Royal Caribbean Cruise

Our favorite family vacation so far was exploring the Caribbean Sea on a 5 night cruise. For a crew that loves the sun, sand and ocean – this was literally the perfect getaway. My water babies were in paradise, and it brought me and their dad so much joy to watch their spirits ignite in a whole new way. I was 21 weeks pregnant at that time, so we rushed out to embark on our last trip as a family of four while still abiding by the cruise line’s policy that prohibits travel past 24 weeks gestation. I brought along a letter from my midwife confirming that I was low risk, healthy, and approved to go have fun!

The chance to get away from our daily routine of work, school, sports and home was much needed for my body and mind. Some couples are happy with time apart and focus on self, pursuing independent activities. We are not those couples, lol! The best part of this trip was the fact that all four of us were together every minute, 24 hours of the day, for a whole week. We truly could have sailed around the sea aimlessly and been totally satisfied soaking in each others’ presence and reconnecting our hearts. As life progresses and we get busier and pulled in different directions, it’s important to keep the focus on time together. Prioritizing the love of your family will bless you for years and years to come! So eating every meal together, sleeping in close quarters, sharing one bathroom, sitting on our balcony in each others’ laps, and exploring the islands hand in hand was an incredible experience.

• 

• 

• 

• 

We sailed out of Tampa, Florida, spent two days at sea, disembarked in Grand Cayman and Mexico, before heading back to port in Florida. I have my hopes on an Eastern Caribbean cruise next (with a few more stops preferably!), but this was all the budget allowed for our first big trip. A cruise doesn’t have to be expensive, and I’ll note some ways to save money below. We are thankful for the opportunity, and it was the perfect amount of time away. We have two big dogs who stayed with my mother-in-law, and they were ready for their family to return ASAP! Our boys missed a few days of school, their dad and I missed work, but I think it’s important to travel and experience new places. This can really help to develop well rounded, culturally accepting kids.

I purchased our passes during Royal Caribbean’s buy one, get 60% off the second passenger, plus kids sail free offering. This promo is not always active, so follow them on Facebook or sign up for their emails to be notified when planning your next cruise. I also have the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi that offers 3% back on travel. If you’re a Costco member and book through their website, take advantage of additional store credit that comes with your reservation. Most cruise sites require an initial deposit, then allow you to pay the remaining balance in further installments as your departure date gets closer. I also want to thank my sweet mom who travels for work and has more free flight miles than she can use for covering our flights from Birmingham to Tampa. This helped us out a lot!

We sailed on the Brilliance of the Seas, and stayed in a balcony room on the 9th level. The easiest way to save money is booking an interior room or ocean view room with a small window. This was a special trip for us, and knowing how much my kids love the sea I prioritized the extra money to book a balcony room. My youngest son is slightly claustrophobic, so he hates elevators and tight enclosures. I didn’t want him to be uncomfortable or feel trapped and not sleep well or fully enjoy the trip. My oldest son is called to the ocean (our male “Moana”) and he would literally take a blanket and pillow on the balcony to fall asleep each night. He would also wake up before everyone else and be sitting quietly, staring at the waves, to start his mornings. Allowing him to embrace those moments was worth every penny to me. There are sound machines in all bedrooms at our house, and we fall asleep to ‘fake’ ocean waves every night. Being able to open our balcony door and fall asleep to ‘real’ ocean waves was so wonderful.

The ship we sailed on was a little bit older, but still nicely updated and very clean. The most important amenity for my boys who love sports was a basketball court. They spent time playing ball each day, and also connected with other kids from both Greece and Spain who were awesome soccer (futbal) players. Watching them run and compete with ocean wind blowing their hair and the vast sea in the background was absolutely beautiful. It also gave them and their dad a chance to get some energy out on days where we didn’t leave the ship.

• 

• 

• 

• 

They enjoyed the pools, hot tub, water slide, rock climbing wall, mini golf and arcade. We didn’t utilize the ship’s Adventure Ocean Kids Program, as we go on vacations to spend all our time with each other, but I did read great things about it for families looking to get childcare when needed. As a disclaimer, we are not that group who goes to shows or dresses up for dinner. We made it to the main dining area twice, but were usually in the pool or piled up in our bed napping at the scheduled time. They do offer “My Time Dining,” where you call in advance to reserve a time frame based on your daily activities, but I would forget to call until it was late and then we just headed to the buffet or grabbed pizza on the deck. They also play a movie on the big screen by the pool each night, and we really liked floating around or snuggling up on pool chairs together.

• 

• 

Their dad and I don’t drink alcohol or soda, so we didn’t buy any beverage packages, but definitely look into that to save money if you do. My main tip is to bring snacks and drinks for your room so you don’t have to find an open spot every time someone gets hungry. We went through our fruit and pretzels fast! Also, plan to purchase the WiFi package ahead of time and avoid up charges once you get out to sea. When we docked in Mexico, we were next to a newer fancy ship with zip lines, crazy winding slides and lots of lights and glam. My boys (and myself, to be honest) were totally captivated and they asked to go on that one next time. It looked amazing if your budget can handle it, but we were grateful for where God blessed us to be at this point in our lives.

I spent so, so much time on Cruise Critic reading reviews and looking at pictures. I loved hearing about other families’ experiences and appreciated all the advice about what excursions were worth it and which islands offered the best activities. As a kid, all I did was pack some swim suits and head out when we went on a cruise. I had no idea the amount of research that’s necessary to take full advantage of your trip and not miss out on any fun or unique experiences. I’m definitely thankful for the internet and love how easy it is to get details, find tips for saving money and prepare ahead of time so you know what to expect and what to bring with you.

Our first port of call on day three of the trip was George Town, Grand Cayman. It is an absolutely beautiful island! We could have spent at least a week there exploring and taking in the views. The largest of a group of three, just south of Cuba, Grand Cayman is bordered by a deep oceanic trench. This allows for breathtaking diving opportunities in the shallow barrier reefs above the abyss. A shuttle picked us up from the dock and took us out on the water for a half-day chartered Catamaran Excursion. The link provides details on pricing and availability, but I found this through Cruise Critic as the best value for the most activities.

• 

• 

The first stop was snorkeling at the coral gardens on the south side of the island. The boat provided snorkeling gear and our babies were quick to jump off into the sparkling waters. The visibility was great and we loved the beautiful marine life surrounding us. There were a good amount of waves, so not your typical ‘float around peacefully’ snorkeling. It worked great for adventurous little swimmers like we have.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The boat’s second stop was the Stingray City Sandbar. This is a shallow area where stingrays congregate and are familiar with human interaction. Reviews say this area can get pretty crowded in peak tourist season, but our trip during January meant only three or four boats were stopped nearby. The captain provided squid for feeding, and held one up for us to touch and observe. Our boys’ favorite part was swimming around off to the side and interacting with the stingrays. It was such a cool experience to see them glide all around you, smooth and silent. They are definitely amazing creatures.

• 

• 

After a while at this spot, the tour moved on to Starfish Point. This was our first time seeing wild starfish in their natural habitat, and it was really neat to learn about them and watch how they move. Our captain also did a great job educating everyone on how to safely touch them so they were not harmed or disturbed. We spent a little time snorkeling here, looking at shells and walking along the shoreline together before heading back to shore. The catamaran provided filtered water for drinking and some relaxing reggae music. Each of the boys got a turn driving the boat as well.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The cruise ship departed at 3:30, so we had an hour to walk around town. We ended up at the local library and spent some time there reading and talking with residents of the island. The librarian gave Robby a free book to take home as a souvenir. We followed some ‘wild’ chickens around town and took in the sights at a relaxing fountain until it was time to board and sail out.

• 

• 

The second port of call on day four of our cruise was Cozumel, Mexico – an island and municipality in the state of Quintana Roo. From the dock, we walked into town a little and took a ten minute taxi ride to Chankanaab National Park. The taxis waiting at the dock will charge more than those a slightly further out. I did lots of research on Trip Advisor to help plan on our day in Cozumel, and the time flew by as we had tons of fun exploring all this beautiful island had to offer. You can almost always save money by booking excursions ahead of time online, rather than going through the ship’s excursion office. I was able to request a discount using the chat feature and received 35% off our admission and activities.

Trent has dreamed about swimming with dolphins since he was little, and talked about it before knowing it was a feasible opportunity. While his ideal experience would be interacting with them in the wild, I looked into the options provided on the cruise in great depth. Reviews mentioned that the dolphin discovery tour in the Cayman Islands took place in a manufactured pool offshore, so I wanted to make sure we were actually in the Caribbean Sea. This is a fairly expensive activity, but the funds help support dolphin research and preservation, and it’s absolutely a memorable adventure. They don’t allow you to take pictures, and their packages are super marked up, but they know people will pay to have the keepsakes once they go home. Robby barely met their age/height requirements, and I was glad he’s a great swimmer because the water is deep and you have to be able to move around comfortably and work with the dolphins. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and it was easy to see that she loved the animals. We were all four on cloud nine after this experience, and are so thankful for the chance to swim and interact with such majestic creatures.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

A free buffet lunch is included with admission to the park, and they provide lockers for bags and towels. After the dolphin discovery we caught the sea lion show, which was amazing. We’ve seen shows at the zoo and aquarium before, but these guys were on another level. They also have huge iguanas walking around, which may have been Trent’s favorite part of the day. There are beautiful beaches and pools, and we didn’t have time to go snorkeling, but it looked amazing. The boys took pictures with some sweet tropical birds and we got virgin drinks hand made by a very talented bartender. They also have neat booths with vibrant, colorful keepsakes that we enjoyed checking out.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Our last activity at Chankanaab was the Xtrem Park Zip Line excursion. The boys absolutely LOVED it! I only purchased tickets for the Kids Special Package since I was unable to participate while pregnant. O’Bryan and I were a little worried about not going up with them, but the guides did a great job keeping us informed of their progress and assured of the boys’ safety. They climbed a rock wall, walked two suspended bridges over the crocodile swamp, explored through tropical treetops, and flew three towers of zip lines (about 35 minutes of time in the air). The last run was over a beautiful lagoon, and they even sent Robby upside down for more excitement. They enjoyed it so much we tried to purchase tickets to go again, but they were getting ready to close at that point.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We spent our last few minutes walking along the beach and exploring off the path a little. A quick taxi ride brought us back to the port, and our driver gave the boys some change in pesos for keepsakes. There are tons of booths set up for shopping, and we practiced our negotiating skills to get good deals on a really cool tribal mask and small guitar. The ship didn’t leave until 7:30pm, so we enjoyed extra time walking around the island together.

One more full day at sea was spent taking in the amenities of the ship and embracing family bonding opportunities. Again, we were usually either playing soccer on the top deck or staring at the ocean waves on our balcony. This was the perfect first cruise for us, because we were able to see and do a lot of different things in a short amount of time. We gained experience for future vacations and got to touch our toes on two new islands. I’m thankful and grateful for every moment spent exploring God’s creation. The sea is our happy place forever!