We flew into Miami via Carnival Air, getting there went just fine. We flew in the day before and stayed at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami. The hotel is alright, nothing too great. It is in walking distance to the Bayside marketplace, which is a outside mall with several places to eat and a Hard rock Cafe. We ate at the Hard Rock, the service was terrible, the food okay. I was with my 10 yr old daughter, and 15 yr old cousin and that is what they wanted to eat.

On Monday, we were picked up early by the Carnival transfer bus(greyhound) and were promptly taken to the port. Embarkation went very smoothly and we were on the ship in no time. Straight to the Lido deck and the Coconut Grill for lunch. We ate the hamburgers which were not very good. I think the food was much better in 2005.

We set off to explore the ship and to show the girls around. We found our cabin, which was one of the last rooms on the empress deck. It had pull down beds and was very clean and comfortable. Our room steward was excellent. Not once was he ever in our way, and the room was cleaned several times a day. The only complaint was in the bathroom which always had a urine smell to it, even though I had brought an air freshener. Entertainment: we went to the shows on the second and last nights. The first was a Mexican theme. It was wonderful and the costumes were very elaborate. The last show was the best by far. It was an 80's themed show and the cast received a standing ovation. The singers were great, the 80's show is a do not miss. I played bingo once, three cards for $20.00. The bad part is they only play one game. I made a donation to the casino thru the slot tournament. I think I was the worst player. Read more