A week ago today, I was on my fourth load of post-cruise laundry. Miles was headed to work and spending the weekend dog-sitting for friends. The weather was much like today-rainy-and the grass was looking like a jungle. We needed groceries and a few home-cooked meals after days of all the food you could eat. Isaac was getting ready to head to Lexington to celebrate McKayla's birthday with her. Life had settled back into our everyday routine of normal. I think that's what make a vacation so special - it gives us something to look forward to and teaches us to be grateful for the times we get to spend with our kids. For us these days, that doesn't happen all that often.
COVID disrupted the first family cruise we had planned together. After sailing on Utopia of the Seas last summer with our friends, I knew I wanted our kids to experience that same kind of vacation. Miles was fortunate enough to go on a cruise last spring, but I was excited that this time our whole family would get to experience it together. We started our planning last Christmas and secured the 8th floor which is the same place we'd stayed last year BUT with adjoining rooms and balconies. It was perfect!
I can't say enough great things about Home2 Suites by Hilton on International Drive in Orlando. Since we wanted to fly in the day before our cruise, we needed a hotel for the night. I had accumulated enough Hilton Honors points to book our room completely free. Our plan was to catch a shuttle from the airport to the hotel which Home2 Suites provided complimentary. However, they also provided free transportation to areas around the hotel which included tons of food options and shopping. The area is walkable, and we did that some as well because waiting for the shuttle sometimes took longer than walking to where you wanted to go. But it was HOT and the weather always looked unpredictable. Because we arrived at our hotel early, the room wasn't ready so we decided to have the shuttle take us over to Cracker Barrel where we ate a big brunch and then did some shopping.
When we got back to the hotel, the room was ready. We all wanted to crash, but I was too restless so I headed down to the pool. This is where I met the sweetest family which as it turned out, was going on the same cruise as us. It didn't take long for Matt to come down. It's hard to unwind, and we were both excited about spending time together with our kids who eventually came down too. We ate Jersey Mikes for dinner and also had some Coldstone Creamery before turning in.
The next morning's agenda consisted of eating the free breakfast at the hotel, catching a Lyft to Port Canaveral, and boarding the ship as early as possible. Our boarding time was 11:30 a.m., but passengers can usually board as early as 10:30 a.m. which we did!
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| Matt and Miles checking out the gym on Utopia. |
You have to pack a small bag when you board early because your cabin isn't ready. The stewards take your luggage directly to your room which you can usually get in around 1PM. We got our wifi set up, did some exploring of the ship, and changed into our swim suits, and headed to the pool which was not crowded at all. In fact, Miles and I did a couple of the water slides because the wait was super short. We had some drinks, ate some food, and participated in launch party which is a giant dance/pool party when the ship takes off!
After our cabins were ready, we headed back to shower and get ready for dinner. We had selected My Time Dining, which means you aren't assigned a specific dinner time and can eat whenever it works best for you. When we arrived around 6:30 p.m., we were surprised. Instead of waiting in line, we were escorted to a special dining section and told it was a "privilege" reserved for guests who consistently arrived around that time. They explained that if we continued coming at 6:30 each evening, we could skip the lines and head straight to our table for dinner. It sounded like a great plan for us!
My stomach is usually a wreck on vacations, but it doesn't stop me from eating everything! Cruise dinners and breakfasts are my favorite, especially in the formal dining room. There is so much to choose from, and while it's not the best meal you've ever had, it's decent considering the amount of people they have to feed daily. Our waiters, Dhiraj and Andra, were two of the sweetest people we met on the cruise. Dhiraj was always smiling and enthusiastic about the menu, and loved surprising us with things - like an anniversary dessert with the staff singing to Matt and I, or specially prepared steaks. Their kindness always made us feel special. After dinner that night, we enjoyed the Ice Skating show.
Matt and I learned our lesson last year about the Windjammer and avoided it all costs. I'm sure the food was/is great, but the crowd is nuts and something we wanted to avoid. We enjoyed breakfast in the main dining room every morning, and Karson joined us each day. It was a much more relaxed way to start the day, and breakfast is made to order. We usually brought the boys back something as well - cinnamon rolls for Isaac and pancakes and bacon for Miles.
Our first port of call was the Bahamas. We'd planned an excursion that day, which we hadn't done last year. The plan was for Miles and I to go to Pearl Island Beach and for Matt, Karson and Isaac to go to the same place but with added snorkeling option. Lunch was provided on the island - it sounded fun. What I didn't anticipate was how long it would take to coordinate and organize the shuttle transportation. The boat ride took forever and was hot. The food was okay, and the area was a little run down. Karson, Isaac and Matt enjoyed the snorkeling and saw some neat things. Miles and I got in the ocean and chilled uner an umbrella. Overall I think it was a fun experience, but I wouldn't recommend it or choose to do it again. There is plenty to do walking around the Bahamas, visiting the shops, and seeing the sights. The ship is also less crowded which makes it enjoyable too.
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| The kids got a picture with the Carnival cruise ship famous for the documentary The Poop Cruise.
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Once we got back on the ship and cooled down, we got ready for dinner. We were supposed to go to another show but after a hot, long day, none of us had the energy or desire to do that. Matt and Miles went to the Promenade and ate pizza, went to the 70's/80's dance party and then headed to the night club (which was also at the ice skating rink). They had some funny stories to share later that night.
The next morning, we arrived at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas. Lunch is included on the island, making it easy to spend the day there. It's a beautiful beach where you can relax in a lounge chair, read, play games if you want (Miles enjoyed ping pong and pickleball) and swim in the ocean.
That night, we went to the Aqua80s show, and it was amazing the second time around for us! The acrobatics, diving, music, and overall production is a must see, and I believe the choreography was different this go around because there was quite a bit I don't remember from last year.
What made it an even more memorable show was the atmosphere. The AquaTheater is located on the same deck where people watch sporting events (there's a big sports bar on this deck), and the USA World Cup match was taking place at the same time as our show. There was a lot of excitement and overall energy especially when the USA won the match!
The next and final full day on the ship was a sea day. There's no rush to get off the ship or stick to a schedule, which is nice. You simply get to enjoy everything the ship has to offer. This was our second time on Utopia, and I still don't think Matt and I have experienced everything there is to do. It's amazing how much there is packed into one ship.
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Isaac running the chess table on our deck! He played quite a few opponents during the week!
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Miles wanted some Utopia T-shirts, knowing they'd go on sale the last day of the cruise 2 for $30. Once they snagged a couple, he and Matt proudly wore their new shirts. We wanted to coordinate the 4th of July with some festive outfits. I did my best to coordinate outfits during our cruise. The kids were good sports about it which I appreciated.
That night we wrapped the evening with a comedy show. Me, Matt and Miles were the only ones that went. Karson and Isaac wanted to go back to the room and chill. We got all our stuff packed up and ready to go. The next morning, we weren't in a rush to leave because we had a flight later in the afternoon. We did take advantage of the dining room breakfast one last time.
We left the ship, grabbed an Uber to the airport, and prepared for a long wait before our flight. Thankfully, Orlando's airport is one of the nicest I've ever been to, so spending several hours there wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.
Nashville welcomed us home with sheets of rain and storms (YAY), which actually delayed our landing. It also made for a long drive home. And just like that, we were unpacking suitcases, doing laundry, and settling back into routine! And here we are, one week later.
The cruise went by in the blink of an eye. I'm grateful for a special trip with my family, and I'm excited about our next adventure. We're thinking a fall trip to Destin might be necessary!
