We flew to Newark the night before the cruise and stayed at the Newark airport Marriott. This was a great choice. We had a good meal and the next morning had a swim in their great pool before leaving for the ship. We booked a Dial 7 limo which arrived on time and cost $50.
Embarkation; as previously mentioned it is a little chaotic. We arrived at 12 and had to wait for a bit, but it wasn't too bad. The worst thing was the heat, as it was about 96 and standing in any kind of tent is hard! We then explored the ship, found our rooms and had lunch. Then we met our CC group at the sky bar for a drink!
The ship itself is lovely. The royal promenade is very attractive, and the public rooms are great. Our stateroom was a little tired, but very clean and the beds super comfortable. My 16 year old daughter slept on the pullman and found it fine.
near elevators, no noise