I'm a world traveler at heart, but my girlfriend and I thought it would be fun to take a cruise. I've read past reviews and took the suggestions with a grain of salt, so allow me to share my experience.
We flew in from Toronto the night before departure (Oct 9) just as a precaution. We rented a car from MCO and drove to Port Canaveral (40-50mins drive) where we stayed the night. Cost was cheaper than taking an airport shuttle to Port Canaveral. Our rent-a-car company (budget) had complementary shuttles to and from the docks which was an added bonus. Most places drop off and pick up, very efficient, just do your research.
As all the other reviews have mentioned, RC check-in was quick and friendly. Baggage handling was quick as they took it right off the shuttle buses and brought it to our staterooms. We got on the ship around 1pm and decided to take a self guided tour. I've never been on a ship so big! We found our stateroom, it was "cozy" as real estate agents describe for small rooms. Note: spend a little more money with a balcony view b/c you lose track of the time in the darkness of the stateroom abyss. The stateroom workers work exceeding quick and are very, very friendly, leaving towel animals everywhere.