Pros--it was our first cruise so we didn't have anything to compare it to. We loved the big screen on deck that showed movies each night (they give you blankets, popcorn, and warm cookies and milk while you watch); the free style dining that meant you could go eat whenever you wanted, and the walking track around the boat that also had nice chairs to sit and watch the water go by.
Cons--Austin loved the kids camp, but Madison was too little at the time. This meant trying to entertain a 16 month old (we ended up walking laps with Maddy in the stroller). This is less of a bad thing about the boat than my suggestion of not to take a kid less than 2 on a cruise (unless it's Disney or you bring Grandma with you!).
2. March 2008 Norwegian Sun--Norwegian Cruiseline. We left from Fort Lauderdale and went to Beliz, Honduras, Cozumel, and Norwegian's private island in the Bahamas. This was a NO KIDS cruise--Maddy and Austin got to spend the week with Grandma.
Pros--It's really not fair to compare this cruise with our others because we didn't have the kids with us. Obviously we didn't see the kids camps and we were able to go to the late night shows which we were not able to do with the kids. We loved having a balcony and would recommend it to anyone on any cruise if you can afford it.
Cons-- The Norwegian line is usually cheaper than other cruise lines, but you get what you pay for. The food, entertainment, and rooms were all "ok" but not fantastic. The private island in the Bahamas was small, run down, and dirty compared to Princess or Disney.
3. May 2009 Disney Magic, Disney Cruise line. We left from Port Canaveral and went to Key West, Grand Cayman, Nassau, Bahamas; and Disney's private island in the Bahamas.
Pros- Bottom line--nobody can compare to Disney. The beautiful ship, the excellent service, the delicious food, the incredible kids activities, the amazing shows.. I could go on and on. I'm afraid whenever we go on another cruise, we will end up comparing it to the Disney cruise. We highly recommend it!
Cons--the price is much more than most other cruises. We got a great deal on ours (ask Kevin about it) otherwise we wouldn't be able to afford it but I guess you get what you pay for. The only other thing I didn't like was the boarding process. It took a long time to go through all the lines and stations.
4. June 2009 Carnival Paradise--Carnival Cruise Line--We left from Los Angeles and went to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. This was a spur of the moment idea when we realized how cheap the cruise was going for.
Pros--the price! If you want a shorter, cheaper cruise, it's the way to go. We hadn't been to Catalina and Ensenada so it was fun to see new places, though I don't feel like I need to see them again! :)
Cons--well, you get what you pay for. The ship was ok but not fantastic. We liked the rooms and beds. The pools weren't great and the water was cold. Overall it wasn't bad but we are pretty easy going. All I ask is that if you go on it as your first cruise, then don't let it be your last! There are much better cruises out there.
5. July 2011 Carnival Splendor-- Carnival Cruise Line--We left from Los Angeles and went to Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This was our first trip with all six kids ages 15 months to 18 years old and was quite the adventure!
Pros--This was our first time to Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta and we are always up for seeing new places. While I don't love Carnival, the price was right for all 8 of us. The food was decent, the kids clubs great, and the activities on the boat fun. The Splendor has a huge outdoor screen that they played movies on and served popcorn--there was even a retractable roof so we could enjoy the movie even when it was raining. The rooms on the Splendor were decent sized and the house keeping staff were very helpful. Overall, we had a great experience.
Cons--Carnival decor can be likened to a very cheap, gaudy Vegas casino. The motif on the Splendor was pink zebra stripes and they were EVERYWHERE. The sail away party was "lame" (Kevin's words) with not even a horn blast to tell us we were underway. The buffet was a normal buffet, just ok. The shows were Vegas style and most of them were Adult only entertainment. I was disappointed in the kids splash pad area that was only open a couple hours a day. Austin liked the water slide but we didn't spend much time swimming on the boat as we spent so much time at the beach.
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