Wow -- what a wonderful trip. Granted, this was only our second cruise. My husband and I, though, are earthy types who would have OD'd on more luxury than we had. We loved it and felt that Carnival delivered fabulously on our expectations.
A summary:
Embarkation went very well. We arrived at the dock at 11:30 am and didn't have to wait in line for long. We chose to pack light enough to travel only with carry-on luggage, and I'm glad we did. We always had access to our bags. Our friends had to wait several hours for luggage to be delivered to their staterooms (normal on cruises). Carry-on bags were a great asset at debarkation -- we were allowed to walk-off whenever we were ready.
LOVED Stateroom #8112. Fun view of the bridge 50 feet from the room, quiet location with a quiet hallway; lots of closet space; spacious room and spacious balcony; nothing above the room to create noise at night. Superb.