This was my first cruise, and won't be my last!! I really wasn't sure of what to expect, but this cruise indeed exceeded my expectations in almost every way. It didn't hurt that we had spectacular weather -- sun-filled days and moonlit nights - and calm seas, and a great Western Caribbean itinerary for our seven night cruise on the Carnival Legend .

We booked on-line and selected the Carnival Legend sailing out of Tampa based upon our departure date, the itinerary, and availability of flights from Boston to our embarkation port on a busy school vacation week!

Once we had booked, I followed all of the Carnival site directions to pre-register, set up our Sail and Sign Accounts, etc and this truly made things easy for debarkation. The sign and sail card was so convenient - there was no need to carry cash on the ship, unless you took it to the Casino - and it doubles as your room key! Cruises Only recommended that we simply take a cab from the Tampa Airport to the Port, as it is a short ride , there is a flat rate of $22 per cab versus a per person charge if we opted for Carnival transfers...great advice! We booked two staterooms with balconies on the Panorama deck, and couldn't have been more pleased with them - spacious, clean, great balconies and a stateroom steward who tended to our every need! Being just one level below the Lido Deck where you find the Unicorn Cafe (for buffet breakfast, lunch and late night) and pools couldn't have been more convenient. I was a bit concerned that our staterooms were adjacent to elevator banks, but my fears were unfounded. We never heard groups gathered outside the elevators, nor did we even hear the elevators themselves….so there was no downside to having the ideal/convenient location. The staterooms had great storage space (closets, drawers and shelves), very comfortable beds and a shower that was much larger than I expected. Marble countertops, lots of shelves over desk area and in bathroom made it very easy to unpack for the full week. Read more