Friday, Day 1
San Diego
Embarkation Day
For those of you who will be visiting San Diego before and/or after the cruise here are some links of things to do in San Diego:
San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park
Sea World - San Diego
LegoLand
Trolley Tours
Double Decker Bus Sight-Seeing
Nouveau Supper Club. Look up the ship's soaring nine-deck atrium and you'll see a striking red stained glass dome. That's part of the fine alternative dining venue on top of the Spirit -- and tops with us. The service charge of $30 per person is worth every penny.
The Wedding Chapel. This light-wood paneled space with its angel fresco feels important and it should. Real weddings are conducted here by the ship's captain when Carnival Spirit is in Canadian waters (he is even authorized to marry same-sex couples). It's also the venue for vow renewals.
The Gym. Even those who are not exercise nuts will appreciate this facility, tiered like a Roman amphitheater so that you get a view of the ocean from every piece of state-of-the-art equipment. If heavy sweating is not your thing, sit in the hot tub in the center of the gym and enjoy watching other people pump it up.
Carnival Spirit feels large, but not particularly crowded, and despite a plethora of rooms it's fairly easy to find your way around. It would be near to impossible to be bored on this vessel -- in fact, you'd have to make a big effort to hit all the bars and lounges. Our very favorite hangout spot on a recent sailing was the Deco Bar, a comfy corner near the disco. You can smoke cigars at the Deco, and a jazz trio plays nightly -- plus, they make a mean martini. We even caught the captain hanging out here one night.
Dining
The 1,300-seat, two-deck Empire dining room is done up in Napoleonic splendor, the ceiling domes painted with murals and hung with crystal chandeliers. Even the large portholes are trimmed in gold and the grand circular staircase decorated with a sculpture of Napoleon at his coronation. Flanking the entrances are pilasters in the form of female statues. You'll either love it or find it over the top (it grew on us). Two dinner seatings are featured. There are tables for two, four and six, and fewer than usual for eight or more (intimacy was obviously the goal here). The food was good to excellent (try the duck and on Alaska cruises go for the fresh salmon) and service was friendly, although not necessarily sharp. Suggestion: Get a seat near the glass rail on the second tier and you can spy on your fellow passengers below. Breakfast and lunch are also served in the dining room for those who want waiter service (if ribs are on the menu go for it -- they're yummy).
The reservations-only, 156-seat Nouveau Supper Club, at the top of the ship, features aged USDA prime beef including a 14-ounce New York strip, an 18-ounce classic porterhouse, an 18-ounce prime rib and a 9-ounce filet mignon, plus other dishes, for a service fee of $30 per person. The service and experience are fantastic (although the space feels a tad cavernous for such an intimate experience) and couples who choose can hit the dance floor to the music performed by a live duo. For another $29 you can even get an order of caviar. Expect dinner here to be your nighttime entertainment (it takes several luxurious hours).
The two-level La Playa Grill is a casual alternative for buffet-style breakfasts and lunches. The international food station at lunch features a different cuisine each day including Japanese and Indian, and there's also a daily deli station and rotisserie; breakfast includes a made-to-order omelet station. At night, the offering is a no-fee Seaview Bistro, perfect for those who want a quick bite without the formality of the dining room. The pizzeria is open 24 hours a day (and the Caesar salad here is excellent). For late-night munchies there is the midnight buffet, and complimentary 24-hour room service is also available (from a limited menu).
Public Rooms
Carnival Spirit's Artists Lobby is the main hub of the vessel, decorated in Art Deco style with lots of color, gigantic murals of soaring spirits and famous art icons (a little Monet here, a little Gauguin there), rich wood, dark antique copper accents, two grand staircases, a bar with a dance floor, and the information and tour desks.
From there, walking from one public room to another feels a bit like going on a trip around the world. Egypt is in the show lounge. England is in the Chippendale Library, which features a mural of an English garden overlooking a traditional secretary and bookcases mounted on desks that hold 12 computer terminals offering Internet access (basic charge is 75 cents a minute, though packages are available offering savings for heavy users). France is in the Empire Room, and China is in the Shanghai Bar -- the ship's piano bar, done in a "Chinoise" style with walls covered in Chinese fabric and silk screens illuminated from behind. How fun is that? Loads. Love it or hate it, "wow" will be heard on this vessel.
With most of the public spaces located on two lower decks, passenger flow is excellent -- the public rooms are connected by a two-level promenade with a grand staircase leading from one level to the other. Other neat spaces include the two-deck disco done up in funky Gothic. Shoppers will enjoy the ship's large arcade, designed to look like an airport duty-free with separate areas for perfume, $10 bargains, fine jewelry and so forth. Elsewhere are five self-service launderettes (a wash is $1, a dry is $1; soap and softener are 50 cents each).
Cabins About 80 percent of the cabins are outside, and of those, 80 percent (624 cabins) offer balconies and a sitting area. All cabins feature attractive decor in pleasant, if a bit bland, earth tones; twin beds that convert to a king; color televisions showing first-run movies (for a fee of $8.99), a safe, a separate vanity area, a hairdryer and a phone.
A standard inside or outside cabin measures a decent 185 square ft. Suites (Categories 11 and 12) include separate dressing and sitting areas, a refrigerator, double sinks and a bathtub in the bathroom, and large balconies. Good design and soft lighting add to a feeling of spaciousness in interior staterooms (Category 4). Category 5A staterooms with French doors have obstructed views.
Entertainment
Carnival's nightlife is legendary, and if you come aboard ready to party, you will not be disappointed The ship has 16 lounges and bars to suit every mood. The three-level Pharaoh's Palace, decorated with hieroglyphics, 20-ft. tall stone figures and sarcophagi inspired by the golden one of King Tut, sets the scene for Vegas-style revues. Seating is in comfortable high-back theater chairs.
The joint is also jumping at the Louis XIV Casino featuring 220 slots and tables for roulette/dice (1), blackjack (10) and poker (2). 
There are sing-alongs in the Shanghai Piano Bar, smooth jazz in Club Cool and disco in Dancin' (a two-tiered dance club with a two-story 20-by-20-ft. video wall with 48-inch monitors). The Champions sports bar offers big-screen televisions for catching the big games. You can sip a cappuccino and people-watch in the Fountain Cafe on the promenade. You can smoke cigars and listen to decent jazz in the comfy Deco Bar. And for late-night entertainment, musical and comedy acts are presented in the Versailles Lounge.
Fitness & Recreation The Grecian-inspired, Steiner-operated Nautica Spa incorporates Doric columns and hand-painted murals featuring a Greek vase motif and depictions of Olympic events. The two-level, 13,700-square-ft. oceanview facility, located forward on Decks 9 and 10, offers sauna, steam, beauty salon, one whirlpool (within the gym; there are four others aboard) and 10 treatment rooms for European-style therapies including Aroma Stone (using heated, scented oils and warm basalt stones). The decently sized aerobics room is mirrored so you can watch yourself sweat, and the gym, one of our favorites at sea, features a tiered design so from every piece of equipment you get ocean views.
The equipment includes 10 Quinton treadmills, 4 Stairmaster stair climbers, an assortment of Life Fitness cycles and elliptical machines, Keiser progressive resistance machines, and free weights. There's a jogging track (15 times around equals a mile) and three swimming pools, one of which is covered by a retractable dome for all-weather use. Kids get a separate splash pool and the young -- and young at heart -- can enjoy a spiral water slide. The ship offers a lot of open deck space for outdoor sunning as well.
Family The line's complimentary Camp Carnival program with activities for children ages 2 to 15 has its own "Fun House," a 2,400-square-ft. enclosed play area. Themed to the bottom of the sea, it has three areas connected by tunnels -- one area for crafts, a second one for computer games and a third one for games -- plus a video wall for movies and cartoons. One deck below is an arcade with video games and virtual reality games. An outdoor play area offers mini-basketball, jungle gyms and other playground equipment.
A children's wading pool and a corkscrew water slide are among the opportunities for kids to make a splash. Supervised activities are featured morning 'til night. Children's menus are featured in the main dining room and kids can dine with the counselors on Lido Deck one night each cruise. A Fountain Fun card, good for unlimited soft drinks, costs $19.95 for seven-day voyages. Babysitting is available from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. at the Fun House ($6 for the first child and $4 for each additional child in the same family).
Dress Code For one or two nights, a dark suit or formal attire is suggested -- with most men opting for suits. The dress code for the rest of the evenings ranges from sport coat and tie to resort wear.
Gratuity Tips of $10 per person, per day are added to your shipboard account. A 15 percent gratuity is added to bar bills.
