This was my first cruise, my boyfriend (Italian) had cruised with Costa on several occasions.
We flew from the UK to Miami..great flight and excellent room in the Intercontinental in Miami. Embarkation was slow due to a threat in New York but that was understandable and made us feel safer that security was tight. Got on ship around 1.30 and wow she was amazing.
We started exploring straight away before our luggage arrived. I had seen pictures before but I could not believe how large the Explorer was. It does not feel like you are on a ship...the Royal Promenade is just like a street. So cool!