This was our first time cruising and it was quite the experience. Our first mistake was using a travel agent. Up until 1 week before embarkation, we were not sure if we would be going at all. (To me, there was no reason to use a travel agent, when we could have booked our trip through the cruise line directly.)
Anyway...My boyfriend and I were originally set to go on the Carnival Glory to the Eastern Caribbean. We were part of a group of 39 people. We ended up on the Carnival Triumph going to the Western Caribbean. We live in TN. We drove to FL and stayed overnight in a hotel before the day of embarkation.
Before arriving we went to the Carnival website and registered for our Fun Pass, which I highly encourage others to do so because embarkation was a breeze! When we arrived at the Miami Port, there are designated areas for each ship. There were employees waiting to gather our luggage. You can also carry your luggage on board yourself too. I learned here that people do not hesitate to ask for tips. It all begins here! It's ok though because they were wonderful in taking care of us. We went inside the port and went through all sorts of lines going upstairs, and all around.