Western Caribbean Cruise on Costa Magica out of Fort Lauderdale, FL 2/11/07 - 2/18/07 Our first cruise! - won't be our last!

Embarking: The ship began boarding at 1:30pm - we arrived at the port at 2:00 (as planned) it took awhile to get thru the front gates of the port - everyone in the vehicle had to show ID and the driver (a friend dropping up off) had to get a window pass. Once we were dropped off out front of Pier 21, it took less than ½ hour to get to our cabin. Everything inside the terminal was orderly and ran smooth. Once we got to the ticket agent, she asked to register a credit card and at first it wouldn't go thru - I didn't think to bring another one. It went thru on the 3rd try, so we were all set. She did say that they were experiencing difficulty with their credit card machines and that many would have to register on the ship. We went directly to our cabin to drop off our carry-on luggage; then hit the welcome buffet and used our x1 package (see below).

Cabin: We had a category 9 cabin on the 8th deck, aft with a private veranda - great location! Just one flight up to the buffet restaurant and adult pool. Cabin was roomy enough for 2 adults, might be tight with others. Lots of storage space - all the luggage fit under the bed, enough closet space + some! Minimal drawer space but shelves in closets were more than enough. We probably spent more time in the cabin than the average cruiser - just hanging out relaxing on the balcony. Bathroom was smaller than average hotel but fine, shelves on mirror were great use of space and movable showerhead was great! Water pressure was awesome - toilet flushing scared the *%#* out of me the first time. There is actually a warning - "do not flush whilst sitting" on toilet! Read more