To give you an idea of what we were looking for, we were first time cruisers on a pretty tight budget looking for a winter getaway sailing out of Florida. We chose the Legend because of the price, the itinerary, and because of the availability of an upgrade to a balcony cabin.

We drove from Philadelphia in our Prius and arrived on Saturday afternoon. We stayed in Ybor City (the historic part of Tampa) in a very nice Hilton Garden Inn. It was a quick ride to the port- about 10 minutes- and we were so glad that we decided to stay over because we were fresh and relaxed for departing on Sunday.

As first-time cruisers, the order of things at the port was slightly confusing- first drop off bags, then park the car, then check in-- however it went smoothly and quickly and we were on the ship by about 12:30 PM (within 30 minutes of arriving). The lines for security and check in moved quickly (much quicker than Philadelphia airport, thats for sure!), as there were plenty of Carnival staff keeping the lines moving. All of the staff was very friendly and accommodating, and as long as you have your documents ready to go, you shouldn't have any problems. Read more