This was our ninth cruise, the last eight with Carnival, and our first in almost two years. My wife had cancer surgery about a year and a half ago and I'm still undergoing treatment for my cancer too. We were really looking forward to this as we both love cruising.

Embarkation - The best yet. We arrived about an hour or so before the recommended time and were on the ship in twenty minutes. Very friendly and helpful staff. Our bags arrived about ten minutes after we had lunch on the Lido deck so we were able to get started unpacking right away.

Cabin - We had a balcony, something my wife has insisted on since we first sampled one about five cruises ago. We both smoke so having the balcony available gave us the opportunity to smoke without leaving a tobacco odor for subsequent guests and you certainly couldn't beat the fresh air. It was our first cabin with a minibar which was nice. It was immaculate and stayed that way for the whole cruise thanks to the service staff who greeted us warmly every time we saw them. The cabin just seemed bigger although I know it wasn't and had plenty of storage. The bathroom was large as was the shower. A nice large bar of soap, dispensers for body wash and shampoo in the shower and a nice dish of toiletry samples was waiting for us. My wife loved the towel animal left the first night and raved about it to the steward. Of course, every night there was a new one and we soon had a menagerie watching us. Extra tip money near the end of the cruise, they earned it. Read more