Things started off on the negative side since we lost Turkey, lost the Cheers program and got hit with a 24% VAT tax. Once we got on the ship on a sunny day in Athens, it was all good and it turned out to be a great experience. I'm not sure if I'll cruise again since there are some aspects of the whole cruise experience I don't care for (too many deadlines and no night sight-seeing), but that has nothing to do with Carnival and if I do cruise again, I certainly would consider Carnival first.

The itinerary was great. We enjoyed all the ports and took Carnival shore excursions on all but one day. The excursions were all fine and we had no issues whatsoever. I don't want to go searching for cheaper excursions and I like the idea that the ship won't leave without me if there's an issue getting back to the ship (which is easy to imagine in certain ports).

Our room was great - no complaints whatsoever. Nice balcony (we were on level 9), comfortable bed and enough storage space. It would be nice if the balcony door didn't slam so hard or could be held open, but I understand the reasons for the door being the way it is so no complaints. Our steward was great. We demand very little, we even went without service a few days because it's just easier for us, but when we did ask the room to be cleaned it was always perfect. Read more