Embarkation: On Sunday, November 30th, our group of 27 people arrived at Luis Munoz Airport (SJU) at approximately 11:00 AM. After waiting 90 minutes for a shuttle, we were brought to the cruise dock, arriving at approximately 1:00 PM. Upon our arrival, we noted the long line that stretched along the waterfront. A Carnival representative boarded the bus and told us they had began embarkation late today, but that the line was moving fast. Nothing could have been further from the truth! We stood outside in line, in the intermittent rain for well over 3 hours. We observed many people just going directly to the beginning of the line, AND being let in! Additionally, porters were bringing arriving people directly to the front of the line, cutting in front of people who had been waiting for 2+ hours (with no exaggeration.) I spoke with Yvette, one of the few Carnival staff in the area about this problem. She stated "this is Puerto Rico... that is what happens here & there is nothing I can do." We were finally able to board by approximately 4:30 PM. Embarkation was an incredibly frustrating experience to say the least.
We went directly to our cabin, #7293, on the Empress deck of the ship. It was a very nicely appointed cabin, & larger that I thought it would be. It also had a balcony, which offered a great view throughout the entire cruise. Our cabin stewardess, Natalia did a great job keeping our cabin neat & clean through the entire trip.
Day 1 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Having been to St. Thomas previously, we already knew the best thing to do was to take a taxi to the Red Hook ferry and go directly to St. John, arguably one of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean. When the taxi (more of a pick up truck outfitted with seats & a canopy which are popular in the USVI) picked us up at the ship he drove about 100 feet & pulled over hoping to add more passengers for his ride to Red Hook. I was not happy about that, but he did pick up a few more & as he promised, he did get us to the ferry before the next departure, so no harm no foul! Once at St. John, we took another taxi to the famous Trunk Bay. The weather & snorkeling were simply excellent!