Background: DW and I are in our mid 30's and traveling with son(7) and Daughter(3). We also traveled with my in-laws. Our party was 9 in all. We took a 12 passenger van from Avis to Port Canaveral to save on gas and parking which is $105 for the week. I dropped the gang off at the ship and then went to AVIS to return the van. They quickly gave me a ride to the ship.
Embarkation was quick. The longest part was standing in line to get in the building and through the metal detectors. Go to the left side of the building, as the big busses let people off on the right side and the line backs up. We are platinum and in were in a JS so we walked right up to the counter and got our Sea Pass cards. In total it took about 15minutes.
Ship: The Mariner was just as beautiful as I remembered her from 2 years ago when we did the Western Caribbean. No noticeable wear. We are really going to miss her when she transfers to Ca. But we are excited about getting the Freedom OTS.
Huge walk-in closet. Nice big room and balcony. Bathtub a plus.