We left our house the day before our cruise, traveled to Houston Hobby and picked up my husbands sister. We then traveled on to the Holiday Inn Resort on Seawall Blvd. This Holiday Inn provides free parking and a very nice shuttle to the cruise terminal. They also pick you up after your cruise and drop you off right by your car. We have now done this five times with them and it has always been flawless.
I don't understand those who complain about embarkation. With 26 embarkations under our belt, I have to say there has never been any long waits for us. I think the longest we ever waited was 2 hours. Its really easy.
After boarding, we of course went straight to the food. The buffet lunch had a nice selection to choose from. While eating we visited with each other and reviewed our shore excursion options. While waiting for the shore excursions desk to open we went on a ship walkabout.
We had a suite on deck seven. Balcony was a nice size. Plenty of closet space and drawers. Suitcases fit under the bed with ease. Three adults shared this room and we never felt crowded.