We sailed on Thanksgiving with my parents (79 and 77) my sister and her husband (58 and 71), and husband and I (both 52). We liked the idea of driving to the port, and thought the cost of the cruise was very reasonable.

Embarkation was a nightmare for us, much less so for my other family members. We received calls and emails telling us not to be at the port any earlier than 12:30, so we arrived at 12:33. It took 2.25 hours from the time we pulled up to the port until our sign and sail card was swiped on deck 7. The parking area is a maze with numerous stops for checking documents, paying for parking and dropping off luggage. We parked in a warehouse then walked outside to meet the buses that took us to the ship. Once we got to the front of the ship, we had to wait on the bus until the line outside the terminal went down. Then we lined up outside the terminal, to be allowed to go stand in line to then be directed to stand in line for security. Be prepared to have every can and bottle searched closely. They spent more time searching for alcohol than any weapon. Once you are done with security, you are directed to stand in line to show your documentation to Carnival, then off to the line for the sail away photo, then up the steps to the sail and sign photo area, then up the three story maze of scaffolding onto the ship.

Food: We had anytime dining in the Celebration Dining Room. We generally went to the dining room around 6:45. Other than the last night, we were seated immediately when we got to the door. We had lines 2 nights that took about 10 minutes to get to the door. On the last night we were given a pager and seated next door in Cleopatra lounge to wait. Our table was ready in about 30 minutes. The food and service in the dining room was excellent. The food on the buffet was good. They had a nice salad bar everyday for lunch. They rotated menus on days: all-American, French, Caribbean, etc. They had a grill area near the pool with hot dogs and hamburgers, and a Mongolian Wok area where you pick your vegetables and meats. Very tasty but a little too spicy. I didn't try the pizza or salad place, nor did I do breakfast or lunch in the dining rooms. The sea brunch was just OK. I didn't do room service either as there really was no place to eat in the room. Read more