Miami, United States
About This Stop
Our European (and Caribbean!) adventure kicked off with a good old-fashioned road trip from Gray, Georgia, to South Florida. It was a day filled with familiar routines, family moments, and a peaceful temple visit before embarking on our cruise. The excitement started building the moment we pulled out of the driveway.
We left Gray early in the morning with all our luggage carefully packed for the upcoming cruise adventure. Our first stop was picking up Grandpa from his house, adding another family member to our travel group and building anticipation for the journey ahead. As has become our tradition on Southern road trips, we made the classic stop at Buc-ee's for their famous burritos, travel snacks, and fuel, enjoying the familiar ritual that always marks the beginning of a special family adventure.
We arrived early at our Fort Lauderdale hotel, the Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale, which gave us extra time to settle in and prepare for the next day's cruise departure. Rather than rushing straight to the hotel, we took a meaningful detour to visit the Fort Lauderdale Temple, where we spent peaceful time walking the beautiful, meticulously maintained grounds. This spiritual pause provided a perfect moment of reflection and gratitude before beginning our vacation. We wrapped up our first day with the simple pleasure of Subway sandwiches on the way back to the hotel, satisfying our hunger while keeping things low-key.
Our second day marked the official start of the cruise, and everything went better than expected. With a relaxing morning and a flawless boarding experience, we stepped onto the ship ready for adventure. It was the perfect transition from land to sea, setting a positive tone for the entire journey.
We enjoyed a slow start to the morning with a late wake-up that felt luxurious after the previous day's travel. Tyler and Dad took care of some last-minute errands, including turning in phones at the AT&T store and buying a new computer mouse at Target, while the rest of the family chose to relax and swim at the hotel pool. This division of labor allowed everyone to spend the morning exactly as they preferred.
One of the unexpected highlights of our hotel stay was discovering giant iguanas roaming freely through the hotel parking lot. These impressive reptiles provided entertainment and photo opportunities, reminding us once again that Florida never disappoints when it comes to unique wildlife encounters that you simply don't experience anywhere else.
When it came time to head to the cruise terminal, we dropped off the family and luggage at the terminal entrance while Tyler and Dad handled the logistics of parking the car at the Marriott near Miami Airport for our post-cruise pickup. This efficient system ensured that everyone could begin the boarding process without the stress of parking and luggage management.
The boarding experience itself was remarkably smooth and effortless. We practically walked on board with minimal wait times, as both security and check-in processes were surprisingly quick and hassle-free. Aubrey even managed to bring some food from the car onboard, demonstrating just how relaxed the boarding process was. Although our rooms were ready immediately, we decided that lunch at the buffet was our first priority, giving us a chance to explore the ship's dining options and get our first taste of cruise life. The day concluded perfectly when we attended our first formal dinner at 6 PM, where we found our assigned table and began to settle into the rhythm of cruise dining that would define the next several weeks.
We left Gray early in the morning with all our luggage carefully packed for the upcoming cruise adventure. Our first stop was picking up Grandpa from his house, adding another family member to our travel group and building anticipation for the journey ahead. As has become our tradition on Southern road trips, we made the classic stop at Buc-ee's for their famous burritos, travel snacks, and fuel, enjoying the familiar ritual that always marks the beginning of a special family adventure.
We arrived early at our Fort Lauderdale hotel, the Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale, which gave us extra time to settle in and prepare for the next day's cruise departure. Rather than rushing straight to the hotel, we took a meaningful detour to visit the Fort Lauderdale Temple, where we spent peaceful time walking the beautiful, meticulously maintained grounds. This spiritual pause provided a perfect moment of reflection and gratitude before beginning our vacation. We wrapped up our first day with the simple pleasure of Subway sandwiches on the way back to the hotel, satisfying our hunger while keeping things low-key.
Our second day marked the official start of the cruise, and everything went better than expected. With a relaxing morning and a flawless boarding experience, we stepped onto the ship ready for adventure. It was the perfect transition from land to sea, setting a positive tone for the entire journey.
We enjoyed a slow start to the morning with a late wake-up that felt luxurious after the previous day's travel. Tyler and Dad took care of some last-minute errands, including turning in phones at the AT&T store and buying a new computer mouse at Target, while the rest of the family chose to relax and swim at the hotel pool. This division of labor allowed everyone to spend the morning exactly as they preferred.
One of the unexpected highlights of our hotel stay was discovering giant iguanas roaming freely through the hotel parking lot. These impressive reptiles provided entertainment and photo opportunities, reminding us once again that Florida never disappoints when it comes to unique wildlife encounters that you simply don't experience anywhere else.
When it came time to head to the cruise terminal, we dropped off the family and luggage at the terminal entrance while Tyler and Dad handled the logistics of parking the car at the Marriott near Miami Airport for our post-cruise pickup. This efficient system ensured that everyone could begin the boarding process without the stress of parking and luggage management.
The boarding experience itself was remarkably smooth and effortless. We practically walked on board with minimal wait times, as both security and check-in processes were surprisingly quick and hassle-free. Aubrey even managed to bring some food from the car onboard, demonstrating just how relaxed the boarding process was. Although our rooms were ready immediately, we decided that lunch at the buffet was our first priority, giving us a chance to explore the ship's dining options and get our first taste of cruise life. The day concluded perfectly when we attended our first formal dinner at 6 PM, where we found our assigned table and began to settle into the rhythm of cruise dining that would define the next several weeks.
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