It sounds like you really like the HAL style. Carnival was a bit more light hearted than HAL. Maybe because there were more kids and we saw the fun they were having in the kids club activities. Carnival had all the quizzes and game rooms ect, but they didn't take it as serious as the HAL cruisers. It got pretty cutthroat at the quizzes on our last HAL cruise....LOL

People did dress for dinner in the main dining room, but casual night might be a tad more casual on Carnival. Carnival now has anytime dining like HAL. So there is flexibility there. The food was overall slightly better on HAL but if you are keeping Kosher I think it would be comparable.

Carnival was a lot of fun and I'll definitely look at them again. We can either get a cheaper cruise or a much better cabin with Carnival and still have a great time. If I had kids it would be Carnival all the way.