This was my 14th cruise, the 7th with Carnival. Arrived at Houston Hobby the day prior, rented a car, got a hotel in Houston on Priceline for $40. Drove to the port the next day. I booked this cruise 8 days out, did not get any upgrade, sailed solo.

Embarkation: Pretty slow, got there early took over an hour after checking in to board. A wedding party held things up.

Room: A true 1A shabby at best. Mold and mildew in the bathroom, poor shower head. Stained carpets, awful pillows. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the seas were rough due to Hurricane Katrina and a lower inside made it possible to weather the seas without getting sick. Read more