Our trip into NYC was very uneventful. Once George and I reached the pier, we boarded the vessel in record time. We found the embarkation process to be a lot easier than past cruises. It was even better than the cruise we took out of NYC on board the Carnival Victory in June, 2008! Once on board, we located our stateroom, and went upstairs to the buffet on the Lido Deck to get lunch. There was so much to choose from! We couldn't decide what we wanted to eat first.

The life jacket drill wasn't as painful as usual. Well, the drill is more painful for those of us who don't think orange goes with our ensemble. Anyway, we had it in The Phantom Lounge, where all the Vegas / Broadway styled shows took place. BINGO, The Not So Newlywed Game, and other activities also take place inside the lounge. It's really big, and can seat a lot of people. You don't get that cramped feeling in that lounge the way you do at other spectator events.

I had joined the Carnival Forum's "Role Call For September 6, 2008" and had met some very nice people through the forum. This one couple I e-mailed were first time cruisers, and we kept an eye out for them while we were in the buffet area. We didn't meet them until our first full day at sea. They were both from NYC and had taken the subway that let them off a couple of blocks from the pier. They were both really nice, and we enjoyed talking with them. Read more