Background Information: Eleven members of my family booked this cruise through my mom who is a travel agent in celebration of my niece's graduation from High School. This was my parent's 28th cruise. They have sailed on several other cruise lines. The RCCL and the Rhapsody in particular has been one of their favorites. We all traveled to Galveston the day before since we had a 10 hour drive (west Texas area). Galveston was a charming city and we enjoyed the beach. Hotel rooms need to be booked early (6 months prior if you know in advance) because they fill up quickly for this time of year. Some of us stayed at the La Quinta Seawall and some of us stayed further away from the beach at Comfort Inn. La Quinta was clean but really beginning to show some wear and tear due to the sea spray. They offered continental breakfast, free parking but no shuttle service to the cruise terminal. A taxi cost 3 of us $8.00 total. The rest stayed at Comfort Inn. It was newer and very nice. They had a hassle because of room mix ups but that happens sometimes. Comfort Inn had continental breakfast, free parking, and free shuttle service to terminal. We all had dinner the night before on the beach at a place called "The Spot". This was a great place to go to begin your vacation.

Ship Terminal: We took a taxi to the terminal around 8:30. A porter took our entire luggage from the taxi and we didn't see it again until it showed up in our stateroom on the Rhapsody. I tipped the porter one dollar per bag. The area around the terminal is called The Strand. This is a quaint shopping district where all the buildings have been authentically renovated and restored. Most things didn't open until around 10:00 but we enjoyed Starbucks, window shopping, and sitting on the pier. In no time at all (10:30) the terminal opened for people departing. There was a lot of friendly staff directing us and all was very organized. They even had lemonade and ice water while we waited. Restrooms were close to waiting area.

Boarding the Ship: We boarded around 12:00. This was my second cruise (different cruise line) and I remembered the excitement of stepping on the ship for the first time. I enjoyed watching the amazement of my other family who hadn't cruised before at the size and the glamour of the ship. Cruise staff was there with smiling faces greeting everyone as we boarded. The first thing I noticed was the cascading sound of water from the water fall on the 4th deck. Activities: There is something for everyone on the ship. We all enjoyed the 2 ½ days at sea. Lounging around the pool, THE FOOD, line dancing, square dancing, bingo, the casino, the ship stores, napkin folding, scrapbooking……there was something for everyone. So many people just relaxed and read the entire time. My family also enjoyed the card room because we enjoy playing games together. In reading other reviews about this ship, many times, members voiced concerns and irritations about all of the kids on board. I never at any time had complaints about kids. RCCL has a 1:00a.m. curfew for all kids, under 21 are not allowed in certain areas of the ship. The Solarium Pool is for adults and even though the pizza and fries are set up in there, I never once thought the kids were out of line. Even though my family had a 10 year old and two teenagers along, I feel that I can judge this objectively because I am a school principal and I know inappropriate behavior when I see it. This is summer time and families take vacations. If kids get on your nerves, take your vacations during the school year. Read more