This was our first trip with Holland America. Previous trips were with Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Departure was from Ft. Lauderdale on a Sunday. 40ish couple travelling alone. We brought two bottles of wine for room and 12 pack coke (for mixer), ordered bottle of Crown for room, no we don't sneak it on, not that cheap. You can order liquor for room at a reasonable price if that's what you want. Besides, HAL has a great policy, don't want to ruin it.

Embarkation...We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale around 1:30 PM. We had an outstanding embarkation experience. We were on the ship and in our room in less than 50 minutes. Staff at the desk said that it was crazy before 1 PM. You have the option of parking in the parking garage, or at the airport parking lots and shuttling over. The garage was $15 a day, and we were told that the airport was $10 by other guests. We didn't know about the airport, but don't regret the garage. We pulled into the drop off for luggage and just parked across the street, very convenient.

The room...was outstanding. I don't understand the complaints of size. We've always sailed Veranda or Balcony. This was by far the largest of them. Carnival was tiny, and Royal Caribbean was a bit smaller than HAL. This was full size with wicker furniture & padded seats, ottoman, and small table. We both noticed it immediately. Bathroom size is what we had expected, but with a bonus tub/shower combo. We met the Room Steward (Franz) within 15 minutes of boarding, and he was accommodating and professional. He always remembered our names. Room was kept spotless, 2 times a day. Storage is what was expected, but counter top space was very limited, less than RCI. Bring a extension strip if u need more than one outlet. Read more