This was our first TA and our first real cruise. We weren't even home yet when we started about taking another one - cruise and TA.

Embarkation was amazingly smooth!

We checked out of our hotel around 11am, got a taxi to the port, handed our luggage off to the porters, got in a quick moving line for the security check (don't wear boots...), got in a very short line (without any status and without being in a suite) for check-in and went right onto the ship! Rooms weren't ready and as it wasn't raining we sat on the pool deck until they opened the cabins. Everything else (bars, lounges, bistro) looked packed already. Read more