This was a 20th anniversary cruise and our second time to cruise with Royal Caribbean. My husband likes to relax; I like to do all the activities so cruising is our ideal vacation. We sell fitness equipment and I teach. We love God, enjoy life, and like to be around people. I am 40 and my husband is 41. We have cruised with Carnival but prefer the decor of the Royal Caribbean ships over the Las Vegas type decor of Carnival.
We flew into Ft. Lauderdale and rented a car to get to Miami. If there is one piece of advice to give to anyone cruising it is this: If you are you flying to get to your port, always fly the day before your ship leaves. I spent two days at sea without my luggage on our first cruise. I witnessed two couples on my last cruise who spent four days at sea without luggage. Always leave time for lost luggage to show up and always carry at least two days worth of clothes in your carry-on on the plane. Pre-cruise: Miami If you enjoy people watching and good food go to Nexxt Cafe in Miami. We sat for three hours enjoying the food and watching people while sitting on an outside patio. The restaurant is on South Beach in the Art Deco District. Next have ice cream at the shop next door. It was something like Gelatto's.... The ice cream is one of a kind.
Day 1: Our check-in on the ship was smooth sailing. We were at the port around 12:30 and there were no lines. Did I mention it was spring break? I wanted to get an upgrade to a balcony (we had an interior room with no window) so I began asking about an upgrade as we checked in. I was willing to pay an extra $300. The first people I spoke with said I could upgrade for $600. We passed, but I was not ready to give up just yet. After all, it was our 20th anniversary and I was determined to see the ocean from my stateroom. The ship was absolutely beautiful. It was everything we expected and more. The muster drill was held and we were able to sit inside the dining room.