We chose the Mariner of the Seas as I was looking for a quick trip to enjoy with my son (9 years old). The short itinerary and excellent value locked us in. The trip was a success and my son said he would definitely do it again and even started talking about a trip in the spring. Here's a bit about our journey -
We flew in and out of Fort Lauderdale opting to come in the night before. We stayed at the Embassy Suites on 17th Street. A good location, plenty of restaurants within walking distance, along with a full scale grocery about 2 blocks away to pick up anything you forgot.
On embarkation day, we opted to Uber to the Port of Miami. It was about a $42 ride and really was the only hiccup of our trip. With Terminal A so new it wasn't an option for a destination in the app and the driver had to cycle around to get us to the drop off. With that corrected, we got to the terminal about 11:30 and it was time for luggage drop off. Still a bit of organized chaos, the porters were fine and friendly - just has the sense of a free for all.
Our balcony cabin had plenty of space for the two of us. I