Okay, I'm going to do this cruise review a little different. First, I'll let you know a little bit about me so you can tell whether or not you would relate to my take on the cruise. Briefly, my wife and I are both in our mid-30s and we traveled without our young children. We're from Columbus, Ohio and cruised on the Carnival Fantasy (June 15-19). Needless to say, this was a much-needed break and we were going to enjoy ourselves, pretty much regardless of the circumstances. That being said, we had an absolutely fantastic time. This is going to be the longest review you've ever read so read as little or as much as you like. Quite frankly, I enjoy reminiscing about the cruise b/c it was so good, so I don't really care who reads what. Still, if you enjoy it, great. Here we go:

Airport/Transfer: Our flight arrived on-time in Orlando and a driver from Elegance Transportation met us in baggage claim. A very good car service (Lincoln Town Car) but for some reason, they thought we were on a Disney Cruise. Luckily, I said something to him before we got to the port and he took us right up to where the porters take your luggage. We paid $218 for the round-trip car service, which includes a 20% gratuity. I still gave the guy $10 each time we got out of the car b/c I feel funny not tipping a driver, even when the tip is supposed to be included. Probably unnecessary but it was vacation so I was feeling generous anyway.

Embarkation: This went fast and easy once we found the correct entrance to the building. There's a door that is marked as an entrance for passengers at the end of the building closest to where you give your luggage to the porter. This was locked, but since we got there before 11 am, we and everyone else figured they hadn't started accepting passengers yet. A huge line formed near this door until a Port Canaveral employee came out and asked us all to go down to the far end of the building where there was another entrance. At this point, there was probably a couple hundred people waiting but things went really quickly. Just be sure to have your paperwork (especially the Bahamas port form) filled out before you start. Have your passport or photo ID / Birth Certificate out and ready as well. My completed "Fun Pass" was never requested or mentioned, but I'm guessing they found out I had already completed this when they pulled up my name. 20-25 minutes after we entered the building, we were being welcomed aboard. Read more