After reading hundreds of cruise reviews, I finally decided to pay back the favor and write one of my own. We sailed on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCI) Explorer of the Seas out of Miami on October 10, 2004, to the Western Caribbean with Belize City, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Nassau as our ports of call. We had originally been scheduled to visit Grand Cayman, but Nassau was substituted due to the damage caused by Hurricane Ivan. Our party included myself, my fiancee, and our 3-year old daughter. We were also cruising with my parents, with whom we had an adjoining cabin. This was my fifth cruise, having previously sailed on RCI in 1998 (Monarch of the Seas), Princess in 1999 (Dawn Princess), Celebrity in 2000 (Century), and, most recently, Carnival in 2003 (Glory). We had a great time on all previous cruises, and this one was no different.

Pre-Cruise

Although the Explorer of the Seas sailed on Sunday afternoon, we decided to fly down a couple days early. We arrived in Miami on Friday evening and took a taxi from the airport to the Holiday Inn - Port of Miami. We were a little surprised when the first cab driver said he wouldn't take us without a car seat (for my daughter). However, we simply moved down the line and the next driver had no problem taking us to our hotel. The ride downtown took about 15 minutes and cost $24 + tip. We selected the Holiday Inn - Port of Miami after reading several recommendations on the Cruise Critic (www.cruisecritic.com) message boards. The hotel is right across the street from the Biscayne Market and the port. I booked online a couple months out for a pre-paid rate of $83 + tax. Although I called a couple weeks out to request a room with a view of the port, when we arrived (at 8:30 pm) the desk clerk stated none were available. However, after a minute or so of checking, she smiled and said that she would just take someone else's room instead. We ended up with a top floor room overlooking the port. It was an absolutely beautiful view and we were able to see the Navigator of the Seas and a Carnival ship on Saturday and Explorer of the Seas on Sunday morning. We spent Saturday hanging out at the Market and had dinner at Bubba Gumps. The food at Bubba's was simply outstanding - as was the service. One warning for those staying at the Holiday Inn - it is also right across from Biscayne Park which has an outdoor concert stage. The speakers on the stage are pointing right at the hotel. As a result, we got to experience a dead-waking sound check at about 4 a.m. Saturday and then the actual concert from 4 pm until about midnight later on that day. I think it was louder in our room on the 10th floor than at street level. Even with that noisy problem, I would stay at the Holiday Inn - Port of Miami again in the future. Read more