This was our second cruise. First one was on Rhapsody of the Seas in Nov 2006, so we had something with which to compare. We drove from our home near Austin Tx to Houston the day before staying at the LaQuinta in LaPorte Texas. It was recently damaged by Hurricane Ike, but had been repaired and is a nice property. We arranged lodging through AARP and got a decent rate. For the money it was a comfortable room and the staff was friendly and welcoming. We were disappointed when CLL called advising us not to arrive at the Bayport Terminal until 530 pm as the ship was delayed returning from its previous run.
We checked out at noon, and decided to run down to Bayport to check things out. The people there were very accommodating, allowing us to check our luggage at that time. so when we did arrive to board, it would all be taken care of.
We killed time doing some sightseeing, then arrived at the terminal about 3. We were able to park and were able to go through security check and wait for our zone to be called to board CCL provided box lunches and water. We were glad we arrived earlier than CCL told us as by 5:30 it was a real madhouse. Embarkation went very smoothly and we were in our stateroom about 10 mins after our zone was called. Luggage was there. so we decided to tour the ship a bit before dinner. Dining room service was excellent as were the dishes served and the choices available. Lido Buffet was so so at times, although there were some bright spots. Lots of ice cream and desserts and the fruit and salad bars were always fresh and tasty.
Cabin small but adequate. good storage under the bed. two huge closets, safe, small bathroom, but had what it should have. nice location, sandwiched between two cabin floors. close to elevators