Like I have said before, it is amazing how you spend so many months looking forward to a cruise and then when it gets here, it goes by so quick. Now I am sitting at home with all of the "ship memories" rampantly bouncing through my head and I feel like I must document my experience so that I will never forget it. My girlfriend and I are both 21-year-old college students who live in Orlando, Fl. We have become addicted to cruising at a young age and when we don't have a cruise booked we feel like we have nothing to look forward to. After discovering how cheap cruising was during hurricane season I immediately booked the cheapest cruise I could find and that I was interested in. I ended up choosing a 4-day onboard the Fascination to Key West and Cozumel, Mexico. As cruise time came nearer I began tracking the movement of Hurricane Ike. About a week before sailing I really began to have worries that the cruise would be canceled or ruined. We spent most of the weekend watching the news and having no clue what was going to happen with the trip. Everyone showed the storm heading directly to Miami around Monday September 8th (the day we were to leave,) and I was skeptical on whether or not the group before us would be able to dock. The storm dramatically changed paths on Saturday and it became apparent that we would be cruising, we just didn't know to where! Living only three hours away from the Port of Miami, we woke up around 7am on Monday and headed out. After breakfast and toll booths we ended up arriving around 11am. Upon entering the terminal we were all handed a piece of paper explaining an itinerary change. Due to the safety issues of Hurricane Ike they changed our ports of call to Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas. Many families were very angry (not simply the fact that they changed the ports, but with the lack of advanced notice and the way they were informed,) but I figured that I really just wanted to be on the boat and we put smiles on our faces. Even though I had just went to the Bahamas recently I was grateful that we still had 2 stops and that we weren't left with three sea days. Embarkation was very quick and before we knew it we were on the Lido Deck eating deli sandwiches. My initial impression of the Fascination was that it looked and smelled very clean. I was on the Sensation in April and when we first boarded there was a strong mildew-like smell. I certainly feel like this ship does not show its age. After lunch we walked around and awaited 1:30pm when we could go to our room. I met with the Maitre' D and requested a table for two, which was granted, and when we couldn't resist it anymore we went to our cabin. The upgrades definitely make everything more cheerful and bright. Our oceanview cabin on the Empress deck was more spacious with the "corner" removed and I was happy to see that the T.V. received CNN and ESPN. The first thing my girlfriend noticed was the bathroom improvements. They now have an actual sink and they have added strangely-attractive anti-slip flooring. To our surprise, our luggage arrived within 30 minutes and we spent the afternoon organizing our belongings. The muster drill took place in the theater and we were done within 10 minutes. For sail away we always buy a boat drink and go to the very front of the ship. It was more amazing than ever this time. There were extreme winds pushing us around which was probably due to all of the tropical depressions. The breeze running through our hair and beautiful blue waters made the entire experience so surreal. I spent the majority of the night doing what I always do; walking around and checking everything out. One of my favorite parts of cruising is exploring the ship for the first time. I love seeing all of the different decors and scenery. Both the "Passage to India" bar and "Diamonds Are Forever" disco were very atypical, but in a good way. It seems more effort was put into these public areas as opposed to others, such as the "Puttin on the Ritz" lounge and even the "Palace" theater. Granted both of these were nice as well there was not a whole lot of distinguishing features in them. "Casino Royale" was literally the same exact set-up as the casino onboard the Sensation and I still think they're very large for a cruise ship. The Poker Pro electronic Texas Hold'em table entertained me throughout the week and we were unsuccessful at the slot machines a couple nights. The atrium had the infamous "Carnival" dEcor and at night the elevators were glimmering bright orange. That evening the "Welcome Aboard" show was the same as always and a hilarious comedian named Carl Rimi graced the stage. After a few cocktails it was time to go sleep in our Carnival Comfort Beds!

Day 1 - Fun Day at Sea I think that they should change the name to "Lazy Day at Sea" in the Carnival Capers. We always spend all day relaxing on the first sea day. After not waking up until close to 11am we dragged ourselves to the Coconut Bar and Grill to eat. Most of the breakfast was good although I never seem to like the eggs (they are always too runny.) Regarding the "Coconut Bar and Grill," I was impressed with the quality of food throughout the week. We also ate from the New-York Deli every day and got pizza late at night. A favorite of Kaleigh's is the chocolate frozen yogurt onboard the ships. After breakfast we changed into our bathing suits, found a cozy spot on the Sun Deck, and laid out in the sun for a few hours. There is something about listening to Jimmy Buffet on my Ipod, drinking frozen drinks, and being endlessly surrounded by water that makes life worth living. Watching the ice-sculpture carving was of great interest to me as my Father used to do this for a living. We were then lucky enough (I think) to catch the Hairy Chest contest, which was aptly coined "The Chewbacca Contest" in the Capers that day.

In the gift shop Kaleigh found a shirt that says "Relax, Life is better cruising," which she is proudly wearing as I type. That evening we ate in the dining room for formal night. We had the 8:15pm late seating in the Sensation dining room. The cruise was apparently not booked to capacity as our "table for two" was one of the large "6-toppers." The atmosphere in the dining room was very romantic and the service that their waiters provide is something I am not used to. Being a college student I spend the majority of my meals eating off of the dollar menu at McDonalds. Of course, having somebody place a handkerchief on my lap and constantly throw foods and drinks at me was both shocking and appealing. Everything ordered throughout the week was delicious and I am constantly impressed with the quality of the food onboard the ships. I was very glad to see that changing the name to "Elegant Night" did not stop passengers from dressing up. The formal nights on cruises are practically the only time we get to dress up so we were pleased to see almost everyone else do the same. Unlike some cruisers, we actually enjoy taking pictures so we made sure to go around to every station. We always end up spending nearly as much money on pictures as we do on our bar tab. The show this evening was "Far From Over," the 80's era musical, and besides a few lighting difficulties in the beginning it was enjoyable. What I enjoyed more was the Adult comedy show with Carl Rimi at midnight. This took place in the lounge at the rear of the ship and it made it feel more like an actual comedy club. I also got the chance to meet some fellow Cruise Critic members in here which is always fun. Read more