My husband and I boarded our first cruise on April 7, 2012. The entire week was full of great experiences! On board and off.
First, the boarding process was quick and easy. We arrived at the port around 1130am, handed over our luggage, jumped on a shuttle, went through the entire checkin process to receive our cabin cards and check our carry on's in less than 5 mins and were on the ship with a drink in our hand by 1145am.
Being our first cruise, we were unsure of how the week would go. I've read some real horror stories here, but all I can say is, you get what you put into it. Our experience on the Carnival Fantasy was absolutely wonderful!