If it weren't for my daughter's dance team, I'd still be totally in the dark about how fun a cruise can be!  My daughter's dance team was taking a group trip to perform on the Carnival Sensation that departed June 14, 09.  My DD (8yo) my DS (4yo) and I shared a cabin.  DH was left at home working for the four days, but we'd meet up with him afterwards at Hilton Head Anyway before the trip I was excited but a bit nervous about taking the kids by myself, was worried I or the kids might get seasick, and very afraid of my climbing monkey DS would climb the rails and fall overboard!!  I know to you veteran cruisers that may be an unfounded fear, but I was petrified it might happen.  I was also anxious how to pack for two weeks of vacationing for the kids and I and how it was going to fit into a small cabin!

We flew into Orlando on the 12th and stayed two nights at the Best Western Cocoa Beach.  I rented a car through Budget and on the day of our embarkment dropped our bags off at the port and then dropped the car off at Budget and they shuttled us to the port.  Went very smoothly and gathered all that info right here on these boards - felt like a pro b/c of cc!!  Checking in went very smoothly and we were group 12 to board.  It didn't take too long for our group to be called and get our embarkment picture taken.  We went right up to Lido deck and met up with the rest of the dance team who had flown in that morning at 7:00 am.  As I'm talking to team moms I see my DS start climbing the rails of the stairwell!!!!  I bellowed at him and made it clear there was to be NO climbing anywhere on this ship and why - to my relief this was his first and last climb all trip.  Phew!!  The kids and I then got lunch with our group and then also changed into our swim suits for some swim & water slide time!!  At 1:30 our cabins opened up and we went down to take a peek - wow they are small, was my first impression.  We went back up to swim some more till our luggage arrived.  When it did around 3:00, I was pleasantly surprised that two weeks worth of clothes, dance costumes and small toys fit into the closets!!!  And I could put all but my very large and deep suitcase under the beds so they were completely unseen!  The large one I put in the corner under the shelf that is under the tv.  

My one real disappointment came at muster drill time.  They were late getting the drill started.  They did not start warning people to get to their muster stations till after it was supposed to start.  So then the actual drill didn't get started till 15 min. later.  Our station was in the Lido deck area.  As the ship started pulling away we were still doing the drill and both viewing sides were blocked by passengers at their muster stations so we did not see us pulling away from the port!!  I was so looking forward to that!!  I guess from watching too many Love Boats as a kid, I thought the pull-away from the port would be a big deal and was disappointed that it wasn't even acknowledged!  :( Read more