My wife and I have been on a cruise before, but not on Carnival. We wanted to take the kids this time, and we heard that Carnival was more kid friendly than many cruise lines. Cost was also a factor as supporting five family members can get expensive on most cruises. I was surprised by the quality of our 7-night cruise. The best food was at the main dining room, the Normandie Restaurant (with the caveat that we did not eat at Dave's Steakhouse, so I can't comment on the food there). The staff were very friendly, quick, and the food was excellent. They always kept our coffee and water topped off (which wasn't always the case at the other cruise line). We ate all of our dinners, and most of our breakfasts at the Normandie because the food there was so good, and the staff so friendly.

Our stateroom steward was also great. He had our rooms cleaned twice a day, and left animals made from towels, which the kids loved. It took about an hour to get onto the ship (which was expected). The disembarkation went smoothly. We waited on the Lido deck for our turn (eating ice cream, reading, and playing ping-pong), and when our turn came to get our baggage, it went "very" fast, much faster than the other cruise line. The kids liked the pools, and the movie-nights. The drinks on the Lido were a bit on the strong side. I don't think they are stingy on the alcohol in the rum drinks.

We had a great time in Bahamas as well. The surf at Cabbage beach was way too rough to enjoy, and we were warned not to swim because of the undertow by one of the locals, but the Adastra Gardens was enjoyable, especially the bird feeding. The birds would climb on your arms to go after apples we held in our hands. The kids loved it. The taxi drivers in Nassau were helpful and conversational too. Freeport was nice too. The trip out to Paradise Cove gave us a nice glimpse of a very pretty island, and Paradise Cove itself was a very relaxing place to snorkel and boat. We enjoyed this cruise very much. I'd like to go back to both islands. We also visited Kennedy Space Center, and loved it. We also saw at least 6 alligators in the ponds that cover the complex.