Saturday- Embarkation We opted to take the 20+ hour drive from Springfield Missouri to Ft. Lauderdale. It was not a bad drive, however a little past Daytona our car died. We had to wait for a tow truck and then for them to find an alternator. We still had a 3 hour drive and it was 1:00!! By the time we got to our parking it was nearly 5:00. The embarkation was super easy and fast, and the staff was giving my ds a hard time about having his permit, stating "okay, driver license, it's your turn". It was funny. Apparently we had time because the ship was held over and left 2 hours late for missing passengers. Our cabin was comfortable, and the bed was much larger and softer than anticipated. There was a bowl of fresh fruit, and it was always replenished. My friends in another cabin never ate it and after the 3rd day it was removed and not filled up. Ship rocked a lot more than on previous cruises as the winds were pretty strong. We were literally rocked to sleep the first night. Our luggage did not show up until 9:30 pm, probably due to our late arrival. We missed out 1st seating dinner time so ate in the buffet. We really liked the burgers, pizza, pork chops, roast beef and of course the bread was excellent! French fries were always fresh which is shocking being on a buffet. Tea, juice, water and coffee were plentiful. Dirty plates were removed promptly. There was a crew member from Italy talking to my Hispanic husband in broken Spanish, he was very cute. And for dessert on the buffet there was cheesecake w raspberry sauce-mmmm and other cakes. The cheesecake disappeared very quickly. The show was Midnight in Paris and was excellent, however there were a couple of parts that were inappropriate for the children, as the dancers wore thong underwear and bent over frequently to show us. There is also the subject of the "Tropicana boob dancer". It was kind of funny but not in front of my 5 year old!!

Sunday: Key West We ate breakfast in the buffet, and it was plentiful. You can ask for custom cooked eggs, omelets, and toast. There was always lots of fresh fruit available! I think my family ate their cruise fare in fresh fruit alone!! The ship arrived 30 minutes late. We were scheduled from 7-2, but it was actually 7:30 - 1:15, as we had to catch the last trolley by 1:15. We docked at a military base and there were free trolleys and conch trains waiting to take us into town. We walked straight down to the Southernmost point, and Higgs beach. The kids were dying for a beach, and although this was not a god beach they played in the sand and enjoyed themselves. We then took a taxi back to the Hard Rock for $3 pp and did some shopping. The chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick was so yummy, I sure wish I had some right now!! Catching the trolley back took a long time, so we shopped around in the gift shop until the line was shorter. Back on ship, we grabbed some lunch from the buffet and again it was great! It was the first Gala night. Our waiter, whose name was Rare was excellent! Everything was presented with good timing, food was really good and dirty plates were removed almost instantly when we were finished. Another server kept our drinks full. The Circusland show was very good ! The kids clubs took all the kids to see it, and we sat near where they were. We watched Oceans 13 on the big screen on the pool deck, and the late night chef's surprise was crepes flambee with ice cream. Yummers!

Monday: Cozumel We were scheduled 10-5:00, and had to be back onboard by 4:30. The ship docked and we just walked right off after breakfast. We ate in the dining room and I had chocolate croissants and eggs Benedict, which is what I ended up eating for breakfast every day the rest of the cruise!! So much for variety, they were just too good! They always kept our coffee and juices filled up (we were a party of 12) and I asked for both pineapple and orange juice and then poured them together in the wine glass. Obn shore we did a little shopping and then took a cab to Chankanaab. The taxi rates are posted right there. It cost us $22 each way for 8 people. Admission was $16 pp, and the snorkel equipment was $10., but they had a combo ticket that included entrance, snorkel equipment, a t-shirt and 2 for 1 drink coupons for $28 and $20 for kids. I asked the waiter for some tacos de asada , and he said they didn't have any but would make some special for me!! It cost $12 for 4 tacos, beans and guacamole. Definitely worth it!! My friend and her children swam with the dolphins. They did not have reservations, just walked up. It cost around $100 pp but they gave her the 3rd for half price and included admission into park. We took the taxi back and spent the rest of our time shopping. The people were very rude in the shops by the pier, the Hard Rock especially. The rest of our party took a ship excursion to Tulum and really enjoyed themselves, they just said they felt rushed and wish they had more time to explore. They had no time to shop before returning to the ship. Dinner was excellent again! The fettuccine was perfect, and the crème brulee was to die for. It was my friends birthday, and they brought out a cake and sang to her - this was pre-arranged by another friend. We were exhausted from the long drive and then two port days, so went to bed early. We missed the Concerto show unfortunately, but heard it was also excellent. Read more