Bahamas cruise, day one - Miami and welcome aboard

Ok, it was my first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas  and I’m pleased to share the details and the photos with you. Majesty is not the biggest or equipped with most bells and whistles, but for me she is a wonderful ship. Majesty’s 4-night itinerary is a great way to try out cruising and try a new destination.

We traveled from Orlando to Miami the day before our cruise aboard Delta Air Lines, and our pre-cruise hotel of choice was the Strand Ocean Drive.  It is great place to stay! The modern hotel, the location is ideal, in the heart of South Beach on Ocean Drive, the ocean directly across the street from the hotel and walking distance to great shopping and restaurants! We could not have asked for a better location. And with that…let’s get to the cruise.
Our day began on the beach.  We planned on a 12:30 am departure from the hotel to get us to the port at 1.30pm.  The ship typically begins boarding in the 11 to 11:30am timeframe even though your cruise documents indicate not to arrive before 1:30pm.
The Strand Ocean Drive is not far from the port at all, but with traffic and construction we arrived in front of the Royal Caribbean terminal at the Port of Miami at 1.30am.  We unloaded our bags, tipped the porter, and headed inside.  Almost of our fellow cruisers were already arriving.  Entering the terminal you get an initial document and passport check, and then proceed upstairs for security, and then check in.
Check in is a uncomplicated affair.  The counters are roped off by your stateroom deck with a dedicated check in for suite guests as well as Royal Caribbean’s top tier (Platinum and higher) Crown & Anchor Society members.  We are not top tier, so we headed for main line, and we were queued up at the desk to be processed within 15 minutes.  After scanning our passports, verifying the credit card number we’d provided for our onboard charges, and giving us the usual welcome speech, we were on our way.
Our stateroom was a standard oceanview on deck 6.
After boarding we went straight to the Windjammer buffet for lunch.
After a several hours on the deck, it was time for sail away.  Majesty departed Miami right on time, at 4:30pm.  The ship sailed out, and we got some nice shots of Miami.
Ok, let’s get to the services and costs
Good news is all your food is included. One of the best parts of any cruise experience is that fact that you have food at your disposal any time any day. But you will have to pay for all your alcohol. I found the prices for drinks comparable with that of most bars. They have free juices and iced teas and water (not bottled).  I would suggest buying a drink card which allows you unlimited Coke for the cruise.
Shipboard activities are free but you will have to pay for any excursions ($50-200 per excursion) . Occasionally there is a charge for some fitness activities and all spa services ($50-200 per service). Also, you pay for all your own casino play.
Don't forget the $10 a day for gratuities. They will add that to your sail and sign account when you check in, and frankly for the service you get $10 is a great deal.
What kind of clothes should you take on the cruise?
Traditional cruise lines usually have one or two "dress-up" nights on each seven-day cruise. Men wear tuxedos or dark suits, women wear cocktail dresses (long or short) on "dress-up" nights. For the other nights, standard dress code for men and women is casual.