Embarkation: We drove up from Palm Beach Gardens, about a 2-hour trip. Finding Port Canaveral is relatively easy. Get off 95 at the same exit as for the Kennedy Space Center and head east. Large signs direct you to the proper terminal for Royal Caribbean. Once you drive into the terminal area, there are two lines, one on the left for dropping off guests and luggage and one on the right for parking. After dropping off the luggage and other guests, follow the signs for parking. Cost is $12 per day, in advance, and they accept cash or credit cards. Parking for cars is in a multi-story parking garage; larger vehicles have to park in the open lot. Once parked, walk across the street and enter the terminal. The counter for registration is set up by which deck your stateroom is on and is easy if you've previously filled out the online forms. The whole process took about 20 minutes; the longest wait was due to the usual insistence of taking souvenir photos as you board.

The ship: Very elegant. Lots of space. Lovely artwork throughout the ship. Clean. Well maintained. Our cabin, category D1, was one of the largest we've had on any ship and was laid out in the typical arrangement of beds, sofa (pull-out sleeper), table, sufficient closet space with wire shelves, and desk/vanity with lots of drawers and a 20-inch tv. There was enough floor space to avoid most traffic problems. Hair dryer was in the top right small drawer in the desk/vanity. The top left small drawer was perfect for keeping papers, receipts, copies of the daily newsletter, etc. The balcony was medium sized with sufficient room for a couple of chairs and a small table. The bath ("head" in nautical terms) was small, but sufficiently sized with shelves behind sections of the mirror. Semicircular hard sliding doors on the shower are a vast improvement over the typical vinyl shower curtain that loves to give you a wet hug when you shower.

The Promenade in the center of the ship is impressive. It has two nice cafes, the Wig & Gavel Pub, with beers and some food, and Vintages, the Wine Bar, with wines and some food. There's evening entertainment at the Wig & Gavel. Both have tables in front where you can enjoy a drink and snack and people watch. Also on the Promenade are a Ben & Jerry's stand and the typical shops. Read more