VolFanInGa

Lauren - we had the same experience with the Gift Certificates my mom gave me.  They never showed in the Cruise planner prior to the trip.  Also, bring the record of your redemption with you on board.  We were missing one $50 GC on my account on Indy last week.  Guest Services had to call and have details emailed to the purser on board to have it applied.  It all worked out in the end, but it was 2-3 stops at Guest Svcs I would have preferred to avoid. 
 

Marine Environmental Education Center at the Carpenter House.   Just a small place near North Hollywood Beach area, in between the parking lots and the beach.   They have a big sea turtle there that cant be released back into the wild due to medical complications so they care for it there.    
But yes, we've done this day long exploring on our own for several years as our flights home usually aren't until evening.   We enjoy it.  Last year one cruise was out of Tampa where we had never been before so we explored there a little and visited the Clearwater Marine Aquarium which was great.

At first glance it looks like your going to be way South (Homestead, Everglades National Park exc). Assuming your staying in Fort Lauderdale (since IOS is at port Everglades) your going to be in the car a lot. That’s quite the haul but everything you mentioned is certainly worthwhile. If your looking for Sunday plans check out Dr Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State park for a relaxing beach day. They have an area called Whiskey Creek where there’s a small dining venue (burgers, hotdogs, beer) and kayak, stand up paddle board rentals. I recommend this place because I take my girls just about every weekend that we are not at our other home in Key West. If your kids are younger check out the Discovery Science Museam in downtown Fort Lauderdale and get breakfast or lunch at Top Hat Deli or B Squared on Las Olas. Let me know any specific questions you have about anything in the East Fort Lauderdale area and I should be able to point you in the right direction. 

@tonyfsu21 We're headed down this weekend for the April 1 IOS cruise.  We are planning to visit Coopertown air boats on Sunday for an Everglades tour, then off to the Ernest Coe Visitor Center to get the girls' national park passports stamped.  
We'd like to visit the Biscayne Bay National Park visitor center as well, but not sure how much we'd gt out of the visit besides a stamp.  
Curious for a locals opinion on the Sunday plan.  

BTW, congrats on making it back to the Sweet 16.  Hope you get your rematch with Michigan this weekend. 

My father was born in Toccoa and I still have a number of cousins there. He was President of Truett-McConnell College toward the end of his life and very much enjoyed being back near home in the beautiful Georgia mountains ? Hopefully we will cruise with you and @VolFanInGa some day ☀️??

Awesome.  I'm NE of Atlanta, just barely in Gwinnett.  8 days and counting ?

Yes!! We will have our two teenage daughters with us! 
Btw I’m in Georgia as well. Northeast. 

I pity the spouses of a lot of the posters over there. I can close the tab and move on with my day. Their husbands, wives and kids cannot. So glad I found this site. @Matt and his "micro machines man" video narration is growing on me. ?

Thanks for the tips.  We'll be in town for meetings, and typically like to take customers out to cool local places with creative menus. Cvi.che 105 looks amazing.  

Now that is a view!

Off topic, but I'll be staying nearby at the JW Marriott at the end of April, and I'd love to get some recommendations for a nice dinner spot near our hotel.  

VolFanInGa - Hi!  The JW Marriott is a beautiful hotel.  You will love it!  As far as dinner, I guess it depends on what type of food you would like!  In the downtown area, Fratelli Milano has amazing, fresh Italian food.  Cvi.che 105 has some of the freshest ceviche and seafood you could ever have.  Just across the Brickell Bridge (about a two minute Uber ride from your hotel), you have Capital Grille.  It's probably one of the best known restaurants in the area.  Brickell has a ton of really good restaurants.  If you have a couple of hours to spare and want dinner with a view, you can go to Bayside Marketplace.  It's on the bay, and has great shopping and restaurants.  There's a Hard Rock Café, Bubba Gump Shrimp, and many other places to eat.  You can always Google all of these places to see their menus, etc.  If you would like a specific type of food, I'll be more than happy to give you some more suggestions! 

What a crappy port to be left behind in...

What a crappy port to be left behind in...

What a crappy port to be left behind in...

What a crappy port to be left behind in...

What a crappy port to be left behind in...

What a crappy port to be left behind in...

What a crappy port to be left behind in...

What a crappy port to be left behind in...

We sailed on Mariner Jan 30-Feb 4 (our first cruise ever).  We booked an Ocean View (9214) and received the upgrade email.  We bid on an Ocean View Balcony.  Minimum bid $100 and we bid $120.  
 
A week before sailing we received notice that our bid was accepted.  We were put in room 8294.  Starboard side, just forward of the "bulge".  Nice room for our first cruise.
 

When I went with my mom (different last name than me) on a cruise a long time ago, I remember she had a notarized document signed by my dad stating that he knew I was leaving the country, where I was going, when, etc.  I've seen a lot of posts about people having it just in case but normally they weren't asked for it. I don't think they checked on mine either but that was a long time ago.  
If it is a closed loop trip (begin and end in US), chances are slimmer that they ask since you are not leaving the country with a child.  Might also depend on if you have sole legal custody or joint.  But, if you can get it, its better to have it than not as you can be barred access if asked. Not saying for sure, but its possible.  This is a precaution for the company so parents in a squabble for custody don't use the trip as an excuse to run off with the kid.  If the father refuses to sign, you can always get a court order as this is not an unreasonable request.
In addition, always be sure to bring documentation that links you to your child legally with different last names. From RC website:
"Must present child's valid passport and visa (if required) and the child's birth certificate (original, a notarized copy or a certified copy). The name of the parent(s) and the child must be linked through legal documentation." Basically things that show your last name now is in fact the same person as listed as mother on the birth cert.
Sorry you have to deal with this so close to vacation.  My parents split before I was 2 and never got along so I feel your struggle trying to get things done with the other half.
My experience is a decade old so hopefully someone else will come by to confirm or correct anything that may have changed.

Since it seems to come up a lot, and although Twangster's detailed blog is far superior, I thought there may be one or two who might be curious about a recent experience.  I purchased it for my 4-night Mariner of the Seas cruise to Nassau/Coco Cay.  I was a solo traveler and I had a $25 onboard credit, so the price came to $55.  Between Voom and lunch on embarkation day, I'd already gotten my value, so it was really a no-brainer purchase for me.
Embarkation:  They called The Key people with the Pinnacle/Diamond/Diamond Plus members when they opened up the doors.  I suspect they just threw us in with them because it was so early and there were very few people in the terminal yet.
Delivery  of carry on luggage to stateroom:  A few of us wandered around trying to figure out where to drop off our carry on luggage when we first boarded - they were a little behind and didn't have a sign on the theatre door, or anyone in the theatre to take the bags yet.  In about 10 minutes we all figured it out (all 5 of us at that point) and someone did show up to start the process.  Unfortunately that person hadn't been provided with any luggage tags, so anyone who hadn't tagged their luggage had to wait a little while - I had my luggage tag on my one rolling carry on.  They also had business cards with Voom codes on it - but none of them matched the names of anyone who was there, so staff was confused. In the end they just gave us a card for whoever (sorry Adam Davis, or whoever's I had), and we were on our way.  I assume they managed to work it out in the end, but it was never an issue for me.
Lunch at Chops - was a nice treat!
Reserved seating section at shows - I only went to the comedy show really late on Embarkation day and on the last night.  There was a section roped off for The Key next to either higher C&A or suite folks - it really didn't matter at this show because there was really hardly anyone in the theatre.  The first night I sat in The Key section, the last night I sat somewhere else - it didn't matter.  But this is Mariner, not a Quantum or Oasis class ship, so I imagine it would make a difference on one of those ships.
Reserved times for Flow Rider/Rock Climbing Wall/Sky Pad/Perfect Storm - they had at least 2 hours set aside during the week for each activity. They weren't at the most convenient hours, but, at least on my sailing,  it wasn't necessary for a separate time - there was never a line at any of those activities - I never saw more than a few people in line for any of them and most of the time nobody was using them. Apparently this was a "sit by the pool and drink" cruise for folks.
On the 2nd day, I happened to stop by my cabin to pick something up and someone knocked on my door and delivered a fruit plate that was complimentary for The Key people. That was unexpected.
Priority tender - We only tendered at CoCo Cay - I went down to get on the tender about an hour after we anchored and there was a line (not a ridiculous line, but a line as you'd expect there to be).  There was no staff along the line at all to ask about The Key benefit, and I'm just not the type to walk past a bunch of people who are waiting to also get on the tender to get in front of them, so I just got on with everyone else.  I was able to get on the tender right away anyway, probably because I wasn't trying to get on the first tender of the day, so it was just fine with me. I could have been more assertive, but that's just not me. And the ending result would have been exactly the same in this case.
Disembarkation Day - it was nice to have a quiet, unrushed breakfast in the MDR.  It was the only time I'd sat with other people during a meal - almost the only time I'd spoken to any other people all week (I did talk to the iguana and the chickens on CoCo Cay earlier, that's a whole different story #retiredzookeeper) and I did enjoy that.  After breakfast, I ran back up to my room, grabbed my carry on, and went down to Deck 4, where there happened to be a staff member manning the line.  I asked him about The Key disembarkation, and he personally escorted me to the gangway past a long line, which was REALLY nice.
I liked the program, and it was defnintely worth it on a short sailing.  I was getting Voom anyway, and there were just enough things that I was going to enjoy along the way that it made it worth it to me.  I very much doubt that I'll get it on my Ovation sailing to Alaska in June - I will be going with my husband, who has no interest in Voom, and we will be meeting up with old friends, who will not have The Key, so we won't be taking advantage of reserved seating with shows and special times for activities since they won't be able to partake with us during those times. We'll evaluate it again on our Symphony sailing in Feb 2020 - things may have changed with the program, or the hubs may decide he wants internet access, so we'll see then.
Hope this helps someone out there!