This was the first cruise for my husband and 2 teenage sons. It was my third cruise, but first with Carnival. We flew into Tampa from Michigan the day before the cruise, and stayed at an absolutely terrible motel. We were hoping that this would not set the tone for the rest of the vacation. Fortunately, it did not.
Embarkation was a little lengthy. The Miracle could not return to her regular port, as there was a vessel impeding entry, so we all had to be bussed to a different port. The lines were long, as was the wait, but we were very excited about the cruise, so none of us let it ruin our day.
When we made it onto the ship, we checked out our cabin first. It was much bigger than we expected, and there was plenty of room for all four of us. The bed was comfortable, and the bedding was very nice.