EMBARKATION: We live within two hours of the port, so it was an easy drive. Parked at Falstaff Cruise Parking and got a shuttle to the ship. The shuttle was a bit slow to get to the ship due to road blockages from the Dickens on The Strand event that was happening. Falstaff parking was fine, but they only run one shuttle per ship in port which means wait times can be long. Upon arrival at the pier, we gave our luggage to the porters and headed for check in. We arrived at our designated time. When I first saw the lines, I was worried, however the lines moved amazingly fast and we were quickly checked in and sent to the holding area to await boarding. The ship had arrived late that morning due to fog, so boarding was a bit delayed. We boarded by sections which went fairly fast, and we were on the ship in a reasonable period of time. Carnival handled this very well. Our cabins were not ready at the 1:30 time frame promised, however we were able to drop our bags off and go explore the ship which we did.

CABIN: We were in cabin 9379, a balcony cabin mid-ships on deck 9, starboard side. The cabin was exactly what was expected, it was nice and clean, configured in a twin bed arrangement since I was traveling with my adult age daughter, and well taken care of by Ida, our cabin steward. He did a great job through the cruise.

SHIP PROS: The staff on this ship were fantastic. They gave great service and were kind and helpful throughout the cruise. We loved the team on this cruise. I could not have asked for better service. The entertainment was excellent, loved the new 80’s rock show, and the shows throughout the week were well done. Louis Clare, the Cruise Director was more visible and active with the passengers than I have ever seen before. He was on the pier at every port greeting passengers, and even thanking us and inviting us back as we left the ship. He was very friendly and hardworking. One highlight of this trip from a service perspective was the Chef’s Table. My daughter started feeling bad as the event started and elected to return to the cabin. The Chef’s table staff assist he back to the cabin, prepared some homemade chicken noodle soup and sent it to her, and checked on her throughout the cruise. They were amazing. In addition to how caring they were, the Chef’s table experience was amazing, I enjoy fine dining, but this experience took it to another level. Definitely worth the extra fee. Read more