Night Prior: We chose Quality Inn and Suites. The location was great and we enjoyed crossing the street and spending some time at the ocean. Also the Tex-Mex restaurant, Tortuga, in the hotel's parking lot was outstanding. My husband's favorite meal of the vacation. We also enjoyed the indoor pool and not worrying about sun burns prior to a sun filled cruise. They offered free parking but getting to the port was not included so we didn't take advantage of the free parking.

Embarkation: Based on the Cruise Critic boards we selected Lighthouse Parking. We were happy with their speed/efficiency and the security. We would use again. Waiting to board (We arrived at 11:30) was a little long. It took an hour to go through the lines.

Ship: Conquest. This was our first time on the Conquest. We had sailed Carnival's Fantasy twice before and RCL 2x, Celebrity 1x, and Disney Cruise Line 7x. We like the size of the conquest and the multiple pools. We've booked a guarantee Balcony. We end up on Deck 6. We were a bit concerned about being over a theatre but it ends up a very quiet cabin. We like being near the bridge and watching the officers pull us into ports. Very pleased. Read more