This is a long review and normally I don't write reviews. Mainly I want to post everything I wish I had read or knew about before going on the ship so I knew what to expect. So this review is for the anal people who want to pre-plan and know everything before going (people like me : )). It starts off not happy but bear with me and it gets better, just like the cruise experience.

The parking in the NYC port was stressful, we waited in line for at least half an hour to get to the rooftop which is where we ended up[ parking. parking for under 10 days is $280. It's worth it for convenience sake, if you are looking for cheaper there are other lots but you may have to take a shuttle to the port from there supplied by the lot or there are lots that will drive your car to the port and drop you off but my husband is definitely not comfortable with a stranger driving his car. If you leave from New Jersey's Cape Liberty port the parking is easier to manage and we had less trouble with embarkation.

The staff at the NYC port overall are rude; they will yell at you even if you did nothing. Be ready to have your passports open to the picture page and make sure you have a health form already filled out. Bring a pen because no one will give you one. Check-in to the ship was fairly quick but there are no explanations of any packages you may have bought such as drink packages, thermal spa, internet packages; these are all things that will have to be puzzled out on the ship at Guest Relations. Once we passed through and were on the ship it was much more relaxed. Read more