We had a great time on our recent trip! This was a 5yr anniversary trip for my husband and I and we had our 3yr old daughter with us. There were, of course, the little bumps in the road you'd expect on any trip, but over all, we had a wonderful vacation.

We started off booking an ocean view room. Once I paid that off, I upgraded to a balcony room. We got a call about a week before the trip for an upsell to the grand suite. It was well worth it! I know suites on the Ecstasy are smaller than other ships, but the price was good and the extra room was really enjoyed. We had a pull out sofa instead of a pullman bunk bed so we were very comfortable. We also enjoyed just hanging out in our room to relax/read/nap, since it was spacious, and we didn't have too fight for a spot on the lido deck. There were 3 air conditioning vents we could adjust, and the room was super cold when we wanted it to be.

I've cruised on all the major cruise lines. Carnival is a more laid back, fun vibe. You don't get all the details and extras that you may get on Disney, but you pay less as well. That allows us to vacation more often, and we prefer Disney World land vacations to Disney Cruises, so we are fine with the level Carnival offers. Especially with a pre-schooler, we're not looking for a luxury cruise. Read more