First off, as so many other people have said, this ship is amazing! I traveled with a total of 26 people, 3 generations. This is the only way to do such a large group!
We flew in the night before, arriving at 11pm. We called our hotel, the Roadway Inn and Suites, Ft Lauderdale from the baggage area. Once we found the pick-up area, it was only a 10 minute wait for the shuttle driver to come get us. We were in bed by midnight! The hotel is a bit shabby, but it is clean, the people are friendly and the landscaping is pretty. And anyway, we weren’t there for a fancy experience. We just needed a cheap place to stay that gave us the amenities we wanted. We got a free shuttle, both from the airport and to the dock, and a free, perfectly adequate breakfast. I would definitely recommend staying here. My only complaint was they didn’t have enough shuttles in the morning and we had to wait an hour.
We were at the dock at about 11:15 and were on the ship by noon. I would highly recommend that you go up to the 15th floor and do the zip line and the wave rider ASAP on the day you arrive. They both open up at 1:00, so plan accordingly. This is the slowest they will be all week! My sons were on the wave rider with only one other person! They essentially got a free, private lesson!
The cabin was confortable and spacious. I loved the window seat looking out over Central Park and spent quite a bit of time there. Just be sure to close your curtains tightly or you will be giving everyone a free peep show! I see no reason to pay more for an upgraded cabin when this one was more than sufficient!