cruise lines, is it worth it?

[ted]

so with the way of the world these days and how far the us dollar goes i have been thinking about taking a cruise w/ just me and my girlfriend. i have traveled alot, she has not, and neither of use has been on a cruise liner. since we live in tx i was thinking about mex. the prices seem to really jump up if you go to the islands. this trip is gonna be on the cheap so a drive to a port like new orleans or mobile from austin is gonna be our best bet. i guess what i'm asking is for feedback, the do's and don'ts, good ways to smuggle booze and what not. basically the good, the bad, and the ugly of your cruise line trips. are we headed for fun or death by pirates?