just4cruzin

I'm going for the 4th time in the past year. Is the Paradise the best ship out there, not by a long shot. However, as others have posted, the staff is great, the food is good and it's a quick get away for those who live close to Tampa. You make the cruise whatever you want it to be. For my wife and I, it's to get away from it all, relax and gamble for a few days. With the casino offers, you can't pass it up. Enjoy your cruise no matter what ship you decide to go on!:)

I leave on Thursday for the 4th time on the Paradise. It is the smaller of Carnivals ships and one of the oldest if not the oldest. It is your typical Carnival décor type of ship, however for its age, it's in good shape. When I travel, I do it to get away from the hustle and bustle and relax, so I don't look for all the bells and whistles. Rooms are typical size and the restaurants have the same menu's as other ships, however they do not have specialty restaurants or the 2.0 upgrades. Enjoy your cruise, it's better than being at work!

Thanks for the wishes!

I'm going through a similar situation. Wife and I are scheduled to leave next Thursday for a 4 day cruise that was a casino bounce back offer (first one...yeah!). My wife has come down with Vertigo and is unable to go, but she is emphatic that I still go. While her health comes first, but if I cancel this, what are the chances of getting other offers? We took the insurance, so I'm not concerned about the little money we have spent, however when booking, they did say if I cancelled without the insurance, I would have to pay the full fare.

Tell her you are going to the steam room or sauna for a while. She can't go into those places with you.

A good suggestion on another thread is to take a picture of your passport with your phone and take that with you on shore.

I am not loyal to any line, I look for the best price and which ever itinerary we are in the mood for. Living in the Tampa Bay area, it's convenient to leave from Tampa, however, any Florida port works. Each cruise line has 2-3 things that they do better than the other lines, so when you flush it all out, we are there to have fun and relax. Granted, there are better cruise lines, but you do pay more for the service. You can't go wrong value wise compared to any other vacation. Where else can you go and have room to stay in, food around the clock and fun for the amount of money you spend.

Seeing my wife's face as we crossed the bridge into the Port of Miami and seeing the Norway for the first time! It was her first cruise and we have been cruising since.

Best ship ever! That was when cruising was at it's finest. The ships today are floating cities with no class.

We just got off the Legend yesterday. Like all cruises, we had a great time! This was our second time on the Legend. The staff on the ship was top notch from Andrea in the MDR, to Jomar our room steward and all the dealers in the casino (both good times and bad, but mostly good!). I do have to give extra kudos to Michael and Keanu who are assistant cruise directors. They made sure everyone had a great time, and actually made you feel like they were right there with you having the fun. It was not canned like some others on past cruises. As mentioned earlier, the weather was the best I have ever had on a cruise. We can't wait to figure out when our next cruise is, and it will probably be on the Legend again in the future.

This was my first cruise in June 1980. Was with my sister who was an experienced cruiser and many of the staff including bar tenders new her. That meant free drinks until we left port. Back then they did things like that! We were seated with 4 people from Bulgaria that spoke no english so that made the trip so memorable. At that time, 7 mile beach was just a beach in cayman, no hotels! Cozamel was a couple of straw huts. Jamaica and climbing the falls was a highlight I will never forget. Lastly, for some reason I remember the house band name "The Vladamir Rubek Orchestra"! They could really rip out a great rendition of Chariots of Fire!

All in all, we met great freinds that we are still in touch with today and have cruised several times with them.