I try to touch on things I wish I had learned from all the previous reviews on here when I write a review and minimize my "opinions." So, here goes:

Ft. Lauderdale - We arrived a day early and stayed at the Hyatt Place Airport South. I got this room on Priceline for $60.00 plus fees using the Name Your Own Price feature. See my review of the Hyatt on Tripadvisor for more info. Took the Avanti Transportation shuttle to the port for $8.00/person.

Boarding - We left the Hyatt at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and we were "almost" on the ship by 10:35 a.m. I say "almost" because they corraled us at the top of the elevator (without telling us why) and asked us to sit down. We later learned, via an announcement, that they weren't boarding anyone yet. About an hour later they started to board. They let the cruisers who had just gotten off the same ship board first, followed by the Emerald, Platinum, etc. members who boarded next. As a Gold member, we were towards the last, but made it on the ship before noon. Read more