Background Info: This is the second cruise for our family, our first being on Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas. Our son is 10-years old and has Asperger's Syndrome (high functioning autism) and ADHD so we were somewhat anxious about how this longer cruise would turn out.

Hotel Info: We stayed at the Best Western, downtown Charleston, on Lockwood Boulevard. The Park and Cruise package was about $150 and included transportation to the port, but no return transportation. The hotel was clean, quiet, and only minutes away from the port.

Embarkation: We appreciated the 5 ½ hour drive to Charleston versus our previous 10 hour drive to Port Canaveral. Embarkation was a seamless process for us since I had called ahead to inform Carnival that I have a special needs child. We were escorted to Special Guest Services and checked in by a very helpful lady. We were then escorted to the gangway by the Special Guest Services. Read more