I take a cruise for my birthday each year. This year I chose a cruise in the Eastern Caribbean for two reasons: (1) It was a change from my usual Mexico trips, and (2) I was sailing with a group of friends  one couple who had never cruised. And because we had first timers along, I wanted this cruise to be special: and it was.

Because we took a midnight flight from Oregon to Miami, we decided to leave one day early and spend the night in South Beach. It was a great choice. Even though we were awakened at 6 AM by a marathon, it was great to have a day in Miami to decompress. We arrived at the ship around noon on Sunday  fully rested and ready for 7 days of cruising fun.

The embarkation was perfect. Because we arrived by private car, we did not need to worry about long lines. We had a very good chat with the counter personnel and were on board in less than 10 minutes. Everyone at the counter was professional and able to answer all of our questions. Read more