We sailed on the Carnival Triumph Jan 6th, Western Caribbean out of Miami. This was my 11 cruise (5th with Carnival) and boyfriends first cruise.

Prior to our cruise we stayed at the Intercontinental West; which is near the airport (they have another hotel in the downtown area). We booked the hotel thru Priceline and got a good deal. The hotel room was clean and the staff was friendly. The only problem we had is that the bar (only one small one) closed at 11:00 and that was also the restaurant. We did manage to get a couple of drinks prior to the bartender wanting to go home. We would stay in the hotel again but if we were staying in Miami for more than one night; we would stay downtown.

Embarkation: We arrived at the pier at 10:30 and were allowed in the building immediately. We were lead up stairs to the waiting area until the ship was clear. We were on the ship by 11:45 and headed up to the Lido for a few sailaway drinks. Read more