After a long month of traveling with the kids this summer, Kevin and I snuck off for a 3-night Royal Caribbean Bahamas Cruise at the beginning of the month. It was our first trip without the kids since our 10th-anniversary trip to Las Vegas (Read that post: What I Wore in Las Vegas ) We both turn 40 at the end of the summer, so we felt this trip was the perfect way to celebrate our big milestone birthdays and enjoy some quality time together. I have to say that this was the best vacation that we have been on so far together. It will be hard to top! Today I want to tell you all about our cruise and of course; share all the outfits that I wore!
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Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival Cruise
Last month, we took our kids on a Carnival 5-night cruise to the Bahamas (Read that post: What I Wore: Bahamas Cruise Vacation Outfits). This time around we were on Royal Caribbean. I have been on 3 of the major cruise lines in the U.S., Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian and I have to say that they are all amazing! Each cruise line has something great to offer. Because I have cruised on Carnival recently, some people have asked me to compare my Carnival Bahamas Cruise to my Royal Caribbean Bahamas cruise.
One thing that I will consider is that the cruise ships we recently sailed on are very different in size. On Carnival, we sailed on Carnival Freedom which was a smaller ship. On Royal Caribbean, we were on Allure of the Seas, a part of their Oasis Class of ships, which are some of the world’s largest cruise ships.
Allure of the Seas was a very extravagant ship. It had so much to offer in terms of entertainment and activities. It was the biggest ship I had ever been on. Despite all its beauty, Kevin and I both agreed that there was something to be said about a smaller ship. We liked the layout of the Carnival Freedom a little better. It was easier to get around and we felt more of a community on the smaller ship. Allure of the Seas had a lot of interior space where you couldn’t see the ocean. It gave it a nice downtown feel, but we felt that took away some of the fun of being on a cruise ship. It also split up the pool deck too much for our liking. With that said, it’s hard to say anything too negative about either ship.
In terms of food and entertainment, Royal Caribbean’s entertainment was amazing. We saw a full production of Mama Mia, an ice capades show, an acrobatic high diving show, and a comedy show. We also felt that the dining room food was better on Royal Caribbean. The menu sections were great and our meals on all 3 nights were some of the best meals I’ve eaten all year long. However, I felt that the casual buffet lunch food on Carnival was better. They had some great lunch options, including a Guy’s Burger Joint that was delicious. Also, the ice cream machine hours on Royal Caribbean were disappointing. They were only open from 11 am-7 pm. The kids would have been disappointed with those hours because we enjoyed having late-night treats with them on the Carnival ship.
In terms of service, both ships were amazing! The staff on cruise ships is one of my favorite parts of a cruise. They take such good care of you. These people are from all over the world and they are some of the hardest-working, kindest people you will ever come across. They will make you not want to leave!
Overall, we felt both cruise lines were great. We will be sailing on both cruise lines in the future. If you are planning on booking a cruise soon, just know that you really can’t go wrong with any cruise line you pick. They all have something to offer. Figure out what your main priorities are in a cruise vacation and do your research. They are by far my favorite style of vacation!
What I Wore on my Royal Caribbean Bahamas Cruise
On to the outfits. This trip was exciting to pack for because we weren’t bringing the kids. Typically, I use my kid-free occasions to dress up and get some use out of the pieces in my wardrobe that I can’t easily wear as a mom. For me, small clutch purses and heels are some of my go-to’s for kid-free occasions. However, because the ship was big and we did so much walking around, I found myself keeping my shoes very practical wearing my new gold slide sandals almost every night. I also found that my favorite cross-body straw purse (similar) was much more practical than the clutch purses that I bought.
Here are some of my cruise essentials…
Day 1: Travel Day
On Thursday we flew down to Sarasota, Florida. Because Kevin is an airline pilot, we always take a free standby flight when we vacation. Sometimes that means we need to go to airports a little farther away from our destination. If you are flying to your cruise port destination I highly recommend coming in a day early. If we had taken the same-day flight to Sanford we had originally planned to take, we would have missed our ship because the flight got delayed.
Our first day was the 4th of July and I couldn’t resist wearing red, white, and blue. I wore my new red dress from Target with my favorite ABLE denim jacket, which has been a go-to travel piece for me this summer. Another travel favorite of mine is my Adidas Sambas, which have been my favorite tennis shoes this year!
Travel Outfit Details HERE
Day 2: Port Canaveral
Day 2 was the first day of the cruise. We drove across Florida and boarded our ship in Port Canaveral. I had bought this tropical print romper from Cupshe for this trip, so I was excited to wear it. We spent the afternoon checking out the ship and getting familiar with it.
In the evening I changed into a pink and green print maxi dress from Amazon. I had packed it for my Carnival cruise vacation but never had a chance to wear it, so I was excited to get some use out of it on this trip. That night we went to dinner and saw a full production of the musical Mama Mia, which was amazing! We also spent some time in the casino. I owed it to Kevin since he could have done without the 2.5-hour Mama Mia show.
Day time Outfit details HERE
Resort Casual Night Outfit details HERE
Day 3: Nassau, Bahamas
Kevin and I had been to Nassau several times before we had kids. With the last 2 cruises, we went on with the kids, we opted to not get off the ship and explore the island. This time around we decided to head back to our favorite beach on Paradise Island, which is Cabbage Beach. We went there a couple of times together years ago and remember what a beautiful beach it was. It was nice to go back and we spent a relaxing morning together before heading back to the ship for lunch and some pool time.
During the day, I wore a high-waisted bathing suit from Amazon. For my cover-up, I pulled out an old favorite dress of mine. I got it from a boutique a few years ago and I’ve always loved the style. I love the buttons on the front. That is always a great feature for a beach coverup dress. When we got back on the ship I changed into my go-to cruise romper before dinner.
When we got back on the ship we got ready for the evening. The theme of this night was white night. I wore my new Amazon white dress that I shared in a try-on a few weeks earlier on Instagram (Post HERE). After a delicious dinner, we watched the Oceanaria driving and acrobatic show. That was so impressive! We also caught some live music and ended our night at the nightclub, which was so fun. I don’t think we have been dancing in a very long time. It was a night to remember.
Beach Outfit Details HERE & HERE
Day Time Outfit Details HERE
White Night Outfit Details HERE
Day 4: CocoCay, Bahamas
Our last stop of the cruise was CocoCay, which is a private island in the Bahamas that Royal Caribbean owns. They have water parks, adult retreats, splash pads, water sports, a huge pool with a swim-up bar, and lots of beaches to explore. I loved this day because Kevin and I just relaxed. We were tired from being up so late the night before, so it was the perfect day to just rest and talk. It was one of my favorite days of the trip.
That night, we went to an earlier dinner so we could catch the Ice Capade show. This was probably my favorite show on the ship. We also caught the comedy show as well. The comedians were pretty funny and it was a great way to end our night.
For my beach outfit, I wore my new blue high-waisted 2-piece bathing suit with my pink cover-up. Both are from Amazon. The theme on the last night was Caribbean, so I wore my new floral maxi dress from Stitch Fix. I love this dress and I can’t wait to wear it again!
Beach Outfit Details HERE & HERE
Caribbean Night Outfit Details HERE
Sadly, my summer of traveling has come to an end, but we already are making plans for a family cruise next year. Make sure you are following along with me on my LTK page, to see some more cruise/travel content. Look for more What I Wore: Travel posts in the future!
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