We took our first cruise on Carnival Fantasy and I can't tell you how happy we both were that we did. It was our 25th anniversary and also our first cruise. Our embarkation went so smooth. I really thought is was going to be a nightmare but we went through in less than 30 minutes. We got there early thinking we were going to have a long wait but, to our surprise, we flew through. Everyone was so nice.
We weren't allowed in our room because it wasn't ready so we started walking around to get familiar with the ship layout. There was someone at every turn wishing us a happy cruise. They made us feel very welcome. It really put us at ease.
We were a little nervous it being our first cruise and not knowing what to expect. The food at the Lido was incredible. Everything was always hot (or cold). Nothing sat for long. There were people constantly cleaning everywhere and all the time. The corned beef and pastrami at the deli bar was some of the best I have ever tasted. They took it out of the steamer every time you ordered a sandwich. They also had fresh cole slaw. The pizza was made fresh and with some interesting toppings.