My family went on our first cruise the week of November 21, 2010 on Mariner of the Seas, visiting Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerta Vallarta. I was in a balcony stateroom with my husband and three year old daughter. My teenaged daughter was in an inside stateroom (with a window overlooking the promenade) with my mother in law.

MONDAY: (first full day at sea) My teenaged daughter got sick the first day and was diagnosed with a kidney infection. I was very impressed with the medical facility on the ship (I had occasion to make a lot of use of it - more on that, later) and my daughter was able to go swimming with dolphins in Cabo the next day.

When we took our three year old daughter to the kids program, the woman in charge of her age group - her name was Paula - was distinctly unfriendly. She did not greet her in any way, just pointed her to sit down, and this unfriendly vibe was so strong our daughter began to cry. Read more