So, a little background on us and the group we were cruising with. Our family consisted of myself (37), my wife (36) and our two small children (both boys, one 2+ and the other 11 months). We also traveled with my sister, her husband and their almost 4 year old daughter. My parents, and my wife's father and his his wife. All together we were a group of 8 adults and 3 kids.

We flew into San Juan on Friday and stayed at the "Beach House" hotel. My sister booked the hotel after changing the reservations from the Travel Agent. This hotel is a disaster. No elevator, horrible rooms, disgusting continental breakfast. Do not stay there for any reason. The night we were there, the hotel was hosting a party in their "courtyard". They had the music blasting well into the morning (around 3:00 AM). We are seeking a full credit from Travelocity.

Embarkation: Getting on the ship was pretty much a breeze. From hopping off the shuttle to stepping on the ship took less than 15 minutes. There was a sign for people with "Preferred Boarding", which we had, but we did not have to use that line as there was virtually no wait even at 12:45 when we arrived at the terminal. Read more