Pre-cruise day in Miami

Checked out of Ortona South Campground to drive to downtown Miami, about 2 hours away. The drive took longer because I stopped by a Goodwill store to see if I can find some white clothing for the white dance night on the cruise (just found out about that on the RC app). I found an almost new white cotton top and Capri pants that fit plus a beach dress. Also bought a small saute pan, since I forgot to bring one with me. Total cost was less than $15 - I love treasure hunting in thrift stores! The drive to the Hyatt Regency was slow, with heavy traffic all the way there. I was able to check in and put my luggage in my room before jumping back into traffic, heading for the Hilton Airport Blue Lagoon where Millie will be parked for the next 10 days. The hotel is somewhat out of the way which was why I chose it. From there I got on the free shuttle to get to the airport, took the Miami metro rail to Government Center ($2.25 fare) and the metro mover (free) to Knight Station which was next to the Hyatt. So much faster than driving!

The Hyatt was a pretty nice hotel, the free 1-night stay was part of the STI cruise package. The hotel is in downtown Miami but there is a lovely view of the water from the back. There was a Whole Foods store across front of the hotel with an Amazon locker from which I retreived a last minute purchase. There were almost 50 people on the cruise. We had a nice dinner at a Brazilian restaurant nearby and started to get to know each other. There were a few veteran cruisers in the group, and it was nice to hear their stories and experiences.