We booked our own airfare and saved about $100pp from Providence, RI to New Orleans, LA. It was a round about trip, we changed planes in Detroit, MI and then flew to New Orleans. Arrived in New Orleans on time at 10:45am. We had all our bags by 11:10am and found our Carnival Representative at the baggage carousel. We waited a few minutes and once we had a busload of people we were escorted to the bus and we were at the pier by noon.

We didn’t have our cabin assignment from Carnival yet (we knew the cabin # using the Kelley Method) so we were among the last on the bus to have our bags checked and taken by the porters. Here’s a tip, one of the many I got from boards like these. Take lots of one-dollar bills. You’ll be tipping a lot on the cruise. We said bye to our bags and went to check in.

We waited in line for about a half hour. At the counter we were asked for our docs and birth certificates. We chose to put cash down on our shipboard account so a credit card wasn’t needed. We received our sail and sign cards, that was it, quick and painless. Now back in line to board the ship.

After about an hour and fifteen minutes we were brought into a large room and sat for another 15 minutes. We were called row by row and went through the luggage screening area where we went through metal detectors and our carry on bags were x-rayed.

Then we went into another line to have our picture taken as we got on the ship. Who buys these pictures? We had been at the airport at some ridiculous hour of the morning and were on planes for nearly half a day, then waited in lines for another couple of hours. Needless to say our pictures left a little to be desired. As we first got on the ship we had our picture taken again to be used for security as you get on and off the ship for the rest of the cruise.

In the main lobby of the Empress deck, a ship employee pointed us to our room, Main deck, cabin 221. It was what we expected. After locking up the valuables in the room safe we took a walk to the Information Desk to put money on our account. The computers were down so they could not complete any transactions but we were assured we could use our sail and sign card in the mean time. I was skeptical but sure enough they took it even without the cash deposit. We went to the Brasserie and had a surprisingly good lunch. After a brief walk around the ship, we went back to our cabin and took a nap.

After some rest and recuperation we continued to explore the ship. Took the advice of some other posts and found our dining room and some of the other areas we knew we’d frequent. I’ve been looking forward to sailing on the Mississippi so I had to find a vantage point for it. Well I found one of my favorite spots on the ship. The observation deck on the Verandah Deck, just above the bridge. We had a late seating for dinner so I had plenty of time to watch the Mississippi go by and the sun set.

When we got back to the cabin, our bags were waiting outside. Our room steward introduced himself, Fernando from India. He asked us if we would like the beds put together and if there was anything else he could do. After unpacking, we got ready for dinner.

Dinner the first night is pretty casual because some people don’t have their bags until later in the evening. We had six people at our table set for eight. Our head waiter introduced himself, Atilla from Hungary and he knew our names from then on. Our assistant waiter, Rajish from Nepal introduced himself. They were great. Dinner was part of what made the cruise so great. Once we got to know our tablemates, we couldn’t wait to go to dinner to hear what everyone did.

After dinner we took a walk around the ship. We were still on the Mississippi River and would be for a few more hours. We went back to the cabin and after such an exhausting day, Jess fell asleep. I went back to the observation deck for a while to sip a drink and take it all in.

Monday April 29th

Our first day at sea. We woke up about 9am and headed to the Brasserie for breakfast. We had most of our breakfasts and lunches here. It was buffet style with omelets made to order. There were always plenty of seats by the windows or out on deck.

After breakfast we sat up on the Lido deck and we saw a pod of dolphins following the boat. Ocean and blue sky as far as you could see. The stress of travel the day before and of things back home were quickly becoming a faint memory.

We went to the excursion talk with the cruise director, Bret Allens. He was great! We already knew most of what he told us because of these boards but the talk was informative and entertaining. The cruise line makes it sound like if you do anything other than an excursion booked on the ship, you are taking your life in your own hands. I had done so much research on the islands we were stopping at, I didn’t book anything through the ship. I had a great time in all the ports as you’ll read later. I’m sure there are unsafe activities and areas, but if you use your head and do your homework, you wont have any problems.

The rest of the afternoon was spent by the pool sipping drinks and enjoying the pool. Had lunch on the lido deck, hamburgers and French fries. Spent some more time on the observation deck watching the flying fish and talking to other people.

We decided to check out the art auction later in the afternoon. I’ve never been to one and it was fun. I’m by no means a connoisseur of fine art but it was a good experience and we did see a piece we wanted to bid on until we heard the opening price. We stood for the whole auction and it was amazing how much money some people spent.

After the auction we went to our nightly ritual, the sushi bar. It was right at the Champagne Bar. It’s open every night from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. There is a good selection every night. If you eat sushi on a regular basis, don’t expect what you get at home. Jess and I go out for sushi often at home and the sushi on the ship just didn’t compare. It was good, just not as good. For all of you saying “yuck, raw fish”, don’t worry, it’s all cooked. The sushi chef told us it breaks his heart but he isn’t allowed to serve anything raw. Probably a good idea considering you can’t get fresh fish while at sea. Never the less, it was a good snack before dinner.

Dinner tonight was a formal night. It was fun getting dressed up, something we don’t get to do often at home. Before dinner we made our rounds and had our pictures taken. At dinner we had two new tablemates, they had switched tables. The cruise would not have been as much fun as it was if it weren’t for our tablemates. We ended up with just six people each night, one couple never showed up again. Like I said earlier, every day we looked forward to sharing our adventures. I told all of them I’d mention their names. So if you read this, hi Tammy and Jamie, and Heather and Holly.

After dinner we went up to Inspiration Blvd and had some drinks and listened to the Dave. He played light rock and country. This turned into another nightly tradition. Took a walk to the observation deck and looked at the stars. A quick stop at the midnight pasta buffet and it was off to bed. Good night.

Tuesday April 30th

Another day at sea. We woke up about 9am and had breakfast at the in the Dining Room the 1st and only time. The breakfast was good but we preferred the Brasserie. Today the cruise director did a shopping talk. It was pretty much a push to shop at certain stores that I’m sure Carnival gets a kickback from but it was informative and they went over customs info. Spent the rest of the morning by the pool and watched Survivor. It was hilarious. Grabbed lunch on the Lido deck and spent more time on the Observation Deck. Jess always knew where to find me if I decided to take a walk. We took a galley tour. It was fascinating to see some of what happens behind the scenes. After the tour Jess had scheduled a massage so I spent about an hour on the observation deck. I met a lot of great people up there and the view is always amazing. After that it was sushi and dinner and that’s about it. We were exhausted and excited about our first stop in the morning.

Wednesday May 1st

I woke up at about 6:30am and saw Jamaica out our cabin window off in the distance. We went up to the Brasserie and had breakfast and watched the ship dock. We were both very excited and couldn’t wait to start our day.

None of the excursions the ship offered in Jamaica appealed to us and we decided we didn’t want to do all the regular tourist stuff. Before we left I did a lot of research and found Carolyn Barrett. I emailed her and told her our how much time we had and she recommended some itineraries. We decided on one and I made a reservation. When we got into the terminal in Jamaica she was there as she said she’d be with a big sign with our name on it. We got in her minivan and off we went on our Jamaican adventure.

The first part of our adventure was getting used to the driving style. Lets just say New York City cab drivers have nothing on Jamaica. That in itself was an adventure. We drove up into the mountains, stopping along the way whenever she saw something to point out. Even with the noticeable poverty, it is beautiful country. The people we met were all friendly. Our first stop was a town called YS. Along the way we learned lots of Jamaican history and customs. Lots of little stops to see coffee and fruits growing, scenic views of mountains and valleys. At YS we went to a place called YS Falls. It is like Dunn’s River Falls, but instead of a thousand other tourists there was maybe twenty five people there. The falls were beautiful as well as the entire plantation that surrounds it. We took lots of pictures with our disposable underwater cameras while we swam. We lounged around in the sun until Carolyn told us we needed to head out in order to have lunch and take a boat trip she had booked for us. We drove from YS to Black River. The scenery is incredible and we made lots of stops to take pictures and so she could point out places of interest. When we arrived at black river we stopped at a little hole in the wall restaurant and had lunch. Fried chicken, beans and rice, a stew and a type of coleslaw. It was all delicious. We took a short drive to the dock and boarded a small boat for our Black River tour. Once again, it was not a crowded tourist filled area. On the boat was myself and Jess, Carolyn and the captain of the boat. Carolyn sunbathed on the boat while the captain began telling us about the history of the area and pointing out local wildlife. It was beautiful. He lifted a crocodile out of the water by its front legs and kissed it on the nose. He said the crocs here were pretty docile. I didn’t take my chances. After we got a few miles up river we had fruit punch and we could get out and swim. Carolyn swam and we decided to stay on board and drink the punch. There was no way I was swimming in a place where I just saw crocs. After we arrived back on the boat we tipped the captain and back to the van. Like I said earlier, I took lots of one-dollar bills with us and they came in very handy. We continued on our drive which was basically a big circle around part of the island. We drove through many villages and there was a lot of history about the area we were in. Carolyn stopped and bought us some fresh mangoes from a woman on the roadside and cut them up for us. We told her we wanted to by a few souvenirs before we left so she took us to a small shopping area. We bought some Blue Mountain coffee and a few other things and she had us back to the dock in plenty of time to board the ship. We spent approximately 8 hours with Carolyn and the price was $90usd per person. This included the admission fee to YS Falls, lunch and the boat tour. We both felt it was well worth the money. She was very friendly and knowledgeable.

We had a great time and would recommend it to anyone. If you have any more questions about what we did, feel free to email me. We said our good bye’s and got in line to go through customs and get back on the ship. Back to the room to clean up and of course to the sushi bar. At dinner we all shared our stories. Everyone seemed to have a great time in Jamaica. Spent some time relaxing on the observation deck and then it was off to bed.

Thursday May 2nd

Woke up early and we were already anchored off Grand Cayman. Out our window I could see other cruise ships. Had breakfast at the Brasserie. The Carnival Victory, RCCL Voyager of the Seas and RCCL Rhapsody of the Seas were also anchored near us. Our excursion wasn’t until 11:15am so we did some browsing downtown.

We booked a Stingray City tour through Captain Marvin’s before we left. We went to the main office and checked in and boarded a van to bring us to their dock. Once at the dock a line formed to get snorkeling gear (included in the price). We brought our own gear so we got right on the boat. First stop was at a reef. We snorkeled in about 10-15 feet of water. It was incredible. The water was crystal clear and calm. We spent about a half hour there taking pictures of tropical fish and a stingray. We boarded the boat again and headed for Stingray City. On the way the guide talked about the do’s and don’ts of stingray city. No boots or fins, you won’t need them, the sand is very soft. As soon as we got off the boat, the stingrays swarmed around us looking for food. They are very gentle and as long as you take care not to step on them you’ll be fine. We had a great time. The guides picked them up and let you hold and feed them. They are constantly brushing against you and people would scream. I must have taken 20 pictures. It was a great experience. There were maybe 20 people on our boat while the cruise ship excursion had a 100 or more. The cost of the tour was $34usd per person and the tour lasted 2 hours. It was well worth it. They filmed the entire trip and you could buy the video. After we arrived back at the dock, the van took us to the office. We did some shopping in town and waited in line for about 45 minutes for a tender back to the ship.

Back to the room to shower and get ready for sushi and dinner. It was the second formal night and the Captain’s cocktail party. We didn’t attend the party. We once again had lots of pictures taken and went and shared our day with our new friends. It was hard not noticing how fast the days were going by.

Friday May 3rd

Woke up with Cozumel in sight. Went to the Brasserie and had breakfast as we watched the ship dock. We didn’t have any excursions booked for this stop but thanks to all the reading I did here we knew exactly what we wanted to do. When we got off the ship we went to the taxi stand. The prices for taxi rides to all the major places are clearly displayed here. There was no wait for a taxi. We took a taxi to Chankanaab Park. Taxi ride was $12usd for the cab, not per person. We found a seat under an umbrella and put on our snorkeling gear. The water was beautiful and as soon as I got in I was face to face with a barracuda. There were fish everywhere. This is a great place to snorkel and relax. We spent half the day on the beach and wandering the paths of the park. We took a taxi back to the ship, dropped off our gear and changed and headed back out to shop. The taxi ride downtown is $6 per cab. We had lunch at a little Mexican Restaurant. Stopped in at Carlos and Charlie’s. It’s not my kind of place but we were told you had to see it. If you aren’t familiar with Carlos and Charlie’s, think of spring break on MTV. That’s what it’s like seven days a week. We had a Margarita and that was enough for me. After a little more shopping we went back to the ship and got ready for sushi and dinner.

Saturday May 4th

Our last day at sea and of the cruise. I can’t help but be a little sad. So far I’ve had the best, most relaxing vacation of my life and in a few short hours it will be over. Oh well I made the most of it. We slept late and had our usual breakfast in the Brasserie. We went to the debarkation talk with the cruise director. All the stuff about customs was pretty much a joke. I’ll explain that in a minute. We had lunch in the dining room for the first and only time. Went to the “newlywed and not so newlywed game” and had a blast. Played bingo to win a cruise…we didn’t win. Spent most of the day lounging around. The captain told us we’d be entering the Mississippi around 8:30pm but it was dark and we were at dinner. Swapped email addresses with our tablemates and said our good byes. When we got back to the cabin, our customs slips were waiting to be filled out. We filled them out and packed our stuff to leave outside the cabin door. Hated going to bed, when I wake up my cruise will be over.

Sunday May 5th

Debarkation! Had a quick breakfast at the Brasserie and then went to our assigned spot to wait to be called to leave the ship. When we were called we proceeded to the Empress deck to get off the ship. We waited in line till we got to the luggage area. Finding our bags took about 10-15 minutes and was a little crazy with all the other people. We had big orange pom-poms tied to the tops of our bags so they stuck out pretty well. We waited in line for what we thought was customs. Turns out it was the line to leave the building, customs didn’t check our stuff. I’m sure they checked our bags we left outside the cabin but they never looked at our carryon baggage and I still have the customs slips as a souvenir. Since we were staying in New Orleans for a couple of days, we just got a taxi and we were on our way. One thing Carnival did that I thought was nice was for any passenger who had a late flight, you could book a tour of New Orleans to kill time for the day.

Some recommendations for first time cruisers:

Do your research. This board and others like it were extremely helpful. I learned so much about cruising and what to do on the islands from reviews and tips.

Bring lots of one-dollar bills. You will be surprised at how many people you should tip. Not necessarily on the ship, that’s all included. On the islands I tipped the guides, boat captain and others. The porters at the dock, taxi drivers etc…

Bring a small waterproof case to keep money and cards. You can buy them at marine supply stores. I wore mine around my neck and tucked it in my shirt. It kept everything dry and secure.

Buy disposable waterproof cameras and your film before you leave. 8 bucks for the camera at Wal-Mart, 25 bucks on the ship. Buy more than you think you’ll need.

Bring a calling card if you plan on calling home. It’s around $9 a minute to call from the ship. You can use the calling cards while in port. Another way to keep in touch is with email. To use the computers on the ship is 75 cents a minute.

I could go on and on and it appears I have. I’m sure I’m forgetting plenty. Any questions, feel free to email me. Once again, thanks Jamie, Tammy, Heather and Holly. You all made the trip so much more enjoyable.

Mike and Jess