This was my first cruise, I went with family and friends. Seattle was wonderful. We went the Space Needle which was really fun. We bought the fast pass and were glad we did. The city is beautiful and we enjoyed walking around and had a good dinner at a fun quirky restaurant. Getting on the ship was quick and easy, everybody was nice and friendly. The ship was nice in the public areas, a little over decorated in some areas. My extended balcony cabin was a major disappointment. The décor was old and everything was very worn and shabby. The bedding seemed like it had seen better days. The bottom of the sofa was crooked. The color schemes were right out of the eighties. I just expected more for the money I paid. The cruise itself was wonderful. I really enjoyed it. We saw a couple of good shows with talented cast members. The nightclub was really gorgeous and fun. The scenery was breathtaking. We saw glaciers and small icebergs floating around in the Tracy Arm Fjord. The Naturalist onboard was great. I remember getting ready for dinner one night and rushing out onto the balcony numerous times to her what she was saying over the loudspeaker and try to spot the wildlife she was pointing out. We saw plenty of whales during the trip. Dinners were fun gatherings and the waiters were fun and entertaining. In general service was good. The food was average. The ports in Alaska were all fantastic. The stop in Victoria is pointless. By the time you wait to disembark you barely have time to grab dinner and get back onboard. In Juneau we took a helicopter tour of Mendenhall Glacier which was fantastic. In Ketchikan I did the Bering Sea Fishman's Tour. That was so much fun! We saw so many bald eagles and watch demonstrations of crab fishing. Some of my family went kayaking. In Skagway we did the Takshanuk Mountain Trail by 4x4. It was really fun despite the rainy weather. The scenery was beautiful and the fried fish lunch was very tasty. As a first time cruiser I had no idea that Carnival is very interested in selling me jewelry. The have events onboard to tell you were to go by jewelry. It wasn't just the cruise line wanting to sell me jewelry, every port is packed with jewelry stores! They outnumbered the souvenirs shops by far. I'm sure frequent cruisers already know this. We had two children with us, ages ten and eleven. They had fun and made friends in the kids club. They loved exploring the ship and spending time on deck. Overall it was a fun and memorable vacation and I'm glad I went.