We flew into Ft. Lauderdale from Montana the day before the cruise and stayed at the Hampton Inn near the airport - not fancy, but it had free shuttle service from the airport and to the pier, and was more than adequate for the one night we spent there.

Embarkation went very smoothly. There was no waiting in a room full of chairs this time. The lines were divided by decks, which seemed to facilitate the process. We were quickly on the ship, champagne in hand! We dropped our carry-on luggage in our cabin and headed off to lunch.

Cabin: We had a Veranda cabin - average size with a nice little balcony. The room is showing some signs of wear, but nothing major. There were a couple of little things that needed attention - ie a light that didn't work and the safe was locked shut - but these were quickly taken care of. Also, I requested a foam pad for the bed and it was in place when we returned from lunch. Between the closet and all the drawers tucked in corners everywhere, there is plenty of storage available. Read more