We were a party of 4 enjoying the cruise for my mother's 70th birthday. She and her friend had cruised before but my husband and I were new to it. We didn't not know what to expect and my husband was yet to be convinced!!
We stayed at the Marriott Waterside for 2 nights prior to the cruise which was comfortable if a bit crowded because of all the convention guests.
With no previous experience I felt the embarkation went smoothly considering the number of people joining the ship, and we enjoyed lunch in the Windjammer with excellent bar service.