Pre cruise, our cat sitter arrived and we took off for the airport the day before the cruise. Leaving the day before the cruise allows for weather delays or potentially missed flights without the fear of missing the boat the day of the cruise, kind of like an insurance policy that also gives us a day longer to enjoy our vacation. We flew into Ft Lauderdale and stayed at the BaHia Mar Hotel, check in was not until 4pm so we walked the beach, ate lunch and relaxed until check in. The BaHia Mar hotel was very nice, great price per night and a view of the ocean and harbor. The deli attached to the hotel was not a good experience, $30.00 for two sandwiches & chips, the food was so bad I had to throw most of it away, I ordered the Jerk Chicken but got slices of sandwich chicken like Bologna smeared with a chutney sauce that smelled and tasted terrible. If you stay at this nice hotel, just go down to the beach and turn left, the restaurants are fantastic and the variety and quality of food are excellent. That next morning we ate at Spazio's restaurant, this was an experience that really put you in the vacation spirit. Spazio's is at 239 S Fort Lauderdale Beach BLVD and they have a nice web site for further info, the restaurant had soothing music and comfy chairs, excellent food, ocean view and breezes, and I could not believe how affordable it was...I felt guilty when the bill arrived. I can't say enough nice things about Spazio's, food, service and ambience.
Boarding- We took a taxi to the pier to board the ship, getting through the front gate -Federal security checkpoint-was difficult, it was backed up and people were getting out of their taxi's and walking it. Finally when we walked into to Princess's customer service for checking in we handed in our tickets, boarded, and were in our room in 15 minutes, Wow! That was the best check I ever experienced. This was my 12th cruise and I have tried a variety of cruise lines, some claiming to be a premium or luxury cruise line however I could tell by the spread of food in the Lido deck that Princess spared no expense. I can be pretty picky and critical of buffet food but this was really nice, it had a WOW factor.
The Cruise- The first two days were spent at Sea, I opted for the Spa special for my partner and my self that includes unlimited access to the spa for $109.00. The Spa had heated stone beds, sauna, steam room, and showers. In my opinion this was a waist of money and I seldom used the spa, our balcony proved to be more relaxing and enjoyable. The Specialty Restaurant, Sterling's Steak house was outstanding, $15.00 per person, we both had the jumbo shrimp for an appetizer, Caesar Salad, and the 10oz Filet Mignon with Raspberry Crème Brule for desert and a complimentary bottle of wine from our travel agency, My Cruse Value. A more formal dinning room we ate in a few times was called "The Palm". The food was excellent featuring foods like king crab legs with melted butter, filet mignon, shrimp, London broil, fresh fish of the day, salads, soups, and a desert called the Dream Boat made of rich chocolate that would satisfy any chocolate lovers cravings. The dreamboat appeared on every menu in the Palm room for the whole cruise. I avoided the elevators during the entire cruise and used the stairs instead, I ate whatever & whenever I wanted and did not gain any weight on this cruise.