Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 #1 Share Posted May 14 This post was recognized by LauraS! "And another from MeganGC1983! Thank you for generously sharing your time at sea with everyone at Cruise Critic! See your post featured on our: Click: Cruise Reports page. When you return, please consider submitting it to the site for publication as well: Click: Write a Review" MeganGC1983 was awarded the badge '"Live from...."' and 5 points. Hey! Hey! Hey! It’s almost time to set sail aboard the beautiful Allure of the Seas. I hope you’ll all join me as we sail on Royal for the first time in a long time with all the Bahamas fun, drink package shenanigans, and kid crap anyone could hope for. For those that are new, welcome! This is my 15th LIVE… wow! For the regulars, buckle up. You all know how this goes. Start your livers and pack your patience because this is a kid cruise. After 8 cruises without them, my 3 yahoos are coming along and we are sharing a singular cabin. It’s only 4 nights, how bad can it be?! We fly out early Sunday morning, so grab your virtual suitcase or two (it’s Southwest after all) and join us on this beginning of summer “sail”abration. 27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #2 Share Posted May 14 This whole cruise idea started when the Icon of the Seas ad campaign really took off. My DS, Colton, decided from the commercials that he was over Carnival and proclaimed he was now a “Royal Caribbean kid”. My kids have only sailed Carnival. “Mr. Megan” hasn’t even sailed on Royal Caribbean, but for Christmas, we decided that we would get them a cruise. Thats when the fun began. I wanted to take advantage of the Kids Sail Free promo, but I also live by a “school is your job” motto. My kids aren’t missing school to cruise. With blackout dates looming, I scoured sailings with cabins for 5, starting after May 17th (last day of school) but before May 22nd (kids sail free blackout date)… Galveston is our usual home port with the kids, but Mariner departs the 18th (my oldest’s dance recital day) and Harmony didn’t have any 5 person berths. The more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to include “all things Royal” so I decided we needed a Perfect Day at CocoCay in there. That’s not happening from Galveston, so Allure of the Seas, May 20-24 to Nassau and Perfect Day became the go to option. 16 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #3 Share Posted May 14 The last kid cruise we took was on the Carnival Dream Oct. of 2022 in a deluxe ocean view. I’m going to miss that extra half bath. That sailing was also to the Bahamas, and the highlight for the kids, other than all the ice cream, was our day at Atlantis water park. This sailing we are in a Boardwalk balcony cabin. I really wanted to try that out since it isn’t an option on most other (non-royal) ships. Also, this time in Nassau, we are just gonna have a simple beach day at Junkanoo, explore the new port area, and I definitely need a pina colada from John Watling’s. On our last few sailings, we’ve been to San Juan a LOT. I love a good Barrachina pina colada, but my favorite is at John Watling’s. We will do the water park thing at CocoCay with Thrill Waterpark day passes. I watched them for a while and finally got them at $68.99 per person. Not sure it’s worth it every time, but at least the first time with kids, I guess. I like that the drink package will work on the private island. I bought that too for $70.99 per person per day in the app. Probably around the end of February. For fun… I give you the many faces of Colton, enjoy his cruise food. 19 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogladyrider Posted May 14 #4 Share Posted May 14 @MeganGC1983...Colton is gonna be one heck of a ladies man! Let's get this crazy party started! Safe travels. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #5 Share Posted May 14 Fall brain… when I booked this in November to give the kids as a Christmas gift, there were a few factors I didn’t take into account… mostly, how busy spring is for my 3 kids. Between cheer, dance, soccer, softball, and end of year events, plus add in all the makeup games because Oklahoma spring is gonna Oklahoma spring… I’ve needed this cruise for the past 3 weeks. Although I only returned for the Valiant Lady in February, I surely felt I needed a cruise in April. But I stayed home… worked and mommed, and fortunately, survived the melee. Now, all that stands in the way of the cruise is 4 days of school, 4 recital rehearsals, 1 dance recital, 1 soccer game, 3 softball games, and a trip to the airport. Sigh! 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #6 Share Posted May 14 Just now, Hogladyrider said: @MeganGC1983...Colton is gonna be one heck of a ladies man! Let's get this crazy party started! Safe travels. Welcome aboard! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HxFx Posted May 14 #7 Share Posted May 14 Great, looking forward to it! I love reading a Live for a ship I have been on. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teeter2U Posted May 14 #8 Share Posted May 14 We will be joining you on the sailing! Got my suitcases out yesterday! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molly361 Posted May 14 #9 Share Posted May 14 I will also be sailing with you 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mkcurran Posted May 14 #10 Share Posted May 14 46 minutes ago, MeganGC1983 said: The last kid cruise we took was on the Carnival Dream Oct. of 2022 in a deluxe ocean view. I’m going to miss that extra half bath. That sailing was also to the Bahamas, and the highlight for the kids, other than all the ice cream, was our day at Atlantis water park. This sailing we are in a Boardwalk balcony cabin. I really wanted to try that out since it isn’t an option on most other (non-royal) ships. Also, this time in Nassau, we are just gonna have a simple beach day at Junkanoo, explore the new port area, and I definitely need a pina colada from John Watling’s. On our last few sailings, we’ve been to San Juan a LOT. I love a good Barrachina pina colada, but my favorite is at John Watling’s. We will do the water park thing at CocoCay with Thrill Waterpark day passes. I watched them for a while and finally got them at $68.99 per person. Not sure it’s worth it every time, but at least the first time with kids, I guess. I like that the drink package will work on the private island. I bought that too for $70.99 per person per day in the app. Probably around the end of February. For fun… I give you the many faces of Colton, enjoy his cruise food. The only time I've seen this kid not scowl in pictures. 😆 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #11 Share Posted May 14 1 hour ago, HxFx said: Great, looking forward to it! I love reading a Live for a ship I have been on. Thanks for following along! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #12 Share Posted May 14 1 hour ago, Teeter2U said: We will be joining you on the sailing! Got my suitcases out yesterday! Wahoo! Here’s to hoping we all have a great time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #13 Share Posted May 14 1 hour ago, molly361 said: I will also be sailing with you Awesome! Can’t wait. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #14 Share Posted May 14 52 minutes ago, mkcurran said: The only time I've seen this kid not scowl in pictures. 😆 He’s a hot mess like his sisters. 😆 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #15 Share Posted May 14 Lunch of champions. Getting in the true cruising spirit. It’s been an interesting morning work wise. I really hope to have smooth sailing for our sailing. I also love how “my people” just leave their “baggage” lying around. As mine is tucked nicely in my bedroom. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #16 Share Posted May 14 Slowly ticking down… 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #17 Share Posted May 14 Pre-cruise accommodations… somehow, the fact that there will be 5 of us in cabin hit me hard before I booked the night before hotel stay. I wanted to get as much space for all of us as possible. Enter the family suite at the Best Western Cocoa Beach. I’m normally a Bonvoy or at least Hampton Inn type of gal, but none of those in the area were offering much in the way of family suites. I wanted some beach access. Best Western checked that box. It had an “Excellent” score on reviews. A couple of others did not, so for $175, I went with it. Breakfast included. We will see how it goes. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #18 Share Posted May 14 Just got off the phone with Cocoa Beach shuttle. After trying out a handful of shuttle services to/from MCO we’ve found Cocoa Beach Shuttles to be the best and the cheapest. As always, YMMV. After crunching the numbers, we will uberXL or LyftXL from MCO to the Best Western. It runs about $10 cheaper than a shuttle after tip. We will use Cocoa Beach shuttle on the return trip just because it’s a guarantee. We won’t be scrambling outside the port waiting on an Uber. Our ride is scheduled and paid for-$110. The only problem I have with Cocoa Beach shuttles is you make an online reservation, then you have to call in and pay. And there’s always a hold time. Anyhow, ten minutes later, I have a confirmation text & email. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #19 Share Posted May 14 One thing I can say I’m not looking forward to is the food on this cruise. Obviously, food is subjective, but I think we can all collectively agree that cruise line food has gone downhill overall. Carnival, you can only get a decent meal in specialty dining. I suspect Royal, these days, will be the same. Last time I sailed RC, it was the days of midnight buffets and real elegant nights. I was super excited about eating on Celebrity and was let down. Maybe, if I don’t get my hopes up, I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Virgin Voyages is my current go to for food. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteOptima Posted May 14 #20 Share Posted May 14 A coworker booked her first cruise on Royal for next year and was telling me she watches the drink package price fluctuating with sales? She isn’t sure when to hit the button. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #21 Share Posted May 14 28 minutes ago, WhiteOptima said: A coworker booked her first cruise on Royal for next year and was telling me she watches the drink package price fluctuating with sales? She isn’t sure when to hit the button. The good news about that is you can always cancel and rebook at a cheaper price if it goes lower. When I first started looking… it was the buy one get one 50% off promo. That is not the cheapest. Pretty sure I bought it for 30% off, then repriced it for 35% off. It’s a pain and more than you wanna spend, but once you are onboard it’s crucial. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #22 Share Posted May 14 (edited) Speaking of drink packages, I’m usually a liquid iv girl. After reading @sid_9169 and recently… well yesterday with @mamiamjo I decided to try something new to me this cruise. Like Mamiamjo, I’m thinking BYTOX is too expensive, so I ordered these. We shall see how they work. Hope they match my tan. 😆 Edited May 14 by MeganGC1983 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MeganGC1983 Posted May 14 Author #23 Share Posted May 14 Parking… normally, we are Parking Spot people. But I think they’ve lost their minds. I’ve been watching their parking prices for months and the cheapest Parking Spot 2, uncovered, prepaid was $9.75 a day. They’ve been running promos, emailing me, texting me, app has been on fire with “codes”. Today is 30% off… and it’s $13.75 a day. Hard pass. We can park in the garage (roof) at Love Field for $10 a day. And in the garage for $12. That saves us shuttle time. I’m good. I’ll park at the actual airport. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mamiamjo Posted May 14 #24 Share Posted May 14 (edited) 10 minutes ago, MeganGC1983 said: Speaking of drink packages, I’m usually a liquid iv girl. After reading @sid_9169 and recently… well yesterday with @mamiamjo I decided to try something new to me this cruise. Like Mamiamjo, I’m thinking BYTOX is too expensive, so I ordered these. We shall see how they work. Those are definitely more affordable. I'll be interested to see what you think Here’s what I bought Edited May 14 by mamiamjo 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambler Posted May 14 #25 Share Posted May 14 Coming aboard. I was hoping I did not miss this review. Just got off the Mariner yesterday. First cruise back out of Galveston and only 7 night cruise. Our food was actually very good. Can't wait to here what you think of the Allure. We get her back here in 26. I have not sailed the Oasis class yet. Mariner is a good size ship. Only 4 day.. is that enough time to get in trouble??, lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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