We were looking for a cruise that was less than 7 days, and one that included a day-long stop in Key West, and the Paradise offered both. This was not our first cruise during hurricane season, but with so many powerful hurricanes being active the week before our cruise, pre-vacation stress level was pretty high! Under the circumstances, Carnival did a good job of posting updates and handling necessary changes, which included an intenerery change. (Grand Cayman instead of Key West)

We had a non-stop flight from CVG to PIE that arrived by 10am and a return flight that departed at 1043am, so we didn't do a pre or post cruise hotel stay. I requested a LYFT pick-up at PIE and the driver arrived at the curb just after we did, so that worked out well. It was about a 30 minute drive and was $22 each way. The convenience was priceless, especially on Thursday. Even tho we did self-carry and disembarked early, we were a little concerned about morning traffic to PIE from the port.

After a very stressful week of not knowing if the cruise or flights would be cancelled because of the hurricane, it was nice to be greeted with smiling faces and a welcoming staff at embarkation. We arrived early, at 11am, expecting a long wait, but since the ship had been unoccupied for a few days, we were allowed to board right away and had immediate access to our cabin. Read more