Carnival Paradise - Short Cruises to Mexico

In late April of 2007, my husband and I embarked upon the Carnival Paradise for a much needed vacation. We set sail on a three-night cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. For those interested in taking a similar vacation, this guide may help you decide if this is the cruise for you.

The Ship

From the moment we walked on the ship, we were impressed. The décor was not exactly extravagant, but it was pleasant. It was not cheesy, but not plain either. Most importantly, everything was very clean.

Overall, we really liked the ship. The outside Lido deck, where the main pool and outdoor stage are, was usually crammed with people, so we pretty much found other places to relax. The verandah deck was our favorite. At the back of the ship on the verandah deck, there are beautiful views all around. Along with a small basketball court, there are two spas and a small pool, as well as plenty of lounge chairs. On Sunday, the one day that we were entirely at sea, I thoroughly enjoyed laying out here facing the ocean.

The front of the ship is where most of the nightlife is. With many staircases and different hallways, it can be confusing to navigate at first. The atrium, which is in the center of the ship, is quite the sight. It was neat to look up and down at all the different levels. On the bottom there is a small bar, which was usually crowded with people.

Indoors, the library is a peaceful little paradise, which we enjoyed sitting in after dinner. Although we never once saw the bookcases open, it is a pretty room with gorgeous views of the ocean.

Our Room

We had a room on the verandah deck, which was wonderful because we were close to the pools and spas- a big plus in my book. The room was an interior room, so we did not have a view, but overall, we felt that the room was nice. We had heard so much about how small cruise ship rooms are that we were expecting something smaller. While we couldn't do aerobics in our room or anything, we certainly didn't feel cramped.