Tips
Towels
These can be collected from the pool area on the ships but make sure when you book one out, you hand it in otherwise you are charged $20 ( I think). Also beach towels in your room, make sure they are all accounted for before you leave the ship to avoid charges.
Cruising from Miami
Carnival offer FTTF (Faster To The Fun) this costs around $50 and you pay this per cabin and not per passenger. Is it worth it? YES!
You are allocated special luggage tags and boarding cards, which you print off at online check-in before you arrive. Make sure you attach your tags to your luggage before you get there. The porters will take your luggage off you as you arrive, remember to tip them around $1 a case.
When you arrive at the cruise terminal, depending upon the time of day, there could be very long lines outside. Walk around to the main entry doorway and show them your FTTF boarding card and bingo, you are whisked straight to the front of the line. Once checked in, where you have your photo taken and boarding card issued, you are then free to board the ship, so long as it's cleared immigration, (I am lead to believe this is why the lines are so long, Miami immigration taking their time ).
You can then go straight to your room to drop off your bags and hit the buffet. If you choose not to purchase FTTF, then you are not allowed access to your stateroom until around 2.00pm, similar to most cruise lines.
Leaving The Ship 
There are 2 ways .. if you can manage all your bags yourself you can get off quite quickly as soon as the ship is cleared. The other way is to put your bags outside your stateroom the night before (except your carry on luggage) and then you will be given a time to get off, your bags will be waiting for you in the terminal.
One other thing, clearing immigration if you finish your cruise in Tampa, may actually be carried out onboard the ship, with us, they called us all to the main theatre quite early in the morning and we had to go up as a family and be cleared there, no one could get off the ship till we were all seen, and one person didn't turn up meaning a long delay for everyone else!
Food pics!
And one from the Cake Store (extra charge .. dammit)!
And some of the decks and pools (Breeze first):
And Sunshine:
And one last picture … towels animals are not just for Disney!
