We chose this cruise as it was the first time cruising for our 3 children and the flights from Atlanta to Miami were very inexpensive. 3 days seemed to be enough for our kids to sample the cruise experience. We arrived 2 days earlier in Miami to explore the area which also allowed the kids time to enjoy the pools and beach at the Fountainebleau Hotel.

Travelling as a family of 5 we chose to go with the Royal Family Suite which ended up being a great choice on our part. We not only enjoyed the amount of space within the room but greatly appreciated the additional amenities that go along with being in a suite. Some of the benefits we appreciated were the Priority Boarding on departure day eliminating standing in the long lines for check-in, Priority Boarding for the tender to CoCo Cay which once again eliminated standing with the masses who were exiting the ship and lastly Priority Embarking on the final day which provided a special departure location with snacks, coffee, juices & pastries while we had a short wait.

Our first evening began with the private dining experience at the Chef's table. This is a private dining room for up to 16 guests where the Chef prepares a select menu and it is served with a wine pairing. There is only 1 seating per night and we relished in the fact that out of 2,700 guests on the ship we were the only 5 partaking in the one on one experience. As mentioned, the dining room sets up for 16 guests but we explained to our host that others may not enjoy their experience fully with children present so he closed out the reservation for our family only. Although our 3 children are well behaved in this type of atmosphere, mixing other parties with ours in a shared dinner may make the other parties feel slighted particularly when there is an additional cost for this experience. This was the best way to begin our cruise and it also included a tour of the kitchen/galley on our last day which was an added bonus. Read more