Here we go, everybody--I am a longtime Carnival cruiser (gold level at the moment), but have also cruised NCL and RCCL, so I like variety (but still have a preference for Carnival). Gonna break this up so it isn't so laborious or you can scroll to the topic you're most interested in.

Embarkation--easy, peasy. We drove down to the port that morning since we're only 4.5 hrs away. We parked at EZ Cruise and saved $20 off their already discounted price by walking 2 blocks to the pier. We have only 1 roller bag apiece so the savings was worth it for us. We arrived just mins after our chosen embarkation time, so we passed quickly thru everything. On the ship in about 25 mins after walking up. And yes, I ALWAYS cruise alone w/my minor child and never need any letter from his father for it, so I never bring it anymore....just sayin'.

Ship--in beautiful condition, just kinda smoky near the casino of course. Other than that, smoking is mostly prohibited in public areas inside & even most outside. Only a few areas for smokers to go, actually. I didn't mind the layout in the least. We took 2 days to get the jist of things, but if you keep in mind that you can easily access ANY venue onboard from the Promenade (5th) floor, you will have zero problems finding your way around. Always remember that the Promenade deck is aptly named--you can truly walk the length of the ship with no blocked access from that level. Read more