Western Caribbean Cruise

I have been so bad about writing lately, but I'm hoping to do better in the next couple weeks! 

Shawn and I went on a Western Caribbean with his parents, brother and sister in law a couples of weeks ago and had a blast! And I swear I learn something new every cruise I go on. I posed the question on my Instagram stories to see who would be interested in reading a blog post about the trip and y'all said yes so here we are. I want to share with you what I packed, how I packed, what excursions we did, what we liked about cruising with Royal Caribbean, what we didn't like, what I wish I'd known, etc. So let's dive in!

Cruise Lines

My husband and I had only ever sailed with Carnival before this most recent cruise with Royal Caribbean. One thing we have come to realize is that there are pros and cons to every cruise line, so you just have to decide what factors are most important to you. Here are some things we learned:

• Ships: So the difference in luxury and size of the ships is what blew my mind. Carnival ships are very small compared to Royal's! The Royal ship we were on, Liberty of the Seas, had a huge indoor promenade (shopping/dining) type area in the middle of the ship. The details and finishes were also nicer and fancier than that of Carnival's. Royal had a bunch of hidden gems that we never came across on a Carnival ship: a library, a card/game room, an adults only pool, shuffleboard, a tube slide, a rock climbing wall and one of my favorite things...a Flowrider (onboard surfing)! Super fun!
• Food: Honestly, the food on both ships is comparable...with Royal's being maybe slightly better. Royal charges for simple snacks like popcorn while Carnival does not. Both lines have ice cream machines on board that you can get soft serve cones from anytime of the day for free. Both lines also have restaurants or food places that cost extra (like Ben & Jerry's and Johnny Rockets) that you have to pay extra for. Oh and Royal is WAY BETTER at accommodating and having options for special dietary needs! They went above and beyond for Shawn who has Celiac Disease.
• Rooms: The cabins on Royal (at least the interior ones) are bigger than the interior ones on Carnival. They layout is also way better. The shower is actually functional, there is a small sofa and plenty of storage space.
• Beds: So this time Shawn and I actually were in a shared cabin with my in laws. So they were on the big bed below us and we were on bunks that came down out of the ceiling. I'll be honest, this was the worst part of the trip. The bunks were so uncomfortable! My husband and I slept awful. It was essentially a pad on a metal box. And the bed below where my in laws slept wasn't much better. I remember the beds on Carnival being fairly comfortable.
• Entertainment: Ok let's talk about shows and concerts. I was actually quite disappointed in the entertainment options aboard Royal. There wasn't a huge selection and some of the shows were just mediocre. Carnival had lots of fun options including a legit 80s rock concert! That being said, Royal did an awesome Harry Potter Trivia event that I freaked out over! So, again...pros and cons. You just have to decide what's most important to you and your party.
• Atmosphere: Overall, we liked the feel of Royal better than Carnival. Royal is a bit classier, higher end. Carnival is cheaper so it tends to draw in more of the partiers and drinkers. Things got pretty crazy and a bit too loud for our liking on our last Carnival cruise. But if that's your scene, go for it!

Know Before You Go

Each time I've gone on a cruise, there are things I make mental notes of to remember for next time! Here are a few helpful tips for what to do/know before you go on a cruise:

1. Check in, print off luggage tags and attach all tags before you arrive at your departure port. Leave your bags with the staff to bring aboard so you don't have to roll them all over the ship. This will save you so much time and headache, trust me! 
2. Bring a carry on bag! Since your large, main bags will be checked and taken to your room, be sure to keep a backpack or smaller bag with a change of clothes or a swimsuit or whatever you made need if your bag doesn't arrive until after dinner. Because we didn't know about the no steamer rule, Shawn's bag got flagged and we couldn't go get it until after dinner.
3. Bring cash! There are lots of people to tip whether it's the people who carry your bags, the shuttle drivers, your onboard staff/housekeepers, excursion tour guides, etc. [Side note: we learned on this cruise how much the housekeepers and wait staff make...it is so low you guys! Most of these people live off of nothing and try to send the rest of it back home to their families. So we were sure to personally hand some of them very generous gratuities on the last day above and beyond the split share they'd receive from the ship].
4. Prepay your gratuities! We like to prepay onboard tips because it saves us from having to carry around cash on the ship. Plus, they charge you an automatic fixed rate per person per day anyways so you may as well have it all paid for before you go so there's no added expenses after.
5. Bring a passport! Even though some cruises don't require you to have a passport if you cruise leaves and returns to your country of origin, it's a good idea to bring it. Make sure you have it in a safe location at all times, including in a secure bag when you go ashore at ports. Do bring it at each port because if something happens and for some reason you miss the boat, you do not want to be stuck in a foreign country with no passport or way to get home.
6. Be aware of prohibited items! There's actually quite a few items that are not allowed on board, so be sure to look at your specific cruise line's website for details. Things that are banned on pretty much all cruises are irons, steamers, power strips, weapons, etc. We didn't know about steamers and actually had ours confiscated haha!
7. Bring dramamine! Or whatever seasick medicine works for you. Even if you grew up on boats and don't think you'll get seasick, bring it! It's better to have it and not need it. Cruise ships are large and rock slowly and feel a lot different than most boats you've probably been on.
8. Pack appropriately! It can get chilly on the boat at night, the tropical weather can be unpredictable so make sure you are prepared!
9. Arrive early! Plan on flying in or driving to your departure port the day before the ships embarks! This is so important! The last thing you want is to be stressed if you have a delay or trouble getting there. The boat will not wait for you. If you're not on before embarkation time, they'll leave you! 
10. Eat lunch first! The staff will have the buffets set up for you when you get on the ship the first day, so head straight there. This is why it's nice to tag your bags ahead of time and check them at the port. They'll be brought to your room while you eat. Also, a lot of people head to the pools right way, but then they're all wet for the required Muster Drill (safety drill) that everyone has to go to before embarkation. So eat lunch, check out your room (usually ready around 1:00pm), stay dry, go to the safety drill, then hit the pools afterward!

Packing

I have been on two other cruises in the past, but this time I did more research beforehand and read what other people thought was important to bring. I combined what I knew to bring with some of the great ideas from others and created an all-inclusive generic packing list. I shared this with the rest of my group going on the cruise and they all said it was very helpful! (Please keep in mind that items needed will very slightly depending on the cruise you go on).

Some packing tips: 

1. Place shoes on bottom and against outside walls of suitcase
2. Layer clothes open and flat from the bottom of the suitcase up
3. Place any items that may leak in ziplock bags
4. Stuff socks or under garments inside packed shoes
5. Bring your own beverages! The quantity rules will vary per ship, but you can bring things like soda, juice, etc.

Excursions

On our other cruises we just did our own thing at the ports so this time we wanted to try some fun adventures. This was the first of our three cruises where we booked excursions through the ship and we had an absolute blast! Here's some quick tips when it comes to planning excursions:

1. Book excursions through your ship! Only excursions and activities booked through the ship guarantee that the boat will not leave without you. 
2. Book them early, ahead of time! There's typically only a certain amount available and you don't want to miss your chance to see the things you want.
3. Research sales. See if the cruise line runs sales on their excursions (Royal usually has a Memorial Day and Labor Day sale for 30% off so book around that time if you can)! 
4. Make note of meal options. Some excursions will include lunch, others will not so pay attention and allow time to find lunch somewhere, taking into account dietary restrictions if needed. Research ahead of time if you're worried about it because you most likely won't have service or wifi at the ports.

So our first port was Cozumel, Mexico and we did an all-inclusive excursion at XPLOR that included zip-lining, ATVs and an underground cave swim. Oh my gosh y'all this was so much fun! We started with zip-lining and went from tower to tower as we zipped down about 15 different lines with varying lengths and heights. Some of the lines even landed in water inside caves! After about an hour of zip-lining we headed over to ride some amphibious ATVs through caves and over bridges. This part was fun, but definitely not my favorite activity of the day. We then headed over to the lunch buffet that was included with our excursion. The food was decent, but we were hesitant to eat anything uncooked (like raw vegetables) for fear of getting sick. It may not be a bad idea to do research on what's safe to eat in certain ports and what's not. After lunch we headed to the caves for rafting and swimming. This part was amazing! We were completely underground in caves that were filled with super clear water, stalagmites, cenotes and breathtaking views!

Our next port was Georgetown, Grand Cayman and we didn't book an excursion because we just wanted to have a low-key day at 7 Mile Beach. The water there were so pretty and clear we couldn't believe it! We laid on the beach, swam in the water and went for a banana tube ride. SO. MUCH. FUN. I had a blast filming the ride with my father-in-law's GoPro! Then we took a break for lunch at Calico Jack's right on the beach. After lunch we got back in the water for a bit before heading back to the ship to ride the TidalWave slide while it was open.

The last port we stopped at was Falmouth, Jamaica...my favorite! We began the day by taking a bus out to Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios to swim with dolphins! I'll be honest, I was a bit timid and scared before I got there. I think it's because I didn't know what to expect, but I totally didn't need to worry. It was hands down one of the coolest experiences of my life! We got to swim belly to belly with our dolphin Orion, dance with him, he kissed are cheek and then we kissed him back, he pushed us along top of the water and we got to hold him like a baby. We also got to see a baby dolphin swimming around with its mom. So cool!

Side note: I think I was also worried about it because of the fact that these animals live in captivity, but y'all have to hear the info about these dolphins!

1. All of the dolphins at this resort have been rescued, not captured.
2. Dolphins in this facility live way longer than in the wild do to pollution, litter and other environmental factors.
3. These dolphins form strong bonds with their human partners because they train with the same trainer for upwards of 11 months.
4. The dolphins have plenty of play time with each other.

After Dolphin Cove, we took a super short bus ride pretty much across the street to Dunns River Falls. I had been looking forward to this ever since we planned our cruise because my parents hiked this same river years ago when they were here. And it did not disappoint. We had the best tour guides, the best views and such a fun time!

We had so much fun on this trip and saw some amazing places and made some lasting memories! Please feel free to comment below with tips and advice you have or questions! Happy Tuesday!