This was a first-time cruise for my husband and I, and we were celebrating 35 years of marriage. It had been some time since we had a vacation of this length and distance from home.

Pre-cruise we flew into San Juan, PR the Friday before departure and stayed at the San Juan Radisson Hotel. Not an "over the top" luxury hotel, but it certainly satisfied our need in an area where we had never been. It was close to a number of local restaurants, had cab service available to anywhere, and had a roof-top pool that was away from crowds and masses of tourists. The dining room was not quite what we had hoped for as far as food options, but it worked out considering the tremendous rain storm on Friday evening.

Saturday afternoon was a $20 cab fare to the port, and a manageable wait to board the ship. A line that moved along quickily to grab our cruise paperwork, passport, and credit card, and we were greeted with champagne as we boarded the ship. Let the adventure begin! Read more