This is #3 for me!  Looking forward to taking the kids with us this time!  Any tips for fun aboard this ship?

I'll be on this cruise as well.  Really looking forward to it.  Cruising single at this point, but a couple people are close to booking as well.  First cruise since 1991 Western Carribean.

Don't know about the kids activities, but the ship stays busy all the time for all age groups.

Awesome!  Did the carribean in 2006...it was amazing!  Cruising single?  That's brave or I'm just chicken!  Mind you you always meet tons of people.  Nice to meet some before! We've booked a balcony room this time which should be nice.

I would have to say no but it does depend on your personality.  My partner and I met a couple while having a smoke on the Lido deck.  Be sure to be social and go with the basics!  Where are you from?  First cruise? etc...  Go to the formal dining room too as you sit with the same people each night for dinner and food is always way to start conversation.  We've got our two girls with us this time and i have one very social child who normal brings a new friend home from the park so the cruise should be interesting!  I've gone with a girlfriend and then with my fiance.  Both we fun and different expereinces but we do dream to go with other couples someday too.  Depends what your vacation is all about.  relaxing?  exploring? or just because.  Hope this helps!

Yes, this will be our first cruise and we are very excited.  Being as we are both from a small city in Idaho we know someone everywhere we go.  So while, I think I am outgoing, I may not be.  Does carnival put much effort into matching people with their table mates?  I was really planning on meeting people at dinner.  We are both in our early 20's so we will want to go out at night.  Hopefully we can meet people in the bars.  I think we will be fine.  Thanks for the help.

Awesome!  You'll have so much fun.  It's a 24/7 something to do.  Be sure to nap while bingo is on so you can do the shows at late night.  Our table mates on the first cruise were other pairs of girls and on the second it was other couples so i would have to say yes.  I sneaked a napkin for a scrapbook and met a fellow scrapbooker from the same province as me!  The bars are fun, casino as well.  Have a great time!

Oh Jennifer ... you will meet more people on this cruise than you can imagine!   Remember ... you are on VACATION!  Everyone is on VACATION!  Everyone is happy!   While cruising about 6 years ago we met the nicest canadian couple, and to this day we still stay in touch!   I guess you could say that you bond with people on a cruise ... you have this great connection and great memories that include ... at first strangers .. then friends!   All the best to you both!   I'm cruising with hubby and another couple in October and counting every minute of it!   HAVE FUN!!

We are going with our 6 kids, this will be our second cruise, but our kids first cruise. Ages are 20,19,18,14,13,7 So if anyone has any kids the same ages let me know. We are a Brady Bunch family.. So hopefully I won't be pulling my hair out.

We are going with kids as well on that cruise:)  My daughters are younger aged 9 & 6.  Too bad my step kids aren't going this time as they are 11 & 13.  Good for you taking the whole family!  You will have such a time:) I guess our youngest will be in Camp Carnival together tho:)

My step daughter's that are coming are from Boise, Idaho, they are 18 and 20. So they could relate from coming from a small town.

We are also going on this cruise with our children (ages 7-11) and a few other friends and there son. We are really looking forward to meeting lots of new people and having a great time. This is our familys first cruise so we are really looking forward to it... Any advice would be great...  Cant wait to meet all of you

It will be good to meet you too. We are all so excited, wish it was next week!! This will be our first with kids to, so any advice would help.

Glad to hear there will others will be there with kids:)  This is my first time with kids but 3rd cruise.  Some tips I can give are:

• Bring some bottled water and packaged snacks as they are easy for shore trips
• Ziplocks are handy for those leftovers from room service
• Bring a power bar as there is only one plug in the room
• Pack less than more.  Normal with kids it's the opposite but honestly, you live in your swimsuit  Make sure to have sturdy sneakers for the young ones as I've seen several kids "wipe out" on the slippery when wet deck
• 2-way radios are handy if your are in groups or "trust" the 9 year olds who can sign themselves out (with prior permission, of course)
• sweater and or hoodies as it's chilly at night on deck
• do take the time to do formal dining with the kids.  The looks I've seen from kids, is priceless!  It's a great chance to experiment with new foods!
• Get the travel DVD prior to the trip from Carnival.  My 6 year old didn't quite get the "size of the ship" until we watched the DVD together.  As well they got to see what some of the shore trips were like.
• Play online with the kids on the Carnival site.  The search for Funship Freddy ends with a download iron on t-shirt transfer which we made t-shirts out of!
• Bottom line, have fun, sleep when your tired, eat when your hungry.  We "try" to keep a schedule but honestly there is ALWAYS something going onboard the ship.

 My husband and I will be on this ship.  We celebrating our 10th anniversary on Nov 13th.  We booked an extended balcony.  Can't wait to fly and board the ship.  We coming from South Louisiana.

Nicol