So to start our vacation off, Carnival informed us on Thursday afternoon that they not be going to Progreso at all. Instead, we got to spend a day along the beautiful shores of Galveston. Don't get me wrong, I live in Texas and love it, but Galveston is not my idea of a place to go for crystal clear water and an all inclusive beach getaway. The cruise went very well for the most part. My daughter and I spent a lot of time on the Serenity which I believe is one of the best ideas that Carnival has come up with. I love to have time away from all the hustle and bustle of life and not have to worry about kids running around me.

The food was good. Had one night in the MDR that the dinner wasnt really good, but we had plenty of food to choose from so I was still able to eat enough. Had a terrific burger at Guys - lines can get long but they move fast. Pizza was excellent - had it a couple of times. Ate once at the Mongolian Wok. The line wasn't too long but it took over an hour because they cook everything to order. Will never do that again, but wanted to try it since everyone was raving about it. I also brought my own teriyaki sauce from home since I had heard quite a few people say they didn't like the sauce selection. When the cook asked me what sauce I wanted, I told him I brought my own and he took it from me and used it with no questions asked. (I have heard from people that they wouldn't use your sauce if you brought it and to just add it when they were done). It was very good but not sure it was worth standing in line that long. We ate a couple of times in the lido for breakfast but it wasn't that good. You can pick and choose what you want so I found plenty to eat. Did have one the bacon police out every time but you can just ask them for a few more pieces and they will give it to you. We mostly ate the brunch in the dining room. Less choices, but the food is much better than the buffet. Plus you get to meet lots of new people every day at breakfast.

I'm an avid runner, so I made use of the outdoor track most days. It can get a little frustrating when I'm running and people decide to use the track for visiting with friends and standing around in a circle blocking the track. There are 101 other places on the ship for that. Find one of them and move out of the way please. Rant over. Read more