We did the 6 day (3/1) and 8 day (3/7) back to back. It was wonderful. We went in early to Fort Lauderdale and stayed at the Embassy Suites. I booked the hotel direct and saved considerably when comparing to what RCI was charging. The hotel was nice, enjoyed the free breakfast, excellent omelets. The bellhop Johnnie won't be there long because he was so good someone else will snatch him up. We took a shuttle from the hotel to the pier for $7 a person. They took us in vans that had two seats on each side and an isle in the middle. It sat maybe 18 people. Very easy to maneuver in unlike the vans that shuttle services from the airports usually use. The port was maybe 10 minutes from the hotel. We went over at 10:30 and went through embarkation and were on the ship before noon. Instead of going to Windjammer we went to the Cafe Promenade, had a sandwich, and avoided the crowds, and yes the chocolate chip cookies are in there on this class ship and you have to watch for them because they are not there everyday or all day.

We went to the room about 1:00. Do not be alarmed if you go in your room and you see paper cups sitting on the desk. They are the setup for the tea service you have in your room. More than one person thought their room was not clean when they saw the cups and creamer. The cabin was big enough for the two of us and we have the beds separated. The table in front of the couch was movable and larger than the one on the older ships. We had a D2 which is the larger cabin at 214 sq feet I believe. The balcony was 41 sq feet and was large enough (and clean enough) for me to put a towel down and lay out there for sun. I hate the hangers they use and the bar the hangers go on. You cannot slide most of the hangers on the bar and it gets annoying after awhile, however, considering that is my only complaint I can easily live with that. The TV had RCI channel, Fox News, CBS programs, a sports station, a retro station, TNT, CNN/HLN, a movie channel and another one that played the same movie in numerous languages. The minibar was stocked with the usual and we had ours emptied. We bought the 24 case of water which ended up being about $65 with gratuity which was cheaper than paying $4 + gratuity a bottle and easier than lugging water bottles on board. I do sinus rinses so I use a fair amount of water but that is another story. Our Cabin steward was Rowan and he is excellent.

The first sea day going and coming back for the 6 days were rough, especially the first one. When I see sick bags on the banisters I know people are having a ruff time. The staff said it was unusual. I heard there were 9 foot seas but it didn't look that bad to me. We were going at 20 knots so perhaps if we were moving slower it would have been better but we had islands to see! I have actually had worse seas before so I don't want to scare anyone off. The majority of days were fine but you sure can tell he difference between being in the Windjammer and being on the Promenade when the waters are rough. I really appreciate the middle and lower concept now. Read more