We have traveled quite a bit around the US but we have never taken a cruise before. My son, graduating from high school, wanted this to be the family trip this summer. I am more of a mountain hiker than a beach bum, but for him we did it. We are so thankful!! We flew out of Indianapolis to San Juan by way of Atlanta. No problems at all. This trip on Carnival Victory with a stop each day at a different port was a wonderful experience!

We stayed the night before at Hotel Milano in Old San Juan. Very happy with the simple room, wonderful service, and great location. Enjoyed Old San Juan all day with a self-guided walking tour. Highly suggest spending some time in this quaint location! We did not board the ship until early evening. There had been long lines early in the afternoon we noticed when we were still touring San Juan, but by the time we got there we just walked right in. (Good thing because it was pouring down rain!)

The whole embarkation was new to us, but it was a piece of cake. We were very lucky with our room. We did not know what we would want since this was all new, so we just took what we got. We were on the 8th floor which gave us beautiful views. We were in the back of the ship. Actually we were right under the pizza place. Amazingly we never had excess noise or any issues at all. We had all 4 of us - teenagers 15 and 18, mom and dad - in one room. There were bunk beds for the teenagers. The balcony was worth every cent. It offered amazing views, a little extra space, and quite a lot to watch on the port side. Read more