Cruisin’: My Reflections From Our Recent Cruise

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Last Updated on November 29, 2023 by The Smetz Files

What surprised me and how we simplified our cruise.

Jay and I recently returned home from a seven day cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas. We cruised before, but it’s been ten years since our last adventure on the high seas, so as you can imagine a lot was new to us. Besides the ship being an amazing floating city sustaining more passengers than a small town, the technology on board was impressive. 

The intent of our trip was to completely disconnect from work and the demands of daily life and reconnect on a child-free trip (thanks to some amazing grandparents who spoiled our kids with a week at Disney!). Our focus was purely for relaxation, so that influenced how we approached and planned this trip, but here are a few things we found noteworthy you might consider if you too, are considering a cruise.

What surprised me

We are pretty good planners, but a few things surprised me about our cruise.

Motion

I was surprised that I rarely felt much movement on the ship. Again, we’d cruised before, but it’s been some years and I had never sailed on a ship this large. I definitely think the ship’s size contributed to the smoothness and also the benefit of the latest technology and updated stabilizers. We also had the luxury of amazing weather, all of which I am sure contributed to our smooth conditions. I saw many passengers wearing the seasickness patches behind their ears, but I never needed anything to abate the feelings of motion. I only ever felt the motion at the front of the ship, which is understandable, so maybe consider that when you’re booking your room if you are worried about being sensitive to motion.

Spacious

I was also surprised by how spacious everything felt. Again, Royal Caribbean has done their research and thought of every accommodation, but I was worried about feeling cramped with that many people on board. Obviously, when you travel you have to pack a little extra patience, but I rarely found situations where I felt cramped or overwhelmed that we were traveling with approximately 7,000 other people. I also didn’t have kids in tow, so I felt less anxious about being in crowds or keeping a head count. Our state room had an interior balcony, so we overlooked Central Park, which was open air. This was a great option for us because we could listen to the live music each night and still feel like we had space to stretch out beyond the sitting area in the room.

Coco Cay

Finally, I was impressed with Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas. Pictures do not do it justice. Even from the ship’s top deck, I was less than enthused about disembarking, but I am so glad we did. We spent the day relaxing in the water, lounging in the hammock, and casually having lunch. It was a beautiful little island that had plenty of options (water park, small pools, bars, shopping, lunch, etc…). We were the only ship there that day, so perhaps that contributed to the tranquil feeling, but it was a great day of leisure by the beach. I recommend a hat and light clothing because it was HOT while we walked around and explored.

Simplifying things

Obviously Royal Caribbean has things down to a science. From boarding to disembarking, to luggage delivery, meals, and entertainment, the service is unsurpassed. All the crew are friendly and engaging.

Photo ID

When you book a cruise about 30 days prior to your trip Royal Caribbean prompts you to download their app to see the daily calendar, events on board, making reservations, etc…The app is also a way to expedite the check in process. You can print your luggage tags, complete the medical questionnaire, and finalize any details. 

One thing that made our check in process even more seamless and quick was we uploaded our photographs to our account prior to boarding. At the port, once you’re through security, part of the check in process is to have your photo linked to your sea pass for getting on and off the ship at ports throughout your cruise. While stopping to take your photo doesn’t take a lot of time, we checked in, got our sea pass, and were ready to board in about 30 seconds! It doesn’t get any easier than that!

My Time Dining – Reservations

One thing that was new to us from our previous cruising experiences was ‘My Time’ dining. In the past when we cruised we were assigned a dining time, a table, and it was consistent the entire trip. Planning our trip and talking with family who had cruised more recently, we knew my time dining was an option. At first it sounded perfect, especially given that we weren’t planning a lot of excursions this trip. The idea of eating when we wanted, more in the moment, was appealing. We opted for my time – reservation option. We made reservations online when we booked our cruise back in the winter.

Upon arrival, this was the best option for us. Yes, being able to drop in the dining room at any time is great for flexibility, but having the reservation reduced our wait time. Looking at those long lines for those without reservations made me think I wouldn’t want to wait after a long day of activities. Also, we could look at the daily calendar and plan our shows, on board activities around our dinner reservation. An added bonus, we requested to have our same table and wait staff each night (we were promised no guarantees) and that was a huge treat. 

Next time

We intentionally planned this trip as a child-free getaway, but we found ourselves noticing things and events around the ship and commenting, ‘G would love this! S would be amazed with this food!’ So, we’re already planning a trip when they can come along and experience cruising for the first time.

What things do you consider when planning a cruise?