We booked this cruise with friends, originally to go to the Eastern Caribbean. Unfortunately, Norwegian changed the itinerary to a Western Caribbean route. We would have loved to seen the Eastern Caribbean, but really, who can complain that they got to go on a Caribbean cruise?

We met our friends in FLL but stayed the night in Miami to make embarkation easier. We stayed near the airport and got an Uber for under $40 for all 4 of us and our bags. It couldn't have been easier. We arrived at the port at the earliest time possible, 10:00, and breezed through the embarkation process. Unlike other terminals we've been in Miami has people entering from 2 spots which kept things moving nicely. We were separated from our friends but this was no big deal. We got group 2 so we hoped to have a chance for Vibe. Embarkation onto the ship started about 11:30-11:45 and we were standing on the ship by noon. We took a chance and went to guest services and were delighted to find out that there were numbers available for VIBE! The staff member standing there was handing out numbers and speaking with a heavy accent and we had a hard time deciphering what she was trying to say. What we eventually discovered was that you can get a number for the Vibe and/or a number for a private cabana at the Vibe. It wasn't until we were talking to others in line that we realized that she had not given us a number for a cabana and when I went back to talk to her they were gone. My husband was less than happy but it all worked out in the end when our favorite bartender, Ricky, explained to us that the cabanas get super hot and really aren't all they might be cracked up to be. Ricky turned out to be our new best friend and he gave us amazing service all week. He learned what I liked to drink and kept me well hydrated. He was personable, attentive and kind. He made our week that much more special.

We met up with our friends and then stood in line at the box office to get our name on the list for the Escape Room. Wouldn't bother with this again. Read more