Background: My girlfriend and I, both in our early 20's are both experienced cruisers. I have cruised on Princess(5 times), while she has cruised on various lines.

Pre Cruise- Call us crazy, but we drove down to Florida from Boston. On the way down we stayed in a great Holiday Express off of I-95 in South Carolina. FINALLY, we arrived in Florida for our 2 day stay on Miami Beach in the Marco Polo Resort. I had read mixed reviews prior to going, but it was last minute so we booked it. The hotel was a bit run down, but our room(A suite) was newly renovated. The hotel was right on the beach and had a nice pool and bar facility.

Embarkation- I think this was the easiest embarkation of my cruise career. We were on in no more than 30 minutes after arriving. Read more