Summary: We had a great time, would love to do it every year. Weather was perfect. We think Carnival is an excellent value and loved this itinerary. Our kids were lobbying to stay on the boat at the end, lol. We spent about $4,000 total for an eight day vacation with a couple of other activities between DFW and Galveston.
Family Info: Married couple in our 30's with three toddlers that drove down from DFW area. We didn't take car seats onboard.
Galveston Port Experience: Toddlers + long lines + too many bags = Horrible Experience. Getting from the parking lot to onboard the ship took so long we went from thinking "we'll be there with plenty of time to spare" to "OMG we barely had enough time"! On the way back, my wife stood in line forever to get a porter with a cart. I took the three kids to the blue canopy bus stop and got a 'no luggage' ride back to our car without waiting for too long, strapped the kids in, gave them snacks and a drink, and made my way back to her and the luggage sitting on the curb (pay attention to the flag color above your pick-up location). Be sure to use the restroom just before you go to the port and just before you get off the boat.
quiet nice window plenty of closet space