I haven't cruised Carnival for years so I was a bit worried. However I wanted something within driving distance to Los Angeles. I kept my expectations very low. Overall it was an enjoyable trip. Very good value. Food was okay, not as good as Princess or Royal Caribbean. There was not many high quality dishes and the variety wasn't that great either. Service was also a notch below the other cruise lines mentioned especially in the dining room. The dining room service was a bit slow and wait staff often forgot requests. I guess I am used to princess and royal Caribbean service. Food was also not hot enough. I like the Catalina itinerary as Ensenada is ghetto. It was a bit cold to swim. The ship was clean and the cabins were bigger than I remembered. Definitely get the faster to the fun. No waiting to get on and off the ship and priority tendering. You also get your bags much quicker and immediate access to your cabins.
Great outside connecting cabin. Super quiet location but kind of close to cabin stewardess station. Close but not too close to elevators.