We are 2 friends living in Munich, Germany. This was our first cruise. I am English and my friend, Jeanette, is Scottish. We flew in from Munich the day before the cruise and checked in at the Holiday Inn Port of Miami and were sitting by the pool by 3.30 p.m. This is a very convenient and comfortable hotel in which to stay before a cruise. We ate in the Bayside shopping complex across from the hotel that night. We needed to find a drugstore the next morning and discovered a Walgreens a couple of blocks down from the hotel. It cost approx. $12 in a taxi to the port the next day.

We arrived at the port at approx. midday. Check-in took 3/4 hour and we were on board looking around the ship within 1 hour. First impressions were good - we were amazed at the size of the ship, the amenities and the amount of elevators - but were surprised by the smell of cigarette smoke in a lot of areas, particularly the casino. We checked out the Spa and Gym and were impressed so decided to book a couple of the "Spa Specials". After a light lunch on Lido Deck at the self-service restaurant we decided to find our cabin. Our bags were waiting for us.

The cabin itself was very spacious and well designed. We had ample wardrobe space with sufficient hangers and drawer space. The balcony was a great asset, especially after a day's excursion when you could sit and unwind watching the sun go down before dinner. Our steward kept our cabin spotless and there was always a fresh bucket of ice awaiting our return. The bathroom was well appointed and stocked with "freebie" toiletries as well as a bathrobe each. Every time we left the cabin after using the bathroom, fresh towels magically appeared! Every night the beach towels supplied by Carnival were replaced with fresh ones or, alternatively, you could always obtain a fresh blue beach towel on the Lido Deck. Most nights we returned to our cabin to find a surprise towel too?! Read more