Cruises
We love to cruise. For us, there’s something about being on the ship in the ocean that takes us to another place, both physically and mentally. You just embark and enjoy the journey!
We resumed cruising again in May, 2023 and just loved every minute. There is nothing as peaceful as sitting next to window eating lunch or dinner and watching the blue water make gentle waves.
I went on two more cruises in 2023, and started booking more for 2024 on Royal Caribbean.
Ok, I’m officially addicted to cruising!
Why cruise?
Cruising is one of the most affordable vacations you can take. The room, food, entertainment is all taken care of for you.
If you plan far enough in advance, or catch a good deal, you can provide your family with a wonderful vacations at low cost.
Once you decide to cruise, the following steps will help with planning:
- Decide what destinations (ports of call) you want to visit
- Find a ship that will take you there
- Book your cruise
- Look at excursions that are offered
- Select some activities to take part in while on the ship
- Dining
1. Look at what destinations you want to visit and find a port that will visit there. After you pick your port, you can look at all the offerings the cruise ship has.
2. What cities do you want to visit? Is there anything in particular that you want to tour there?
3. You can book your cruise through a travel agent or directly through a cruise line. I prefer to book directly through the cruise line so that way I can make changes myself and not have to call the travel agent to do that.
4. Excursions – There are so many different excursions that you can take. You can book through the ship or book your own.
5. Fun is the name of the game on the ship! Some of the choices are line dancing, country western dancing, napkin folding, trivia, scavenger hunts, karaoke, nightclub, belly flop contest, 70’s night, etc. Or you can just relax and find a quiet corner and read a book. You pick!
6. Dining – there are many dining options. The main dining room, Windjammer (buffet), speciality dining, room service etc.
Let’s look at different aspects of cruising. Here is a link to Royal Caribbean, which is the cruising company we use. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/
Cabins
There are many different types of cabins on a cruise. Types of cabins you can select from are interior, ocean view, balcony and suites. In each category there are varying types of cabins, depending on the ship.
We have stayed in interior rooms, balcony rooms and suites. It all depends on your budget and what price you can get the room for.
Here is a picture of our spacious ocean view balcony cabin.
Different sofa from different ships. Most of the rooms are set up pretty similar, but with different furniture.
Two different bathrooms from different ships. Both are in balcony rooms.
Pictures of our crown loft suite:
We had an upstairs and a downstairs bathroom!
We really enjoyed this suite!
Promenade
The promenade on some ships is a combination gathering place for shopping, eating and socializing. There are different shops and bars on each ship, so you can look around and see what you like.
One of the mainstays is the pizza and snack bar, usually located on the promenade deck. People will get a slice and sit and people watch or maybe play cards or a board game.
Pizza for everyone!
A wide selection of foods to snack on when you are hungry.
Or you can get a delicious frappaccino on the promenade.
Entertainment – Royal Theatre and Ice Skating
There are musical and production shows in the Royal Theatre that are top notch. The singers and dancers are so fantastic. We saw the production Grease and it rivaled the broadway show. The sets, the costumes, the music (a superb orchestra) are just amazing. I can’t believe it’s all included in the price of the cruise!
Band playing in the royal theater:
Some ships have an ice skating rink on it and all the ice shows we have seen have been top notch. I can’t believe the ice skaters can do those lifts and flips on the size of the rink. It is truly incredible to watch.
People sometimes gasp when the ice skaters do back flips, myself included. I always tell people to make sure they take in the ice skating show because it is fantastic.
This ice skating performance was from the Utopia of the Seas. It was fantastic!
They also have free skating at certain times for anyone who wants to ice skate. You just need to take socks and wear long pants. We are not ice skaters so I can say we have never done this. I think there is a wide range of skill levels who partake in the free ice skating sessions.
Other Entertainment
Comedians are very popular on cruise ships. Some of them are really funny and had us laughing so hard. There is a family friendly version and later on in the evening they have an adult version. Both are very funny and we enjoyed both performances.
Once during the family friendly show the comedian paused for a minute or two and we were wondering what he would have said if it was the adult show. I think it would have been pretty funny.
We have seen a magician, juggler, and hypnotist. We just happened to be on the ship they were performing on. Not every cruise has all of these shows, and if there is one of them on your cruise be sure to go and see it. I’m sure you will enjoy it. What a treat to be able to see a different kinds of shows, and it’s all included in the price of the cruise.
Trivia and Games
Royal has several different trivia games throughout the cruise. There is a welcome aboard trivia and a before dinner trivia. Some cruises have speciality trivia games such as Harry Potter, Friends (Central Perk), Game of Thrones, Disney and others. It’s fun to play and if you win, the prize is something special – like a Royal Caribbean highlighter!
They also have sudoko, crossword puzzles, word search and other fun things to do. On one cruise they had charades and on another they had a session on zen coloring.
Most ships have a library where there are books you can borrow. Sometimes they have games (chess, checkers, etc) in there that you can borrow to play. Puzzles may be in the library too.
Pool and Hot Tub
There is usually more than one pool and hot tub available for guests. There are kid areas that are designated for smaller children and then super fun water slides for the older kids. The size and how many pools there are vary by ship, so look at the deck plans to see if the ship you selected has the pool and slides that you want.
The solarium is the adult pool section that is very nice and quiet. Most people find a lounger and start to read a book then doze off and take a quick nap. It’s nice to have an area where there are no children allowed if you want some down time.
Plenty of places to lounge around:
Usually there two hot tubs in the solarium and two or more in the general pool area. The kids love the hot tub and they are constantly packed in the summer months. The pools all have lifeguards and they are easily spotted in their red gear.
There is a belly flop contest that is hilarious. If you get a chance go and watch it because it will make you laugh. Everyone has a good time at this event!
Some ships offer water aerobic classes. Check out your cruise compass to see if your ship has it.
Spa and Gym
The gym is one of the first places Bob looks at when we get on the ship. He likes to see what machines and equipment they have. So far he has not been disappointed in the gym on all the ships we’ve been on. Some ships have a huge gym and others are smaller, it just depends on the size of the space available for a gym. The gym is free to use.
If you are looking to be pampered, look no further. Massages, acupuncture, hair salon, facials etc. Mostly everything a spa has to offer can be found on the ship.
Treat yourself to a hot stone massage, or let your muscles relax and unwind with a deep tissue massage. Prices are reasonable as compared to spas in the US. There is something here for everyone!
Dining Options
Royal Caribbean has three dining options in the Main Dining Room – early seating, late seating and my time dining. Early seating is usually at 5 pm, with late seating at 7:30 pm (varies by ship). If you choose my time dining, you can pick the time you want to dine. Just go to the main dining room on deck 3 and talk to the dining hospitality people. They will assist you in selecting a time each day that is right for you.
If you like white tablecloths and attentive waiters, the main dining room is for you. It’s a three course menu (appetizer, main, dessert) with about five different choices in each category. You can preselect your dining time or pick the My Time dining and set your own time when you are on the ship. The Windjammer is the buffet option and it’s usually open from 5:30-8:30 on most ships. All of this is included in the price of the cruise.
Speciality restaurants are available if you want to treat yourself and not go to the main dining room for dinner. There is Chops Grill, whose speciality is steaks. Some ships have Giovanni’s or Jamie’s, which is Italian cusine, and Izumi, which features sushi. Reservations are required for these restaurants, and they are not included in the price of the cruise.
Windjammer is the buffet option that is located on deck 11. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner and it is a great option if you want a wide variety of choices. You can stay as long as you want or you can just get your food, eat and leave. It’s all up to you and your schedule.
Bars and Drink Packages
There are tons of bars on board the ship! At least two or three on deck 11, which is usually the deck with the pool and solarium. If the ship has a promenade there are two or three bars there, as well as one in the casino. One in the windjammer and usually one on deck 14 (on most ships) where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the ocean. The bars are listed in the cruise compass and are also on the deck maps.
Most ships have these bars on them. There are many more bars on each ship.
There are several different drink packages you can select from. An unlimited alcoholic package, unlimited non-alcoholic drink package, soda package and sometimes they have a cafe coffee card. You can also pay as you go for your drinks if you don’t want to purchase the drink package.
Casino
There is a casino on the ship for people who like to gamble a little (or a lot!). They have table games, black jack and Texas Hold Em as well as roulette and poker. A wide variety of slot machines are also there. Maybe you can find your favorite and hit the jackpot!
Escape Rooms
Do you want a cool adventure with your friends? Try doing the escape room for a bit of fun. It’s a nominal fee and you can see if you can follow the clues and escape within an hour.
Things to do
Are you interested in line dancing, napkin folding, or scavenger hunts? Then you came on the right cruise because these are just some of the activities Royal Caribbean offers to its guests. Each cruise ship has different offerings and it depends on the cruise director.
There is also flowriding (surfing), rock climbing, ping pong etc. So much to choose from!
Towel Animals
What a nice surprise to find a towel animal in your cabin! Room attendants are very creative and leave them in your room. These are some of the towel animals we came home to:
Art Auction
If you are a connoisseur of art, then you will enjoy the variety of prints, painting and lithographs that are offered from the art department on the ship. They have a wide selections of artists, such as Peter Max, Daniel Wall, Thomas Kinkade and more.
Shore Excursions
Royal offers many different types of shore excursions that guests can select. It all depends on what you want to do and the port of call you are docked at. You don’t have to book with the ship, but be careful to be back on board before the ship is sailing away because it will not wait for you if you did not book your excursion with the ship. We usually always book with the ship.
Jewelry and Shopping
What cruise would be complete if there were not some jewelry and shopping available? The jewelry stores sometimes gives away free rope bracelets, and they have drawings several times per cruise for you to win a piece of jewelry or a gift certificate. There is also bottles of alcohol (given to you in your room on the last day of sailing), snacks, clothes, hats, sunglasses, purses, Royal Caribbean merchandise, etc. There is something for everyone
Internet
You can purchase the internet for as many as 4 devices per person. This allows you to connect with your loved ones back home. If you don’t purchases the internet, they also have a messenger within the Royal app for you to connect with your family and friends who are cruising with you.
Searching for ducks
Hiding and looking for ducks has become a fun activity on cruise ships. Guests can bring small ducks (even tiny ones) and hide them all around the ships (with the exception of the pool areas and shops) for other guests to find. If you find one, you can keep it for yourself or re-hide it for someone else to find.
We have really enjoyed hiding and finding ducks. People have gotten very creative in places to hide ducks.
It’s fun to hide ducks and sometimes you can see when a child finds your duck and has a huge smile on their face!
Decorating your door
One of the fun things to do on board is to decorate your stateroom door. The door and the walls inside your room are metal and you can order magnetic stickers for the door. Here is what I did on my last cruise:
Holiday on the Ship
We were fortunate enough to take a cruise during December and Royal really went all out for Christmas. They had a huge Christmas tree set up in the promenade and had a tree lighting ceremony scheduled.
It was a festive event and Santa even showed up! He sang Christmas carols on the balcony with the Royal singers.
There is even a letter box for kids to write letters to Santa. Stationary is provided. The box is located at guest services.
In the Windjammer buffet restaurant, the talented chefs created this beautiful gingerbread display.
In Conclusion
We have cruised on Carnival, NCL and Royal Caribbean before. Our cruise company of choice now is Royal Caribbean because of all the benefits we get because of our status. This post is about our experience with Royal Caribbean ships. (Note: this is not a plug for Royal Caribbean. We are receiving no compensation from them. It’s my opinion and observations).
There are so many things to see and you, you cannot possibly get bored. They have a daily calendar of events and you can select what you want to do and put it in my calendar. Royal Caribbean has an app that we use all the time. This makes things easier for you and you can just look in your calendar to see what you have planned for yourself that day. Or you can plan nothing and just relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the ocean. It’s up to you.
There is so much more to say that I am doing a second cruise post. Look for it a few months!
I’ll leave you today with a picture of a beautiful sunset taken from our balcony.
