As Michiganders, we love to cruise in February. It’s a couple weeks after the holiday hustle and bustle and then 5 weeks to our Spring Break- giving us an escape from Snow, Ice and Cold!
This February our family embarked on a new adventure- Sailing 7 nights on one of the largest ships at sea, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Sea. Our son Leo, first saw Oasis on YouTube and but the bug in my ear over the summer… so naturally I researched it!
A lot of Guru Travel followers have followed us on #UramGoingToDisney for past February travels and know we LOVE all things Disney. But this February we traded in our Mickey Ears and Mickey Bars to see how the Mega Ship compares and what it had to offer for this family of 4 with kids ages 10 and 8.
We love Disney and Disney Cruise Lines and my husband, and I have sailed on Royal before but never on a ship this large. After researching, we thought this would be the perfect Christmas gift for the kids and we were right! We were going on a 7-night Western Caribbean Cruise out of Miami stopping in Honduras, Puerto Costa Maya, Cozumel and Royal’s Island, Perfect Day at Coco Cay!
Time to Go!
Our adventure started as flew in a day before spending the day soaking up the Sun in Miami! We dined poolside at the Former Versace Mansion, let the waves hit us on Miami Beach and dined at local venues- learning we loved Columbian food!
After a day in the sun, it was time to embark on our cruise. As we headed to the Port of Miami, we were amazed at the size of the Oasis- it towered over all other ships. Spanning just over 1100 ft in length and 236 ft above the water, it was gigantic!
With an almost sold out ship of over 5,000 passengers, the embarkation at the port was the fastest and easiest we had as a family. Multiple port crew checking our documents and passports, took our picture, and once cleared we automatically were in the security line. Breezed thru security and walked right on the ship in 30 minutes.
We completed our muster drill in no time, grabbed lunch at the Windjammer, then headed to the pool until our room was ready at 1pm.
With 18 decks in total, there was so much to do! Ship was clean, crew everywhere cleaning behind guests and hand sanitizer everywhere. Crew was very nice and always smiling! Fun fact by day 3, the Barista in Central Park welcomed us by name.
Our family tried to see and do everything, but in one week its hard to do! Here are some things we enjoyed:
- Flowrider- you can surf or boogie board. Since it was our first time, we all tried boogie boarding and loved it! My daughter and husband learned some tricks over the week and mid-week, Charlotte was doing the Macarena!
- Ultimate Abyss- Dry Slide situated at the back of the ship, where you plummet 10 stories and end in the Boardwalk area of the ship
- Zip Line- Zip line 10 stories above the boardwalk area
- Rock Climb with the wind in your hair
- Ride a Carousel
- Splash in the Splashpad
- Conquer the 3 awesome waterslides on Deck 14
- Learn a new sport or join a pick up game at the Sports Court
- Enjoy a friendly round of mini golf
- Learn how to make Sushi and enjoy it at Izumi
- Learn all about the Main Dining Room Galley at Sip.Tour.Brunch
- Leisurely walks thru Central Park, looking for Hidden Rubber Ducks
- Riding Rising Tide Bar and enjoying refreshments
- Enjoying many live shows at sea! The Aqua80 show was incredible!
With all the activities, we also ate a lot! Dining was a treat. For our 7 night we decided to split our time between the main dining room and specialty dining. 150 Central Park, Chopp’s and Giavonni’s did not disappoint and gave a little more upscale, personalized feel compared to main dining. We also dined in other complimentary dining in Central Park, Windjammer (buffet), El Local Fresh (this was our favorite) as well as grabbing late night pizza. All in all, food was everywhere and we did not go hungry.
Off the ship, Perfect Day at Coco Cay was our last stop on the cruise and our favorite. We walked the entire island, and it has something for everyone. Large Beach area, Multiple Pools, Zip Lining, Excursions, and Thrill Waterpark. We focused our time on Thrill Waterpark since we purchased passes- it has a ton of waterslides, a wave pool and water obstacle courses. With so much to do and 2 ships docked at the same time, we did not feel the island was overcrowded, it was just as it states- a Perfect Day!
As you can see there was so much, we need to go back. Happy to report we used our NEXTCruise credit for a cruise next February. Does this mean we will turn in our Mickey ears forever, heck no! We love both cruise lines for different reasons.
If you want to learn more about cruising, contact me at patty@thewdwguru.com. I have a pro tip list for my clients! You can follow Charlotte at #WhatDoesCharlotteHaveToSayToday. Our family loves cruising and its my mission to find one that is perfect for your family or group!