There were 3 of us...DH, myself and 18DD...celebrating daughter's 18th birthday, high school graduation and the beginning of college. We 'splurged' and booked a grand suite...room 7312. The extra space was very nice and since we relaxed quite a bit in the room, much enjoyed! I will have more 'details' on the boards...however, will try to highlight a few of the memorable things here.

We had VIP boarding, since we had the suite. First time with this and it was done very quickly. We parked at the pier parking lot and had a porter assist with luggage. Arrived appx 10:30am...very busy time with departing and arriving passengers at the same time. HINT: Make sure to have name ID and Cruise luggage tags on your suitcases BEFORE you get to the parking lot. It was amazing to me to see people at the edges of the busy parking lot, filling out paper ID tags to put on their suitcases. HINT: With printed luggage tags, we folded & covered w/clear packing tape (almost like laminating) and stapled 2 at the end, 1 on each side. Make sure to keep barcode clear.

We were on the ship by 12:30pm, right after the wedding party (it was a big one...100+ people). We went up to Lido deck...and this being our first VIP boarding...the buffet seemed 'empty!' We enjoyed our lunch...and by 1:30pm...the Lido deck was filling up FAST! For those that enjoy 'exploring'...I would suggest eating first...then exploring. We did that and with 'Deck Plan' card in hand, explored the ship. By 1:30-2:00pm, the rooms were available and we went to our room. THRILLED with the suite...lots of extra room...3 closets, dressing area, huge bathroom w/double sinks and jetted tub, L-shaped couch that had a fold-out double bed, made up nightly for our daughter...balcony w/chaise lounge & chair. The extra space was very nice for the 3 of us. We unpacked and put all of our suitcases under our bed. Read more