My wife and I have had experience on RC and Carnival and have compiled this review from our experiences from our last two cruises on the same ship, Carnival Magic, two summers in a row. We cruise as a couple and have thus far not brought the entire family aboard. As such, we don't have any information regarding children's activities on board, other than simply noticing that there are clubs and such for kids. Also, we generally drive from Fort Worth to Galveston on the day of the cruise.

Driving in from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex was, as usual easy enough. Just a few short hours on I-45 will get you to Galveston. Anyway, we have parked our car in the cruise terminal for a nominal fee and have also used local hotels for parking and shuttles. They are both easy enough, the advantage of using a local hotel is that the driver drops you off at the gate and you simply walk to your embarkation line and right to the ship, no cumbersome bags to deal with. On the downside, you have to wait for your ride to pick you up when you return to port, and I am not good at waiting.

Arriving on the ship, I found the vessel clean and the rooms well-prepared for our stay. As others have commented, the storage space is ample with at least three large closets, some with shelves, others for hanging clothes. The ship closets have hangers, but I always bring extra just in case. Read more