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Showing posts with the label Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

RCCL Independence of the Seas: Day 1

Welcome aboard!  It's been many moons since we were last able to sail and I was so excited to be invited to be a part of the Independence of the Seas Simulation Cruise from Galveston, TX this week.  These simulation cruises are a way for Royal Caribbean to test out their new health and safety protocols for return to sailings.  Each day I will try to give you a little recap of all we have been able to experience and how things are going on board as the ships return to operation. We arrived in Houston last night and drove the remaining 45 minutes to Galveston this morning.  After a little confusion with where to park (much of the Port is still closed) we were walking into Terminal 2 at the Port of Galveston at 11:02am for our 11am boarding time.  Boarding times are extra important to ensure crowds are managed through the health screening and security process.  It was a breeze for us and within 15 minutes we were walking onto the ship. We have a Spacious Oceanview Balcony stateroom on

10 Things Carnival Has Over Royal Caribbean

Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines are known for their exciting, family-friendly vacations, popularity, and affordability. I am a loyal Carnival passenger, but when Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay opened, I just had to check it out.  Carnival and Royal docked in Nassau Royal Caribbean is an amazing cruise line, with some of the best on-board sports activities and technology, but these are the differences that I only realized after cruising on both cruise lines last year. Carnival Sunrise in Brooklyn We sailed on a 4-Night Bahamian cruise on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas in February 2020 (right before the shutdown). It departed from Port Canaveral with two stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay, and one stop in Nassau. RC's Navigator and Mariner of the Seas 10 reasons Carnival wins me over: 1. The Staterooms:  On the Mariner, I had a standard inside stateroom. There was a mirror on every wall, including behind the bed. The décor looked outdated with dar

Jamie's Italian on Symphony of the Seas

Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver is a Specialty Dining option on numerous Royal Caribbean Cruise ships.  It is a prix fixe price and open for lunch (on select days) and dinner. For this review, we dined on the Symphony of the Seas.  This restaurant is very approachable for all types of travel parties as the menu has some upscale items for the adventurous, but also has pasta which is a pretty well loved type of food and a kids menu if requested. On Symphony of the Seas, Jamie's is located in Central Park on Deck 8, which was personally one of my favorite places on the ship overall.  Seeing the living greenery at sea was so neat and it was a peaceful stroll throughout the day. The restaurant is listed as casual, but we didn't feel out of place in a sports coat and dress for our visit. We had made a reservation earlier that day and had no wait for our table when we arrived. Once we got settled in, we reviewed the menu and mostly listened to recommendations from our serve

Photo Tour: Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas

Looking to get a little more familiar with the Symphony of the Seas ship? Here is a photo tour of the ship, the neighborhoods, the entertainment and the food! The Ship: the biggest there is! The Rooms: Oceanview Balcony Art & Decor: fun and modern. Pool Deck: lots of loungers and sunshine with numerous pools and slides around. The Boardwalk: fun and games for all ages. Central Park: greenery at sea! Royal Promenade: shopping, dining, and lounges abound. Entertainment: a variety of shows with extremely talented casts and a casino. The Spa: relaxation at its finest. Dining & Food: so many choices, so little time.  Delicious! Perfect Day at Coco Cay: Royal Caribbean's private island. What do you think?  What part of the ship will you be hanging out in all the time?  For us it was Central Park and the Solarium (pool deck).  Let us know in the comments below!