This was our family's (mom, dad, 2-yr old, 13-yr old) first cruise. We went with another family (coworkers and friends) who had a 2-yr old and a 7-yr old. Since this was our first cruise, we just wanted to have a good time, so we decided to sail during the week of Thanksgiving (school breaks for our kids)on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas. Our families live in Dallas, so on the morning of the cruise (Sunday), we drove down to Galveston separately.

Embarkation - Not the best, took at least 1.5 hours. What might have added to the problem was our three yr old: fussy and cranky from the long drive. Being newbies at cruising, we arrived at 12 (next time we'll try to be there at 11) and didn't pre-label our luggage. Embarkation wasn't too much of a hindrance though.

Cabin - If don't ant to pay more that the price allocated to an inside cabin but are still looking for something unique, try a cabin with a promenade view. Our family had to adjoining promenade view cabins (connected by a door), which was super convenient. We could see to the registration desk (see whether it was busy or not) and when late night parades went down the promenade, we would be able to watch from our window. If you want privacy just draw the curtains. Definitely recommend a promenade room. Our cabin steward was also amazing. He came in at least twice a day to fix things up and make our beds and take cups or plates from Cafe Promenade. After dinner and a show, we would come back to the schedule for the next day as well as cute folded towel animals. The kids loved this. Read more