I had heard the "vibe" on short Bahamas cruises was really different from longer cruises, so I didn't expect much. Three female friends and I shared two adjoining staterooms to celebrate my birthday. They are experienced cruisers and this was their first Carnival cruise.

Embarkation was very easy. Park & Cruise's shuttle dropped us off at the port at noon and we were eating on the Lido deck at 12:30. The ship was due to leave at 4 PM, but it was 5:30 PM before we left.

Briefly, the crowd of party animals on board was loud most of the time, and the entertainment at the pool could be heard all over the other lounging areas, so peace and quiet was unavailable a good part of the time. Even the "Serenity" area was often overtaken by loud 20-somethings who wanted to yell across to each other. And of course, it was also overtaken by towels without people attached. Read more