This was our 19th cruise, 17th on Carnival. We had been on the Elation 2 previous times, so we were familiar with the ship. The only disadvantage on taking one of the Fantasy class ships is the lack of balcony cabins. Other than that, the small size is just right for getting around and a lot of open deck.

The Jacksonville port is not much to look at, but I guess you can call it funtional. It is quite outrageous that they charge $15 a day for the parking lot on the port. We reserved a space across the street, Jetway. It is a dirt lot that looks like it will flood in during a good rain, but our car was fine, and it was 1/2 the price of the port.

Embarkation went smoothly. Read more