I'm surprised to find myself doing this, but I'll defend Carnival. We, mid-30s with kids, 6 and 3, we're pleased with our Alaska cruise. We might never take another cruise again, given that this just isn't our ideal way of traveling. However, much of what makes Alaska amazing can only be seen from the water. Were it not for the kids, those small ship options might be appealing. With kids, and the onboard child care, Carnival is a good experience.

If you want the formal dining, as we did twice, Carnival has a pay-extra ($25 per, I think) dining room. It was an elaborate, delicious seven course meal that provided enough calories to last the summer. This was only possible for us because of the child care.

I agree with many of the complaints above about cruises, but if you have kids and you want to see Alaska, Carnival is a good option.