Eastern Caribbean Itinerary-- July 17, 1999
First, about us - we are in our late 40's with a 17-year-old son. This was our fifth cruise, third with Royal Caribbean.
We booked the 1 night pre-cruise package and air through Royal Caribbean. Our flight to Miami was early AM, so we had the entire afternoon and evening in Miami the day before the cruise. We placed the ship tags on our luggage and checked it at the airport before departure. RCCL handled it from there. We didn't see it again until it was delivered to our cabin. A representative from Royal Caribbean met us at the gate when we got off the plane and put us on a bus to the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami, a very nice hotel. Upon check-in, I requested a nonsmoking room, high up, with a view of the water so we could see the ships come in the next morning. They were very accommodating and gave us a very nice room on the 16th floor, with a small balcony, facing the water. Friday night, we went to Bayside Marketplace and had dinner (and a few creamsicles) at Lombardi's, an excellent Italian restaurant. If you're looking for a place to eat in Miami, I recommend this restaurant. On Saturday morning we were able to check-in for the ship right in the lobby of the hotel, and received our boarding passes right there. No lines, no waiting, no fuss. At approximately 12:30 a bus took us to the pier and we boarded immediately.