We live in Northwest Florida and chose to drive to Ft Lauderdale, arriving the day before the cruise. We stayed in the Hampton Inn - Ft Lauderdale City Center where we left our car during the cruise for just $7 per night. The hotel was lovely - we had a nice breakfast in the hotel and then took the free shuttle to the Port. We (husband 67, wife 59) arrived at the Port around 10:45, went through the VIP check in line, and boarded the ship around 11:30. Cookies, lemonade, and water were available to us during our short wait. Our cabin was ready at about 1:30 and we anxiously checked it out since this was our first time reserving a suite. It was lovely - we were spoiled with all the space and with our cabin steward, Noli - he was the best one we've ever had.

We met two couples in 2008 on the Carnival Liberty - all six of us joined up for this cruise as well and we had a fabulous time.

All six of us had early seating in the dining room and we had a good location. Our server, Maria, was excellent. The food was wonderful - the first night I ordered the barbecued ribs and was off to a great start. The salmon was delicious, the prime rib cooked to perfection, and the lobster was great. The deserts were divine - chocolate melting cake (yummy!), and the white chocolate bread pudding were exceptional. One night there was an appetizer of corn chowder, which was so delicious I could have ordered another bowl and been completely satisfied. We loved getting to try new dishes - if someone at the table was not completely satisfied, Maria was right there offering another choice. Never went away hungry. Read more