My wife and I are in our early 30's and have cruised 3 times (including this one): Our first was with Carnival 9 years ago and our second was 4 years ago on the Dawn Princess. All were Caribbean. It's a part of the world we absolutely love! We generally like a lot of activity on the boat and ashore and don't spend a lot of time lounging around. You will find I compare to our Princess cruise a lot as it was really an awesome trip and something that I set as a fair benchmark for cruise experiences. Our first cruise on the Carnival Destiny was a long time ago before the company spent money on upgrading their image (something I think they could still do more of). We aren't what I would consider to be nit-picky travellers, but we are honest about what we do and do not like.

Pre-Cruise

We had a little mini vacation in Fort Lauderdale prior to our cruise. We stayed at the Tropi Rock resort. It's a fantastic little boutique hotel a couple blocks from the beach right in Fort Lauderdale. For the location, the price is right, though it is definitely rustic. We rented a car to get around and found this to be a smart idea as we did a lot of sightseeing and travelling back and forth to Las Olas. Highlights of our trip included a number of excursions: 1. The Billie Swamp safari (about an hour inland from Fort Lauderdale in the Everglades on Seminole land). We went on an air boat ride and saw lots of alligators and other wildlife. There was also a neat little critter show. 2. Sailing on the Spirit of Lauderdale through Tropical Sailing. It was about average for a sailing tour. 3. The original Fort Lauderdale ghost tour. If you're interested in the paranormal and like to learn about local history, this 2 hour tour is well valued at $15. It was definitely a highlight of our Fort Lauderdale time. Other than that, we shopped, walked on the beach, and ate too much. A good start to any vacation. Tip: There are free public buses to the cruise port from the airport. While a little crowded, the price is right. Read more