STAY
My first time on a cruise did not disappoint! There were a few first-time mistakes regarding items I wish I would have known to bring. Rookie mistakes. You can check that post out here.
Overall, the experience was amazing! We cruised with Royal Caribbean Mariner of The Seas to Nassau, Bahamas and Coco Cay. As it was recently remodeled, the interior was absolutely stunning. It had everything from greenery walls, to modern cabanas. Yes, I was the absolute DIVA taking photos everywhere. Definitely would book if you love a good Insta pic.
The staff was incredibly kind, and even learned our names by the second night. It may sound like a simple move, but imagine seeing hundreds of people every night of your life. Walking down the hall and hearing someone ask you by your name if you enjoyed your dinner? THE DREAM. YES I DID ENJOY MY SALMON AND BREAD AND CHEESECAKE AND KEY LIME PIE AND LEMONADE.
We also had a little door malfunction leading out to our deck, and it was fixed immediately.
EXCURSIONS
As with any vacation, planning an excursion is a great idea. However, if you are sailing to Nassau, Bahamas, I would say partaking in a planned excursion is a must.
We had booked Seahorse Sailing Adventures to go snorkeling and I am so glad we did! Not only was it so relaxing to spend a day in the waters, enjoy coconut drinks, and enjoyable staff, but the actual city doesn’t host many activities. Now, I don’t need a jump rope competition or anything extravagant in a city, but it truly was just a tourist stop with people yelling at me and it was a tad overwhelming.
Booking the excursion for mid morning and spending a few hours snorkeling and boating around was the way to go. This gave us time to beat the lines getting back onto the ship, enjoy a good nap, pool time, and get ready for dinner.
Our second day, the shipped docked at the island of Coco Cay. This is a private island owned by Royal Caribbean and it was easily my favorite day of the cruise. Since Royal Caribbean owns the island, the food was already paid for and was ENDLESS. Want a steak? You got it. Thinking maybe some fish tacos? Yep. Eating a gooey brownie on an island is an unexplainable experience.
Being able to walk around on white sand, and swim in clear waters was magical. I would recommend going souvenir shopping on this day, as the island is much less chaotic than Nassau. You will still be able to purchase hand-made jewelry and more, just without the yelling ;)
If you are more into activities while off ship, this island hosts a massive waterpark, ziplining adventures, and more.
ON SHIP ACTIVITIES
Since we only did a four day cruise, we had two days on shore and two days at sea. The two days at sea had so much to offer, and you better believe I TURNED ALL THE WAY UP FOR BINGO.
The ship has a little bit for everyone. Whether you’d rather spend the day at the pool, casino, or visiting theatrical shows, you can do it all. You definitely won’t be bored on your days at sea!
Again, I did wish I would have prepared myself by bringing a few items from home. While the ship has a lot to offer, it doesn’t have it all! I didn’t want to make this post 58392 pages long, so if you wanted to check out some items to bring on your next cruise click here.
I am absolutely HOOKED on the cruise life now, and cannot wait to travel somewhere soon! Highly recommend traveling with your very best friend. Life is better with that one.
As always, you can shop my outfits here.
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