Travel To The Port and Hotel We live in Central Florida and decided to drive to Fort Lauderdale the day before our cruise. We booked a room at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 through Priceline.com two days before our cruise. When we arrived at the Hyatt, we were very pleased to be in a suite on the 13th floor. Not being superstitious, the 13th floor didn't bother me. We got a great rate and I'm glad because there was a $19 fee to park the car overnight. This is OK and I will not hesitate to stay at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 again.

Embarkation We had breakfast and drove to the pier early. In fact, we were the fourth couple to enter the facility. Embarkation was simple. We checked in and were given a zone number. Since we arrived early we were in Zone 1. I really like this system. You can relax until your zone number is called which eliminates standing in a long line for hours. While we were sitting we noticed a couple that was on our roll call so we got together with them and chatted until it was time to board. We noticed them because their last post on the roll call stated they would be wearing Michigan State ball caps. Once the VIP's were on board, zone 1 was called and we were the first ones after VIP to board the ship. No lines and no problems.

The Ship We sailed on the Miracle three years ago and were happy to be back on board. The Spirit class ships are becoming our favorite class of ship. The ship isn't to big and it is easy to navigate around. We walked around the ship and quickly realized the ship was well maintained during the last three years. Up on the Lido Deck we went. We decided to sit relax have lunch and our customary 2 Pina Coladas, one for each hand (As Garth Brooks would say). Once again there weren't any lines at the Deli and our sandwiches were prepared quickly. We then sat in the pool area and looked for people from our roll call. We noticed a couple walking to a table and decided to walk over and find out if they were on our roll call. They were, so we sat and chatted with them until it was time to take our carry on luggage to our cabin. I would like to note that being able to recognize members of the roll call in the terminal and on the Lido Deck is a great way to pass the time quickly. It also allows you the opportunity to really get to know people that you have been chatting with for months. Read more