This was our first cruise and we booked it to celebrate our 20th anniversary. We booked directly through Carnival and had no troubles with the booking. We received exceptional service and attention through the whole process. We selected a guarantee category (8). We were upgraded to the highest class within the category, which was a nice little addition.
We travelled from Raleigh, NC to San Juan, PR. We didn't have a single problem with the air travel. Our only complaint about the air travel was our seat selection. We couldn't reserve our seats until we received our cruise documents, and by the time we received them, on one leg we sat across the aisle from each other. It wasn't too bad.
We enjoyed our balcony stateroom. I am an early riser and enjoyed the balcony as we pulled into port each morning. For two people the room was very adequate, but if we took teens, they would get an interior across the hall.