Embarkation The CARNIVAL VICTORY was sailing from the Passenger Ship Terminal on the west side of Manhattan. This is the traditional cruise ship terminal in New York and can be accessed easily by car or taxi. However, on days when there are more than one ship at the terminal, the traffic can be backed up for blocks. Fortunately, the VICTORY was there by herself on the day I sailed.

Because it was a short cruise, I was able to pack everything into one bag. This enabled me to carry (or more accurately, roll) my bag onto the ship, which appeared to be encouraged in Carnival's materials. The advantages of carrying your own bag are (1) you know it will not get lost and (2) you have all your things as soon as you step onboard. Most people, however, appeared to check their bags with the porters waiting at the entrance to the pier. Stewards seemed to be delivering bags to staterooms even after the ship had sailed.

The embarkation process went smoothly and followed the usual pattern of going through security and then waiting for a representative to process the ticket and give you a plastic card/key. Read more