Why cruising is worth it
I like to travel. Each trip allows my family and I to see more of the world, get out of our bubbles, and make memories together. But each trip doesn’t have to be the same.
Cruises are a legit vacation. Most everything is pre-planned or just available if/when you want to do it. The cruise line app told me when to show up for dinner, entertainment, and activities. My kids have some freedom to do what they prefer. The food is good — and I don’t have to prepare it or think about it. Cruises allow moms (and probably dads and teenagers) to take a mental break from chores and work and school and whatever else. I didn’t look at my calendar for a week and only tended to two “work” tasks.
We needed a cruise this vacation.
I recognize traveling is a privilege — and I try to teach my kids that. I’m so thankful we get to do this regularly in our life and return to share the stories. This was our family’s fourth cruise. I don’t think that makes us experts, but we’ve learned some things that are worth sharing if you’re thinking about a cruise.
Disclaimer: There are lots of cruise line options. Regardless of which company you choose, the ship matters. Some are more family-friendly than others. We’ve cruised on four ships — two Disney ships and two Royal Caribbean ships. My friend Misty Grogan is an expert, so contact her if you want to book a cruise. Even if you’re a seasoned traveler, using a travel agent helps lock in the best deals and offers another planner with trips and tricks – all while being FREE to use!
Until then, here are some tips from #TeamTaylor, party of five. This cruise we had two teenagers and a third-grader with us plus our friends with three adults and another teenager.
- Don’t pay more for a balcony, but do try to get a bigger window and adjoining rooms if your party is three or more.
- At dinner, just go to the main dining option. Don’t pay for specialty meals. And when you’re drooling over the menu choices — just order two appetizers and desserts. And ask for more meat, if that’s what you want.
- Hold off-the-ship plans loosely because the weather can affect things. During a previous cruise, we couldn’t port at Costa Maya because the wind made doing so dangerous. This time we ported on the opposite of Grand Cayman and our land-and-sea tour was reduced to only a land tour because Milton made the sea crazy.
- Buy magnetic hooks to hang things — lightweight bags, swimsuits that need to dry, clothes you want to use again — on the metal walls.
- That’s right, wear clothes more than once. Who cares if you’re wearing the same cotton dress to dinner on Monday and Thursday.
- Bring extra bags that pack easily and can be used for beach or pool bags or to pack dirty laundry home.
Cruise specifics
We were on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, which is smaller than the Allure of the Seas, which we cruised on in April 2023. There are perks to both, but, overall, I think I’d choose Freedom again. I’m not sure my 14-year-old son would agree, but he had a great time even boogie-boarding on the narrower FlowRider wave.
This was a seven-night cruise with four ports. My family loves to get off and explore the different stops. Not everyone in our traveling group got off the ship as much as we did, but that’s the beauty of cruising.
We left Fort Lauderdale on Sunday then docked at Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay in the Bahahams on Monday. We had waterpark passes, but it was steadily raining all day so the kids and Greg rode all the slides (some more than once), we all lunched at a table under an umbrella, Ben and I walked around the island, and then decided it was nice to go in from the rain. Rachel would have stayed as long as we would have let her!
Also, a tip, courtesy of my travel agent friend Misty: Ask for the “secret sandwich” at The Snack Shack. Ben loved it!
Days 3 and 7 of our cruise were sailing. We hung out in the pools, ate, rested, played trivia games, snacked, and walked. On Day 3, I read an entire book. On Day 7, I wasn’t feeling well (probably that not-to-be-named respiratory virus that’s been interrupting lives our lives since 2020 …) so I rested, including a two-hour nap in a really comfortable chair on Deck 4. Rachel ice skated both days.
Days 4-6 were port days: Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Grand Cayman.
We had all the feelings in our group about getting off the ship in Haiti because of what the news had told us. Yes, it’s super important to be aware of where you’re traveling, but I also didn’t think a major cruise line would bring 4,000 tourists to an unsafe destination. Turns out, Royal Caribbean leases the land that is Labadee from the Haitian government so it’s secure with an actual gate and private security. The workers and artisans who sell things in the market are approved to be there.
In Haiti, we hung out at the beach, snorkeled, had lunch, and shopped. It may have been our favorite stop of the whole week!
In Jamaica, we went river tubing and hung out at Adventure Falls, which was a nice pool, water slide, and waterfall by the river. We also ate delicious jerk chicken.
In Grand Cayman, we were supposed to dock at George Town and go on a land and sea tour, but Milton made the water at George Town crazy, so we anchored on the other side of the island and only went on the land portion of the tour. We did get to stop at a couple of beaches and see the small town of Hell, where there is a large patch of dead coral and lots of funny souvenirs.
Answers to questions
Is all the food included? Cruises work much like an all-inclusive where there are plenty of dining options included. We had breakfast and lunch at the Windjammer buffet and then dinner at the main dining room. I was the only one of our group of nine who purchased the soda package, but it was unlimited and worth it to me. There are also specialty dining packages (of which I don’t see the point) and other drink packages. But there is ice cream and pizza available basically whenever you want it!
Did I get seasick? Thankfully, nobody in our crew gets motion sickness and have never been bothered by sailing on a big ‘ole boat! We can feel the boat moving at times, but it’s never been a problem for us. I saw lots of people with those motion sickness patches this time. I know others who have used bracelets and non-drowsy versions of medicine.
Will you go on another cruise? Yes, although I’m not sure when. We have a non-cruise vacation planned for in the spring. I’m eyeing an Alaskan cruise possibly next! There are deals to book your next cruise while you’re on the ship, but we like to take lots of different kinds of trips, so we haven’t done that yet.
How do you fund vacations? There are lots of answers to this, but the one I want to share is we use credit card points to off set travel costs. The Capital One Venture credit card is a great card to use for travel expenses because the rewards points are good and allow you to “erase” travel purchases. You can also book hotels and other travel reservations directly through the Capital One website and get special deals. When we signed up for TSA Pre-Check, the fee was reimbursed when we used this card. (Also, sign up for TSA Pre-Check if you’re ever going to fly!)
What else do you want to know?
*****
Previous cruises: 2016 Disney Dream. 2018 Disney Fantasy. 2023 Royal Caribbean Allure.
Obivoulys, traveling is one of my favorite things to share. Here are some of my favorite (travel) things and tips on how to take the trip (any trip).
And here are some family-favorite trips: