My wife and I (60 and 64) were booked as part of an Air Force group.

Embarkation: the ship was late arriving in Galveston due to port being closed for weather. After seeing it had arrive via the port cam at our hotel (Quality Inn) we left our car there for the free parking and took a cab to the ship about 10:00. With our Fun Pass and filled out Sign and Sail card we breezed right through registration and were about 6th in line in the waiting area. Had to wait until ALL (by custom/immigration regulations) passengers were off the ship. they then boarded the 4 or so wedding parties and then started boarding us by our arrival time so we were on the ship around 1:00. Thought their embarkation was very smooth considering how many people had to be accommodated in the waiting area due to the ship being late.

On Board: We made our way to the Lido deck for some lunch and then to aft pool ares where had arranged to meet our Roll Call CC'rs. Around 3:00 we went to find our cabin, an 8C balcony just below the Lido deck. Ours was just under an eating seating area so people sliding chairs on the wood deck sometimes sounded like a bowling alley overhead. Only the one night of a deck party did the noise last much pass 10 and then only until about 1:30 that night. The cabin was roomy and as soon as we met our cabin steward I asked that the small refrigerator be cleaned out of the Carnival stuff so I could put the 12 pack of soda I brought in there, which he did that evening putting Carnivals sodas/beer into a cabinet nest to the fridge. No problem with that as storage space was ample. There are two robes in the closet and a pair of beach towels in the room. (neither of which we used) The Air Force provided embarkation gifts of chocolate strawberries and a Carnival picture album the first day, a bottle of champagne the second and a $50 cabin credit the third, none of which we were told about in advance so that made for a nice surprise. Read more