This was our first cruise. DH & I took our two adult sons (22 &20) with us. We have always wanted to try cruising, and wanted to have some quality family time with our DS's who are grown and living away from home.

Staterooms - Two Category 11 Suites (#7231 & 7233) They were really nice, and we enjoyed the large bathroom, jetted tub, dressing area and the extra closet space. About a week before the cruise we got a call from our on-line TA saying that Carnival had upgraded us to two suites. We had originally booked two balcony cabins close to the center of the ship because I was worried about DS#1 and myself being seasick. We were really excited, until I realized that they we close to the front of the ship. We had a couple of nights where we heard loud crashing sounds, which I imagine was the ship hitting the waves, but sounded like the ship hitting rocks. It was enough to wake us up though, and disrupt our sleep.

We had a very easy embarkation due to the VIP perks of the suites. The longest part was getting through the security gates to enter the port. That was quite backed up. I kind of felt guilty for a teeny moment going through the VIP line since we hadn't paid extra for the suites - but I got over it! Lol! Read more