After all the hurricane scares we finally embarked on our first cruise. The pre-cruise stay at the Moody Hotel was a great deal. They provided a free shuttle to the dock and car storage for the week, as well as pickup and return to the hotel on the following Sunday. At the check in there were long lines, but they did move quickly. Be prepared for a quick snap of the photo. They don't give any warning after you get to the mark. The muster drill was miserable. It was humid and crowded. The first evening there were rough seas and I was glad to have the seasick patch to wear. We had early dining in the Monet dining room. The food all week was generally good. On the night where our table didn't care for the entrees, the waiter offered filet mignon as a substitute. The chocolate buffet was extensive but not worth the wait. We also found the iced tea to be quite nasty, not the Southern taste for sure. Early seating does rush you to get back on the boat in the ports, but we enjoyed the earlier time because we go to bed early. The shows were OK, but no WOW factor. We enjoyed the Conquest Orchestra whenever they played. Our sailing was completely booked. We didn't find the events to be too crowded, but getting to the tender area was a little crowded. The crew was confused and getting mixed messages about where to take us. The chairs on the deck were hard to come by. Saving chairs with towels was quite common and annoying.

The port excursions we took were really fun. In Jamaica we went on the ATV tour. We shopped in the morning at City Centre. Watch the shuttle you get on, ours tried to detour to another shopping area after they told us we would go to City Centre. Finally we spoke up and they went to the original location. The people are quite pushy and it was scary to be walking around. The tour picked us up at the terminal and we felt quite safe with them. The traffic was really bad coming back, so I wouldn't cut it too close on time if you go that far away. In Grand Cayman we booked through Captain Marvin's and were well pleased. The boat was small enough and there were plenty of crew to give you personal attention. The snorkeling area had lots of fish and the time allowed for snorkeling was about right. The stingray portion of the trip was OK. There were quite a few boats and the area was crowded. We were able to touch and kiss the stingray as the crew held one up for us. In Cozumel we booked the Sail, Snorkel and Beach Party through Carnival. The sailing was great. The snorkeling was not very good due to the hurricane damage to the coral. The beach party was volleyball, sea kayaks, floats, etc. There was nothing to eat and only the drink that came with the sailing. It was a beautiful beach but we stayed for only a short period of time.

Overall, the cruise went well for a first cruise. The packing ideas you find on this and other websites is essential if you are a newbie. Some of the best hints were clothespins for the shower curtain, duct tape which comes in handy for everything, and the pop-up hamper for dirty clothes. One thing which really hindered our enjoyment was the smoker next door to us. We had adjoining rooms which meant there was a door for smoke to come through and he smoked all day and night! I didn't know you could smoke in the cabins. I would have hoped there would be smoking rooms and non-smoking rooms. Neil, the personal shopper, had valuable information, coupons and advice. It was worth the time to see his show as well as visiting his table the night before each port for maps and info. A few last tips: I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes to get on the boat. Our luggage didn't come until after the first night's show and so I had to wear the shoes for several hours walking all around the ship. Don't go to the muster drill too early or you will get stuck in the back where it is stuffy. Plan on taking excursions to fully enjoy the ports. People who didn't have a specific tour when they got off the boat generally got back on after about 2 hours of looking around. They didn't seem to have a good time or like the ports. Definitely spend some time napping in the deck chairs. It is so relaxing.