We shopped for a cruise we could take our youngest granddaughter out of Miami since we were ending up there after a Panama Canal cruise. Instead of Miami, we ended up at Galveston, permitting her to fly direct to TX as an unaccompanied minor from California.

We had cruised on the Liberty in last September and knew the ship was tailor-made for kids.

This ship class and the Western Caribbean itineraries are perfect for families. Although it was spring break, the ship was overrun with kids. It ended up the perfect cruise. Enough other kids to have her make friends, but no so many that we felt on a Disney cruise. We booked the junior suite which worked well with only the three of us. The ports were family friendly. We packed in a dolphin excursion, a zoo & waterpark, and a submarine ride to the reef. The ship was a good size, small enough to let a 10-year-old have some freedom. Not so huge to worry about her getting lost. We had taken our oldest grandson on the Mariner at age 10, so we were pretty confident, that his little sister would have a great time on this ship. We were right. Can highly recommend this ship and this itinerary, even if you're traveling without kids.