Carnival Paradise Review
Rating by category
Additional details
I just returned last week from my second ever cruise with Carnival cruise lines on the Paradise's five day Western Caribbean itinerary. I (age 27) was travelling with my sister (age 24).
Pre-Cruise
We flew from Toronto to Tampa the night before embarkation and stayed at the EconoLodge. I will admit that this was not a five star hotel, however it was not deserving of some of the poor reviews I saw online. We booked it because we were able to get a night for $75 CAD, which considering the terrible state of our dollar was great value, and we really only needed a place to crash. The service was quite good, the room was clean, if run down. And there's a shuttle from the airport and to the port as well (though you will have to wait quite some time as there is only one shuttle and it is quite a large hotel).
Cabin Review
Interior
The cabin met all of our needs. Good storage. Great space in the bathroom. It lacked counter space but there was plenty of room behind the mirror which was just as convenient. The size of the shower was downright impressive. Beds as always were very comfortable as were the pillows. Decor is quite out of date but that didn't impact our ability to get changed or sleep there so who cares?
Port Reviews
Tampa
Tampa was a nice enough city, though the weather was a little chillier than I would have preferred. We went to the Aquarium and felt it was well worth the $22 or so dollars per person. While I might sail from Tampa again, something I didn't know before booking was the tendency toward fog this time of year and the impact that it can have on cruising. I would be tentative to book again despite the fact that we were not impacted ourselves because cruises on either side of us were impacted.
Grand Cayman (Georgetown)
I wasn't impressed by this island. We snorkeled and the coral and fish were there but not terribly impressive. The island simply wasn't very pretty. It was nothing like sailing in to St. Lucia or St. Thomas for example. I was pretty disappointed to be honest.