This is my first hurricane season cruise, and I'm still trying to decide if it was a leap of faith or an act of foolishness to book for September. But, it all managed to come together, and this turned out to be my best cruise on Carnival. Great crew, a nice group of passengers, and a beautiful ship that does a hell of a job of disguising its age.

GETTING THERE - EMBARKATION - THE FIRST DAY

For the first few days after Ike slammed into Galveston, we were left guessing what port the Ecstasy would use or if it would sail at all, although that was pretty small stuff, compared to what a lot of coastal residents were dealing with (easier to re-book a cruise than to rebuild a home). Then, when we found out we were to sail from Bayport, there was the matter of finding 4700 Cruise Road on Mapquest. Fortunately Carnival and the Port of Houston corrected that situation, with maps and directions. Getting there was pretty easy, and the Port of Houston had helped, with some strategically posted directional signs. The Bayport Terminal is a truly nice facility, and I hope that another ship or two will call it home after Carnival moves back to Galveston. Port personnel were all friendly and helpful, and embarkation went as smoothly as any I've experienced. Keep in mind that this was exactly a week after Ike, and that the Port of Houston and Carnival had only a few days to get Bayport ready for this sailing. And who knows how many employees had to spend their off time recovering possessions from damaged homes. Hats off to you all. You guys rose to the occasion. Big time. I usually would not write about a lifeboat drill, but our group was lucky; we were led by Byron, the entertainment director, who's quite the entertainer in his own right. He did what I thought was impossible; he made the often dreaded drill a fun experience. Read more