My wife and I have been talking about taking our first cruise for the past 5 years. After extensive research, we finally selected Carnival, primarily because of the reviews posted on this forum. Living in a very cold climate during the winter (Northern New Mexico), we wanted to take a vacation in a warm climate. We finally selected the Carnival 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard the Conquest.

We decided to arrive in Galveston the day before we were scheduled to sail because of the possibility of delayed flights during this time of year. We flew into Houston Hobby airport and took a limo (cheaper than a cab) to Galveston. The driver was very friendly and was more like a tour guide telling us about the history of Galveston. He showed us where the port was from our hotel and explained how to get there the next morning. We spent a relaxing afternoon and evening at a hotel along the Galveston seawall.

The next morning, after a short cab ride, we arrived at the Carnival Conquest. The embarkation process was very efficient and quick. Since we arrived at the port early, we were the first people in line to go through the process of staffing checking our paperwork, IDs and issuing our sign and sail cards. I was amazed at how efficient and friendly the Carnival staff were in getting us through this process. Read more