This 5 night cruise from Ft. Lauderdale was to "make a memory" and celebrate our son's graduation from college with our family, his girlfriend and the two grandmothers (ages 78 and 88). The 2 grandmothers were in a handicap accessible inside cabin (1325) which was the largest inside cabin I have ever seen! There was a full size sofa and easy chair in the sitting area and there was more than enough room for my mother-in-law's scooter to maneuver around in. Their bathroom was larger than my cabin! My cabin was two doors down and was a basic inside unit. While it was not as large as the handicapped cabin, it was comfortable and we had enough room to be able to move around easily.

Embarking in Port Everglades was easy and relatively fast. It took approximately 1 hour from our parking the car to sitting down in the Windjammer Cafe for lunch. This was our first time embarking from Ft. Lauderdale (previous cruises have been from Port Canaveral and Jacksonville) and I was somewhat surprised at how unmodern it was. That said, check in was organized with each deck having it's own check in area. Once checked in, and taking the usual "On-Board" photos" we were able to get an elevator easily and get to our cabins and then the Windjammer for lunch.

Our dining experience was par excellent! We had anytime dining but we usually went to the dining room between 6:15-6:30 each night. All 7 of us sat at the same table with the same wait staff. The staff were exceptional. I don't know how they can remember every one's name and beverage preference after just one seating but they did. The menu selections were varied and the food was well prepared. Our waiter always brought out extra servings for my sons as well as extra desserts for all of us! The food selections and preparation/taste on this cruise was 100% better than my previous experience on Freedom of the Seas in Dec 2010. We had breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer each day and the selections were fresh and varied as well. Read more