A Carnival Caribbean Cruise is Worth Every Penny

I recently embarked on my first cruise with my boyfriend and some friends. We toured the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Destiny and learned exactly why that line is called "the Fun Ships." We left from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and during our seven-day trip stopped at St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, and Antigua before returning to San Juan to catch our flight back to Philadelphia.

I must admit that I didn't see too much in San Juan. We took a bus tour from the airport to our ship, and most of what I saw was through that window. That's because once we got on the ship, I wasn't getting back on land for anything.

Everyone kept telling me I wouldn't believe two things - how big the ship would be and how small the cabins would be. As it turns out, everyone was right. The ship was enormous, truly a floating hotel. No worries about seasickness here; with the exception of one night, we couldn't feel the boat moving at all. And yes, the rooms were unbelievably tiny. We reserved the cheapest option - an inside cabin with no windows. Not the best choice if you're badly claustrophic, but definitely livable. The room was small, but it had a private bathroom, a comfortable bed, a vanity with mirrors, closet space, and a TV, and it was kept very neat. Our steward cleaned the room twice a day, every day, and left things like towel animals and mint chocolates on the pillows. I don't know about you, but I very rarely come home to find a chocolate on my pillow. And a mint chocolate? Never.