We spent the night prior to the cruise at the Holiday Inn on the Beach. We have stayed there before. The hotel is okay, but seemed more rundown this time. It is right on the beach, the pool is okay. The rooms were smaller than I remembered and needed updates. Bathroom was dirty but the worse part was the room was overrun with ants. Service was satisfactory in the hotel.

We took the first shuttle from the hotel to the ship. This is a service provided by the hotel and was free. The shuttle driver, Debbie, was great. She stored our car seat for the week so we didnt have to take it on the ship.

We arrived at the terminal at 11:50. There was virtually no line. We went directly upstairs, immediately in the VIP line, because I was in a WC and we had a baby in a stroller. Ten minutes later, we were on the ship and up to the Lido deck for lunch. Couldnt have been better. Read more