Heading out for a Mexican Riviera cruise from Long Beach was a great way to start a vacation. My husband and I stayed in Anaheim the night before to visit Disneyland but with a rental car (and GPS) navigating our way to the pretty city of Long Beach was no problem. A taxi ride from the rental car place to the ship is no more than $10. There are shuttle busses that travel around the city for free and if you aren't running late, you should take that to the dock. Another pointer if you have the time is to visit the historic Queen Mary Hotel (before checking into the ship). It's located right beside the dock that the Carnival ship docks at.

The process of embarkation was very easy, quick and painless. There are many wickets staffed with courteous Carnival staff checking the passengers in as efficiently as possible. The Carnival "spirit" is apparent and it's hard not to get excited about boarding the massive ship. The ship itself is beautiful, clean!! and spacious. Our cabin had a balcony and having been on a Carnival ship a few years earlier, we knew what to expect. It was great. The balcony had enough room and privacy to be enjoyable. The cabin was kept clean through the cruise and had a pleasant decor. Activities onboard are abundant. It wasn't until a few days into the cruise that we found the outdoor miniature golf course on the top deck! There are so many places to sit and relax indoors and outdoors. Afternoon tea is a very popular time in one of the lounges but make sure you are seated in the path of the servers or you won't get much of anything.

The evening shows in the Taj Mahal were well put together. A little over the top 'vegas' but it was nice to have a show to see before dinner. We really enjoyed the cruise director Jeff Bronson. He does an excellent job. His staff are a bit annoying though. The evening comedians, magicians, etc were good fun and family friendly. One really funny thing we experienced was watching the audience participation movie "Rocky Horror Picture Show" in one of the lounges. (Adults only) The audience, especially a couple of them, really got into it, costumes and all. It was hilarious. Strong language so beware. Read more