I was a little apprehensive in the beginning - this would be the largest cruise ship we had been on to date. However, the AOS is cruiser friendly and easy to navigate.

We arrived the day prior to sailing (we're from New England and know mother nature well). We were using Marriott points so we stayed at the Courtyard in Miramar. It has no beach and is in a downtown area but the hotel is well kept, has a small pool and a neat restaurant, all of which fit our needs perfectly. We were not the only cruisers staying there so we decided to try our luck and headed to the cruise ship early.

After a short taxi ride (10 minutes) we arrived at the pier and were quickly and efficiently processed. We were on board and finding our way around the ship by noon! It was too early to get in to our cabin but there was still plenty to do. We checked out the Royal Promenade, which seemed to be the center of all activity and you could quickly access all the other public areas from there. Read more