Pre cruise: We were in Fort Lauderdale for a few days before the cruise and arranged for a limo to drive us to the port in Miami. We used Leblanc Limousine. Since we were 6 people, this was the least expensive method. We had very professional and courteous service and didn't have to worry about leaving a car in the port parking lot for a week.

Embarkation: Embarkation was fairly quick and painless. We boarded the ship around 12:30 and were greeted by the staff with champagne and orange juice. we proceeded to the buffet for lunch, but had a hard time finding a table for 6.

Stateroom: We booked 2 outside staterooms, side-by-side for my husband and one daughter and myself with the other daughter. Unfortunately, we were not able to get connection staterooms, so my husband and I had to split up. My parents had an inside cabin on the same deck. The room was smaller than on Princess, but had a larger bathroom. My favorite addition to the room was a coffee maker. We were able to brew a small pot of coffee without leaving the room or waiting for room service. Our cabin stewards worked as a team of 2 and although we rarely saw them, the room was always kept clean. We also had an assortment of towel animals on our bed each night. I did not like that if I wanted additional beach towels that I needed to sign them out or risk being charged $25.00, so we made do with the ones we were given. Read more