Beach Day // CocoCay, Bahamas

The last stop of the cruise was on one of Royal Caribbean's private islands, CocoCay. I was a little hesitant at first because the cruise ship was tenured and we had to take a small ferry to the island. Normally this wouldn't have been a problem, it was only about a 10 minute ride, but the wind was at 30 knots, so it was a little bumpy going in. Once I actually got onto the island I was in love!

The island was more than accommodating for the number of people on the ship. Because it was a private island,no one lived on the island, and only guests on could get there so it was not over crowded, which is a problem at many beaches. There were a lot of large palm trees which were a much welcome escape to the heat. Royal Caribbean provided a nice buffet style lunch, and had plenty of drinks at their many bars if you so desired.

I spent most of my day in the ocean. I had rented out a beach mat, which was comfortable to add extra cushion to the chairs, but also perfect for floating in the water. At first that was all I had planned on doing for the day, but after seeing how crystal clear the water was I knew i had to go snorkeling. I'm glad I got the snorkel gear because I saw a lot of cool sea life. My inner 5 year old was overly excited by the fish that looked just like Nemo and Dory that would swim right up to you. The fish here seemed to be overly confident in themselves and would get right up in your personal space, which was really cool. The best thing I saw was a sting ray that swam right under me just gliding on its way. It was a really relaxing afternoon in the water, and I highly remained it!

This cruise was short and sweet, and I loved every minute of it. I find myself always wanting to go back to Royal Caribbean for more cruises, and there is defiantly a reason why. You can't beat the high standard that Royal Caribbean has set. I feel like at this point if I went on any other cruise line I would just be disappointed. This trip was defiantly a 10 out of 10, and I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a relaxing weekend getaway!

xx Ashley 

Bahama Mama Time // Nassau, Bahamas

After a perfect day of sailing, our fist destination on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas was Nassau, Bahamas. This was not my fist time at Nassau, so except to be able to enjoy the nice, sunny weather I was not overly excited about this stop. However, even with my lack of enthusiasm( it was really hot, so I was much more happy by the pool with a pina colada) we ventured off the ship to roam the streets of Nassau. I do have to say, my favorite part about this city is the brightly colored buildings. Instead of the boring whites and grays I see at home, here the buildings are bright blue, pink, green, and so on. It makes it more welcoming to walk around. There was also a small festival going on so there were a lot of people native to the city dressed up in amazing outfits for that!

Other than that there was't much to Nassau. There isn't much to do other than shop, and the shops aren't all that great. They're either really expensive (Cartier, Burberry, Rolex, etc.) or very cheap and not great quality(straw market). If you want to go into the straw market just a fair warning its hot, crowded, and full of counterfeit merchandise. I don't like tight places so it was a definite no for me!

If you want to get off at Nassau I would recommend catching the ferry(its only $4 per person) over to Paradise Island, which is where Atlantis is. You can get a day pass and it will be much more fun and safe than walking around the few "tourist" blocks on the main part of Nassau. While the day pass is a bit expensive ( its about what you would pay for a day at Disney) its totally worth it!

Nassau was ok, but not my favorite. I'm interested to see how tourism is affected there once Americans are allowed to go to Cuba. Nassau will need to up its game to be able to compete with that. If you find yourself in this area, my suggestion is Nassau no, Paradise Island yes! 

Stayed tuned for my last post about the cruise where I wrap up with Coco Cay! xx Ashley

Bon Voyage // Royal Caribbean Cruise

As I sit here on this particularly cloudy, cold day that is trying to pass by as "spring weather" I can't help but wish I was back on what seemed like a truly magical trip with Royal Caribbean. Now this was not my first time cruising with them, and will definitely not be my last. Royal Caribbean has perfected the cruising experience for their guest from the moment you walk onto the ship, right up to when you sadly have to wave goodbye. They truly make you feel at home throughout your entire stay. All their staff is extremely friendly and will go above and beyond to meet your needs. The crew member whose was responsible for my room knew my name and greeted me within the first minutes of getting to my room and every night he made these cute towel animals!

The ship itself was a sight itself. This time I cruised on the Enchantment of the Seas, which is one of the smaller and older vessels in the Royal Caribbean lineup, but I was not disappointed at all. While some of the larger ships I had been on had a  bit more glitz and glam, this ship was still had enough to keep me busy. There were 3 pools, clubs, lounges, and even a rock climbing wall if you so desired.  The Enchantment of the Seas was fully loaded with everything I wanted including food, pools, shops, oh and did I mention food!

If you want delicious food, delicious food is what you're going to get. My mouth is watering just thinking of their mashed potatoes( I think I ate my own body weight in matched potatoes alone, they were that good). There was always plenty of food from their buffet style restaurant, The Windjammer, or their snack stations by the pool. For dinner there was the formal dining room which had an amazing wait staff, and equally amazing food!

Overall I would recommend Royal Caribbean to anyone thinking about cruising in the future.  They have impeccable ships, delicious food, and amazing staff, and lots to keep you entertained, there's nothing more I could ask for!

Keep your eyes peeled for some posts about the locations I went to while on the cruise, they'll be coming soon! xx Ashley