I little background. I am 31 and married. This was my 4th cruise, all with Royal Caribbean. I have sailed on the Explorer, Freedom, and Liberty. I have loved them all but was definitely excited to sail on the BIGGEST ship. This trip was with my husband (without our 3 year old) and with another couple.

Pre-Cruise- We flew to Ft. Lauderdale a whole day ahead. It was just the way our flights worked out. We stayed at the Renaissance Cruise Port Hotel and it was wonderful. We were actually able to check into our room at 9:45 AM. We then spent the day riding on the Water Taxi (that we could walk to from the hotel) It is a fixed price for the day and you can get off and on at different locations. This was great! We had lunch at restaurant on the water called Flip Flops, which was a good option. The hotel also had many food options within walking distance) Starbucks, various restaurants etc.). There is also a Walgreens across the street for last minute purchases and WINE. You can take one bottle per person on board. The next morning we scheduled a shuttle ride to the ship ($6 per person).

Boarding- Here is a breakdown of how it went: Read more