On Friday evening before cruising on Saturday, I was called at my Indiana home and informed that due to unforeseen circumstances the itinerary was being changed from ports in Grand Cayman and Jamaica we were going to the Bahamas. So instead of circumnavigating Cuba we took the incredible short jaunt from Miami to the Bahamas.

THE FACTS: I am a positive person and any vacation is a good one and certainly time spent on a cruise ship and sandy beaches is a good time. But admittedly I was terrible unhappy with this new itinerary. Carnival said we could cancel without penalty but I already had airline tickets for the 7 of us. We really had no choice but to follow through on the initial plan. Carnival compensated us with a $50 sign and sail credit per person. I really didn't think this was adequate, especially once we found out from the crew the real reason we were being redirected. The ship was having mechanical problems and the ship was being taken to Nassau for repairs. Our cruising speed was exceptionally slow all the way to Nassau even though it was such a short distance it took a day and a half to get there. Once arriving in Nassau we stayed overnight and part of the next day. Once back at sea we sailed to Half Moon Cay (Carnivals privately owned island) for a half day and then head back to Miami.

THE FUN: Resigned to the facts we made our minds up to have an extraordinary time no matter what. Embarkation went without a hitch. Our boarding picture was nothing but smiles and obvious excitement. My two small grandchildren were completely mesmerized by the size of the ship. We quickly found our rooms and found food and drink. We explored the ship, checked our Camp Carnival. Read more