Just came back from our first cruise. Husband and three kids (18-23). We had a blast. The crew was fantastic. The food was unbelievable. I expected low end junk food. Wow, were we surprised with the quality and variety over 7 days. We had some dietary restrictions and the staff was so accommodating. I was a bit nervous about this cruise based on all the negative opinions. I'm glad I kept an open mind. The ship was perfect for the first time. I met wonderful people on the ship and my kids always found things to keep themselves occupied. Yes, the ship is very art deco in design, so what. I like that it wasn't overwhelming with restaurants, streets, and other gimmicks. This was a great relaxing vacation. We never left late for anything. We always docked on time and disembarked on time. The onshore trips are about $25 per person more expensive than the guys hanging out at the port hawking their trips. Being a first timer I decided to go with Carnival excursions.

St. Martaan the kids took the ATV ride around the island - not worth it. Hubby and I decided to be daring and took a cab to Orient Beach. That was $14 because you ride in a van with a number of other tourists. There is a taxi stand at the Port and it is well run. Use it to get where you want on the island. Orient Beach is on the French side of the island and it is great. You can get two beach lounges, an umbrella and two drinks from $10 - $18. You walk around and you'll see the different prices. The sand is soft, white and the water is warm and gorgeous. You will also be next to the nude beach. Playboy and Playgirl are not scoping out the beach for their models. Most of these people need to put something on.

Grand Turks we took the excursion called reefs and rays. It was snorkeling and playing with stingrays. This was fantastic. It was $70 per person for three hours and worth every penny. The guys hawking it at the port for $47 per person can't compare. Their boat was tiny and they didn't take you to the pretty reef in the bay. After the snorkeling you can hang out at "Margaritaville, the lounge chairs and umbrellas are free. They have a gorgeous pool. All free. GET OFF the boat and hang out here. It is a perfect beach day. Read more