Decided to take a cruise all by my lonesome and got a great last minute deal. I'm normally a NCL cruiser. I stayed at the Hyatt Place in Ft. Lauderdale. Nice hotel and offered a complementary shuttle from the airport, and a $10 shuttle to the Port.

Even though the email said to arrive by 2pm, I arrived around noon, and initial check in was a breeze. However, while sitting in the holding area to board the ship, power went out. We sat in the dark for awhile but by 1:30 or so we were allowed to board. Unfortunately, passengers who arrived later than me, had to wait hours to board due to the power outage.

I thought the ship itself was nice and easy to navigate. I enjoyed the sushi in the Japanese restaurant, and the meals in the main dining room were all pretty tasty. The waitstaff were excellent. Windjammers was just OK. I could always find something to eat there that was pretty good. But I can't say anything was outstanding. Read more