We traveled with a group of friends, as a quick way to all get away and get to see each other. Of the six, four cruise Carnival regularly, 2 had never cruised before (on a cruise ship, that is. One was Navy for years)We chose the short cruise because it was easier for everyone to take a short time off from work, and we'd wanted to see the newer bigger ships.
Travel - We flew into FLL, stayed at the Fort Lauderdale Hyatt. I'd highly recommend this hotel. My husband found it on Priceline for $70 versus $170. It was close to both the airport and the port, and there were lots of stores and restaurants in very easy walking distance. I called the hotel on landing and they sent a shuttle for us at the airport. The next morning, shuttles ran to port continuously. Easy enough.
Embarkation - This is my least favorite of all the ports we've left from. I found it to be very poorly managed, and very poorly organized. The line to embark wound aimlessly around the parking lot, which was full of small ponds to dodge. It moved at a reasonable pace. From joining the line to sitting in our rooms took approximately 1.25 hours, which is the longest it's ever taken us.
LOVED our cabin Veranda 8429. Spacious, nice little sitting area, balconies are small as usual, loved the extra bathroom space. One floor below Lido restaurant so it can get a bit noisy.