Typically, our spring breaks in New Mexico have involved me going snow skiing at Purgatory in Southwestern Colorado. However, my wife doesn't ski so it didn't involve her. Cruising has been our family favorite since our youngest child was three. Our children are boys ages 17 and 13. Both really enjoy their respective kid areas. I enjoy looking at the water. My wife enjoys everything about a cruie ship. Because a cruise ship is a place where our kids cannot really get lost, my wife and I are comfortable with them doing there own thing at there pace. They had some late evenings, while we were able to get t o bed around 10:00 most evenings.

Food: we have had better on other cruises, and a particularly big dissapointment to my wife was no Beef Wellington on this ship. My kids enjoyed their dinners in the dining room with us each evening, and left to be with their peers. Previou s cruises on carnival have always involved the waitstaff parading around the dining room, singing and dancing. They had the singing and they had dancing, but the waitstaff stayed in their own areas.. A small dissapointment for us. Wealso frequented the buffett, pizza and deli numerous times.

Cruise director and his staff: comparing them to other cruises, this was a big negative. I think the show dancers did most of the activities. Rachel was an exception, and was very visible and busy during the entire 7 days. She did a lot of trivia, and was responsible for our older child bringing home seven solid gold plastic ships on a stick (trophy). I believe this is the first cruise wher my wife and i were unable to win a free bottle of champagne. Don't think i saw anybody win champagne. The free things are less than before. Read more