Cruising with Royal Caribbean to the Eastern Caribbean was our choice for celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. We had previously sailed with Carnival to Mexico and Holland America to Alaska, so this was our third seven-day cruise. Flying into Orlando early and taking in Epcot and Sea World not only started our vacation delightfully, but saved us the hassle of fretting about plane connections and getting up before dawn, thus we arrived at Port Canaveral well-rested and eager. After dropping off the Budget rental car, we were shuttled by a cheerful driver to the dock. Check-in flowed smoothly, and when we next glanced at our watches in the Windjammer, our plates loaded with food: 11:45. Not bad at all!

Best piece of advice #1: Get on board early and explore.

The ship is as beautiful and awe-inspiring as people say; words and photos don't do her justice. Though the sheer size may have seemed daunting, many posted signs and deck plans made navigation easier. It is amazing that with the thousands of people on board, it doesn't feel crowded, and there are places to go (NOT the pool area) where one can avoid the crowds and just enjoy the ocean. One of our favorite places was the helicopter landing deck. We had an inside cabin on Deck 9. Of course, the staterooms are tiny, but since we use the cabin mainly for sleeping, the space was adequate for us and our luggage. We brought a plastic shoe-holder to hang over the bathroom door for our toiletries. This made the stuff we use daily easy to see and more accessible. Read more