Arriving at the pier: Not really any different from any other cruise experience. But just as my luck runs on land, I seemed to have gotten into the longest line waiting to check in. But it really went very smoothly. I carried my own luggage onto the ship and, as the cabins were not readied for us yet, we were invited to go up to the Coconut Bar & Grill for some lunch. Being the cruise rebel that I am, I went right past the sign that was posted on the heavy doors which closed off the hallway to the cabins and found mine. As expected, the cabin wasn't ready yet. So I asked a cabin steward if I could just leave my luggage in the room until it was ready. He very politely told me to leave it in the middle of the bed, which I did. So unencumbered I went up to the Coconut Bar & Grill where I found a nice table near the window and proceeded to order myself a bucket-o-beer. I was now officially on vacation and ready to cruise.

Cabins: I had an inside cabin on the Main Deck. The cabin steward had the beds pushed together already. Although I was traveling alone, the setup of the cabin would have allowed for two people to be quite comfortable with plenty of closet and drawer space. The beds were very comfortable and I slept wonderfully every night. Carnival allows smoking in the room, and I did notice a stale smokey smell in the cabin. I asked the Cabin Stewardess if she had something to spray and said she would come in and wipe it down for me. She even asked in the subsequent days if the smokey odor had come back and that she would be happy to wipe it down again. Everytime she saw me she greeted me by name. Her sidekick was just as friendly.

Onboard Activities: A tad lacking. They had Bingo, of course. They also had Trivia, Karaoke at night, a couple of dance lessons, and the requisite Newlywed Game. Carnival allowed smoking in most public venues except for the dining rooms and theater. Since I'm a non smoker, I stayed away from most of the night spots as the smell was pretty strong. Read more