We chose this cruise because we heard that Carnival was really good for kids. This was very true!! Our 14yo son had a blast once he found other kids to hang out with. It was a very affordable first cruise for our family and we love it. We were anticipating long lines for everything and this was not the case. Everything flowed in a smooth, although sometimes clumsy, way. There were always plenty of deck chairs and space in the hot tubs. I loved how they walked around with fancy cocktails in souvenir cups. The buffet line was crowded but everyone was courteous, Dining was nice but not as fancy as RC. Traditional American food done well with some regional dishes. Service was not very good with almost all of the wait staff we experienced except one lady for breakfast. Food was slow to come out and often lukewarm. The shore excursions were excellent. I can't say enough good things about those. We did two cultural visits.