First off, let me say this was my first cruise. It took me some time to decide whether or not to cruise or do an All-Inclusive again. Advice I typically heard usually ended with "people either love cruises or hate them." In the end, I booked a 5-night cruise on RCCI and got what I thought was a really good deal. The online agent I used sent me all of the information needed and suggested I do the pre-registration online to save time. My Set-Sail pass was completed within a half-hour. The cruise was from Fort Lauderdale and went to Key West, Cozumel and Belize. Our mission: food, drink, and fun in the sun.

We flew in on Sunday and stayed at La Quinta Inn, Fort Lauderdale Airport location which really is in Hollywood, Fl. I highly recommend this Inn for a pre-cruise stay due to the amazing customer service, free shuttle services, and complimentary breakfast. Rates are approx. $200. The shuttle took us to Port Everglades at 11:30 Monday morning. We gave our bags to a RCCI staff member and made our way into the building. Everything pretty much went smoothly and we were on the boat within 20 minutes.

Because we were told our cabins would not be ready until 1:30 in the afternoon, we made our way to the pool bar and started our vacation with a cocktail. I immediately bought the all-access soda option for $36 which comes with an insulated cup and allows free soda for the week. Upon 1:30, we made our way to deck 4 which brings me to our cabin. Read more