We booked this cruise over a year ago and we had been counting down the days until we sailed. We left a day early (6/28) and stayed overnight at the Embassy Suites (Cruise port). We called ahead and made reservations for the shuttle service package which is separate from the hotel. The shuttle service picked us up from the A/P and took us to the hotel. They had free service to area restaurants which we gladly used.

The next morning, we had a comp breakfast and completed our reservations for - to the pier and from pier back to A/P on 07/06. The fee is nominal and this worked out great and it was stress free. We opted for the first shuttle (10:00)as well as other passengers who were using this service. Check in was a breeze. Since we are Crown & Anchor (Diamond +) members, there was plenty of seating available in the wait area. There is also seating for other C&A members as well. The check-in staff was full of valuable information which they gladly shared. We were allowed to board a little after 11:30 am. Instead of the Windjammer for lunch, we opted for comp lunch at the Park Cafe. Delicious and healthy selections. Rooms were available around 1:00PM. Attended the mandatory muster drill. I was a little leary of this since this ship holds 6,000 + passengers. I am still wondering, where they all were because you could not tell that many people were on this ship. Since this was our wedding anniversary, we opted for specialty dining at Chops Grill. The service was excellent, the food delicious and the atmosphere most pleasant. After our meal, the waiters sang their version of "Happy Anniversary". This was a total surprise! After dinner we attended one of many shows that we had booked prior to sailing.

Sunday - Bahamas - Since we arrived in the Bahamas, so late and had an early departure, we decided to stay on board. Good choice. Plenty to do and see. Dinner was room service and we attended one of the pre-booked shows. Read more