My husband and I enjoy cruising with the kids each year and thought this one was too good to pass up. We got a balcony cabin on deck 6 for an excellent price. We flew into Miami the morning of the cruise and everything went smoothly. We went to pick up our bags at baggage claim and noticed the check in counter for Carnival right there. The line was pretty long, so we decided to wait. While waiting for our ride to pick us up, the line disappeared and we went right up to the counter and checked in. Perfect!

We were dropped off at the pier around 2:00 and dropped off our bags, walked through security and past the very long lines at check in, right onto the ship. I was so happy we checked in at the airport. First stop, the room. Very nice, plenty of closet and drawer space. One king size bed, one couch and one Pullman bed (which we didn't use). The balcony had two chairs and a small table. I enjoyed sitting out there with a drink or my book each day relaxing.

We walked up to the pool area and got our first Red Frog beer, which was pretty bad in a warm plastic cup. Went back to the room and our bags were waiting for us. Then it was time for the Muster drill. The worst part of cruising! We went to our Muster Station and stood in the heat for about 20 minutes, while they counted us to be sure everyone was there. Nope, start over again. At this point I notice the ship is moving. We are stuck at Muster, during sail away. I love watching us leave Miami, so this was a disappointment to me. Read more