Just returned from our family cruise which we took instead of exchanging gifts this past Christmas and we enjoyed getting away from the -degree temps in the north!! My husband, myself, our two daughters and son-in-law along with a friend and my sister and brother-in-law embarked on Jan 18, 2014 for a western cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel with 3 sea days.

We flew down a day early and took in the Bourbon Street experience and boarded the ship at around 11 am Saturday (the ship left @ 4:30 pm) and I don't believe I have ever been through a more organized embarkment since we started to cruise in 2000! I was literally the first person on the ship that day and the check-in was so greatly managed, from the drop off of the luggage to the time we stepped foot on the ship! We sat in the R bar listening to a wonderful 3 man group playing Creole music and drinking while waiting for the rooms to get done (around 1::00 pm). While there, we met Leo, our bar server and talk about amazing!!! He took care of us all week with exceptional service and a friendly face with a smile! We can't thank Leo enough for making us feel so special and for his great and caring services. Hoping we will see him again someday :)

Once in our cabins, we unpacked as the suitcases came, except for our largest suitcase which we found in the guest services area room because the tag came off. I still don't understand why they didn't look at our luggage tag with our name on it and cross reference it to the ships manifest to find the cabin it should be in. I will say, I believe the RCCL luggage tags have gotten to be very cheaply made and don't stay on well at all.....especially if you follow their instructions to putting them on. I put the tags on differently when we left the ship and it seemed to be a little better (took off all the paper on the back and put sticky to sticky all the way on the tag). Read more