Day 4: On Tuesday I woke up to a call telling me that my room service breakfast was on its way. I would have liked to eat out on my balcony, but I ended up eating in my room because we were having really dreary and rainy weather. After eating I decided that instead of heading to the island right away like I thought I would, I would head to the casino and wait out the weather. I did pretty good on the slot machines and broke even after a couple of hours. After I finished at the casino the weather had cleared up some so I decided to take the tender boat to the island. I got a frozen drink, put my feet in the water, ate at the buffet, and then bought some souvenirs before heading back to the ship. Pretty much everything I had hoped to do! When I got back to the ship I wanted to get in the pool, so I changed into my bathing suit and went upstairs to the pool deck. I wasn't up there for long before I started to feel like I could use a nap, probably from all the food I ate at the buffet! I slept for an hour or two and then it was time to shower and get ready for the formal dinner. Tonight I got a table by myself and had some really good food! After dinner I headed to the top deck to watch the sunset. I met a nice guy who was also watching the sunset. We talked for a while and then met up an hour later at the R Bar in the Centrum. They were having a 70's disco party in the Centrum, complete with lots flying of balloons, the Village People, and a conga line! When I returned to my room I had a towel elephant waiting for me. Up next…Nassau, Bahamas!
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On Monday morning I woke up at my hotel by the port and got ready to get on the ship. I walked to the restaurant next door and got breakfast before waiting for my taxi driver to show up. He ended up being early so we headed to port ahead of schedule. The drive only took about five or ten minutes, so I didn't have to wait long for my first glance at the ship. I was very impressed by the whole embarkation process at Port Canaveral. It only took a quick minute to get a spot at the curb for the taxi to drop me off and there was a porter waiting right there ready to take my suitcase. I walked into the terminal and was directed to get in the line for people staying in suites (one of the perks of being in a Junior Suite). There was one couple ahead of me so I got called up to the counter in a few short minutes. After checking in I was ushered into the sitting area for suite guests. Almost as soon as I sat down we were able to get up and get in line for the ship. I set foot on the ship about 20 minutes after arriving at the port, which was a million times quicker than my only other embarkation experience at Port Everglades! Barely anyone was on the ship when I got on so I took the opportunity to take a bunch of pictures right away before there were too many people around. At about 1:30 the rooms were ready so I went to go check out my cabin. I had looked up pictures online before leaving for the cruise, so I had an idea of what to expect but was still anxious to see it in person. The room did not disappoint, especially the balcony! The muster drill was right on schedule and pretty painless. I had planned on watching the sail away from the top deck but it started raining and I decided I would watch it from my covered balcony instead. I got my suitcase shortly after sail away, so I unpacked and then got dressed for dinner. It wasn't time for dinner yet so I went to the casino for a few minutes. I wasn't doing really well on the slots, so I stopped and went to the dining room. I asked if they could seat me at a table by myself and they said I would have to wait until 7:45, which was two hours later! So I ended up sitting at a table of people who didn't know each other. Everyone was nice and dinner was fast, so it ended up not being a big deal. When I left I made sure to get a reservation for the next night at a table for one. It was nice meeting the people at dinner but not as relaxing as I had hoped! After dinner I went to the welcome aboard show and then went back to the casino for a little bit. I started to get tired so I went back to my room and showered. I packed my bag for my beach day the next day and then ordered a room service snack before going to bed. I went to sleep pretty early in hopes of being rested up for a busy next day. Coming up tomorrow…a port day at CocoCay, Bahamas!
Day 2: I woke up bright and early at 6am on Sunday morning and got ready to go to Universal Studios. Because I was staying at one of the resorts on the park's property I was able to get into the park one hour before it opened. I got on the shuttle at 7am, which took me straight to the entrance to Universal's City Walk. One of my only complaints about Universal is that there is not a lot of signage to tell you where to go. So I followed the few people that were in the park in hopes that they knew where they were going! Soon enough I saw the entrance to Universal Studios and continued to follow people until we got to the entrance to Diagon Alley for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I walked through the brick wall and was amazed that the park looked exactly like I had imagined while reading the books. I took a few minutes to wander around and check out the sights and of course take a bunch of pictures. After wandering around for a little bit I put my stuff in a free locker and got in line for the ride at Gringotts, called Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. I wish I would have been able to have my camera with me so I could take pictures inside because it was so cool to see what the books and movies felt like in real life. Before you get on the ride there a sign saying it is a high-speed roller coaster and to not ride if you got motion sickness. I was concerned that maybe it would be a very intense ride, but realized once I got on it that it was a Disney-style ride that's more about the theatrics and show than about it being a thrilling roller coaster. After the ride I grabbed my stuff from the locker and headed back out into Diagon Alley. I visited all of the shops and even got an ice cream at the ice cream parlour. After about two hours I was ready to head to the other park. I went into "King's Cross Station" and got on the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade. It was really cool to see the train and to be in one of the compartments. There were videos out the "window" and on the other side of the door. It kept you entertained for the few short minutes you were on the ride. Heading into Hogsmeade was really cool and I liked seeing the little village in real life. The first thing I did was grab a Butterbeer and taste it for the first time. I walked around the village, took a few pictures, and then walked towards the castle. My first sight of the castle was amazing. I was speechless and almost wanted to cry because it was so cool. I asked the ride attendant if it was possible to go inside the castle without riding the roller coaster. He was very helpful and said that there is something called a castle tour where you can walk through the castle and then leave before getting on the roller coaster. It was actually really nice because I didn't have to wait in line and instead got to go through my own line which had barely anyone else in it and was very uncrowded. I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to take flash pictures in the castle so a lot of my pictures didn't turn out very well. I mostly just tried to enjoy the scenery and take it all in instead of worrying about getting good pictures. After the castle I went through all of the shops and found a bunch of souvenirs. It didn't take very long, so before I knew it I was back on the train heading to the first park. By that time I was getting hungry so I decided to get some lunch. I also went back through a few shops and grab some souvenirs that I decided I wanted. After that I was pretty much done with the Harry Potter part of the park so I decided to head out. I wandered through the rest of Universal Studios to get back to the entrance and then caught the shuttle to get back to the hotel. The hotel was really nice about storing my suitcase, letting me check it out to grab my bathing suit, and then checking it back in. I changed into my bathing suit and headed to the pool so I could cool off and relax. I'm not very good at hanging by the pool all day so after about an hour I got up and went to Starbucks for some ice tea. I found a cozy spot to sit and drink my tea while reading my book. After a while a decided it was time for some lunch so I headed to the diner. After I was done eating I decided that I would call the shuttle company on the off chance that they had a shuttle earlier that I could catch to my hotel by the port. Sure enough they had somebody scheduled in 45 minutes so I grabbed my suitcase, loaded up my car, and drove to the airport. The experience with the shuttle could have gone a lot smoother, but I did eventually get to my hotel which I guess is what matters the most. I checked into my hotel, went and had dinner in the restaurant, and came back and took a shower. I was in bed by 9:30 with my alarm set for 9:30 the next morning, so I knew I had plenty of time to get a good nights sleep and rest up for the next day. Up next tomorrow is my smooth embarkation onto Enchantment of the Seas and a bunch of pictures of the ship.
Day 1: On Saturday I got to the Denver airport early like usual. Security was longer than usual, so it took me about an hour to get to my gate. I ate breakfast at McDonald's and then grabbed a seat in my gate area. After just a little bit of reading it was time to board. I got lucky and grabbed an aisle seat towards the front of the plane and then got even luckier when no one sat in the middle seat! The flight was smooth and went by quickly because of the movie I watched on my iPad. We landed early and I went to get my suitcase from the baggage claim. Pretty soon I got my suitcase and went to pick up my rental car. The GPS on my phone kept telling me I had to take roll roads to get to my hotel for that night, so I was worried about the drive. Thankfully I had plenty of cash to pay the tolls. I guess having fifty $1 bills in preparation for tips on the cruise ship really paid off! The Cabana Bay Resort was only 20 minutes away from the Orlando airport, so I got there quickly and checked in. The hotel has a very cool theme to it and was very colorful and bright. Once I got to my room I decided that I wanted to go to the pool and hang out in the lazy river I could see from my room window. So I got dressed in my bathing suit, went and grabbed some pizza from the diner, and then headed to the pool. I wasn't there very long, but it was a nice way to cool off and relax after a long day of traveling. When I got back to my room I organize the stuff I would need for my next day at Universal Studios and took a shower. I went to bed fairly early because I was tired, but when I laid down I could not fall asleep. It probably didn't help that my alarm was set for 6am and I knew the longer I laid there the less time I would have to sleep! Up next tomorrow…a trip to Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (with lots and lots of pictures)!
As soon as I finished my first cruise this past spring, I knew going on cruises was going to be my vacation of choice. Not only is it an affordable way to visit new places, but the level of care you are given on a cruise ship is hard to match anywhere else. Everywhere you look there is someone to take care of your every need. From a room steward who makes fun towel animals for you each night to a waiter who remembers your name and your drink of choice every evening, you are well taken care of. I booked my second cruise less than a week after getting off my first cruise. I'll be leaving in less than two weeks and can't wait to share my pictures and experiences with you on this blog when I get back! I just got an email today that had an article called, "How to Cure Post-Cruise Depression". I didn't even have to read the article because I have already figured out my own personal cure, which is to have another cruise booked before I get back from my next one! Originally I booked a 5-night cruise for February 2015 on the Liberty of the Seas, which is the first ship I sailed on. But then I kept reading reviews on Cruise Critic that got me thinking about how I might want to check out a bigger class of ship, specifically either Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas or the Oasis of the Seas. Today I took the plunge and changed my reservation on the 5-night cruise to a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Oasis of the Seas (pictured above). Ever since changing my reservation I have been looking at Google images of the ship and there were so many amazing pictures that I knew I had to share them. I also found a great YouTube video that you can check out if you are interested. So here are some of the incredible pictures I found of Oasis of the Seas: Doesn't this ship look amazing? I am so excited that I will have 7 days to explore all she has to offer! I would like to say that this will be my room... …but seeing as how the Sky Loft Suite with Balcony runs $13k for this cruise, I'll have to settle for an interior instead! I could honestly be sleeping in a broom closet for all I care, I'm just excited to be on this amazing ship! I am sure that a ship this size can be overwhelming and I probably won't be able to see every single thing there is to see. If you've been on Oasis or Allure and you have some must-see or must-do ideas, please let me know!
First of all, happy Labor Day to everyone! Can you believe it's already September?! I've been using my day off to check the prices for my cruise, which starts exactly 3 weeks from today. I have been hoping I would be able to upgrade to a Junior Suite for a reasonable price and today I hit the jackpot! Here is the layout for a Junior Suite: I was lucky enough to be in a Junior Suite on my last cruise and here are my favorite features:
My room is on the very back of the ship and from what I've seen the balconies are even bigger than the usual Junior Suite balconies that are on the side of the ship! Here are two panoramic shots of the balcony above mine: Here's a layout of deck 7 so you can see my room, cabin 7172, at the very back center of the ship. The only downside is that last time I was right by the elevator and it was very easy to find my room. Now I'm the farthest away from the elevator, but at least it's a good excuse to get in some extra walking! I really like the look of the bathrooms on the Enchantment of the Seas! I have read on Cruise Critic that the shower curtains are almost too short, so I'm bringing some magnetic clips to weigh down the curtain and also hold it in place. So that's the tour of my new room. I was already excited about the cruise but now I am even more excited for it to start! If you have a cruise coming up and would like to upgrade your room, my best advice would be to check the prices every day so that you know exactly when the price drops. The prices change frequently from what I've seen, so you might miss the best price if you're not checking every day.
I think it also helps to know exactly how much extra you are willing to pay for an upgrade. Once you have a set dollar amount in mind it makes it much easier to make a final decision to do the upgrade. Of course a free upgrade is the best, but sometimes it's worth a few extra dollars per night in order to get a better room! My Bahamas cruise starts exactly four weeks from today! I've already started putting together my packing list and I also just went clothes shopping over the weekend, so I figured now would be a good time to do a post on all of my cruise outfits. Some of them are the same outfits I wore on my last cruise, mostly because I haven't really added many summer clothes to my wardrobe since the last cruise. Here are the outfits I'll be wearing on my 8-day trip: Here are all of my clothes laid out. It was slightly less overwhelming to pack for an 8-day trip instead of my last trip, which was an 11-day trip.
Living a healthy lifestyle can be challenging enough, let alone when you are out of town or on vacation. It seems like as soon as you get off your usual routine all attempts at a healthy lifestyle go down the drain…or at least they do for me. I have a week-long work trip coming up and I am determined to stay on track and not lose the momentum I've gained so far. Here are some tips and tricks I am using for my trip so that I can maintain a healthy lifestyle away from home:
Let me know if you have any travel tips or tricks that you use on your trips in order to stay healthy!
In 77 days I will be boarding Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas to head to the Bahamas for four days. I booked this trip less than one week after getting off my first cruise, so I guess it's safe to say I enjoyed my first cruise experience! Here's my entire itinerary for my next trip:
Here are some pictures of the places I'll be staying and the things I'll be seeing: Just like last time I'll be sure to post my packing tips and probably some pictures of packing too!
I have wanted to go on a cruise for a really long time, so I was super excited to get the opportunity to take a cruise this year. Here are some final thoughts now that it's over. Packing & Organizing: As you've seen on my blog posts, I am a highly organized planner and tried to account for every potential situation while doing my packing. Overall, I think I did a good job of only taking things that would be useful. I used pretty much everything I took with me, except (thankfully) for some of the first-aid stuff. I was lucky enough to be in a Junior Suite by myself, so space wasn't an issue on this trip. However, I still like to be unpacked and feel at home when I'm traveling, so here are some of the ways I made my cabin feel more like home:
Drink Package: Before the cruise I decided to splurge and purchase the Ultimate Drink Package, which costs $65 per day and automatically includes a 15% gratuity on all drinks. I wanted to make sure that I could relax on the trip and not worry about how much I was spending on drinks each day. Being the planner that I am, I went online and looked at all the drink menus for Royal Caribbean and made a list of all the specialty drinks I wanted to try. I ended up with a list of 35 drinks, which is quite a lot for a 5-day cruise! In the end I was able to try 26 out of 35 drinks on my list! During the trip I wrote down every drink I had and when I got home I tallied up the total cost. In the end I was $4.90 shy of breaking even, which is a pretty good deal! Looking back I am happy I tried the drink package on my first cruise and was able to try that many drinks without worrying about how much each one cost. Now that I've done it once, I probably won't do it again. By the end of the trip I felt like I was getting drinks just to meet my "quota" and not because I wanted them. In the long run, all of the fruity and frozen drinks ended up tasting the same! Future Cruises: Before going on this cruise I wasn't 100% sure if I would like it, mostly because people seem to fall into two camps of either loving to cruise or not liking it at all. It turns out I am in the first camp and absolutely love it! I was so sad that this cruise was over that I have already booked my next one! Nine days after getting off my first cruise I booked another cruise for September. This one will be a 4-night cruise to the Bahamas and I will be in a balcony room (unless I get another free upgrade to a Junior Suite). I may end up going by myself on this one, depending on whether anyone else is able to join me or not. Either way, I am super excited to have another cruise to plan for and pack for! So that's the end of my trip report! I think I've covered pretty much everything I wanted to share. Please let me know if you have any questions that I can answer related to any upcoming cruises you have planned. A great source of information is Cruise Critic! The message boards are really helpful and informative, so definitely check them out if you have an upcoming cruise.
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AuthorMy name is Beth and I live in Denver. I am a single lady in my 30's and wanted to start sharing my awesome and amazing life through a blog. Categories
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