This was my first cruise on a Carnival ship, after having cruised on NCL's Norwegian Dawn from New York twice. I have also cruised on RCCL, and include comparisons between these lines throughout this review.

Embarkation: We've left from NYC a few times now, and leaving the car at the peer is definitely the way to go. Expect to pay $25 per day for the privilege. We were a bit worried that they would run out of spaces, so we got there a bit early. Some people had to park at other peers, but there seemed to be enough room for everyone. We got to the peer rather late, around 1pm. There was virtually no wait for us to get through customs onto the ship, although VIPs did go first.

Accommodations: My wife and I shared an inside cabin with her brother on the second floor. Each night the room steward would pull the third bed down from the ceiling. Even with him in there, the room was large enough to walk around, although closet space was tight with 3 people. I was surprised that there was no fridge in the room, but we always had ice waiting for us. My in-laws booked a balcony room, and were upgraded to the back of the ship. Their room on the 6th floor was quite private and had an extra large balcony. They spent quite a bit of time on their balcony. The bathroom was roomy and included freebies like razors, toothpastes, and anti-acid. The room steward was invisible but did a fantastic job throughout the week. Read more