That Was So Fun Let’s Do It Again!
In my last post, I wrote about the amazing experience my kiddos, our friends, and I had aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas. Well, we had actually had a couple’s trip planned at the end of January for the same ship. I was not at all upset about this turn of events that allowed me the honor of cruising twice in the same month.
It was an interesting perspective to be able to experience pretty much the same trip in two different ways. Our itinerary differed slightly, as this trip was a three night weekend getaway. We had the same ports of call, but did not have the day at sea like we did with the kiddos.
Our husbands were treated like VIPs since we knew all of the ins and outs of the boarding process, dining options, ship layout, etc. We did this trip opt for The Key. This is an add on that gives you wifi for one devise each, a special boarding lunch in the main dining room, reserved premier seating in all of the shows, private designated time at the activities, a special departing breakfast, and a few more perks. This was worth it in my opinion since it was just my husband and me. You can also bring your luggage onboard yourself and check it at the dining room, which allows your luggage to be delivered to your stateroom sooner.
One of the largest differences for this trip was the amount of time we spent on the activities deck. With our kiddos this is where they wanted to be constantly. This time, however, we were able to enjoy the adults only pool and hot tub area. We did venture out to the FlowRider, where we gave our best moves and tricks.
The crowd on this cruise was also a little different, and I’m really thankful we chose to take our kiddos on the longer weekday cruise. It was more family friendly. This particular sailing had a lot of adult group celebrations that tended to be a little more rowdy.
Our first port of call was Nassau, Bahamas. We ventured off the ship toward the straw market to walk around the shops. We had no excursions planned and no goal for our time there. While we were browsing Del Sol, our husbands struck a deal with a very enthusiastic man who convinced them to rent a four seater side by side from him. When we reached the side by side, it was actually only a two seater with a truck bed on the back. My friend and I climbed into the bed of this side by side, and we ventured off to explore the island. All started well as we drove past gorgeous beaches and coastline. We were attempting to make it over to the other side of the island and check out some of the beaches near the resorts. We did not anticipate the amount of traffic we would incur. A pit stop was needed, so a run into Wendy’s was a win. We ended up chatting with the security guard there for a bit. Not long after the fun was coming to a close as we were getting fumed out from the exhaust sitting in traffic. We decided to return to the straw market and catch some fresh air. It was an adventure for sure, but allowed us to see so much more of this beautiful island.
Coco Cay is always amazing. We ended up spending the day on South Beach since the wind and surf were much stronger on Chill Beach. It was just a relaxing day filled with sun, beach naps, floating in the ocean, yummy food, and refreshing drinks. I did not want to leave this paradise.
The rest of our time aboard we spent playing cards, taking in shows, eating delicious (and gluten free friendly) food, trying to bust the pig in the casino, and people watching. lol. I am so grateful for the time away and with great friends.
Our time went quickly, but we enjoyed some quiet time together. It is always so nice to reconnect with your spouse and take some time for yourselves. It was the perfect recharge.
