Pre-Cruise

We spent several days in Tampa where we had flow before the cruise, and we also had a ton of fun at Universal Studios in Orlando. The day of the cruise we got dropped off at the Tampa train station and took the five hour train down through the cow pastures and citrus fields of Central Florida to Miami. The train station in Miami is not in the best area but we easily hopped in one of the cabs waiting at the front of the station and before long we were in the much safer and glitzy beauty of downtown Miami. After some research prior to our arrival, we decided on the Cruise Package at the Doubletree Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay for two nights, just twenty minutes drive from the Port of Miami. The package is a fantastic deal, under $130 per night, which I would do again in a flash. The Doubletree Grand was a well appointed 4 star hotel on the shores of Biscayne Bay with a view to Miami Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. At a price comparable to what one might pay in Canada or the U.S. for a standard hotel we were able stay in this high luxury hotel. The Cruise Package allows you to stay in some of the best rooms; Oceanview with Private Balcony with either two Double or one Queen overlooking Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. We had a great room on the 8th floor. The room was very spacious. As we walked in, the room had a marble bathroom with bidet, vanity and sink. An additional vanity and sink was available in a vestibule exterior to the washroom. Across from this area was a kitchenette with shelves, a mini bar fridge and coffee maker. In the centre of the room, the beds were extremely comfortable, and looked onto a large cable television with pay per view movies. Beyond the beds was a living room area with a large arm chair, ottoman and pull out couch. At the end of the room, sliding doors (with security lock and bar) opened out onto a mid-size balcony with two chairs and table overlooking the hotel's marina, Biscayne Bay and the skylines. The room's storage space was generous in the form of a large closet and dresser. As guests, we were provided complimentary vouchers for American breakfast or its shared value toward breakfast in the restaurant in the hotel's shopping area each morning, as well as shuttle service at the time of our choosing from the hotel to the Port of Miami cruise terminals.

In view from the balcony, just east of the hotel, is Royal Caribbean International's distinct pair of world headquarter offices as well as the sister line, Celebrity Cruises, office. In closer view east is Royal Caribbean's own cruise terminal and docks that were custom built for 5 million dollars in time for the maiden voyage of the Voyager of the Seas, the line's first Voyager Class ship, in 1999. The white tent terminal is an attractive architecture piece in its own right and can accommodate any two of Royal Caribbean's ships at once. Read more