Boarding Process-- Agree with other cruise critics, avoid embarking between 2p and 4p. It is a ZOO!
Very Important!! Clarification on purchasing liquor prior to boarding -- After checking in and getting your cruise card from Carnival and prior to X-ray screening before boarding, the duty free store beckons. You can't miss it. We purchased a bottle of vodka, 2 bottles of wine and one bottle of champagne, stashed it in my tote bag and sailed through security. If you like good wine, I would suggest purchasing somewhere else. Not much of a choice and what they had was not very good. No beer is available at the duty free store. My husband bought a couple of beers at each port and brought them on. Seems like they were looking for the big bottles of booze at the rest of the ports. Not the case with San Juan.
Cabin -- We picked this cruise again for the relative value of a balcony cabin. It solves a lot of people issues and allows you some great views in a quiet setting.