This is my second cruise (1st was Carnival Destiny in 2007) but first with RCL and it was fantastic. We had planned this ourselves and did not use a travel agent and booked our own airfare. The oldest person in our group is 42 and the youngest was 25. As I did with cruise #1, I cashed in air miles so I could fly first-class and it again puts you into a vacation state of mind. If you cannot I would suggest you fly out the day before in case the weather becomes an issue or if you just want to extend the weekend to another day or two.

We stayed at a Hilton in Cocoa Beach which was only about 10 minutes away from the port. We flew into Orlando and paid for shuttle transportation to get there and back--only took about 45 minutes. First-timers, if you see temps in the 60's and 70's for March don't get upset. 62 degrees on arrival day felt wonderful. That FL sun is a different 62 than Peoria, IL or Buffalo, NY. The hotel had 3 shuttles that transports you at either 10:30, 11:30 or 12:30. We took shuttle #1 because we wanted to beat the crowd and clear embarkation. Good idea. If you are bringing wine or alcohol onto the ship you MUST put it in your main suitcase. I had some confiscated that was in my backpack.

Embarkation took maybe 30-45 minutes before we were on the Lido Deck enjoyed a pretty good lunch. Rooms were ready on time and were very clean. All of us had Ocean View rooms. Thought about a balcony cabin but you are in your room for such a small period of time it almost seems like a waste of money and the room is not much bigger since the extra room goes toward the balcony space. Our cabin steward knew my name by the end of the first day, very friendly and accommodating. In fact when a friend of ours got sick in the middle of the night, they were there within minutes to clean up the mess (too much alcohol). I would recommend bringing extra hangers. There were a number of them in the room but I overpack and needed every last one I brought. I went to guest services to inquire about an iron but all clothes must be bagged and sent to housekeeping. I thought about doing this but anyone that brings dress clothes will be a bit wrinkled in the dining room anyway so I just didn't worry about it and changed right after dinner anyway. The bathroom and shower is a bit small but you just deal with it. Dinner on Saturday night is formal so you will need to bring proper attire. Read more