This was our family's first cruise and it turned out to be one of the BEST vacations we've ever had! We drove in early to Galveston and checked in early - which is a great idea as we were able to enjoy getting a good table and eating lunch on the boat before our rooms were ready. The boat is beautiful, the staff is AMAZING and there is something to do around every corner! We were able to relax while our children had fun in the pools and on the slide. We watched movies at night while the ocean breeze blew. Our parents enjoyed the casino while we enjoyed the views and went mini-golfing with our little ones. We didn't have a worry all week and loved getting our itinerary every night at turn-down so we were able to plan our next day over dinner with the rest of our family.

The ship is large and a little confusing, so keeping a map on hand and having the maps by the elevators helped a lot. The shows were so fun and the singing was phenomenal! The disembarkation on the last day was so smooth and easy. We slept on a lower deck and even though we could feel the rocking of the boat most nights, it was a welcome lull to sleep. I would definitely recommend Carnival and while we didn't venture out past the shopping areas at ports we still had a fantastic time and were so happy to see different places and just have a relaxing week! Honestly, I would have loved to stay on the ship the whole time! My major piece of advice is bring and carry your sunscreen as well as after-sun care! There were a lot of lobsters in our family as well as all around us after the first few days! :)