Embarkation - what a pain! We did a park and ride and I am reminded that you get what you pay for. $8 a day turned into a long wait to get to the ship. We arrived semi-early, but it still took 2 hours to board. Unfortunately, my passport does not show my married name but has the addendum in the back of the passport. I was flagged by Carnival which means I had to go through another long line just to board the ship (which is weird because this has NEVER happened on any of my other cruises). Ugh but I need to get passed that.

Our first meal was at the Blue Iguana catina. My husband had tacos and I had a burrito. While I was sad that there was not a tandoor station on this boat, this place became my go to for breakfast and lunch. And love finally having some hot sauces on my cruise!

Because we boarded so late, our room was available and our luggage was already delivered. Love! Oh, and I love our room. The people we were traveling with purchased a similar room just above us on the 7th floor, but the design seemed much smaller. These rooms are billed as interior, but have windows that look out onto decks that are pretty much private. The only people I saw on our deck were our other neighbors, so it was very nice. This was our first cruise not in a balcony and not in the center of the ship. Other than really feeling the water, I would recommend this room highly. Our room steward Jose and his assistant were quick to know our names and were quick to learn our schedule so they were rarely in our room when we were around. Our waitstaff Augustus and Pirman were very nice as well. Food was good in MDR. I dont get all the complaints. Read more