Expedia CruiseShipCenters - Your cruise vacation specialists!

Comments By heather

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 3

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

12

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Nov 2009

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

3

Dining

4

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

2

Public Areas

We felt the value was good for our cost. Many things on the ship were in disrepair ie-elevator buttons did not light up when pushed. The Lido restaurant was terrible the one time we ate there- food selection poor/cold/and the same every day Dining room food was good in the evening and at breakfast & lunch. Breakfast & lunch menu did not change daily Bar staff was good knew your name the second day. Dining room service was excellent Better than Holland America - Had intersting entertainment done each evening in the dining room by alll the staff.Our cabin steward was great- iced our in room wine & beer 2 X a day - the room was done very welll . Customer service people we not good- Had a problem with noise in our cabin called 3 times and no one called back Good experience for dollar value but not Holland or Princess !!!

Comments By Laura

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

5

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

Oct 2009

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

4

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

We traveled on the Carnvial Spirit with my husband and 2 children aged 10 & 5. Overall we had a fantastic time. It was mine & my husbands 5th cruise (2nd one with Carnival). It was my children's 1st cruise. We loved our waiter & assistant waiter. Our children even gave up eating on the Lido deck the last evening so that they could say good bye to "Fritz & Anita". This was a big deal as my son (age 10) preferred eating on the Lido deck for Breakfast & Lunch. My parents who traveled with us had opted to eat on the Lido deck that final evening & we gave the kids the option of eating with them instead of eating in the Dining Room. Our cabin steward was fantastic. I wish we could have taken him home. Absolutely fantastic job. The room fit the 4 of us & we were easily able to put away all of our clothes & stow away the luggage under the beds. The children's activities were great. Lots of variety. Unfortunately my son got sea sick on the 3rd night due to a Tropical Storm that we went through & he never really recovered so he spent most of the rest of the week in the cabin except for meals & the few shows I made him attend. My daughter liked the camp but I think she would have done better had she been 6 instead of 5. The 6-8 year old activities looked like they would have appealed to her more. And although she didn't mind going to Camp Carnival she wasn't asking to go. I also recommend the water activities for shore excursions. We did the Catamaran & Snorkeling in Ixtapa. My husband & daughter did the Deep Sea Fishing in Acapulco - they had a fantastic time. Myself & my parents did the Acapulco Bay Sail - absolutely perfect way to spend a few hours. Much cooler on the water, as it was very hot & humid on land. Embarkation was not overly smooth. But I believe this was partly due to the ship just coming off the repositioning cruise & starting its regular Mexican Riviera Itinerary. Except for my son, we would all happily cruise again.

Comments By Jennifer

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

21

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Oceanview

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

We had fantastic people working with us. Our stateroom attendant was amazing and friendly and our serving crew in the dining room was fun and friendly. It was an opportunity to meet some great new people. The overall experience was great.

Comments By Russell

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

0

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

3

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

Sharing it with my mum, being in Alaska The friends i made and the fun loving staff (Dancers - jen, jay, louise, bubbles) (spa - jesse) (kareoke - Kay) (Shanghi Longue/Piano Bar - Eric) - All were SO helpful SO fun and made my experience extremely enjoyable. The gym needs a Squat rack, and a Chin up Bar

Comments By Korina

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

4

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

3

Dining

5

Stateroom

2

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

Being with friends,being with my hubby who just lost his job,just being on a ship.Great TA Terri Alsop The atruim,the wonderful stewards,the great stateroom. Less lounges,more places to eat,food not cold on Lido Deck,Empire room open even in port for lunch,some of us are handicapped or disabled,hard to carry trays around,more things to do,hot tubs being closed when said open till midnight,more open deck spaces,know it was a Alaska cruise but lounge chairs all stacked up,couldnt lay out,but there wouldnt be room anyway,small promenade deck,no room for lounge chairs,no body was ever on it but me and hubby on deck 3,a shame,does no body just like to look at the sea anymore?

Comments By Sheila

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 2

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Oceanview

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

5

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

The cruise ship is very nice but it is not easy getting on and off. The five days at sea were just too long and the water was choppy. The drink prices were too expensive. Staff were very hospitable and some of the activities were fun. I would say that I am not a good sailor and will not try this again. I was very seasick.

Comments By Patrica

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

I had that Virus for a few days. When I felt better, the dining room was a great place. I sailed on the Spirit last year and I knew how lovely everything was. My daughter and son-im-law were with me and they really enjoyed themselves for their first cruise. We did have a problem at the photo counter. I was use to all the photos that were taken to be printed but this did not happen in one case and when we went to see about it they wanted one of the photos we had taken at the time. They could not find the file with thr other photos and we had a difficult time trying to get back the photo that we had given them. We did get it back with a lot of hassle. Sincerly Patricia Stephens

Comments By Linda

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

4

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

Somehow or other I had the impression that the Carnival line would not be as nice as some of the other cruise lines and that it was a party ship that catered to younger, partying type people. Well I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the Carnival Spirit was not like that at all. The decor was beautiful and interesting, the entertainment was first rate, and there was a nice mix of all age groups on board. There was nothing to mar a wonderful experience of cruising from Vancouver BC to Hawaii. I even enjoyed the days at sea which I was a little worried about. I enjoyed meeting many people from all over the States and Canada. Just a couple of points about the dining. I would like to have been able to have a salad with my omellet in the morning and to see healthier choices available later in the evening as well. I like to eat a healthy salad with all of my meals and at times it was difficult to find. Also I noticed that the dining room waiters do not seem to be as professional as I have experienced in the past. They don't seem to know the proper way to serve.......at times they would reach in front of the diner to place a dish or meal on the other side. These minor points did not spoil my cruise in any way but I just thought it was worth mentioning.

Comments By John

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

5

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

3

Dining

4

Stateroom

2

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

Carnival Spirit is a beautiful ship, the decor is quite interesting, ie, Art deco. We certainly enjoyed having a balcony suite, especially during the 5 days at sea. The design of individual food stations on the Lido deck is not very practical as one has to line up at each station for various food selections. Also, food which should be served hot was always room temperature . As a result of this experience we ate in the main dining room. The evening at the "Old Lahaina Lua" was fantastic, and the highlight of our cruise. (highly recommend) All in all we had a wonderful vacation with lots of fond memories.

Comments By JANICE

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

The ship was just like in the movies. It was amazing as we went from one area to another. The shows were great and one could be as busy or relaxed as one wanted. That made it a GREAT holiday. I can't think of any way this holiday could be improved. I would go on another cruise in a heart beat.

Comments By Gary

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 2

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

6

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

3

Dining

4

Stateroom

2

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

2

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

I liked the layout of the ship,however it was limited dining rooms. Buffet area staff didn,t clean up the area, it was to slow. Staff first half of the cruise didn't seem very happy or helpful. Ship could have more eating area's. Buffet and dining rooms opened at 6 o'clock which was to late for the grandchildren We where told it was child friendly however with the late eating times and the time the fun area was opened we always had to have the grandchildren with us at dinner. After eating it was there bed time. There was no relegious service on Sunday. The best part of the holiday was the port stops.

Comments By Sandra

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

5

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

We enjoyed every minute of this cruise . The crew are friendly and provided excellent service . Every port was interesting and so much fun . Every meal was excellent . We really enjoy traveling with Carnival .

Comments By Sharon

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

3

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

What an amazing Captain we had on Carnival Spirit! Captain Volpi was visible, social, informative and very, very competent. There was an emergency medical on the ship and the Captain was just amazing and it was such a comforting feeling to know that no matter what happened, we were in such capable hands! The entertainment was wonderful and we saw almost all of the performances that were available. Our wait staff was teriffic and our head waiter "Lady" was humourous, attentive and extremely helpful. What a wonderful time we had in the dining room! We really enjoyed the itinerary and all the stops were great. We were able to see a lot of the islands that we visited and would love to return! Thanks for such a great holiday. Regards, Lanny & Sharon Cooper

Comments By Ronald

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Oceanview

Sailing Month:

Sep 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

This was our first cruise, and it was more then we expected. We were treaten like king, they really make sure that everything is perfect.

Comments By Lee

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

21

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Aug 2009

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

The cruise overall was incredible! We loved the ports we visited, and having the naturalist on board was great. They would tell us what we were seeing and point out items of interest. We did notice that the adults only pool/hot tub had quite a few children wandering around the deck and playing by the poolside. We thought this should be a restricted area for adults only, as there were two other pool/deck areas for children. I think this should be enforced as an adults only area, not just in the pool/hot tub. We were also double charged for our transfers from the dock to the airport and have had to follow up with our travel agent to have this reversed. Other than that, the cruise was amazing, I would do it again for sure. I will definitely look at cruising with Carnival in the future.

Comments By Jacqueline

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

21

# of Cruises Taken:

0

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

May 2009

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

The best thing about our cruise was when we went on our shore excursion (Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest) in Juneau. In the last hour of our trip we were fortuanate to see a baby humpback and his mom breaching for 20 minutes. Having fabulous food and meeting some lovely people. Staff were excellent. We did feel that the outside tables needed to be wiped down more as they are used a lot and if you want to play a game or cards having sticky ketchup on them is not nice.

Comments By Sandra (Sandi)

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Oceanview

Sailing Month:

May 2009

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

It is hard to say what was the best thing about the cruise, simply everything. From the minute I left Toronto the flight and then the arrangements to pick me up at the airport in Vancouver to the port went as smooth as silk, not one thing was delayed or unorganized, it was a delight to go from one area to the next without any problems or worries. My room was wonderful, and the food amazing. The service was impecable, the staff friendly and very knowledgeable and helpful. I ordered room service twice and could not believe how fast they arrived. Even when I went on the excursions, they were so well organized and very exciting. There is not one thing I would say had to be improved. My crusie representative was very knowledgeable and gave me specific details about everything even before I received my paper documents. I have to commend the captain for gliding that monster of a ship into each port as easily as parking your car at the mall... amazing. Thanks Carnival for everything! Sincerely, Sandra Woodroy

Comments By Edith

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

I think that the staff did a wonderful job just everywhere. I was afraid of the tenders going to the islands but they assured me I would be safe & I was. It was a fun experience & even saw a turtle coming into the docks. The number of countries represented on staff was interesting. Everyone was great. If I was to complain about anything, it would be the long line up (over 2 hours) getting on the ship in Honolulu. Thanks for a great cruise & hope to go again sometime.

Comments By Angela

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

21

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Suite

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

3

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

This was our first cruise and it was a fantastic experience. I would recommend this cruise to anyone. My only warning would be that when you are crossing the Pacific Ocean and the weather is not good, it is a very rough ride. Other than that one thing I would cruise Carnival Spirit in a moment's notice. The kids program was good but could be improved. There was not alot of kids on this cruise so maybe that was why there was alot of repeating activities. We had a category 11 suite, it was wonderful. I was not sure we would like the dining room experience but it became something we looked forward to everyday. Hawaii was amazing and I want to go back.

Comments By Donna

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

3

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

Best - having a balcony, extra space and fresh air and a nice place to rest and relax Most memorable - having our own space to do our quilting classes and also the afternoon teas Improve - walking through smoking areas was hard on me as I have asthma and every night I would have to walk through the atrium and casino to get from the diningroom to the stage show.

Comments By Jackie

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

5

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

3

Spa/Fitness

1

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

i enjoyed the variations in the main meals in the Lido deck, and there were snacks to be had at all times. in addition, our room was quite spacious and we did not miss the bath tub, which i think might have taken up more room in my previous rooms. i cannot think of anything which could be improved upon. I did not have an opportunity to take some of the cruise ship's activities. this is something i would like to try to do in my future cruising.

Comments By Andre

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 2

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

8

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

5

Stateroom

1

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

Our Hawaii cruise on the Carnival Spirit was a little less than what we expected. The transfer from the San Diego airport to the Ensenada pier was poorly coordinated and the long wait for transportation to the pier was very frustrating. Disembarkation was very lenghty as it took four hours to get on a bus to the airport. During sailing,the ship frequently rocked from side to side and often had a jerky motion. Many frequent cruisers were of the same opinion. All of our cruises were in the Carribean and this cruise was the least satisfying. During the twelve days, there were only two memorable evening shows with a Vegas style, one guest talent show and the remainder were comedians. The food selection in the dining room and buffet area were satisfactory. The gala buffet was definitely not as elegant compared to our previous Carnival cruises. The pools are very small. A big improvement is required regarding the deck loungers as they were extemely stained and many were not functional. On a positive note, the ship is very clean and the staff was extremely pleasant and accommodating. Our stateroom was extremely well kept and maintained.

Comments By fred swonarow

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 2

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

3

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

best thing was the end. the food in the dinning room was late and warm most times. they were using a new computer system and it wasn't working well. 2 days in a row our toilet was shut down for maintenance and they didn't warn us. the sliding door on the lido deck kept openning and closing for 10 days can't believe no one on board could fix it. food was tolerable at best. the toast is made then put into a basket and by the time you get it it's just like melba toast same for bagels. this was a repositioning which we were not made aware us it took us 3 hours to get on to the bus to go to mexico. there were 2200 people lined up registering in san diego. then it was a 2 hour police escort to the ship because of hijacking fears. the entertainment on board wasn't too bad lots to do if you're so inclined. booked a deep sea fishing excursion $250 pp there were 4 on our trip at a cost of $1000.00 found out the skipper of the boat got $375.00. the cruise line got $625.00 just for calling a reserving 4 spots. found out you can book most of this stuff yourself online.it took 4 hrs. to dembark so i think everything could be improved. worst holiday i've had in my life.

Comments By Kelly

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

0

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

1

Dining

0

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

4

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

The service and food in the dining room both left much to be desired. The buffets weren't too bad. You could pick and chose but your food was usually cold by the time you found a spot to eat. The supper club was fantastic! Service was excellent and the food was tops! Most people were very friendly through out the ship. A few exceptions in the dining room. The maitre d was only around on the last day looking for gratuities. Stateroom was kept very well. Housekeeping staff were very pleasant. As this was a first cruise, we learned what we liked and didn't like on our cruise. We would like better food with better food service next time. We will be looking for a different cruise provider.

Comments By kris

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 1

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

4

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

3

Dining

4

Stateroom

1

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

2

Public Areas

WE WERE TRAVELLING WITH OUR 22 YEAR OLD CHILDREN AND WE WERE VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE "FUN SHIP" CRUISE....THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE FROM THE AIRORT TO THE DOCKS IN SAN DIEGO, TO THE BUSSING TO MEXICO....THEN THERE WERE NO FLOWERS ONBOARD, NO ICE CARVINGS, OR CHOCOLATE EXTRAVAGANZA NIGHTS, THE FOOD WAS ALWAYS THE SAME...NIGHT AFTER NIGHT....THE ENTERTAINMENT WAS THE WORST I HAVE EVER SEEN ON ANY CRUISELINE!!!!EVER...MY SON DID A BETTER MAGIC PERFORMACE AT 5 YEARS OLD... IT SEEM TO US THAT ALLS THEY CARED ABOUT WAS US BEING ON THE SHIP IN THE CASINO TO SEND MONEY...WE COULDNT GET OFF THE BOAT UNTIL 9-10 AM AND THEN WE HAD TO BE BACK ONBOARD BY 430-500 MOST DAYS...WHY, WE DIDNT HAVE TO TRAVEL FAR, I GUESS SAILING AROUND ALL NIGHT THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD FOOL US???? WE WERE AT SEA FOR 5 DAYS STRAIT....WE WERE SO HAPPY TO SEA LAND, BUT WE WWRE ALWAYS RUSHED BACK ON THE SHIP AND ALWAYS DISARGANIZED TO GET OFF...SO ALWAYS WAS LATE GETTING GOING....OUR BEST VACATIONS HAVE BEEN OUR CRUISES THROUGH THE CARRIBEAN, AND THE MEDITERANIAN BUT UNFORTUNATLY, AFTER LOVING CRUISING FOR SO LONG....I THINK THAT WILL BE THE LAST CRUISE WE TAKE....

Comments By Judith

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

0

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

I love cruising so I felt the ship was beautiful. I loved all the different areas provided and our state room was very roomy with a balcony. The dancers were encredible, in spite of the stormy seas - loved that part of the entertainment. Of course, the embarkation in Honolulu could definately be improved. After seeing how disembarking was so smooth in Vancouver, one wonders how they could screw up so badly on embarkation in Honolulu.

Comments By Lynda

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

5

Stateroom Type:

Oceanview

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

1

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

We had to change cabins due to noise at 3:30 a.m. every morning but no problem - last cabin on Dk 1 in the aft. worked just fine; during the 4 rough sea days we enjoyed the rocking & rolling which puts you to sleep. Entertainment was lacking overall. Only the last night before docking did the Carnival singers & dancers do a big production number that was excellent. Karaoke singers came on stage at the end and they were better than the first 10 days cruising. A number of people, including ourselves found the music in the theatre was played much too loudly - a live orchestra - but it was deafening. We ate most of our meals in the Playa Grill on Dk. 9 which offered more selection and better dinners than the Empire Dining Room. The Empire Dining Room - waiters waited too long to bring the food and it was often cold. Desserts offered were few in number unlike the Playa Grill. We cannot praise the cabin stewards enough - they helped us move, get settled and were very attentive to our comfort.....excellent training here. Improvement needed in the nightly theatre offerings - comediene was terrible and we did not care for the cruise director Chris (Bubba) at all. The Atrium country singer and the classical pianist in Artist Lounge were both excellent when they did appear. Most memorable were the Hawaiian Islands we visited and toured - both excursions were excellent. We would not sail with Carnival again.

Comments By Maureen

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

The best thing about our cruise was the islands themselves, going into port and seeing the beautiful sights. The most memorable thing about the ship is being able to spend time with my husband alone as well as listening to the music in the atrium, and all the pleasent crew members that we met. Also one thing I will never forget is the 5 days at sea where we ran into a storm and found it awfully hard to walk and enjoy the decks because it got to cold to be out there suning. The only thing that could maybe be improved is that when it was cold and choppy they should have had the smoking area not in the domed pool area because it made it very hard to spend time in there. Also maybe carnival personnel could have people not stay in the La Playea Grill and play cards when it got cold and choppy because it took away from being able to sit and eat because the tables were taken up with them playing cards and games. P.S. This was all because of the bad weather that we ran into. I'm sure that the next one will be a little better because we are not NEWBIES anymore. Thank you for the teaser this will have us wanting to go back for more of the islands.

Comments By Kathy

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Oceanview

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

This was my first cruise and I would recommend it to anyone. My husband & I had a wonderful time. I think I was a bit 'overbooked' (shore excursions & quilting classes) but that's MY fault. Because of the weather, the upper decks & pools were closed so that put a bit of a damper on thngs. I Loved the port stops in Hawaii: lots or little to do based on how you felt that day. I really appreciated being able to book shore excursions thru the ship even tho they were a bit more expensive. We definitely would go back to Hawaii any time. I don't know if I would cruise again, though: I got rather sea-sick (the bad weather). The really bad thing was Embarkation day: everyone arrived at the port at the same time, and we stood on cement for approx 2 to 2.5 hrs: what a waste of time. Had I known the procedure earlier, we would have gone off to do something 'til later in the afternoon, OR checked out earlier & got a cab to the port. I'm surprised we didn't have anyone faint. Overall though, we had an absolutely wonderful time.

Comments By Cathy

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

The food was great (although we missed the chocolate lunch...). We had some challenges with room changes for our classes, but they were sorted out. When we moved rooms, some of the information did not get passed on, and I was scrambling for iron plug-in places in the new room, which did impact the class. (My students ended up scouring the ship for irons in the laundry rooms.) The captain was amazing, to keep the boat so stable on our crossing from Hawaii to Vancouver. The most memorable thing was watching the humpback whales from our balcony, as well as watching the dancers in the show do their thing despite the rolling deck. I thoroughly enjoiyed using the fitness room several times. Although quite gaudy, the ship was lovely, and there was terrific sound baffling between the rooms. Perhaps the "Fun Ship" choice is not the best for our demographic. One could not help but compare with Holland America - and Carnival invariably came in second place, especially in the entertainment area.

Comments By Glen

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

I would have to say the best thing about the cruise was the fun we had with our dining room servers. We shared a lot of good laughs and always looked forward to going for dinner. Having said that, however, I spoke with other passengers on board who did not share that sentiment about their particular servers. While some passengers found 'show time' in the dining room to be disruptive we found it added to the enjoyment of our dining room experience. Most nights (a couple were skipped) the dining room staff would cease what they were doing and entertain the diners by, as a group, singing, dancing, or doing both... hence, 'show time'. We only found three things Carnival could improve on: 1) Lose the salt in the food in the Playa Grille. While the food in the Empire Dining Room was excellent it seemed as if the food in the buffet was marinated in salt. Most of it was so salty it was to the point of being inedible. Made us wonder what the point of having salt shakers on the tables was. We have sailed on Princess lines before and don't recall an issue with the food. In fact, it was excellent on the Princess. 2) Switch the non-smoking and smoking sides of the Casino around. I applaud the fact that Carnival is considerate of the comfort of their non-smoking passengers and would like them to enjoy their Casino facilities by designating a non-smoking area unfortunately, by design, the non-smoking side of the Casino spills into a smoker's sports bar while the smoker's side of the Casino spills into a non-smoking lounge. Needless to say, this design negates Carnival's efforts. Wouldn't it make more sense for the design to be the other way around? At least, their trying. I don't recall a segregated area for non-smokers in Princess' casino. 3) TV stations on board catered to Americans. Princess was the same. I think cruise lines should take into consideration that not all of their passengers are American. In fact, on this particular cruise 700+ were Canadians; 600+ were Australian; and the rest were made of of Americans and Europeans (mostly German). We were slightly dismayed that we could not follow the Stanley Cup series yet the NBA finals were being played on most if not all of the TVs with but a handful of people watching. Surely, cruise lines should be able to ramp up their satellite systems to receive either local stations and/or receive stations that would cater to the bulk of their passengers? Otherwise, the cruise was absolutelly wonderful and we'd do it again in a heartbeat. Having said that, however, we would consider Princess Lines over Carnival Lines in future.

Comments By Paul

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 2

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

19

Stateroom Type:

Suite

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

2

Dining

4

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

best thing: chatting with the staff, very friendly. ship very nice. liked big band at pharaoh's theatre. memorable things: none improvements: vip amenities (well there are none to improve), check in at the pier in honolulu. food served cold. some meals i could not eat, just horrible,like a simple cheeseburger with fries on deck. all this nickle and dime stuff going cheaper cheaper cheaper. did not have a decent cup of coffee all trip. ice cream on deck, all ice, no cream. dress code in dining room for dinner atrocious, anything goes, jeans, cut off''s, tank tops, baseball caps, was more like a texas pig roast, never seen anything like on any ship. i know carnival is a 3.5 star cruise line, but do they have to rub it in so much.

Comments By Mark

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

3

Dining

5

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

Our stateroom was perfect location on the boat given the Pacific crossing and the rough seas. Mid ship and mid decks. Downside for us was that out of the 2200 people onboard about 10 - 20 were around our age. Everyone else was in the 60 - 90 group with the majority in the 70 - 90 group. Another downside was that a lot of the people, mostly Americans, were the largest, rudest people we have ever seen. They treated the crew like they were scum of the earth. Not sure what people were expecting. Also the absolute gluttony of a lot of the people was a little overwhelming as well. The food was not going anywhere and there was no need to hoard it. Overall we met a few great people that will be life long friends. Hawaii was great. The boat was very clean and most of the crew were very friendly. We would cruise again with Carnival.

Comments By Pat

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Oceanview

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

I enjoyed everything about the cruise. The staff were excellent, and the entertainment was top notch. The room stewart was wonderful...everyone very gracious and friendly. The only problem I had was on the day of embarking in Honolulu. The line up was so long ...it took hours, and made my initial reaction to the cruise less than positive. The best part of the cruise was our cruise director, Sharon Sher. Due to her hard work and constant supervision, everything went perfectly!!

Comments By Marie

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 3

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

6

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

2

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

The cruise director and staff didn't even wear any kind of uniform, only their own clothes and a small name tag. The only "uniform" they could be seen in was actually just a jogging outfit! There wasn't very much to do in the way of amusements either. The piano bar had THE WORST! singer playing the piano. When I say he was bad, I mean there was never even one person in there to listen to him. You just had to walk to the door and you had to leave right away. Even a 10 year old girl and an even younger child walking by asked why he was so bad and they noticed there was never anyone in the room. The art director gave good lectures and the auctions were fun. The "Spirit Dancers" were good as were the other acts. Good thing we had dinner at 6 because there just wasn't anything to do. If this were the first cruise we went on, we probably would have had a hard time talking ourselves into going on another. Can be summed up as pretty boring. As for the food, what was offered in the dining room was always good. The fare in the Playa Grille was exactly the same every single day for breakfast, without exception. The only thing available 24 hours was pizza. It was also the only thing available during the break between lunch and dinner. The little poolside food place served hotdogs, hamburgers and fries. The accompianments never varied. On other cruiselines, the ice or fruit/veggie carvings were an ongoing treat for everyone to look forward to, but on the Spirit it was one big show for one ice carving and one late-night so-called "Hawaiian" buffet to showcase a few fruit/veg carvings. There really wasn't anything "Hawaiian" about it. We are used to travelling with the older generation, but they are generally fit and fun. On this cruise, the lounge was full of walkers, scooters and wheelchairs for the morbidly obese as well as the old folks. They seemed to just find a spot to sleep during the day because there wasn't really anything else to do. This is not a cruise for children as the 10 year old we spoke with pointed out there weren't any activites for her age and there was an extra charge for her to take part in the arts & crafts with the adults if she wanted to. The pop card was reportedly $80!!! The people we talked to said they bought one and shared it among 3 people. The ship itself is very well laid out and well maintained. Although our room steward didn't change our bedding for the entire 12 day voyage, he did make sure our towels were always nice and fresh. Even when we tried to "save the waves" and hung our towel up to be used late, it was promptly whisked away. The Empire dining room staff were great, even when they took their turns in the Playa Grille. We didn't try the "alternative dining room" because of the extra cost. Wouldn't recommend this cruiseship or this repositioning to anyone under 60.

Comments By Joan

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

7

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Apr 2009

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

5

Stateroom

2

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

It's my preference to have fewer guests on board. In the future, I would select a smaller cruise ship. All activities required long waits, long lines or inability to see event. (i.e. ice carving).

Comments By George

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

Mar 2009

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

3

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

I enjoyed that every night was not formal night in the dining room...Also our dining companions were the same age with a teenage daughter as well...it was nice having someone to sit with that had common interests. Nothing really stands out...our cabin stewart was very nice and friendly as were most of the crew...it was a relaxing voyage. Some of the food that should have been spicy was not really....Also it was disappointing for my daughter that there were rarely any teens in the O2 club. She spent little time there as a result.

Comments By Jackie

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

0

# of Cruises Taken:

5

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Feb 2009

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

3

Dining

4

Stateroom

0

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

embarking and disembarking has improved greatly since 2002....went quickly. thank-you! Customs check was a great idea but could streamline more. as it still took 45 minutes. Ship was very clean and it looked wonderful everywhere. room was bigger than expected and felt new. Loved the balcony but noisy from the floor above...dragging chairs seemed to happen alot. Would have preferred a small table and chairs in the room instead of the couch as it took up alot of room and was not comfortable to just sit on. We just kept our clothes and towels on it etc...a junk collection area! Food a bit disappointing in quality and variety. improve food....deck chairs a bit old and uncomfortable. need new ones! lots of live music...that was great. tour in Acapulco was disappointing. and a waste of valuable vacation time. expensive and poor value for the money. beach area not great, use of a very tiny pool. Free drink was awful and swimming impossible. were unable to see cliff divers very well. would NOT recommend the tour we went on.... too far away from the prior and spent almost 2 hours in traffic with no commentary or anything to see. 'city tour and beach escape and cliff divers. overall would go Carnival again for sure as opposed to the two other cruise lines we have been on...great job Carnival....one more thing...pools were great.

Comments By Kevin

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Feb 2009

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

The most important aspect of the Cruise that I disliked is the smoking areas aboard the Ship. They should provide a smoking room away from all deck areas for those that wish to smoke. It could even be a small lounge type atmosphere. Passesengers who do not smoke or children should not have to walk through areas in dining areas (pool & buffet decks) and casinos with so much pollution from smokers. I will definitely take another cruise but would seek a cruiseline that has a better smoking policy.

Comments By Kathaleen

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 3

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Feb 2009

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

3

Spa/Fitness

4

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

In Canada we live in nonsmoking enviroments in public places and the only part that disapointed me about the cruisse is that there is smoking in the casino. Often I had to walk through the casino with my grandson to get to dinner and was very offended by the smell. I have allergies to smoke. I also noticed that on all the outside decks there was smoking and this is in an area where people are eaxercising and children are playing/ swimming. It is possible to have one outside area for smoking and not have people exposed to it on all the outside decks as it made me quite uncomfortable and others in our party complained of the same thing.

Comments By Connie

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Feb 2009

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

4

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

The food is amazing and the staff were wonderful. I was not crazy about the assigned dining times as last cruise was free style so we ate whenever! Honestly there were too many kids aged 12-15 running around and being little pests! Hitting every button on the elevator and then jumping out. I found the cruise staff that you run into not friendly so I think there is room for improvement there. The excursion girl was quite rude-Iwent to ask her about some shopping tips after Isat through her talk but really she didn't want you to come ask questions!! The room and diing staff couldn't have been better. Wes saw the doctor and nurse a couple times and he found them not over friendly. It was nice to be away and I just think my next cruise would not be on Carnival. I know there are others.

Comments By Celynn

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

21

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Jan 2009

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

We loved the ports that our cruise went to, we loved the food and loved the casino a little to much. I would recomend more fun activities in the sun rather than inside on the fun days at sea

Comments By George

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 2

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

7

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Jan 2009

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

1

Dining

2

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

The ports were the best experience on the cruise and the Supper Club. the most memorable thing about the ship was the bar and casino employees. The Dining Room could use some improvment they were slow and very unattentive. We only ate there 3 out of the 8 nights.

Comments By Kenneth

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Jan 2009

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

THE NEXT CRUISE I WILL CHOOSE MORE STOPS AS I FOUND 2 DAYS DOWN AND 2 DAYS AT SEA BACK WAS TOO MUCH CRUISING. ALSO I LIKE HOT COFFEE AND ROOM SERVICE AND THE MACHINE IN THE RESTURANT WAS LUKE WARM AT BEST. THE VEGAS STYLE SHOWS WERE GOOD. THERE ARE MANY ACTIVITIES. WE ENJOYED WATCHING AND GETTING A GOOD LAUGH. THE CRUISE DIRECTOR CHRIS ROBERTS WAS EXCELLENT. THE OTHER 6 IN OUR PARTY WERE FIRST TIME CRUISERS AND THEY ENJOYED THE TRIP EXCEPT FOR THE BACK TO BACK DAYS AT SEA.

Comments By Michael

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Dec 2008

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

1

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

the entertainment tries to be unique instead turns out boring, and many times we feel asleep during the performance, songs were unknown and unforunately the singers were not strong enough to present them. the stage and the costumes were excellent

Comments By Cindy

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

Dec 2008

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

1

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

Trip was great...carnival spirit was a sold out ship for the christmas holidays and traffic of people flowed well onboard. Almost all workers were very polite and accomodating. The food was good and the selection of food was good. There was enough entertainment on board...I liked the "showtime" shows as well as the comedians. I, however, did not like my spa experience. It was overpriced for what I rec'd. My daughter and I went for pedicures...for which there was not much of a selection of nail polishes and the pedicure was rushed. My daughters nailpolish was old and sticky and never dried properly therefore it peeled off soon after. Our attendent never helped me get or put on my flipflops and I was in quite a high chair..she could see I was struggling but still no attempt to offer any assistance. The entire time they were trying to push and sell us facial products which we weren't interested in. It was not a relaxing treatment and I cancel any further spa treatments on that cruise. I will not book anymore at the spa...I love the spa experience I receive locally at home. I would definitely travel again on carnival.

Comments By Sergio

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

Oct 2008

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

3

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT WERE GREAT. EXCURSIONS FAR TOO EXPENSIVE. MOST MEMORABLE WERE THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

Comments By Judy

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

0

# of Cruises Taken:

6

Stateroom Type:

Suite

Sailing Month:

Oct 2008

Destination:

Mexico

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

The Spirit.... well planned vessel . Food was excellent and varied in the dining room. Dining room staff of our table were extremely concientious and aimed to please. Room stewards too, went out of their way to please, and this was duly reflected in their gratuities. The evening shows left a bit to be desired....they should change more often....at the very least, once a year, though there are other entertainments available as well. The way in which Carnival's medical staff (on the Valour if not all) conducts situations leaves a LOT to be desired. For example, they are quite ready to put a healthy person in with one quarantined with an ilness they don't bother to diagnose properly. This is totally unacceptable !! Our experience with the photograph department also left a lot to be desired. They should keep in mind that not all passengers have 20/20 eyesight, and when THEY can readily see something needs adjusting (blue squares over glasses, for example) it should be done automatically, thus avoiding disatisfaction. The very best thing about this particular curise (Mexico), was the dolphin training for a day....it was worth every cent. This was done in Puerto Vallarta. Not only were we with the dolphins, but sea lions as well. It was an unforgetable experience.

Comments By Marlene

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 3

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Oceanview

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

5

Stateroom

2

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

2

Public Areas

The cruise experience would have been 100% excellent if the smoking on the ship would have been limited to an area that was not for all of the public. The casino was smoking - so that made it off limits for those of us that don't smoke - the swimming pool was smoking - so again there went the swimming pool - the statement rooms are smoking so being as smokers are generally not considerate of others they smoked in the hallways.

Comments By Jan

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

6

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

5

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

3

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

Stateroom was very spacious, bed was very comfortable. The number of hot tubs, a swimming pool with a cover, overall vastness of the ship. Cruise director was excellent, very talented person. Food being served, having it hot rather than cool which I understand is difficult with the number of people to be served. Not using iceberg lettuce for salads, having less smoking areas on the ship. Waiters/waitresses knowing when requested eggs sunny side up should have a white film over the yolk. Travel agents informing guests that they can self disembark by taking their own luggage off the ship. Much faster and earlier departure if they have their own transportation arrangements.

Comments By Laurie

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

5

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

Hi, the children and I had a wonderful time on the Carnival Cruise, the entertainment was fantastic, the photography on the ship was great too , the crew and staff members were very friendly and always called you by your name, The staterooms were surprisingly clean and well looked after, the menus and the food were awesome --- my son really enjoyed that. Having a tour of the Kichen and Galley were a nice treat to see. I have taken a Costa Crusie before and it does not compare to the Spirit, everything was so much more on the spirit. Thank you for making this Cruise a memorable, and enjoyable time for my family. The only thing I thought could be better improved with the cancellation of the excursions, sometimes we did not know until about 30 mins before our excursion that it had been cancelled, making it hard to switch to another excursion that would be interesting for the teens that I had with me , and having a waiver signed for my neice by her parents which were not present was a bit of a task --- more notice ahead of time -- especially when it was booked on line .. it was a bit of an inconvience but we managed to get one scanned over and sent back to the ship in time for the excursion. The excursion desk staff were very helpful, and credits were taken care of immediately for the cancellations. When we were on the Costa cruise lines there were no credits for cancelled excursions you still had to pay regardless. Thank you , I will recommend the Carnival Spirit to all my friends. Laurie Picketts

Comments By Patrica

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Oceanview

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

3

Spa/Fitness

3

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

The best thing about my cruise I went with family. Everything about the ship is outstanding. The staff, food and entertainment stand out for me. I liked my cabin stateroom even though I had an obstructed view. Which was an upgrade from my booking. I have already signed on for the Hawaii cruise next September. My daughter and her boyfriend will be joing me. This time I have booked a balcony suite. They have the stateroom just across from mine. I just love the Carnival Spirit.

Comments By BEV

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 1

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

8

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

2

Dining

3

Stateroom

1

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

2

Public Areas

the only good thing was the spa...excellent staff...knowledgable.. being a cruise person, this trip was well below my expectations, and was lacking in almost all areas.. the ship was not "fun" very boring. dining room food was always cold...staff never address clients by name...also waiter address spouse by the wrong name "not all woman carry there husbands name" not enough activities on board ship. staff appeared to be bored, & not caring.. i realize it is almost the end of the season, however, the 1st trip & last trip shouldget the same treatment entertainment was awful....need to bring in a big name for 1 night i am extremely disappointed with the experience, the bottom line i would not travel carnival again, regardless of any deals that may occur my overall experience is poor, and i would not recommend this line to anyone

Comments By Heidi

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

21

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

0

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

THe best thing about our cruise was the Nouveau Supper Club. We really enjoyed the food and service. The food in the main dining room was good but it was nice to have another choice for fine dining. This cruise had wonderful staff that really made our trip memorable. Thank you.

Comments By Kenneth

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

4

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

You could improve the cruise by getting rid of the smoking on board. We went to the casino on different occasions and had to leave due to the amount of smoke.

Comments By Earl

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Suite

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

Best things...... Food and service Staff attitude Comfort and accomodation Captain & crew Scenery and opportunities to visit Ship and amenities.....awesome

Comments By Norman

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

A lot of good things, scenery was beautiful, tours were great, the whole trip was memorable, stateroom was excellent, bed wonderfully comfortable, room service great, everywhere on the ship was so so clean. Pretty hard to improve much with so many people to deal with.

Comments By Joanne

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

5

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

Best thing - the people we met and friendly crew Most memorable - the White Pass & Yukon Railway day trip Improve - I'm sure there's a reason but the public area doors to washrooms were extremely difficult to open Side note - It was nice to see smaller portions for dinner in the dining room (I ordered a sweet and sour prawn dinner on our first night out and it was not good - the waiter offered to have me order another entree but I didn't - the prawns were soggy, the sauce was just ketchup and the sour portion was 2 small pieces of pineapple - this was not up to the standard of the rest of the trip).

Comments By Verna

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

17

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

The special night entertainment was outstanding, The decor was beautifull, Everything was satisfactory,

Comments By Linda

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

6

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

On this trip I took a total of 18 people. Out of the 18 I had 8 of my own family members. All the family who sat at our table were there 1st time on a ship like this. Our table number was 211 on lower dinner at 8;15 the food was nice. The 2 guys who did our table were awesome. The service was nice. Rememebered our names. Would bring coffee right away for the ones who asked for it. My son couldnt eat any wheat or gluton. Catalina was nice and helped pick out great food. Bye the way he is 23 years old. My room was great ! Everything was done. Right down to bringing me water everyday. Placeing it in the fridge. He did alot of little extra things for me as well. I give him a gold star.Also a wounderfull tip. The entertainment was nice. But as you can see I have been on this ship a few times. So I have seen most of the shows from before, But no one else had seen them. Everyone thought it was great. I will take my hat off to Ned who played the big band. I once again bought 10 cd's from him for friends of mine. What a show. The spa I was treated like a Queen. I had my hair done each night. Make up as well. Also was in the spa everyday. Wow what more can I say. Other themn I am not done. I am going to start to plan our next trip. But now I am home and it feels good. Home is always a better place to be. Once you get off the boat I carry all the good times in my heart. Also with over 400 pictures. Time to work on the scarpbooking now. Untill next time I hope everyone else had a awesome time too. The Loud McLeods

Comments By George

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 3

Age:

0

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Suite

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

2

Dining

4

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

Best thing------------Vancouver to Vancouver--------Stateroom staff-------------dining staff The Natrralist was good in that she pointed out things before they passed. The ship's management was suspect as one never saw them and the staff appeared unhappy. The food was very disappointing as some dinners were not cooked, overcooked and very bland. The menus were somewhat limited. The Captain's rece3ption was an absolute waste of time. He was so disinterested!!!!!!!! Which may be why some of the staff appeared the way they did. Our White Pass Train was good buit a waste of money as the narrative was very poor at best. Our luggage was not organised in that once we cleared Cutoms we had to wait a further 15 minutes for our luggage to be delivered ashore. I would not recommend this ship to anyone for many more reasons than mentioned. I do feel badly for some of the crew as they worked very hard to help and others get credit for their efforts. Again I think a reflection of the ships officers

Comments By Norman

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

65

# of Cruises Taken:

3

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

beaufiful scenery, commentary as we sailed along very interesting and informative. Dining was great, and our waiters were wonderful, always more than willing to please as was the cleaning staff around the ship. Never any garbage around even though no cans to self dispose. Beds were wonderful as was the shower with loads of hot water. Lots of side excursions available. As far as we are concerned trip was wonderful and not much improvement needed.

Comments By Karen

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Oceanview

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

The best thing about the cruise was the awesome scenery and the entrance into Glacier Bay. The ship took the entrance and the turn really slowly so everyone could take in the glacier experience, and witness the grandeur. There was a naturalist on board the whole time, and she would broadcast sightings of whales, and other wildlife that she could see from the bridge. She would also tell us about each individual glacier and the history. Having her on board was definitely a bonus, she taught us so much. The most memorable thing about the ship was the cleanliness, and the service provided by "most" of the crew. They were polite, and eager to be of help. The number of amenities was impressive, and the decorating and design of the ship, incredible. My favourite part was the Lobby area with the stories-high atrium with the glass elevators and the beautiful murals on the walls and the dome. There was something that really surprised me, and that was the comfort of the bed and the pillows. I usually bring my own special contoured pillow with me everywhere I go, but did not take it this time. I also have back problems, so a typical hotel bed will cause me grief. Not so with the bed and bedding on the ship. Comfort of those items was totally surprising. I can't really say that anything in particular could be improved. We did however, have a problem with one of the tours being a hoax, but I had pre-booked it and I can't blame the actual ship for the mess-up. They depend on the tour companies that they use, and it is up to that company to be up-front and honest. Not so in the case of Alaska Grayline Tours. I will be making a formal complaint to head office of Carnival so they are aware of the situation. I have to find out how to go about it and where and to whom I direct my complaint. Overall, we had a wonderful time and would repeat the same trip without hesitation. It will, however, be more fun to explore other destinations, which we fully intend on doing !!

Comments By Susan

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

3

Dining

5

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

The best thing about the cruise was the staff. Our particular evening Dining Head Waiter was absolutely awesome and our room steward and assistant were excellent. Reymond Rivera was amazing and really made our trip fun. He added greatly to our eperinece on the ship. We looked forward to seeing him each day. Most memorable was sitting on our balcony and seeing dolphins jump right in front of us. Second most memorable was the efficiency of baording the ship and receiving our luggage within the hour. What could be improved - having the opportunity to learn hula dancing and more about the Hawaiian culture and history before visiting the islands. It would have been great to have had some Hawaiian entertainment on the ship. The breakfast variety could have been better. The bacon was not very good and we had the same sausages every day. A variety of sausage would be nice and better bacon. Canadian beef at dinner would have been nice. In all, it was a great cruise and eperience. We had a wonderful and memorable vacation.

Comments By Jean S

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 3

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

9

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

3

Dining

4

Stateroom

0

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

Having done this cruise in 2004 we knew what to expect. The cruise was nice and relaxing. Unfortunately it rained the first 3 days at sea so there wasn't much time to enjoy the balcony on sea days. We found the cruise director was very repetitive when giving his announcements and he woke us up quite often. It would have been better if he said what he had to say in 20 words or less and we could roll over and go back to sleep. Very intrusive. We found the new menu they have started in the dining room was far poorer than the previous menu. Most of us in our group are basic "meat and potatoes" people and we found on many of the 12 nights there was nothing on the menu that appealed to us. I found the hours of the casino most annoying. Since we didn't leave port until 6:00 p.m. or so and we had late seating at dinner and some went to the show we didn't get to the casino until 11:00 and they KICKED US OUT at 1:00. One of the reasons I take cruises as opposed to all inclusives is to enjoy the casino and it is very annoying to get kicked out when you're enjoying yourselft at a slot machine or at the tables. If there were only a handful of people in the casino I could understand maybe closing the tables, but I can't understand why the slots would have to be closed also. It strikes me the casino staff doesn't have to work too hard!! The other thing was the overlap of certain events. The art auctions overlapped with some things and we could only go for the talk on the galley and not the tour because we had to be at the Captain's cocktail party at the same time. I think things like that could have been better planned.

Comments By Bonita

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

8

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

4

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

Our 12 day Hawaiian cruise was one of the best cruises we have been on. We enjoyed all the ports of call. Our room was located in a perfect position to access the elavators. We enjoyed the cruise director on the Carnival Spirit. He made everything fun. We would have enjoyed more Hawaiian music on the ship. Overall a great experience.

Comments By Sam

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 2

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Suite

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

2

Dining

5

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

3

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

3

Public Areas

The best thing about the cruise was the attentive staterooms attendants. They looked after you very well, and the towel animals that they left everyday were fantastic. What could be improved is the food. Had better on a Celbrity cruise. Also the dining room service. We asked for some cut lemon wedges to put in our water. The other gentelman at the table asked for coffee with his meal. These things were not done until a tip was given to the waiter and head waiter. Even though the $10.00 a day per person gratuity was paid by all of us at the end of the cruise.

Comments By Bonnie

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

11

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

0

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

4

Spa/Fitness

4

Children's
Activiies

0

Public Areas

Itinerary was changed and was not informed until we boarded the ship- they did not stop in Lahaina stayed 2 nights in Kahalui so had to rent a car to get to the other side. Service from the ship to hotel in Waikiki was poor, waiting on the pier for 2 hours before they found all the guests (poor information on where to meet- all guests from cruise ship centres should have been given better information on meeting outside) we were the last passengers from the ship to get on a bus! We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the different islands, took tours in Kauai, Hilo(the Historical tour which was poor) and Honolulu(Pear Harbour) Rented a car for 2 days in Maui and 1 day in Kona-very reasonable except in Kona where they doubled the price because of the ironman competition the following week The service on the ship was very good but I would rate the food as just good - lots of it though. It was nice to have pizza, ice cream bars open 24/7. Room service was excellent Most of the group got into their rooms when we finally got to the hotel at 11:30 but a few of us had to wait until 1:15 before they got the rooms cleaned - it would have been nicer if we had got in the room right away. A waste of 1/2 day.

Comments By David

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Inside

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Hawaii

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

The best thing about our cruise was the service you recieve and the crew are actually happy to do their job and make your life a little easier. There were so many things about the ship it is difficult to pick just one thing. The way they display your profile on the ship T.V. It is very confusing and takes a couple trips to the purser's desk to understand it.

Comments By Jessica

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 4

Age:

21

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Sep 2008

Destination:

Repositioning

Cruising with Children:

False

4

Dining

4

Stateroom

3

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

4

Public Areas

Comments By Richard & Carol

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 2

Age:

51

# of Cruises Taken:

2

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Aug 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

2

Dining

3

Stateroom

1

Entertainment

0

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

2

Public Areas

The food and the decor of the ship was extremely disappointing. The best thing about the cruise was the 2 offshore excursions.

Comments By Ronan

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5

Age:

36

# of Cruises Taken:

1

Stateroom Type:

Balcony

Sailing Month:

Aug 2008

Destination:

Alaska

Cruising with Children:

False

5

Dining

5

Stateroom

5

Entertainment

5

Spa/Fitness

0

Children's
Activiies

5

Public Areas

Best thing was the food, most memorable was the galciers, The embark/disembark at each port can be improved, they need to open more than one security check point and not have people waiting in the rain.

Comments By Judith E

View Reviewer Details

Overall Rating 5