Our Royal Caribbean Cruise Review
Back in March, Alyssa and I were able to go on our first-ever cruise! Our good friends (and Alyssa’s boss) the Kuiper’s brought us along on a Royal Caribbean trip they earned, as well as bringing our favorite kiddos.
We’ve always wanted to try a cruise, but other trips have always taken priority. Not knowing what to expect fully, we did lots of asking around. The opinions on cruises really vary, but most tended to be either “We LOVE cruises” or “Never again”. This made us a bit nervous, but still excited!
The Ship
The cruise we were on was a Royal Caribbean aboard the Harmony of the Seas, the second largest cruise ship in existence! I mean, if we were going to start somewhere, why not the biggest! The ship was truly incredible, and felt more like a luxury hotel with most of the surrounding city as well. Restaurants, stores, a carousel, Central Park, theaters, pretty much anything you can think of.
There were so many things to do on the ship, and we frankly did a terrible job of taking advantage of them. We didn’t make it to any shows. but we did get to see a tech rehearsal for one show, which was awesome! We took advantage of many of the (included) restaurants and bars, but not so much the activities like mini-golf or the epic slides.
As time passed on the ship, we honestly forgot that we were on a boat. Every once in a while, we would feel the waves and remember. But even Alyssa, who tends to be more sensitive to motion, didn’t have any issues with sea sickness. We didn’t even use the Dramamine or Sea Bands we had with!
The Royal Caribbean Experience
I was beyond impressed with the Royal Caribbean crew. The level of service provided was truly great, and we definitely felt more spoiled than we have before on a vacation. Our stateroom attendant (which sounded WAY too fancy for us) Endy was so incredibly helpful and polite. He was accommodating for us as we had kids in our room some nights, and kept the rooms looking amazing. It was extra relaxing to come home in the evening to a bedroom all ready to sleep in!
The food and drinks were equally impressive, everywhere we went. There were plenty of options included in the trip price, and we could always find something when we were hungry. Definitely loved the buffet options, because everyone was happy! We had a specific dining time in the dining room, but since it was a three-course meal, it took a lot of time, and it didn’t feel like the best use of our time.
The Final Verdict
Everyone told us that you either are cruise people or not cruise people. Basically after your first cruise you’ll either ONLY go on cruises for the rest of your life or you’ll never even consider a cruise. I don’t think we fell into either camp though.
Honestly, what made the cruise amazing was the people we spent our time with. When it comes down to it, I think we would enjoy going on a cruise again, but wouldn’t necessarily seek out a cruise as a first option for a trip. Truly, it’s all about WHO you go with rather than what’s available on the cruise. Overall, we didn’t take advantage of all the cool things we could have done, but it was still super special because we spent it with some of our favorite people!
Have you been on a cruise? What cruise lines do you recommend? Share with us below!