I took my first cruise with Carnival about three years before I did this cruise. I loved the seven day tour of the Western Caribbean but I couldn't afford that package again so I opted for the 3 day Bahamas cruise thinking I'd save money. HA!. After taxes, fees, and the cost of a balcony (who wants to cruise without a balcony?) the saving was nominal. Maybe two hundred bucks compared to what you'd spend on a seven day.

The process of getting on the boat went well because I had a suite and that entitled me to "skippers club" benefits. My girlfriend and I were placed in a small quiet room where we did all our in processing while hundreds of people waited in line. SWEET.

Once upstairs we had to wait for customs to get ready and then had to hustle to the front because the Carnival workers didn't ask for Skipper's Club members upstairs. Once onboard, our breath was taken away (in a good way). Walking on to one of these boats and knowing your vacation is starting is a great feeling. Getting to our room was kind of difficult as we had to walk to the back of the boat to catch an elevator that went to the verandah deck. Read more