Going to Meet our Destiny: SLC to MIA to Port Everglades
We flew a redeye direct from our home airport to MIA (we had hoped to fly into FLL but flight times were not in our favor, so we went a little further away to MIA).
Getting to the airport and on the plane was completely boring except to note that we found out X (DS14) is a budding Airport Dad, chiming in to help us herd everyone with time checks to keep us all On Time.
Flight was also boring as most of us slept most of the way. Which was perfect and needed for us all.
Airport Dad X also took these lovely shots leaving SLC and coming into MIA
In MIA I did take issue with their setup. You do baggage claim first & then their fake monorail (called the MIA Mover). But the issue was the giant long walk it was from baggage claim to the MIA Mover and still more of a walk to get to the rental counter. With our bags with us that whole entire trek. We were all missing MCO by the end of that.
Luckily we had a stroller for L (DD) and S (DS8) had slept enough to be moderately non-complainy for the majority of that walk, so we made it with little drama.
Also while on the MIA mover, we reminisced a minute about how on our first cruise (which was out of Port of Miami), then DD3 L, had insisted the whole time that Miami was “Mom’s Ami” (and Mom’s Ami only) and no one else was allowed to call it My-Ami since it was very clearly and absolutely only Mom’s Ami. 
Once at the car we still had over 4 hours to our PAT and only a 40 min drive. I had scouted out a shopping complex close to port that included a Publix with a Starbucks inside and a few other quick service breakfast options nearby to chill at so we set the navigation to it and got right to it, surviving Miami drivers.
We killed time for at least 2 hours ordering food, eating, and me doing some shopping for the last 4-5 things we didn’t get purchased before leaving while the kids played their devices at the Starbucks & DH sorted out one last work issue on his laptop. We all made it through again without fuss or drama.
Then we started changing out of travel comfy outfits into our Nautical Best that I requested the family wear to board the ship, to have nice photos for embarkation for this most special Maiden Voyage.
Once changed, we re-parked the rental van to be at the edge of the parking lot so I could rearrange suitcases shifting any things around how I wanted for getting on the ship and adding the DCL luggage tags. It was here we first caught sight of The Destiny (and realized how really truly close we were to port).
By the time I got the tags on and bags rearranged we were within 45 minutes of our PAT and decided to just head to port and see if they would let us drop off bags and park.
Our 3 min drive turned into 13 when they put a bridge up, so we only arrived 30 min early. But we sailed right in once there, dropped off bags, parked, and got ourselves to the entry with still 15 min to go to our PAT. And actually right as we got to the area where groups were being held, ours was being let in. So perfect timing!
The port was busy and full but just as easy as Port Canaveral. First up was the long line for Castaway cay Club lines for check-in. They had a separate line for Pearl & Platinum and then one for Silver & Gold, which was long & what we were in. The signs overhead showed that boarding groups 1-12 were able to board. We were group 16 so weren’t in any hurry.
About a 1-2 minutes into being in line, our part of the line was diverted by terminal agents to go do security first and then use a bespoke check-in desk on the other side of security to keep the flow of guests moving. We were given a purple band per each of our 2 staterooms to signal that we needed to do our check-in on the other end of security.
Security was easy breezy & there was no line at this other desk so we were very quickly cleared to board but were still waiting for group 16 to be called (they had called group 13 while we were getting checked in so getting closer & closer!).
We used the time to take the little kids to one last bathroom break so there would be no emergencies waiting to get on and through the gangway and then we all made sure we had the DCL navigator app downloaded and up to date and started to get everyone setup on the ship wifi to start seeing the full Navigator.
This was where we encountered our first bit of maiden voyage magic: we got exactly the dining rotation we had hoped for!! Starting in 1923, two nights of Worlds of Marvel and ending with the new restaurant, Pridelands, as a finale. We were stoked and then just as we figured that out, they called group 16!
In Port Everglades they don’t let you enter the embarkation photo lines until your boarding group is called so we had one last line to get our embarkation shots that I had specifically wanted to be dressed up for.
And they turned out just as I hoped, with us dapper and nautical.
And then through the Mickey ears we went to board!!
