Embarkation: To my complete surprise -â€" and based on past experiences boarding a ship (this was my 11th cruise and 6th one on Carnival), the embarkation process was a breeze! My family and I arrived at the Ft Lauderdale port around 12:15 PM and the porters promptly picked up my luggage - both my carry on and big monster suitcase so I was literally "hands free" and ready to get on board. I at first hesitated to check in my carry on because that's where my soda, water and bottle of wine were in but off it went. The lines to go through security and registration IMO went fairly fast. I had my documents (passport, boarding pass and credit card) in my hand and was on the Lido deck having lunch around 1:00 PM. Reason I was so impressed was because I sailed on the Carnival Valor from Miami at Christmastime last year and it took over 2 ½ hrs to get on board!

Cabin: Ocean view, mid-ship, Main deck. Great room attendant - thank you Kelvin; however, next time I'll try to figure out where the utility closet is on a ship before booking a cabin directly across it. Lots of noise very early in the morning; otherwise, it was easy to navigate this level because it went the length of the ship. Lots of storage space and, after unpacking, shoved the monster bag under the bed.

Entertainment: I love big production shows (OK I like hokey stuff). There were 3 big shows and I enjoyed each and every one of them. I did not go to any of the comedy shows so can't comment on the quality of the comedians. The Big Easy show based on New Orleans was absolutely great! The next show was a tribute to the Beatles -â€" very nicely done. Jump, Jive and Wail was the last show and I was taken out to dance by one of the dancers and it's a good thing I knew how to "swing"! Lots of fun.. Read more