This is our 6th cruise, 1st with Carnival. All others have been with NCL. We are a couple in our early 30's not traveling with children.

Travel to Embarkation port: We traveled from NH via Concord Coach to Boston South Station, then Mega Bus to NYC. Free parking in Concord. 1.5 hours to Boston, quick transfer, 5 hours to NYC. We grabbed a cab to the port. Be sure to get a marked yellow cab for transfer! We got into a "cab" that was a private service and ended up paying more than we should have.

Embarkation: We upgraded to an ocean suite that gives you priority boarding. We arrived at the port at noon, gave our bags to a porter, and breezed through security and into a special room where we waited no longer than 5 minutes to be checked in. We were then immediately able to go straight on board. Read more