I’ve discovered the perfect family vacation. It’s one I never thought I’d do and now that I’ve done it, I’m in love. The perfect family vacation is a cruise with Royal Caribbean. I have a few confessions to make though because I, like some of you may be, was a reluctant cruiser. I never had an overwhelming desire to go on a cruise. Don’t get me wrong, I’d heard great things about cruises and have a lot of friends that have taken them. It just never seemed like something I’d want to do. I’m here to tell you that after spending 7 nights on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas on a Western Caribbean cruise, I’m hooked. For life.
Confession 1: I thought the ship would seem crowded with long lines for everything. So not true. The Allure of the Seas, in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class of ships, is the 2nd largest cruise ship in the world. But only by a foot (so yes, my kids now feel the need to go on Harmony of the Seas, the largest ship in the world because 2nd just isn’t good enough). With the ability to hold over 7,000 guests to say this ship is massive is an understatement. I mean that’s a lot of people to get on and off a boat and in and out of restaurants.
Of course we were the last to board the day of our departure so we had no lines to wait in (Not by choice; we had the perfect storm of flight trouble, which also taught us two valuable lesson-always arrive the night before your cruise is departing and pack enough essentials in your carry-on to get you through a few days at sea.) While we did miss the initial boarding lines at Port Canaveral, FL, the rest of the week, and even disembarking, never felt crowded with long lines to wait in. Kind of a remarkable feat that the Allure of the Seas was at full capacity for our sailing and I could never have guessed it. I’m going to have to do a behind-the-scenes tour next cruise because it’s amazing how something with the population of a small town can run so smoothly.
And parents, don’t dismay. If you need a little time off from parenting so you can enjoy the casino or take in a late night show, Royal Caribbean offers the award-winning Adventure Ocean Youth Program. There are drop-off programs for kids of all ages and all hours of the day. No, really. Drop-off begins in the morning and they have a late night zone going until 2 am! I’ve heard that kids love staying out late so much that parents can’t even stay awake to pick them up and have to set an alarm clock to wake up by 2 am to retrieve them. Adventure Ocean also offers family programming so if you need to take a break from the sun there are plenty of “indoor” options the whole family will enjoy, like our new favorite Muffalo Potato.
Royal Caribbean offers shore excursions, or activities and day trips, in each port of call. Guests can choose what type of adventure they wish to have, or not have (lying on the beach or staying on board the ship all day and doing nothing is perfectly acceptable behavior). My recommendation, though, is to try a variety of new things! We can now say we’ve ridden a roller coaster in Haiti, went tubing in Jamaica, made chocolate and piñatas and met a pelican in Mexico.
Our first port of call was Labadee, Haiti, which is an area of Haiti owned by Royal Caribbean. My youngest was a bit sad because he didn’t weigh enough to do the Dragon’s Breath Flight Line, you have to be 75 lbs so you don’t get stuck in the middle (I may have been secretly happy because scary!). We did get to check out the Dragon’s Tail Coaster, though. The views were spectacular and we loved being able to control our speed so we could slow down a little and take it all in. My youngest also admitted that after riding the mountain coaster he wasn’t nearly as bummed he didn’t get to do the zip line so this is a great alternative activity for younger kids.
Our last port of call was Cozumel, Mexico, and we took a break from the sun for the first part of the day (our sunburned skin said a big thank you to this one!) to get a taste of Mexican tradition and culture by enjoying a chocolate and piñata seaside workshop. For me, besides the chocolate tasting, the fun came from working together with my kids. We lead such busy lives and I am so glad that being on vacation gives us a chance to do things like this together. I will also say that our chocolate and piñatas turned out pretty spectacular.
Of course, no trip to Cozumel is complete without heading to the beach, and Playa Mia is the perfect choice for families, offering a beach, water park and tons of activities all rolled into one gorgeous location. Playa Mia offers snorkeling trips but we opted to rent the gear and snorkel right off the beach. While it was hard to make out the words “mom look” from the snorkel mask, the frantic pointing while we snorkeled let me know my boys loved all there was to see underwater.
It is also at Playa Mia that we met a pelican. Señor Pelican came swooping down just a few feet from us in the water to grab himself a tasty little fish snack. I’ve always loved pelicans but seeing one this up close? Wow is all I can say. This was definitely one of those, “Is this really happening moments?” that I know none of us will soon forget.
Confession 4: We are ready to book our next cruise. We all fell head over heels in love with Royal Caribbean, Allure of the Seas and cruise life. Every aspect of the cruise was perfection. As a busy mom working full-time and raising two active boys, the ability to unplug, relax and have everything at my fingertips, from endless activities (there is no “mom, I’m bored” on board), to great food all hours of the day, to sunsets you only dream about, was idyllic. For my boys, watching their excitement as we explored Allure of the Seas and all she has to offer, and then immersing ourselves in the culture of different countries is something I cherish. This is what vacationing and travel are all about; the opportunity to explore the world, experience new things and spend time together as a family. Wanting to book our next cruise is a no-brainer. The hard part is deciding where we want to go next.
One last confession: We also fell in love with our room attendant who took such good care of us during the week. I mean what’s not to love about returning to your room after a full day to find an elephant, bat, and sting ray?
Proof that no detail is too small and no guest not important. Hmmm…kind of makes you feel like royalty…
The writer and her family were guests of Royal Caribbean. Accommodations, most meals and most activities were complimentary. No other compensation was received in consideration of this article and all opinions are that of the writer.
