Carnival cruises in reality suck if you actually look at the picture and see how nice other cruises are. This is my story and by the way I got invited, and I was being polite so I went to get away from work. NUmber one. We got a seaside cabin, where you are supposed to look out at the sea through your window. Only problem was, the windows were so caked with scum you could not see ANYTHING. NUmber 2. You pay to get a nice cabin. They give you a filthy dingy cabin, that is probably worse than a motel 6 bedroom and the toilet is having septic tank problems so your room literally smells like crap. Number 3- They water down your drinks and hardly put any liquor in them, and then they expect you to pay high prices. Sodas are not included- they cost extra. Only thing you can get is Iced Tea, Lemonade , And apple juice, but the problem is if you do not press the lever correctly, you get this disgusting horrible syrup. They do not have any decent shows or entertainment, unless you enjoy looking at a ice sculpture. their Gym/ spa is not good either.The food is not that good for what you pay, the ambience is no good. The lido is not much fun either. The cruise does not have any or many stores. The casino is also really tiny, and closed during the middle of the night. The onl clock you have in your room is in your TV, and you turn it on, and later find out it is way way off, which can really screw up your plans and there is no alarm clock there. Not much to do- you kind of have to be on the top deck and look out at the sea. And their mascot looks like a giant artery. Also, when I went- November 2003, there was a big SARS scare and practically everybody working there was from Hong Kong. And About the food. I think they use egg Beaters or something which is nasty. Also the ship can be very turbulent and make you REALLY seasick. The only redeeming value is that you meet some nice passengers. Choose Holland America or Royal Caribbean instead. It was my first Carnival Cruise, and hopefully will be my last.