We just finished our cruise, and since I've found the reviews on Cruise Critic so helpful, I thought I'd contribute my own while my trip is still fresh in my mind.
“We” consists of myself, my husband, and my nine-year-old twin daughters. This was my 12th cruise; this was our family’s fifth Carnival cruise.
We flew from Maryland to Fort Lauderdale the day before the cruise. We stayed at the Lago Mar resort in Fort Lauderdale – a little pricey, but it’s lovely. The morning of the cruise we had to check out by 11 a.m., but they kept our luggage in the lobby so we could enjoy more pool time. My daughters ended up just putting a cover-up over their swimsuits and wearing that to get on the cruise – so they’d be ready to hop in the pool on the ship. The resort arranged a taxi to the port for us.
Our cabin was fine. We always spring for a balcony – it just gives you a little extra space, and I loved sitting out there with room service coffee in the morning.