Although this was cruise 73 for me, I hadn't been on Carnival in 10 years. I took my first cruise with them on the Carnivale and in some ways, none since, have measured up to that one. :)

I booked the cruise for a snorkel trip, with this cheap deal booked about a year ahead, in an inside cabin. I felt I was in a "suite" compared to my usual lines, inside rooms. Carnival was very roomy with a lot more space than I am used to. I was just off a RCI trans Atlantic two weeks before, and a NCL trans Pacific end of Sept. I did return to Florida 4 nights prior to the cruise, spending time in the Everglades. Had a rental car with Thrifty, which transferred me to the ship. The embarkment was a lot of lines with short tempered people. It wasn't the best organized, but, certainly, I got on the ship and don't see it as any more than an inconvenience of mega ship sailing. :)

The ship is well laid out, and it was simple to get around. I had the open dining, which there was never a wait, eating between 7-8pm, but only went 3 nights. For me, they have the winning pizza of the cruiselines. :) The buffet food was good, with plenty of selection. Read more