A relaxing 9-night Southern Caribbean cruise! Our trip began in Tallahassee on November 29th as we drove to Dania Beach. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Dania Beach (a 10-minute drive to the port). We had an excellent fresh seafood dinner at the Rendezvous Bar and Grill about a mile from the hotel at 2525 Marina Bay Dr. in Ft. Lauderdale. Great happy hour and excellent nightly specials.

Our hotel did offer extended parking for cruisers at a reasonable rate. However, for the convenience, we parked at the port - $15/day. Since the Celebrity Silhouette was docked at the newly renovated Pier 25, we chose to park in the mid-port garage after dropping off our luggage at the pier. We arrived around 10:30 a.m. and check-in was very organized and a pleasant process. Overall, we were not impressed with the renovated terminal, as we expected more of a “wow” factor in design and decor; also, they needed more X-ray machines at security, the seating in the waiting area was uncomfortable, and the bathrooms were at the far end of the terminal. We boarded the ship a little after 11:00 am.

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