It was our first cruise together! His 3rd on Carnival and my 1st! For those who never been on a cruise before, Carnival Paradise is a fantastic ship to go on.
We arrived in Long Beach early enough to watch the ship roll in that morning. It was very easy to jump in line for early check-in aboard the Queen Mary. We stood in line at the dome terminal until 1:00pm. When boarding started, security was a little tight but easy to get thru. By 1:15 we were walking across the gangplank to enter the ship. Once on board, we found it easy and helpful to get to our cabin. the inside cabin we had was a little small, but cosy for two people.
After settling in the cabin we headed up to the Lido deck to the Paris restaurant where we got a quick bite to eat. The food was cafe style but great anyway. After eating we toured around the ship, it was very easy to get around. as a suggestion we recommend walking the stairs around the ship, it was very easy to locate and are much quicker then the elevators -- besides after eating so much, walking stairs is a good workout. The Carnival Paradise is an extremely beautiful ship. After doing the lifeboat drill, we made it above deck for departure. Our first night out to sea was fun filled with hitting the casino, (machines were a little tight but we came out ahead anyway). The welcome aboard party was okay, but lasted a bit too long. I loved it but my boyfriend thought it was just okay. After the show, we got a bite to eat and toured the ship some more.