To start with, I would like to say no cruise deserves 5 stars except your first. No matter how good it is, it can never measure up to the first because you already know what to expect. If your first cruise is not a 5, then you probably won't go back for a second. This was our fifth, all with Carnival.

We learned long ago to go down a day before, otherwise you're rushed and exhausted. AirTran from Atlanta to Miami cost us about $300.00 round trip for 2. The flight was an hour late leaving, but no big deal. Still, our trip was off to a bad start.

We shuttled to the Red Roof Inn where they are under staffed and unorganized. We stayed here last year so we knew it ahead of time and we deserved what we got. Their reprieve was that it is next door to Bennigans, and Bennigans has all day/all night happy hour. That made everything better. Read more