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Getting Away As a Couple on Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas

April 24, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I attended a press trip hosted by Royal Caribbean. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own, as always.

I have had so much fun over the past few months sharing with you about my first experience on a cruise ship, and giving you an insider’s look at Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas. The ship is remarkable to say the least, and I learned so much about how family-friendly cruising really is, as well as how completely indulgent it can be, and at a surprisingly affordable price!

But one of my very biggest takeaways from the experience was just how critical it is as parents to take time away from your home, and away from your children, as a couple. When Tim and I traveled on Freedom of the Seas back in November, it was the very first time we had been away TOGETHER, without our children, since our oldest was born in August 2009. And now that I have experienced a child-free vacation, I really and truly regret that we didn’t take the plunge sooner.

You see this? This is the sunrise. I watch the sun rise EVERY SINGLE DAY because my children wake up around 5 am. But this is a sunrise that I watched of my own free will. There’s a difference! This one was glorious and peaceful. I sipped my coffee, enjoyed breakfast in my room, and just enjoyed the quiet moment. Tim was actually still asleep; we were both exactly where we wanted to be!

And speaking of coffee, Freedom of the Seas has a Starbucks on board, so I was able to get my beloved iced coffee any time I wanted. It was such a treat for me, and it didn’t involve loading the kids into the car. I was able to have a coffee date with the hubs, instead, right there on the ship.

We also had date night, every single night on the boat! You guys, we are doing REALLY REALLY good to get one date night a month. One date night every 3 months is closer to the average for us, though. 🙁 But not during our vacation! Honestly, it was like we were on a really fun date the entire time. We even got to be out and about after the sun went down, which is a super rare treat for anyone with young children.

From a cupcake shop, to Ben & Jerry’s, to near-constant entertainment opportunities on board, there was SO much to do and see and so many ways to get to spend time with my spouse. I had the time and space to get dressed up and do my hair and makeup because I wasn’t having to deal with the kids at the same time. I’m telling you, you only really grasp how much time your kids take up in your day-to-day life when you get a break from them for several days. You guys, we had LEISURE TIME! REMEMBER THAT?!?!

Tim is pictured above during one of my favorite memories of the entire trip. We found a little solarium on one of the decks, sort of tucked away and under-used (read: totally empty!). We sat down together, each with a book in hand, and read for a few minutes before we both fell asleep. Spontaneous nap?! This happens NEVER EVER in my home. This may sound like a rather sad “highlight” of a cruise, but if you have little ones in your home, then I think you can imagine the exhilaration you might feel when you are so relaxed that you can actually fall asleep spontaneously without worrying that a child will be put in any risk. Do you feel me on this one? It was PURE BLISS.

On-Shore Excursions

Speaking of pure bliss, do you ever daydream about getting magically transported to your own private beach for some swimming and relaxation? Well this is something entirely possible during your time off the boat, friends! When we were at the U.S. Virgin Islands, we enjoyed a little trip to a private beach with a small group of folks. We partied on a smaller boat all the way over to the beach, and then we partied all the way back! 🙂 We even enjoyed a little mid-afternoon rain in the midst of it all.

We also spent a bit of time at Coki Beach, which is known for its outstanding snorkeling opportunities. Tim and I never get the chance to swim on our own since we are normally with our children and need to be watching out for them, and snorkeling? Oh please! We’ve never even had the opportunity to do something like that! So imagine our joy and delight when we rolled up to this:

We played and played in the water, and saw some amazing fish and coral! We also took a bit of time to just take in the incredible scenery.

We snapped this shot of ourselves just a few minutes before we left the cruise ship to head back home to our kids.

We were SO relaxed, and we wanted to remember what that looks like, so that we would remember to make time for ourselves as a couple. It makes us a better team, and it makes us better parents, too. And of course we gave our children HUGE hugs and kisses when we got back home. We missed them terribly, but we know we made a good choice to go away for a week and recharge our personal batteries, and get reconnected as a couple.

If you haven’t traveled without your children yet, and you have people in your life who you would trust to watch over your little ones for a week, or even for a few days, I cannot stress enough just how great of an investment it is to get away as a couple. I honestly wish I could go back in time a few years and force myself to take a vacation sooner. But now that I’ve experienced it, I’m already planning the next one. And for me, cruising with Royal Caribbean is an excellent choice because I don’t have to worry about a single thing; all my entertainment, food, and fun is right there waiting for me. I just have to show up! 🙂

If you want to read more about my experience, you can check out my review of Freedom of the Seas, my thoughts on Royal Caribbean cruise food, and my review of the family-friendly opportunities on board if you want to cruise with kids.

Cruising with Kids on Royal Caribbean: What It’s Really Like

February 22, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

Today I want to talk about cruising with kids. When Tim and I sailed on Freedom of the Seas (click the link for my thoughts on this ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet!), we went without our kids. And I’ve got a post I’ll be writing next month all about how important it is to get away WITHOUT your children. I mean, you get to eat incredible food without having to make it, share it, or clean up afterward, for goodness sake!

cruising with kids on Royal Caribbean Madagascar

But I know that isn’t always possible, and I also know that it is fun to have vacations as a family. And I will tell you, I don’ t think anyone on the press trip was more surprised than me about just how kid-friendly cruising could be. I had no idea! And while I don’t regret NOT bringing my kids, I can tell you now that I wouldn’t hesitate to take them on a family cruise in the future.

Royal Caribbean has a great partnership with DreamWorks, and that means that you’ll find fun characters from movies like Madagascar and Shrek popping up on the ship. They are so fun to encounter! You also can take your kids to the movies in the theater (we caught a 3D matinee showing of The Croods and absolutely loved it!). Or maybe you want to enjoy breakfast with the characters. Royal Caribbean offers a special character breakfast, so you can definitely do that!

Another fun special program that might be of interest to little ones is the Barbie Premium Experience. This comes at an additional cost of $199, but includes SO many fun things! When you arrive in your cabin, you’ll have a special sign on your door including your child as a Barbie girl on board, and you’ll also find a Barbie, some fun Barbie clothes, and a beautiful plush blanket and pillowcase set on the bed.

Your child will also get to experience a special fashion event where they actually make clothes for their dolls (I was super jealous and totally wanted to get in there and start designing clothes…I spent HOURS doing this with scraps of fabric as a child!). They also get to have a special tea party while on board. This is a great way for your kids to get to know other kids on board, too, and make friends!

If you are traveling with younger children, then you’ll want to know about the Royal Babies and Tots program. Babies must be at least 6 months old to sail, so that is something to keep in mind if you are expecting or have a brand new baby. Babies and toddlers go to the area of the ship shown above, where well-qualified staff are on hand to watch and play with them so mom and dad can have some time together.

The children participate in an art at sea program to stimulate their learning and development, and they also have an excellent selection of Fisher-Price toys to play with. They even have a very cool toy lending program. Parents can borrow and exchange toys (yes, taking them back to your room!) so that your child can have something new to play with every day and you don’t have to devote space in your luggage to toys! The nursery also has a lot of open play sessions designed for parents who want to spend a little 1-on-1 time with their kiddos in a very baby-friendly environment. It’s also a great way to meet other parents with babies and toddlers on board.

One thing that is important to note is that the Royal Babies and Tots program is not completely free. If you want to leave your children to be cared for, there is a cost of $6/hour during the day, and $8/hour in the evenings. Each family is allowed to pre-book 16 hours per child, and can only book one of the formal nights. Babysitting time beyond that cannot be pre-booked, and is strictly based on availability.

I met the staff watching the royal babies and tots, and I toured the nursery and felt very comfortable with what I saw. But if you want my own personal opinion, I would wait to cruise with kids until they are 3 and potty trained, and here’s why: programs for kids 3-17, for the most part, are FREE!!!! The program is called Ocean Adventure, and it is broken up into several age groups, which I LOVE!!!

aquanauts 3-5 years
explorers 6-8
voyagers 9-11
teens 12-14
teens 15-17

Each age group has their own specific area for fun and games and hanging out, and their own dedicated staff. I was very impressed to hear that the children’s staff all have at least a bachelor’s degree in recreation, education, or a related field, as well as 3-5 years experience working with children. They are qualified!!!!

I was especially impressed with The Living Room, which is a coffee-bar and hang out space for teenagers. It looked like something I would have thought was super cool as a teenager (by the way, the baby toys are laid out because it was open play time…not because they thought teenagers would like them! The teens were out doing something else during that timeframe).

Activities run for teens until the wee hours of the morning, so they get to feel like they are having a true vacation and getting to stay up late, and mom and dad are also getting to have a true vacation and stay up late!

One other thing I really appreciated hearing was that unless you are a parent, you are absolutely not allowed if you are 18 or over. No exceptions. That line gets a little blurry between 17 year olds and 18, 19, and 20 year olds, but Royal Caribbean is dedicated to keeping those under 18 not in the same space as those over 18. Which is something parents of teenagers would appreciate, I know!

The children really have some incredible programs, from science, to art, and even to theater. In fact, we were treated to a glow-in-the-dark puppet show while on board. The image is blurry because the fish in the scene were swimming around. It was delightful, I have to say!

In addition to all of the incredible structured programming on the ship, you’ll also find many spots on board that are kid and family-friendly. The H2O zone is a colorful family water park (there’s even a small splash zone for little ones in diapers). There’s the flow rider surf simulator for older kids, a 9 hole mini-golf course and golf simulator, and sports court with basketball, paddleball and volleyball, and The Wall, which is an expanded signature rock climbing wall. There’s even an ice rink on board with dedicated ice skating times for families!

And if you just want to play some games, tweens and teens in particular will like the Challenger’s Arcade. You’ll even find movies for children playing in stateroom televisions, and adventure family library for quiet reading activities, and Royal bedtime stories happening in Adventure Ocean, where children are encouraged to wear their pajamas!

After seeing what Royal Caribbean has to offer for families with children, I can tell you that I’m pretty blown away by it, and that if I was a kid, this would be the best vacation EVER!!!

Have you ever cruised with kids? What was your experience like? If not, did you have any idea that cruising could be this kid-friendly???

Cruising: All About the Food!

January 15, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

I was sent on a Royal Caribbean press trip in November. My experiences and my opinions are mine alone.

Before we experienced what it’s like to cruise with Royal Caribbean, we heard a whole lot of tips, tricks, advice and anecdotes from our friends and family who had been on a cruise (or 7, in the case of my older brother). But one theme was consistent from person to person: everyone raved about how great the food is. And especially so on Royal Caribbean.

I will tell you that having a break for several days from having to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner was a HUGE treat. I would have been pleased as punch with mediocre food as long as I didn’t have to prepare it.

But friends, NOTHING is mediocre on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Every meal is perfection and so much fun. We had breakfast one morning in our room (room service is free of charge for the vast majority of the day!) and also enjoyed a character breakfast with the likes of Shrek and Fiona one morning. And don’t get me started on the waffles!

The chefs on Freedom of the Seas, the ship we sailed on, were so thoughtful about presentation. Eating happens with your eyes, as well as with your taste buds. I was smiling before I took my first bite!

We also enjoyed the lunch options, which were casual but, that doesn’t mean they weren’t excellent! As you can see below, attention to detail wasn’t spared. And the taste? Delightful!

This is the main dining room, where we enjoyed our extravagant dinners, as well as a few lunches and one special breakfast. You can’t help but feel totally spoiled eating in a room like this!

Our evening meals were true events: I particularly enjoyed taking time to “dress” for dinner (even though on most nights the suggested attire is on the casual side). We had 3 course meals that surprised and delighted us. And we were encouraged to let our server know if anything was less than stellar so that it could be swapped out for something different. One of my favorites was the seafood pasta I enjoyed. Since Tim doesn’t care much for seafood, I rarely make it at home. What a treat!

The desserts, as you can imagine, were their own little treasures. On our first night I enjoyed a cobbler that truly is one of the best I’ve ever had (and I’m from the South, where we don’t mess around with our cobblers, so that’s really saying something!).

And I also snapped a shot of my very favorite dessert of the entire cruise. Would you believe that it was served to me at lunch?! This flan was AMAZING!!!!!! Best I’ve ever had by leaps and bounds. I totally regret not asking for another one.

From the grab-and-go dining options on the promenade (pizza and pastries available around the clock, Ben & Jerry’s, and even a cupcake shop!), to the spectacular dining options at the Windjammer and main dining room, I really thought I had seen it all.

And then we had dinner at one of the specialty restaurants on board, Portofino’s.

I’ve had people ask me why you would pay an extra charge to eat at a restaurant on a cruise ship when the dining options are already so wonderful. Honestly, it’s a valid point. You certainly won’t be feeling shortchanged t by sticking to the complimentary options.

But now that I have had the experience, let me tell you what makes the specialty restaurants so darn special. First and foremost, there’s an intimacy about it that you won’t experience in the beautiful but vast dining rooms. It truly feels like a tucked away, quiet, romantic restaurant. Such great atmosphere!

The food is also a notch above what you’ll find in the main dining halls. I found that hard to believe since I was so wowed by everything I ate. But it’s true! You’ll find very premium dishes in these restaurants. And the presentation is just over the top!

I would recommend that you book one meal at one of the specialty restaurants during your cruise. The prices are quite reasonable when you consider the food quality and the service you will receive. It will also stand out as a #RoyalWow moment that you’ll remember for a long time to come.

If you’ve never experienced the joy of cruising with Royal Caribbean, and if you’ve never dined like a celebrity for a week (that’s what it felt like to me!), then let me suggest that you take a look at how to book a cruise with Royal Caribbean. The value, in my opinion, is simply unbeatable, unless you happen to have your own yacht, and your own house on a Caribbean island, I suppose. And if that’s the case, we should totally hang out on your yacht sometime!

Have you ever been on a cruise? What was the food like???

What It’s Like to Cruise: My Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas Experience

December 16, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 8 Comments

Friends, I have so many things I want to tell you about my very first experience going on a cruise. In November, I went on a press trip with Royal Caribbean, and explored all that there is to do on one of their truly remarkable ships, Freedom of the Seas.

In particular, I want to talk about how easy Royal Caribbean makes it to be gleefully entertained, how fantastic the kids programming is, how memorable all the meals really are (the food is every bits as good as they say it is!). And I want to talk about the most important thing that I learned: how critical it is for parents with children to spend time away from home AND away from their kids, together.

I’ve got separate posts headed your way over the next few months dedicated to each of these topics. For today, though, I want to introduce you to Freedom of the Seas, and if you have never cruised before, to give you a taste of what Royal Caribbean has to offer. We were told that cruising would give us an opportunity to feel pampered and to be very entertained, but we never could have imagined how a vacation could so easily provide wow after #Royalwow.

Accommodations

We stayed in a Deluxe Ocean Stateroom, which offered two twin beds that easily become a king, a small sitting area, private bathroom with shower, and most importantly, a small private balcony. The couch also converts to a bed to accommodate extra guests. The room was quite spacious for 2, and we could have squeezed in our two kids here, though it would have become decidedly less comfy if we had done that. When we cruise with our kids later (and we totally will…can’t wait to tell you about what they have on board for kids!), we will likely spring for a larger room.

The Ship Interior

The interior of the ship was, in a word, magnificent. It honestly felt like a floating city; very easy to forget that you were actually on a boat as opposed to at a resort complex on land! Freedom of the Seas has a main thoroughfare with what feels like a small, beautiful mall inside of it, with shops, specialty bars and places to eat.

It also has countless “tucked away” spots just like this one, where you can relax, have a drink, and just enjoy your surroundings. When we set sail, every single stateroom on the ship was booked, which means that we had somewhere around 3,000 passengers on the ship, not counting the 1,360 crew members. And yet, Tim and I were able to find place after place to steal away and be by ourselves, or at least not in a huge crowd. I have no idea how that was even possible, but I have been told that it is by design. The ship is overflowing with little nooks for people to find and enjoy in peace and quiet. This was one of the things that surprised and delighted me the very most about cruising. I assumed before going that it would feel like going on vacation with 3,000 strangers. But it doesn’t!

This is where we ate most of our meals. I mean, c’mon! The dining room was nothing short of spectacular. I felt so very spoiled just getting to dine here night after night. And the food. YOU GUYS. I have a whole future post dedicated to the topic, because it is just that worthy! 🙂

Entertainment

The Freedom of the Seas is a gorgeous ship, and it is perfectly appointed to encourage relaxation and pure enjoyment. But if you want to be entertained as well as to be relaxed, then don’t you worry: Royal Caribbean is ready for you!

Every single night they have amazing shows in their theater. We saw a Broadway review, incredible live musical performances, dancers, and a comedian (admittedly, he was offensive and I didn’t like him, but I guess that’s sort of the deal with comedians…). We even caught an afternoon 3D movie (The Croods! I’ve been wanting to see it for a while but I NEVER get to go to the movies!). I thought that the level of talent we got to enjoy on the ship was absolutely astounding. And as you can see, the theater can hold a lot of people, yet it still feels intimate. We had a great seat for every single performance, because there’s no such thing as a bad seat in the house!

We also got to try our hand at ice skating. That’s right, Freedom of the Seas has an ice skating rink. And as you can see, I was a total natural. I took one lap around the rink, gave myself a killer bruise on my arm (see picture above), and then retired my skates and decided to let the professionals take the ice.

Did you know that Royal Caribbean is one of the largest employers of ice skaters in the world? Their performers put on an incredible show for us. The house was totally packed for their shows; it was the most “crowded” I felt during the whole trip, and even then, it felt like no big deal. We were seated quickly and it only took a few minutes to get out of the theater afterwards. And best of all, no traffic to deal with to drive back home! In fact, we walked from the show straight to a fabulous dinner. What a vacation, people!!!

If you want something a little more “low key” then just play some board games with other folks on the ship. We took part in a really fun organized game of Apples to Apples. Evidently we aren’t the only fans of this game, as about 100 people showed up to play! In addition to organized group games, they also have a special room on the ship just for playing games at your leisure! Tim and I played a quick round of scrabble, and there was a fierce game of rummy happening one table over from us. Those ladies looked serious!

Arts/Culture

Or maybe art is more up your alley. TheCEO of Royal Caribbean is a huge fan of art, and his love really shows on the ships, which are full of beautiful pieces you can enjoy. There’s even an art auction on board so you can take home a treasure! We sat in on a very interesting art lecture while on the ship, too. See? Something for everyone!

I even managed to stumble upon a cooking demonstration, happening right in front of one of the main buffets on the ship. I watched the highly skilled chefs on board, I learned a few new techniques, and I got to sample the yummy end result. It really blew me away how many exciting and fun opportunities were waiting around every corner.

Work It Out

For those of you who like to work on your fitness, the views from these treadmills are quite spectacular. The workout facility also has a boxing ring (!) and an aerobics room for classes like yoga, pilates, and step aerobics. I almost got on one of those treadmills just so that I could workout in such a beautiful setting.

Almost….

Instead, I spent some very relaxing time in the sauna and steam rooms available in the fitness center. That’s got to be the best way EVER to work up a sweat. Seriously though, this was one of my very favorite moments on board: quiet, calm, warm, and relaxing. Growing up, I actually had a sauna in my house. It is SOOOOOO random, and not at all indicative of my income bracket. It just so happens that the person my parents bought the house from was “that guy” (you know, the upper-middle aged bachelor with a hairy chest, a gold chain around his neck, and a sauna in his master suite). I haven’t been in a sauna in 15 years (my parents use the space as storage! Ack!). It felt like going home, honestly.

Quantum of the Seas

While on the ship I also got to learn more about the ship that Royal Caribbean is currently building. It is called the Quantum of the Seas and I want to vacation on it SO BAD!!!!

So that would be bumper cars that you are seeing in this rendering. Bumper cars at sea. I think I could hang with that a bit better than the ice capades “incident” I had on the rink. Run into someone else on purpose? I got this!!!

That same area will also transform into a full basketball court. And I cannot WAIT to watch folks dribbling the ball on the high seas! Hee hee! Seriously though, the sports and fitness center on this ship is going to be second to none. Just imagine what the rest of the ship is going to look like!

What I Love About Cruising

I was so impressed with the Royal Caribbean staff, and the thoughtfulness behind the design of the ship. I spend 4 nights and 5 days without a care in the world, and without feeling like I was part of a big crowd. My experience on the ship was one of luxury and leisure. “Freedom,” indeed, is what I felt on this ship. Free to do as I pleased, when I pleased, and to always BE pleased. The staff made sure every moment was a #RoyalWow, and I had a blast. It was my first cruise, and there’s no way it will be my last!