This was or first cruise and we were unsure of just what to expect. I must say we were pleasantly surprised. Certainly we will take this very same cruise once again, we hope in the next year or so.

My wife and I live in St Petersburg so are just a short drive to Tampa and the cruise port. We arrived at the cruise terminal unloading area a little after noon (12/11/05)and gave the porter our luggage and had our car valet parked since my wife was in a wheelchair. I highly recommend valet service since it is only an additional ten dollars. What appeared to be mass confusion at drop off is actually well scripted if you follow direction. Once inside you proceed to the second floor where you join lines for check-in. We had received a cabin upgrade from Carnival and were eligible for VIP check-in (Skippers club). We were 2nd in line at VIP and check-in took maybe 5 minutes. We then proceeded quickly through security and then on to the gangway and into the ship. No waiting for others to board, no line.

Wow, we are now on the ship and into the Metropolis lounge. My wife and are were both awed by the size of the Metropolis and pleased at the welcome aboard from various crew members present. Our cabin on Deck 5 aft was ready for us early and very clean. We got to meet our cabin steward Anthony from Dominica and he was very outgoing and helpful. I opened the door to a spacious balcony and knew I might want to relax out here from time to time. There was really more than enough closet and drawer space and the bathroom was bright and roomy. The cabin in general was a bit smaller than we had expected for a suite but was laid out well and certainly served our needs. Anthony always kept the cabin perfect and was right there if anything was needed. A mistake we made in booking was not requesting a handicapped cabin. Read more