We began our cruise holiday in Buffalo, NY flying Delta Airlines to Tampa, FL. Since we live in southern Ontario, we often fly to US destinations via Buffalo to save on airfare. Our Personal Vacation Planner was very helpful in suggesting appropriate timing for a same-day arrival, so we did not require hotel accommodations in Tampa. Although Carnival does offer transfers from the airport, we found that a local taxi service was much faster and less costly.

When we arrived at the Port of Tampa, our taxi driver pointed us in the appropriate direction for check-in. There were various workers there to take luggage to the loading area. A small tip goes a long way in assuring the care of your personal belongings. Check in was secure and speedy. We were ushered into the ship's atrium. As first time cruisers, we found that there was little in the way of direction on where to go once we boarded. Since we are very easy-going people, we took the opportunity to explore. We found our way to the Lido Cafe, which was overcrowded with guests. We did find something appealing to eat, but had it not been for a very nice older couple sharing their table, we would have had nowhere to sit. After a long day of travelling, this was an annoyance. Soon, our room was ready and our ship was soon to set sail.

Our oceanview suite was located on the lowest guest deck (Riviera deck), toward the aft of the ship - #1240. We were very impressed with the large window, spacious cabin and appealing decor. There is plenty of storage, mini-bar, a safe, a hair-dryer, and a private bathroom stocked with some common toiletries. Our cabin stewards, Inkay (Thailand) and Leger (Haiti) were a highlight of our trip. They were very personable and did an outstanding job keeping our stateroom spotless during our entire vacation. Read more