From the moment we stepped off the shuttle we new our cruise on the Carnival Paradise was going to be just that. Thanks to our Platinum status with Carnival we sped through the VIP check-in process and were I our cabin in mere moments. Our stateroom steward was there and greeted us with a big smile as he took down our names and dinner time info. We couldn't ell but be amazed by the size of our cabin. The next time we sail on this class of ship we need to try and get one of the front two outside cabins. We had a great view out of our portholes and there was a very spacious cubby we could relax in as we enjoyed the view.

We consulted our map and we were off to the buffet. One of the things we like best about the older smaller ships is the buffet. The buffet area seems to be the same size as on the bigger ships but there are fewer passengers so shorter lines. This held true for all the meals we didn't eat in the dining room. We ate all but one evening meal in the dining room where the service was ex Solent and the food was great and plentiful. I loved how our head server sized us up and made recommendations for each of us individually instead of generalizing. I really liked the way he seemed to read my mind and always brought that extra serving before I asked for it.

We did stop in Gran Cayman and Cozumel, since we did nothing more than contribute to the local bar economy I won't expound. Read more