Booked this cruise as the second half of a back to back with the Carnival Legend. Sailed the Legend with my wife and her 2 children and arranged to drop them off at Orlando airport, where my son would be waiting for me to pick him up for his first cruise.

We stayed one night precruise at the Wakulla Suites in Cocoa Beach. Nothing fancy but for a Hotwire rate of about $60 for a 2 bedroom condo it was perfect. Had dinner down by the pier at Fishlips which was great. Got to see a couple of ships sail by & did some shopping for last minute supplies before heading back.

In the morning we did park & sail at the Radisson for under $6 daily..... Worked out great. Shuttles were prompt before and after. Embarkation is in a temporary building but it went very well. Had no issues whatsoever and were on board before 11:30 and having lunch on Lido. Went straight to the back of the ship and grabbed a corned beef sandwich in the deli & a beer right next to it. I really like this setup where it's convenient to grab a drink in the buffet area. We went outside to one of the outside "wings" that jut out above the serenity area. I also like these areas although it can be hard to find a seat there sometimes. Read more