My husband and I (late 30's) took the Western Caribbean cruise on the Freedom of the Seas with my parents (early 60's), who are Crown and Anchor Society members that cruise each year. This was my hubby's first cruise, and my second one.

We left from Port Canaveral. Getting through customs was quick and painless. We left our car at the hotel, but instead of waiting on their shuttle bus to arrive and take 100 people to the ports at once, we opted to call a taxi and get to the ports as early as possible. We were in the first line to get into the port when it opened. This may be why getting through customs was so easy.

The Freedom of the Seas is an amazing ship! It really is like a large, floating city. The first thing that you notice is the size of the ship once you are on board. Our cabins were not ready yet, so we ate lunch in the WindJammer before taking off to explore the ship. Read more