So last year you may have seen that our family went on our first cruise and even onboard we were looking up cruises for next year! We for sure got bit by the cruise bug but mostly because we LOVED this brand new ship, Wonder of the Seas. When we sailed last year it was the largest ship in the world and only about 1/3 capacity because it was the inaugural sailing.
This year was for sure a bit different! It was PACKED and while it didn’t stop us from having a good time I’m so glad we learned some lessons from the year prior to make it the best trip possible. First we booked a “kids room” since we go with our cousins and have 4 kids on the trip it was not much more to book a 3rd room so they had a place to all hang out together and parents could have a little privacy.
We also learned that reservations book FAST! Last year we had to be on the ship to book reservations but this year they opened about a month prior to sailing. Since the ship was way more full reservations so quickly so I overbook and then cancel later based on how we are feeling while onboard. Which we ended up canceling a parent dinner the last night because our water show was rescheduled to the same time and we didn’t want to miss that!
Now we look forward to this vacation ALL YEAR! The girls planned matching outfits for nearly everyday of the cruise and since my cousin and I wear the same size we end up swapping tops and dresses a lot too. I will say traveling with family that have same age kids is AMAZING and always makes the trip more fun for us all.
The first thing we do when we get into our rooms is fully unpack and bring out all the items to help keep our rooms organized. The shoe organizers are clutch and while we used ours for shoes and other ready to grab items the kids kept all their shoes in it which made it so much easier for all 4 of them to find them on the way our of the room. These come with hooks and can be hung on the closet or bathroom doors. Another must have are our pop up hangers, magnetic hooks and hooks that attach to the shower. All items we used a TON!
I built a list last year of the “extras” we bring on our cruise that you can find HERE.
Suction Hook | Magnetic Hook | Shoe Organizer
Then that evening we saw the Tap Factory Show which is a great drumming, dancing show but I will warn you NONE of the girls liked the contortionist so if that weirds you out close your eyes during that part like we did!
Our first stop was CocoCay the private island owned by Royal Caribbean in the Bahamas. If you have not been to this location there are a ton of reasons to love it! Since it’s owned by the cruise line food, drinks and internet are all included like on the boat. Last year we reserved the Chill Island daybed and this year we upgraded to the cabanas. Included in the cabanas is an attendant that brings food, drinks and really about anything you need. I also love that it was stocked with a cooler and safe.
Tee | Shorts | Purse | Flip Flops
Since last year the kids spent so much time playing in the beautiful white sands we bought along our own sand toys, snorkels and of course I liked having my BruMates close… one for water and one for margaritas!!
ReHydration 25oz | NAV Mini 12 oz
Snorkel Sets | Bucket and Shovel Set | Mesh Bags
Swimsuit tts, 12 | Sunglasses
Last year my daughter and her cousin where mistaken as twins a few times on the trip so this year they leaned HARD into it and coordinated outfits for the entire trip. They both have a slender dancer build so getting outfits and especially swimsuits is so hard! This season I found a ton of cute suits at Athleta Girl and they have options for 2 pieces, rash guards, shorts and long sleeve full pieces. It ended up perfect for our tween “twins”.
these run tts girls wearing M bottoms and L tops
After we got back from the Beach we went to Wonderland for an early celebration of Miss A’s 11th birthday. The girls love the interesting food and this time around our server did an AMAZING job of offering 2nd of things we loved. I will say once again though if you are not an adventurous eater I would skip this experience.
Amazon Dresses girls wearing size S
Dress | Sandals | Similar Bracelet Stack
Fit Tips: Dress tts, L and has built-in bra
The next day on the trip was a sea day the kids tried the mini golf and arcade then headed to kids club for a few hours while the adults hit up the casino.
Similar Lululemon Skirt | Belt Bag in pastel blue | White Sneakers
I figured I would show you a few of the outfits that I packed for those days when we were just “hanging out”. Now did I wear all of these outfits, no. I brought wait more than I needed on this trip because my amazing cousin is a hard working teacher and she said “ugh, I have nothing I love to wear on the trip!” I called her and said girl I got you I’ll bring extras!!
Now when it comes to packing I would not have brought the white jeans or the other pair of jeans I brought, I mostly wore shorts the entire time. Also I probably needed about 4 blouses, 1 tank and 1 bodysuit to mix and match. I always bring a denim jacket and at least 2 pairs of “soft” pants.
Pink Top (L) | Express White Denim Shorts (tts, 12) | Sandals
Blouse (L) | KUT Shorts (12) | Sandals
Express tank (L) | Lounge Pants (L) | Flip Flops
White V Neck Tee (L) | Spanx Shorts (XL) | Flip Flops | Crossbody Bag
Green Blouse (L) | KUT Denim Shorts (12) | Slides
Denim Jacket (L) | Bodysuit (L) | Linen Pants (L) | Sunglasses
Yellow Blouse (L) | White Jeans (12) | Slides | Sunglasses
Open Weave Sweater (L) | Denim Shorts (14) | Flip Flops | Sunglasses
Also on our sea day we tried Hooked the seafood restaurant and while it was good I don’t think that it was anything special when it came to the seafood but the brownie dessert was AMAZING!!
During the evening we saw The Effectors 2 show which OMG other than the water show it was the best of the trip! High energy, lights, great music and comic book style plot made it perfect for the entire family.
Our next port day we landed in St. Thomas and opted for the Discover St. Thomas and Magen’s Bay excursion since we had heard that Magen’s Bay was stunning and like I mentioned our kids like to have some beach time after being on the ship for a day. This excursion drove us to the VERY crowded beach for about 2 hours of water time.
Spanx Rashguard | Spanx Swimsuit | Sunglasses
Fit Tips: Wearing L in rashguard, XL in swimsuit
I WISH I had though to bring fast drying towels and a lightweight sand resistant blanket for this beach. We then waited for our bus and headed up the winding mountain to get the incredible view of the island and try the “world famous” banana daiquiri. Once again the place was packed and the line to get a drink took about the 30 min that we were there.
Kindle Oasis (water resistant great for beaches)
Luckily though I had a few moments to relax on the beach and read a book. I almost re-read this series since it takes place in the Virgin Islands. See all my vacation books recs HERE.
That evening we relaxed a bit knowing that we would have another full day in St. Maarten.
Bodysuit | Linen Pants | Sandals
It was a quick overnight trip to St. Maarten where we had booked the afternoon Ultimate Beach & Snorkel Adventure. This high speed boat ride took us to a snorkel area that had a sunken ship and other items that fish like to swim around. Even though my daughter is a good swimmer this kinda freaked her out because the water was pretty rough and there were a LOT of swimmers in the area. If your kids are not great at swimming I would pass on this excursion.
Girls Athleta Rashguard | Boys Swim Trunks | Mens Fair Harbor Trunks | Target tank | Athleta Shorts
The water though is such a stunning blue and the hour we spent on the white sand beach the kids LOVED! Although on this excursion I also learned something. Bring a waterproof bag! The boat pooled water and we had to swim to the beach so I would have bought this.
Now like I mentioned the water was a little rough this day and so were the waves, aka trying to look cute taking a picture was not the easiest!!
Amazon swimsuit tts, 12
After two days of sun and beaches I was happy to pull on my SUPER SOFT Soma jumpsuit with built-on bra. It has adjustable straps and was perfect for our dinner then Ice Skating show. The show itself has not changed from last year but they got in more back drops. Still a fun one for all ages!
Jumpsuit (L) | Heels | VE Bracelet | Necklace
The next two days back home were at sea days and honestly the water was ROUGH! Nearly everyone in our group felt a little sea sick but these patches worked wonders. The kids put on one and the adults 2 behind their ears and they work for about 48 hours.
During these days we went to the pool, the kids rock climbed, ice skating, played laser tag, word searches and more. There was always a few hours of kids club so the parents had some adult time but we all were excited to finally see the water show that had been rescheduled to the last night. It was incredible!!
Dress | Sandals | Similar Bracelet Stack
Fit Tips: Dress tts, L has adjustable straps
Dress | Sandals | VE Stack Bracelet
Fit tips: Dress tts, L
I also wanted to share the adorable new prints of Soma Cool Night pjs I brought on the trip! They are all vacation themed and kept me comfy and cool in the warm climate, now back to Colorado!
Tank | Shorts | Tee | Shorts | Tank | Shorts
Wearing L in all styles
Here are a few more beach and packing posts you might enjoy, too!
Wonder of the Seas Cruise | Family Trip 2022
Summer Vacation 2022 | Galveston, TX
Resort Ready | What to Pack for Vacation 2023
Spring Break Fashion Under $50
Travel | What I Pack in my Toiletry Bag
Beach Essentials | Summer Vacation
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Loved this review!! The shows looked wonderful. We’ve had some really lame shows on board lately, but we have not been on RC in a long time. One suggestion to you Amazon list.. the plug block should be one with a cord. We have had outlets that would not fit that plug in style… Celebrity’s plugs are recessed…. the one you list would never work. Love following you. 🙂
Thanks for all the info on your trip, I have been on many Royal Carribbean cruises, and they are so much fun!