Flew to Orlando via USAir from PHL .Although our flight was scheduled to leave at 1:30 PM, I somehow was waiting at the wrong gate and missed it! I was able to get on a 4 PM flight and we got to MCO at about 6. We stayed at the Orlando Hilton. The Hilton was a great property and the entire staff were friendly, helpful, and very pleasant.

DAY 1: Embarkation: Our shuttle driver picked us up precisely at 10:30 AM and then had to pick up one other couple staying at another hotel. They were sailing on a Carnival ship and were so excited because it was their first cruise. I assured them they would enjoy every moment and would be hooked.

It took about 50 minutes to get to Royal’s new pier at Canaveral and it was simple dropping off our checked luggage. Things seemed a bit chaotic, though. There was a medium long line waiting to get into the building (initial security screening) then about a 10 minute wait to get processed by one of Royal’s agents. Then, one more line getting your photo which would be linked to you Sea Pass Card. Luckily, there was an agent diverting Diamond and above to a separate line which was a lot shorter and faster. All in all, it took about 35 minutes getting processed before boarding the Freedom. Although no one was complaining, it was explained there was some sort of computer problem which slowed down the boarding process. It was just shy of 1 PM and wanted to see if our cabin was ready, and it was! So, we were able to drop off our carry ons and then head up to the Windjammer for a bite to eat. The lines weren’t bad, yet, so we got our food and found a table very easily. Read more