Our four-night Western Caribbean cruise aboard the beautiful Vision of the Seas began with a cross-country flight from California and a two-night stay in Ft. Lauderdale.

We flew on Jet Blue from LAX to FLL (love that leg room). We landed in Florida right in the middle of a huge storm! After getting our bags we took a cab to our hotel, Il Lugano. I booked this place after reading great reviews about it. The stay was not so great for us. We were given a room right next to the most inconsiderate and loud “guests” ever. We were kept awake from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. the first night with yelling and screaming and music blasting next door! I called down to the desk twice before the noise stopped and we were able to get some sleep. I would not recommend this hotel. The walls are thin; noise travels between rooms and if you value sleep this place is not for you.

The morning of our cruise we checked out of the hotel and headed over to the port about 11:00 a.m. When we arrived we gave our bags to a porter and we were off to check in. The check in process was quick and painless and we were on the ship in about fifteen minutes. Read more