This cruise on the Elation was our 3rd with Carnival and the 2nd on the Elation. We have cruised a total of 5 times, having been on RC and Princess as well. Looking for a beach vacation, my husband and I chose this trip because of the ports (Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau) and the price.

Getting to the Port: After flying into Orlando the evening before embarkation, we scored a room on Orbitz at the Best Western Airport Inn for $51 including taxes. The shuttle bus transfers to the port seemed pricey so we did one-way car rentals. We used Thrifty ($39) going out and Enterprise ($29) on the return. The car rental shuttles are prompt going to and from the cruise terminal and we were able to make a 12 noon flight after the cruise.

This was the ship's inaugural voyage from Port Canaveral. We arrived at 12:45 for embarkation and stood in line outside for about an hour waiting for the ship to be cleared for boarding. Once embarkation began, the process was smooth and we were on the ship in less than 45 minutes. Read more