Have you ever been on a cruise?
I know every time I ask this question I get a varied list of answers:
- "I'm afraid to get on a boat"
- "You know I would love to go but I don't have anyone to go with me"
- "I have always thought about going but just have not had a chance"
You know what my answer always is…
"You've just got to go!"
We love cruising. Our first cruise was on our honeymoon 12 years ago, and we have been hooked ever since. Why? It's one of the best values and ways to see and do the most stuff while on vacation, or you can relax and do nothing...it really is your choice.
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| Chillin in Haiti |
When you get on the ship
(not boat), you don't have to worry about where to eat, transportation, or about what to do next. Cruise ships have multiple restaurants, casinos, spas, jazz clubs, dance clubs, movie theaters, rock climbing, basketball courts, ice skating, surfing, mini golf,...should I keep going? I am sure you get the point, there is something for everyone. To add icing to the cake, you can do all these things as you visit great ports of call like: the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Hawaii….the possibilities are endless.
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| Scuba in Mexico |
We are great fans of Royal Caribbean (RC). We've been on four cruises with RC and they have gotten better each time.
When we heard the largest cruise ship in the world would be sailing out of Port Everglades, Florida we knew we had to get on it. Welcome Allure of the Seas! Our itinerary was Cozumel- Mexico, Labadee - Haiti, and Falmouth - Jamaica.
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| 1970's Parade |
We made it to the port and entered the ship with much anticipation. We entered on Deck 5 - The Royal Promenade, a huge area in the middle of the ship filled with shops, clubs, sidewalk dining, bars, lounges, shopping and people walking around as if you are at your neighborhood mall...a
very big neighborhood mall. They actually have two character (themed) parades.
After seeing this, we could not wait to see what the stateroom would look like, and we were pleasantly surprised. Since we have earned Gold status with Royal Caribbean, we were upgraded to a stateroom with a view of Central Park!
The room was tight but very functional, We had a queen size bed, sofa with coffee table, 32" flatscreen TV and wait…is that a veranda? The most beautiful view of Royal Caribbean's Central Park neighborhood. As we stepped onto the veranda, which is separated from the stateroom next to us with tall privacy walls, we saw trees and park benches and people strolling in and out of more restaurants and shops.
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| View from our state room |
We quickly got out of our stateroom and headed down to the Ice Skating Rink on the 4th floor…yes I said the ice skating rink, one of the locations where reservations could be made for the myriad of shows being featured that week on the ship. The Oasis class ships are the first cruise ships to offer actual Broadway shows at sea. All cruise lines conduct "Broadway-style" shows of their own, but Royal Caribbean has changed the game by offering actual Broadway productions.
The ship was filled with activities that David and I enjoyed. If I could not find David I knew exactly where to go: The FlowRider, this spot became his second home for the next seven days.
I zip lined across the ship nine decks high, we saw shows, rode the Carousel, ate hot dogs and ice cream in freshly made waffle cones on the Boardwalk...remember we are on the ship, not ashore at one of the ports of call! We participated in the parades, danced, enjoyed comedy shows, toured the islands and ate food that would rival any five star restaurant. The destinations were unique and showed us the beauty of the Caribbean and its wonderful people.
The Smith List top 5 reasons you should cruise:
5. Year round availability - Cruise any time of the year! The Caribbean is the destination of most cruise lines, and it's always warm and sunny down there so even when it's 30 degrees in the states, it's 80 degrees in the Bahamas, Mexico, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Puerto Rico or many of the other great ports of call.
4. See the world - literally! With ports of call in the Mediterranean, Hawaii, Caribbean, Europe and so much more. You decide where you want to go and what you want to see.
3. Something for the whole family - kids want to go to the Boardwalk and get their faces painted and you want to go to the Casino? Yeah you can do that, and the kids club can take them for you!
2. Simplicity: Easy to book either through a travel agent, a Royal Caribbean agent, or online.
1. Bang for your buck
Fine dining at it's best, the most affordable way to see the world, great accommodations, friendly staff and attention to detail at less than $100.00 a day, per person. You can't beat a cruise with a stick!
Tell us about your cruise experience!
