We all flew into Ft Lauderdale from different places the day before the cruise. Stayed at the Marriott Courtyard cruiseport location. Hotel was very nice and located next to the Bass Pro Shop but nothing else around so restaurants were no where to be found with in walking distance.
The Hotel took us to the cruise terminal 11 am and after a short wait we were able to board a little early and considering the huge crowd it went pretty smooth.
Of course the first thing you do is find your room {our was a balcony} pretty small compared to the prior cruises we had been on. Baja deck #11. We seen an inside room and it was the same size so not much of an upgrade for the money difference. The Tv was 32" flat screen but most channels were about the cruise ship and any other programs were played over and over and over, no NBC CBS ABC or National News.
Balcony is same size as an inside room !! not worth the pricey upcharge