Just to give you some background, my husband and I are mid-to-late 20s. We are child free, US citizens, and this was our third cruise (previous cruises were also on RCI to Hawaii (Legend) and Nassau/CocoCay/Key West (Majesty)). I write this for people who want a very detailed play-by-play of the cruise, and I will try to include things I wish I had known before taking this trip. Warning: it will be long.
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We sailed on the Explorer over the week of Thanksgiving. We flew to Ft. Lauderdale the day before boarding and stayed at the Marina Marriott. A note of warning: before you take a cab, be sure to check for their registration paperwork on the windshield and their fares posted clearly. There are many unregistered cabs that linger around the airport, so be wary of random cab companies that offer you a flat-rate. Usually, they are just as much as a reputable company.