We traveled on the Great Rivers of Florida Cruise. We have traveled outside the US previously and wanted to see a bit of this country. We chose this cruise due to the proximity to our home and we were able to drive to the port. We stayed in the Hyatt where the ship was docked. Arriving at the ship we were greeted, our luggage taken to our room and instruction was given to the lounge where we were able to get drinks and snacks. The lounge had plenty of large windows so we did not miss a thing while cruising. The meals were wonderful - gourmet dining. American Cruise ships have experts on board that have lectures on the flora, fauna and history of the areas traveled through and to. These were extremely entertaining. All crew members were helpful, even when taxed with a non-cruise situation. Disembarkation, while easy, was also sad. We felt like we had made new friends we would not be seeing for a long time or again.