This was our first ever cruise so, no doubt, that will affect our perceptions. We had chosen Regent after talking to acquaintances who had sailed many times on their ships and who told us that this was the only way to cruise.
Originally, it was just going to be my husband and I on the cruise as our fifteen year old son was meant to be away on a month long expedition with his school to Venezuela. Unfortunately, this was postponed until July of 2011, so we were suddenly faced with the dilemma of a romantic cruise for two becoming a family cruise. As the only child of older parents our son is, thank goodness, both well travelled and reasonably self sufficient when it comes to entertaining himself, qualities that helped him enjoy the cruise as the youngest person on board.
We travelled to Fort Lauderdale a day ahead of the cruise, staying at the Courtyard Marriott, Fort Lauderdale Beach. The hotel was adequate but I thought it bore very little resemblance to the obviously airbrushed and carefully staged photographs on its website. Its location was ideal, however, and it took only five minutes to reach Port Everglades on the Monday morning of the cruise.
701 is airy and spacious. Only downside is that there is significant noise and vibration from anchors when docking or leaving port.