When Sally and I decided to take a cruise we looked at destinations and work schedules. We had someone who recommended we look at Carnival as our cruise line based on ports we wanted to visit combined with work schedules. This would be our first cruise with Carnival. Both of us previously cruised with Norwegian, and were a bit hesitant to book with Carnival based on some of the negative reviews we’ve read.

A personal comment about how we feel about cruising. Unless the ship sinks, has a major malfunction, or outbreak of Norovirus it’s difficult not to have a good time on your cruise. Someone cleans your cabin daily, brings fresh towels twice a day, and turns down your bed leaving towel animals nightly. You don’t have to cook. Entertainment is provided from morning well into the evening. It seems one would almost want to have a bad time not to enjoy the cruise.

We flew from St Louis into Ft Lauderdale the morning of the cruise. Everything went seamlessly. Other than a small issue getting the correct sign and sail card with Carnival's Faster To The Fun, we were on board within 20 minutes after arriving at port thanks to Michelle and Guillerimo, the head stevedore/porter. Also, Christina in Guest Services was a huge help once on board. We highly recommend purchasing the Faster To The Fun. Well worth the extra cost when you find yourself bypassing the long lines to board the tender boats. Read more