DallasKat67

I am taking my mom who is turning 75 (very able bodied) and my sister on the Carnival cruise from San Juan. St. Thomas, Charlotte Amalie, Fun Day At Sea, Bridgetown, Barbados, Marigot Bay, Basseterre, St. Kitts, Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Looking for shore excursions for hire as well as self guided recommendations. Best snorkeling spots anyone can access. Where do you HAVE to go back? What was the best value? What do you recommend? What experience was forgettable?

Also, on the cruise we have a balcony cabin and thinking of upgrading to a Grand Suite. 3 of us.....one of us will have the couch. Has anyone slept on the couch? Does housekeeping have egg crates or mattress toppers to add softness to the couch? Spa access rooms? Are they worth it? Are there any traditional events on board like a White Party where we should plan ahead with costumes/accessories? Thanks

Thank you for the honest review. You bring up some good points.

First let me say that my wife and I are experienced cruisers and have cruised on Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, and Royal thus far. This post is not meant to bash on Carnival in any way... just looking for opinions. Does anyone else notice that it seems like Carnival is really going down hill quality wise? Food problems (quantity, variety, and temperatures), customer service issues, common area ship and stateroom cleanliness complaints, poor entertainment, etc. Is it just me or does it seem like Carnival is having problems? Our last Carnival cruise was very disappointing and we both agreed that our Carnival days were over until changes were made. Many small things like return guest perks, mints on the pillows, and complimentary toiletries in the stateroom bathrooms, to much larger issues like food, cleanliness problems, and a general feeling of a lack of concern for customer satisfaction. It also seems to me like the fleet is showing signs of age and they do not seem to be keeping pace with other lines in regard to introducing newer ships with more current features. I do understand that they try to be the "value" line and must keep costs low, but it just seems like their has been a real effort to take away the few last remaining reasons that we would choose to sail with them in the future.

I am taking my mom who is turning 75 (very able bodied) and my sister on the Carnival cruise from San Juan. St. Thomas, Charlotte Amalie, Fun Day At Sea, Bridgetown, Barbados, Marigot Bay, Basseterre, St. Kitts, Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Looking for shore excursions for hire as well as self guided recommendations. Best snorkeling spots anyone can access. Where do you HAVE to go back? What was the best value? What do you recommend? What experience was forgettable?

Also, on the cruise we have a balcony cabin and thinking of upgrading to a Grand Suite. 3 of us.....one of us will have the couch. Has anyone slept on the couch? Does housekeeping have egg crates or mattress toppers to add softness to the couch? Spa access rooms? Are they worth it? Are there any traditional events on board like a White Party where we should plan ahead with costumes/accessories? Thanks :D