We started our journey Sunday morning, Aug. 5th flying from Charlotte, NC to Fort Lauderdale, FL. We arrived at noon and were on the ship by 12:45 pm. As others have commented the boarding process along with getting off the ship was the best we have ever experienced. We always use transportation (transfers) throuh RCI as it is hassle-free and efficient. (We had a very bad experience in Miami,FL one time using a taxi service from the airport to the ship. Never again!) At disembarkcation, we also use the valet luggage service if it is available from the airline you are flying and the port you are leaving from. It is well worth the cost ($20 ea.)

We were able to get in our stateroom at 1:00 pm and unpacked our carry-on bags which allowed us to check out the cabin. It is every bit as nice and adequate as others have written. Loved the interactive TV with all the info you need to enjoy your cruise and plan your activities for the day. We then headed for the Park Cafe for lunch and then headed back to the cabin to unpack our other luggage which had arrived by then. The rest of the afternoon we checked out the ship to get our bearings on where all the venues were. This is a large ship and it will take you a few days to get acclimated. The interactive panels located at all the elevators are wonderful with all the info you need at your fingertips and very user friendly.

We had breakfast and usually lunch (Park Cafe twice) in the Windjammer and ate all our dinners in the main dining room. The food and selection in the Windjammer was very good and the same in the MDM. We ate at Chops one night and it was excellent. We have cruised with RCI 6 times and have found the food and service to be quite consistent among all the ships. Read more