never been on a cruise before and I doubt we will try again. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodFood was OK but more variety would have been good. Our head waiter was very good. Stateroom Quality
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Entertainment & ActivitiesMost shows canceled due to rocking and rolling ship. 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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