Grab something to drink and put your feet up—this is going to be a long one!
Who we are: Party of 9. My husband and I, who were celebrating our 25th anniversary, and our three kids, ( 21-year old daughter, 17-year old son and 14-year old daughter). Also joining us were my parents, my sister and my brother in law.
Pre-cruise. We flew into Miami the day before and stayed at the LaQuinta Airport East. We paid $67.50 a night and it was definitely worth it. It was close to the airport, clean, and had a free shuttle to the port the next morning. You just had to sign up for it when you checked in. We had a choice of 10:00 a.m. 10:45 a.m.., or 11:30 a.m. We signed up for the first one at 10:00 a.m since we like to be on the ship as early as possible.
Great location. Close to elevators, yet very quiet because there are cabins above you and below you. No noise from restaurants or lounges.