I booked this 8-day Carnival Journeys cruise a month before departure! That is not my usual way of planning, but Cuba was so intriguing and the price for a basic cabin for my husband and me so reasonable, I convinced him to go even though we had last cruised in April. We have cruised Carnival on many different ships and enjoyed them all in varying degrees, but the smaller, older Paradise shined, mainly because of the service by the crew and the itinerary. Both were exceptional.

We flew from Charlotte to Tampa the day before the cruise. We spent the night at the Marriott Waterside on the vibrant Tampa Riverwalk and enjoyed the water taxi tour, strolling the riverwalk, and having dinner at Four Green Fields. After a buffet breakfast at the hotel the next day, we caught a shuttle for the short ride to the pier. Embarkation was quick and easy. We do have priority boarding as a loyalty perk, but this was the fastest we have ever boarded a ship. This was our first cruise from Tampa and every person in the check-in process had a smile for us.

Once onboard, we explored the ship and met some new friends until cabins were ready. I had chosen R42, one of the few cabins available to choose due to our late booking. I knew it would be an inside cabin on the bottom deck forward. It was small but there was adequate hanging storage and a shelving unit to augment the drawer space. It had been freshly updated during dry dock. It had a large, flat screen tv and a refrigerator. The only part that felt too small was the bathroom and its limited storage. I was glad to have a hanging toiletry bag that helped with storage. The cabin proved to be a good choice as it was quiet, well-serviced by our steward Wayan, convenient to the Your Time dining room, and convenient to the debarkation area for two of the ports, including Cuba. Seas were calm and we felt little movement the entire cruise. Read more