We opted to take a cruise as a means to gather several family members together (mini-reunion) - and for that purpose, the cruise worked out well. Beyond that, I could never imagine spending my vacation on a ship again.

General Overview: I suppose since we are new to cruising, we were a bit unprepared for many of the factors that are probably just inherent to cruising. For instance:

- I felt like I was constantly being nickel and dimed to death. Art auctions, endless photo ops (both on the boat and off the boat), drink cards, drink "specials" in plastic cups, steakhouse, jewelry sales, spa specials, excursions specials, etc. Everywhere you looked, Carnival was trying to suck more money out of your wallet. It was beyond belief annoying. Read more