This was my first cruise, although I am well-travelled on land based vacations. I traveled with my husband and 6 yo daughter. We are mid-40's and tend to be independent style travelers. We have stayed away from cruising, worried that it would be too mass-market, crowded, rowdy or just plain boring. It took me 10 years to get my husband to agree to a cruise, and now he is a complete convert! We even signed up for a future cruise while still on board.

Caribbean Princess is a beautiful ship and felt just large enough to be interesting and small enough to get around easily. We booked a mini-suite, which gave us ample room for the 3 of us to spread out. The balcony showed some wear and tear, but we were not at all concerned about that. The bathroom tile could also use updating, but no big deal. There are no rock-climbing walls, or surf-riders, golf, which may be an issue for some people but not for me. I wanted to relax...

I found the entire maritime experience fascinating and exciting. I especially enjoyed watching the logistics of loading the supplies, getting the gangway operational, the coast guard sail away, etc. Everything went off without a hitch. Read more