This was my first time cruising with Carnival...unfortunately, probably my last. I've cruised with RCI and Celebrity before and Carnival can't keep up. This trip included myself, wife, 5 year old son, and 8 other extended family members ranging in ages 12-65.

EMBARKATION: This was my 1st time out of NYC. It was chaotic at best. I'm not sure if it was Carnival's fault, or just the way the cruise terminals are set up in Manhattan. It took me 10 minutes just to get a porter to help us with our bags. Once I did find one, he was very helpful and courteous though. Walked into the terminal and stood in line for 45 minutes to check in. This was the 1st issue. I've cruised out of Bayonne, Port Canaveral, and Ft. Lauderdale and have never waited more than 20 minutes to check in. On a better note, our bags were delivered to our cabin very quickly.

CABIN: Average. A pink/black color scheme all over the ship, including the cabins (a bit dated and strange). Ample room for the 3 of us. Plenty of storage and an average size balcony compared to other cruise lines. Good size refrigerator to keep our own beverages cold. Average cruise-ship bath room/shower. Very comfortable bed. Good cabin service by our steward. Read more