We planned for a family reunion on a cruise ship so no one would have to host Thanksgiving at their house; no cooking, no cleaning, no entertaining, and plenty of distractions. Fifteen of us in 7 cabins. We love each other...in small doses. ;-)

I chose Carnival over RCC because of the price per cabin advantage I received. I chose the Magic for the waterworks, rope course, and size. I chose the Magic over the Breeze for the itinerary. I chose an Ocean Suite for the balcony and the whirlpool tub in the bathroom.

We flew into Houston the night prior to the cruise and stayed overnight in Galveston. We barely beat the massive ice/snow storm as flights after ours were getting cancelled. We arranged transportation through the hotel shuttle. A short stop by the local Walmart allowed us to get last-minute items we didn't want to pack--sodas, straw hat, Lysol wipes/spray, pool toys, etc. Read more