I had cruised one time before on Carnival and was definitely underwhelmed. My husband and kids had never cruised before. I chose this vacation because theme parks stress me out to the max and I do not find them one bit enjoyable. Plus, going on vacation with young kids is stressful anyways, so I figured with the kids clubs it would be a good way for my husband and I to actually have some adult time and relax, while the kids were still getting a vacation and having fun.

Embarkation was easy. We arrived around 1:30 and were able to board immediately. For some reason after parking we had missed the spot where you give up your luggage and have it magically delivered to your stateroom. But it wasn't a big deal in the end, as our stateroom was already available at this point. So we just hauled ourselves and our bags off to the stateroom immediately to unpack.

The staterooms are great, actually roomier than I thought. We had a deluxe family oceanview stateroom with verandah, and I think the verandah was definitely worth the extra price. My kids really enjoyed sitting out there, and it gave us some extra space. The way the rooms are set up is pretty cool, I was confused at first because I didn't know that our room steward guy would come during dinner and magically make the bunk beds appear out of nowhere. I tend to micromanage things and stress out, but I quickly learned that on a Disney ship, everything is taken care of. And if you need something, all you have to do is ask and the staff will absolutely bend over backwards to assist you. Read more