We never had a burning desire to book a cruise, we just didn't think it would be for us. Some family members were going and we decided we would tag along -- they had decided on the date, ship and itinerary. In the end they were not able to go, so we carried on without them, unsure about how we would enjoy the trip. We had a great time!

We have a preschooler and cruising worked out to be perfect for our whole family. They had activities for adults and kids each day and the range of excursions was very good for port days. We all felt like we had an equally enjoyable trip.

Embarkation -- the embarkation process seemed to take unnecessarily long. It was November, I can only imagine what it is like to line up as we did in the summer heat. This is the one area where I really think improvement could be made. We opted to carry our own luggage and I would advise doing that if you can. It helps keep the amount of luggage you bring to a reasonable amount and it means that you don't have to wait for your luggage onboard. Read more