Family,  Travel

A Vacation to Remember

March 17, 2020

One of the best family vacations we have spent together was this past fall when we decided to go on Royal Caribbeans Harmony of the Seas. From the start, the checking in, boarding the ship, to finding our stateroom was seamless. The experience, once on the boat, was incredible with endless entertainment and activities. Even though we were sailing on an eight-day seven-night cruise, we still found ourselves not able to see, experience, and enjoy everything the ship had to offer.

Being a family of four, we opted to stay in a balcony room which overlooked Central Park. The kids loved looking down and seeing the grass, trees, and people walking about enjoying the atmosphere. The room was spacious enough for us to set up our pack and play. Along with the king-size bed, it has a twin size bed well. We had a mini-fridge in our room, which was fantastic and a lifesaver for when the kids wanted a snack. We were able to keep fruit, yogurt, and juice for just in case moments. There were two closets for hanging clothes, putting shoes away, and folded clothes in drawers, and we were able to store our suitcases under the bed, so our room wasn’t crowded. Each night our wonderful cabin steward made different animals out of towels and left them on the bed for the kids to find when we came back from dinner.

We also enjoyed the abundance of activities available on the ship. The entertain was for all ages throughout the day and night. My kids enjoyed riding the carousel, climbing the kid’s rock wall, getting their face painted, going to the ice skating ring, watching crew members create balloon animals for them, and playing put-put at night. My husband and I enjoyed riding the Ebiss slide that went from the top of the ship down about ten stories, as well as the zip line. My husband also enjoyed trying the Flowrider, where he was able to surf and boogie board. My mother in law and I enjoyed a girls’ night out at the theater where we were able to watch “Grease.” The live show was fantastic and a great way to spend an evening relaxing.

During the days we were at sea, we lounged by one of many the pools on the ship. There was a splash pad for toddlers, water slides for young kids, and two other water slides for older kids and adults. Crew members also hosted many different events on the outside decks. By the live band, they hosted a dance competition and by one of the pools they had a belly flop competition. However, one of our favorite shows was the aqua show. Talented crew members would dance in and around a small pool and water stage to put on an action-packed dance, water, and acrobat show, which was full so much energy. Even my son was amazed at the talent and enjoyed the music.

One of the best parts for kids was the area designated just for them. Royal Caribbean has a kids club where parents and take their children of all ages. There was an area for infants to play safely out of the sun, as well as different rooms designated for different age groups. My son enjoyed the place for kids ages 3-5. We were able to check him with the staff who had various activities throughout the day, starting first thing in the morning and going until late at night. The later times were perfect for parents who needed a date night. They had themes such as pirate afternoon, pajamas and pancakes, knights and princesses, and so many other fun activities. For the other older kids, they had a scavenger hunt that took them around the ship to hunt for specific items.

No stone was left unturned, or any detail overlooked when it came to entertainment. It was great knowing if we choose not to get off the ship, we would still have plenty of things to do to entertain the whole family, make memories, and have a wonderful vacation.

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35 Comments

  • Susan
    March 17, 2020 at 9:22 pm Reply

    This sounds like a fantastic vacation. My family and I went on our first cruise in July 2019, and we loved it. Next time we would love to try a bigger ship like Harmony of the Seas. Thanks for all the info!

  • Roxanne
    March 19, 2020 at 1:55 am Reply

    Wow, I would really love to do a cruise one day and it sounds like the perfect one for a family (for when I have kids). I would love to see how the excursions are in the future post. Also it would be great to see a link to book the cruise (either affiliate or how you booked the vacation).

    • Carey M
      March 19, 2020 at 6:56 am Reply

      Hi Roxanne! Next weeks post will be about the excursions. As for booking the cruise, I went through Royal Caribbeans website. They have great deals and have a loyalty rewards program as well.

  • Taquia
    March 19, 2020 at 11:55 am Reply

    This looks like a great family vacation! My family and I have only cruised with Carnival and Disney. We can’t wait to try Royal Caribbean. All of their ships look amazing.

  • jen
    March 19, 2020 at 11:59 am Reply

    It always amazes me the absolute attention to detail that is put into providing such a comprehensive cruise experience for the passengers. Glad it was so memorable!

    • Carey M
      March 21, 2020 at 9:50 am Reply

      Hi Cindy!
      You got it! I will also be sending out more pictures and details about trips in my emails starting next month!

  • Stacey
    March 19, 2020 at 5:03 pm Reply

    We have not sailed with Royal Caribbean yet, but we definitely will in the future. How did you find the noise being in an inside balcony?

    • Carey M
      March 21, 2020 at 9:49 am Reply

      Hi Stacey,
      we couldn’t hear anything. We stayed on the 14th floor so we were closer to the pool decks. We could sit on the balcony, enjoy the garden view, and still have a wonderful conversation.

  • Vessy Smith
    March 19, 2020 at 7:08 pm Reply

    I very much agree! Royal Caribbean is a great cruise line. We took a cruise with them a few years ago, and everything was great. Our kiddos loved the kids club and grumbled every time we came to pick them up. They wanted to stay there 24/7. Let’s hope this COVID-19 mess clears soon, and we can all start cruising safely and happily again!

    • Carey M
      March 21, 2020 at 9:47 am Reply

      Vessy,
      My son did the same thing when picking him up from the kids club. Asked everyday to go back so he could play. I can’t wait to go on another cruise soon!

  • melissa
    March 19, 2020 at 10:35 pm Reply

    We haven’t done a Royal Caribbean cruise, but it looks like fun! I didn’t realize that they had separate age rooms in the kids club; that’s a great feature! Thanks for sharing your experience!

  • Trisha
    March 20, 2020 at 3:51 pm Reply

    I’m always amazed at how many things there are to see and do aboard a cruise ship! This one looks like a great one! Thanks for sharing!

  • Alicia Moore
    March 20, 2020 at 8:09 pm Reply

    I have never been on a cruise and would love to go. I definitely want to go on one that has a splash pad for my little one. Thanks for sharing.

  • Wendy Robinson
    March 21, 2020 at 8:38 am Reply

    We’ve been on several cruises but haven’t gone on any with our kids yet. The next one we do go on will be with our toddler for sure. Maybe one day with our older children too.

  • Hera
    March 21, 2020 at 2:39 pm Reply

    We’ve been on several Royal Caribbean cruises and their Celebrity ships and have never been disappointed with the quality and services we received. Looks like you guys had a blast!

  • Amanda
    March 22, 2020 at 7:46 pm Reply

    It sounds like a vacation to remember for sure! It looks like you had a great experience. We have never been on a cruise before and we are hoping to take one soon!

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