Utopia of the Seas 2024 Coco Cay

Day Three of our 3-night cruise on Utopia of the Seas was a beach day on beautiful Coco Cay in the Bahamas. After a bountiful breakfast, we headed off the ship, our skin slathered in sunscreen and our faces shielded by hats. A sign welcomed us to this tropical paradise.

Near the entrance was a faux pirate ship that’s fun for kids. After a brief stop here, we continued down a shady lane lined with tropical foliage. Multiple beaches, playgrounds, and water slides abound throughout this island. You can even take a hot air balloon ride. We stopped at a splash pad water park that was fun for our 4-year-old grandson. I didn’t mind a dip under a sprinkle myself.

Then we settled in at Harbor Beach, a lagoon with a view of the ships in dock. While my family went in the water, I meandered further down the path. I browsed through the huts of the native market that had the same hats, clothing, water gear, souvenirs and trinkets as the Straw Market in Nassau. Then I got a Rum Punch at a tiki bar.

Back at Harbor Beach, I relaxed on a lounge chair. Most of the chairs came with umbrellas which was a nice touch. You just picked a chair and sat. When it got too hot, I went partially into the water to cool off. I was glad I’d worn water shoes that I had just bought at Target. The water in August was very warm. Aside from the lagoon, you could choose a beach that’s ocean-side or one at a secluded adults-only retreat.

The kids wanted to swim at the pool so we left our beachside perch and found a giant freeform pool a short walk away. There’s even a bar you can access from the pool. It was nice that you could just walk into the water. It stayed shallow for a distance so was very easy for our grandson. The pool is a nice option for people who don’t want to risk sea lice or jellyfish in the ocean.

Lunchtime brought us to the nearest dining venue, one of several scattered throughout the island. We indulged in hot dogs, burgers, barbecued chicken, salads, fruit and cookies.

We encountered some of the native wildlife including chickens and iguanas. Fortunately, we weren’t accosted by any no-see-ums or mosquitoes. After lunch, we eyed a series of approaching clouds with trepidation. This being rainy season, afternoon showers were common. We were already hot and sticky and yearning for the air-conditioned comfort of our cabins. Back aboard we went, diving into our showers to get clean. Then it was time for a rest.

Dinner was Shrimp in Garlic Sauce and Blueberry Crumble for dessert.

That night, we attended the ice-skating show. It amazes me how they can do these performances on a moving ship, although we hardly felt any motion at all on this voyage.

The day for me ended with a drink at the Schooner Bar. I’d missed the piano player, so it was a fairly quiet atmosphere. Sadly, our trip would come to an end in the morning.

I wanted more time on board to explore other venues and try some of the specialty restaurants. And so, after I told a friend about how much I enjoyed this cruise, we booked a 7-night adventure on Wonder of the Seas for the fall. It should be less hot then, and this would go to the Eastern Caribbean plus Coco Cay so I’d get to explore more of the island. The best remedy for post-cruise blues is to book another one. As for our grandson, he’s eager for his next cruise. What impressed him the most about our trip? “The ducks,” was his response.

And so ends our sojourn on Utopia of the Seas.

Tell me, did you enjoy these posts? I like doing journal entries to share with my readers, but it does take time away from writing the next book. Recently I read that blogs were passe. If true, should I call it quits, keep posting about my life experiences, or change my focus to writing topics only? LEAVE A COMMENT with your response and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a hardcover copy of Shear Murder, my wedding mystery. This story follows Killer Knots, where Marla and her fiance find murder on a cruise ship. Now they’re ready to tie the knot for real.

Utopia of the Seas 2024 Day Two

Back onboard Utopia of the Seas after lunch in Nassau on Day Two of our 3-night trip, we had a brief rest in our cabins before exploring Central Park on Deck 8. We searched for rubber ducks, evidently a Big Thing on cruises, and only found one hiding in the shrubbery by the Solarium. Some kind ladies gave Caleb ducks during the voyage so he went home happy.

Central Park has a number of specialty restaurants, the Rising Tide bar that goes up and down the center of the ship, a café with complimentary food, and concerts in the evening when you can catch the musicians there. The greenery offers a peaceful interlude in the midst of sensory overload.

Dinner on the second night for me was a Mediterranean appetizer, shrimp cocktail, braised lamb shank, a peach dessert and crème brulée. Yes, I ate two desserts. Why not?

Satisfied with our meals, we headed to All In! Production Show with singers and dancers. What stood out from my previous 30+ cruises were the special effects. Utopia of the Seas is a brand-new ship and it showed in the technology. From doors that open at a wave to ship-wide WiFi that allows you to text your companions, the level of technology was impressive. This show used it to greater heights. Lasers provided illuminations such as I hadn’t seen before, and drones circled the stage with twinkling lights. This event truly dazzled the senses.

Coming Next: Coco Cay

Utopia of the Seas 2024 Nassau

On Day Two of our 3-night voyage on Utopia of the Seas, we visited the Port of Nassau. Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas. Once a pirate haven, today the islands are a popular tourist destination. The tropical weather and natural wonders bring in many visitors. Since I’d been here before, I didn’t need to take a tour to see the forts, the government buildings, or other attractions.

But first, I indulged in a hearty breakfast on the ship. Ms. Washy Washy greeted us and steered us to the row of sinks in front of the Windjammer Café. Breakfast is my favorite meal on a cruise. Look at all these delights! They had every one of my favorite dishes. You could have fresh omelets made, too, although I opted for either a ready-made omelet slice or a prepared fried egg.

We exited the ship to walk down a long concrete pier straight into downtown. There are some shops right outside the port and more on Bay Street. We crossed over to the Straw Market and jostled our way through the crowded stalls. As I learned later, you can buy much the same goods on Coco Cay at their native market.

We stopped at Senor Frog’s for lunch. Here I couldn’t resist ordering a Bahama Mama. We shared a platter of nachos with cheese. The appetizer portion was enough for all four of us. This venue is very noisy but upbeat and cheerful. If you want a quieter location, go outside to the bar in the back that extends over the water.

I love the color of the sea in the Bahamas. Its turquoise clarity lets you see clear to the bottom.

Coming Next: Day Two Afternoon

Utopia of the Seas 2024 – AquaTheater

We ate in the Main Dining Room early seating on Utopia of the Seas for dinner each night. Our server was excellent, being prompt with the menus and the food and making paper origami designs for my grandson.

For this first night, I chose a crab cake appetizer, prime ribs and this yummy chocolate dessert.

After dinner, we strolled along the Promenade on Deck 5, noting the bars and shops and the band playing. My favorite lounge here was the Pesky Parrot. I tried their version of the Painkiller. I’m not a fan of frozen drinks in general and this one did nothing to change my opinion.

The AquaTheater show was amazing. High dives from way above into a small pool below astounded us. Diving, acrobatics, loud music, and colored lighting all came together into a spectacular show.

Coming Next: Nassau, Bahamas

Utopia of the Seas 2024 – Sailaway

The pool deck on Day One of our 3-night cruise on Utopia of the Seas was lively, with bodies crowding the lounge chairs and music thumping at the two pool areas. We saw a food truck that offered wrapped snacks later in the voyage and free soft ice cream at a dispensary called Sprinkles.

At the far end Forward was the Solarium, a quiet area with a clear roof for adults only. This has its own bistro as well. I didn’t have any difficulty finding a chair in the Solarium during the cruise.

Up on Deck 16 were the basketball court, miniature golf, slides, wave rider, and zipline. Also, there’s a Mexican eatery here to quench your appetite. This food is complimentary.

Then we went to watch the sailaway at a good vantage point on Deck 16. Glass windows were all around. If you want to find an outside jogging track, it’s on a lower deck.

It always gives me a thrill to watch the last strip of land go past and to head out to sea. This time was no exception. Our grandson was awed at being on a ship sailing on the ocean.

Time grew short, and we had to go to the Main Dining Room for dinner at 5 pm.

Coming Next: Evening Activities on Day One

Utopia of the Seas 2024 – Embarkation

Day 1 – Embarkation

Embarkation for our cruise on RCCL’s Utopia of the Seas went smoothly at Port Canaveral. We parked in the adjacent garage. You take a ticket and pay as you enter. Then you scan the ticket at departure. The terminal was crowded at 11:30, which was our allotted time to board. I was traveling with my daughter and her family. Our grandson did a great job of managing his own luggage.

We showed our boarding pass and passport to the proper personnel and went right onto the ship. On board, we were told our rooms wouldn’t be ready until 1:00 pm. On Deck 5, we crossed the Promenade to the aft end of the ship.

We took an elevator to Deck 15 and the Windjammer Café for lunch. The buffet was mobbed as everyone congregated here along with their carry-on luggage. The lunch buffet offered lobster tails and shrimp cocktail, salads, deli meats, hot dishes, and an Asian section among others.

Our grandson was goggle-eyed by everything, including the pool deck that we crossed to access our rooms Forward on the Starboard side of the ship.

We each had balcony staterooms on Deck 7. The room key cards were outside the door. In the room, I put the card in a slot and the lights went on. Beside the bed, my stateroom had a couch and a small desk, a bureau with a mini-fridge, two closets, and some shelving in the bathroom. The shower was circular with a glass door. The shower gel/shampoo came out easily from the dispenser. One bar of soap was provided for washing hands. I was glad I’d brought extra supplies including lotion. Out on the balcony past the sliding glass door were two chairs and small table. You can easily hear your neighbors talking next door when outside, but the cabin was relatively quiet.

We unpacked and did the safety drill, which consisted of watching a video on our phones and proceeding to check in at our Muster Station. That done, we returned to the pool deck to watch the sailaway.

Coming Next – Day 1 Sailaway

Celebrity Apex Review – The Food

The food is the best part of a cruise. You can eat all day if you want. On Celebrity Apex, you’re assigned one of four main dining rooms – Cosmopolitan, Tuscan, Normandie or Cyprus. Each one has some specialty dining items. You have to make a reservation to switch and inform your waiter. The menu has a number of regular dishes and only a small selection of new items each evening. We did not like this lack of variation. It was more fun when you stay in the same dining room and get a different themed menu each night. Specialty dining cost $60+ to eat dinner in the steakhouse, sushi restaurant, raw bar seafood place, Bistro, and others. We ate breakfast and lunch at the Oceanview Cafe. You could also get burgers, hot dogs, turkey burgers and fries at the Mast Grill between the Solarium and outdoor pool. This site had soft cream as well. You could get regular ice cream at a station in the buffet and also pizza at the rear. Lighter options were available at the Eden and Spa cafés. Here are some of the different dining rooms. Our dinner companions were my cousins Janice Sklar and David Sklar and friends Ann Meier, Pat Babcock and Jacki Beirne.

This beautiful restaurant was for more exclusive passengers:

Breakfast was our favorite meal. Everything you could want to eat for this meal was available. I had smoked salmon every day. My husband enjoyed the herring. You could have eggs made your way, omelets, or eggs benedict. Or hard boiled eggs were offered, albeit with shells on. There was French toast, pancakes, waffles, muffins and Danish, fruits, potatoes, breakfast meats, and more.

Lunches included light fare in the Eden and Spa cafes, a full international buffet at the Oceanview Cafe, pizza, or the Mast Grill with burgers and hot dogs. And the desserts! Here are some, but we’ll get to the rest later.

Day 1 Dinner at Cyprus

Greek Appetizers
Braised Lamb Shank
Greek Custard (like Crème Brulee)
Apple Pie a la Mode

Day 2 Dinner at Cyprus

Shrimp Cocktail
Braised Short Ribs
Sacher Torte with Vanilla Ice Cream

Day 3 (Belize) Dinner at Normandie

The lighting where we sat was dark and the service very slow. But I enjoyed my meal of melted Brie, seared duck breast, and apple crumble a la mode.

Day 4 Dinner (Cozumel)

Pumpkin Salad
Eggplant Bruschetta
Turkey Parmesan with Spaghetti
Cherries Jubilee

Day 5 Dinner (Grand Cayman)

Caesar Salad
Beef Short Ribs
Chocolate Lava Cake

Day 6 Dinner (Second Dressy Night)

Shrimp Cocktail
Lobster Tail with Rice and Broccoli
Leg of Lamb
Baked Alaska

If this isn’t enough, these amazing desserts were on display at the lunch buffet near the end of the cruise. Cut up slices were served upon request.

Celebrity Apex Review - The Food #foodie #cruising Share on X

Are you hungry now?

Celebrity Apex Review – The Ship Part Two

Each day, our newsletter listed tons of activities that you could do on board Celebrity Apex. But some were lacking that you could find on other ships. There wasn’t any bingo, which is a big draw elsewhere. No cooking classes that we would have enjoyed. You could do arts and crafts, take dance classes, go to the art auctions, or attend various seminars but nothing to do with culture or history. Even the Destination Talk was lacking. It showed the highlights of each port and gave important information but there wasn’t any colorful display of what you could buy with giveaways, shopping recommendations, maps or coupons.

ENTERTAINMENT

The evening entertainment was excellent. We enjoyed the production shows the best. The Tree of Life reminded us of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The theme appeared to be changing seasons. The singers and dancers wore street clothes, which didn’t impress us as much as the spectacular special effects and the huge movie screen with changing scenery in the background.

We liked the Crystallize show better with its superb aerialists. The theater itself is in the round, a new concept on a cruise ship. You have a good view from nearly anywhere with no columns obstructing the line of site. However, seating was limited, and you had to arrive at least twenty minutes early to guarantee a space. The second-floor seating, so I was told, was for higher tier guests. Showtimes were 7pm and 9 pm. Being early risers, we never made the additional late-night shows.

We particularly enjoyed the pianist who gave a concert one night. Accompanied by the ship’s orchestra, he played variations of popular movie themes. He ended with The Mandalorian, a Star Wars TV show that we watch. There were also a violinist and a guitarist on board, both of them talented professionals.

CAPTAIN’S CLUB

As repeat cruisers at Elite level, we enjoyed certain benefits. Aside from the free bag of laundry and Internet minutes, these included free drinks from 5 to 7 every evening except embarkation. We could get them at any lounge but not in the restaurants. We shared the same status as our friends, Ann Meier and Pat Babcock, so it was fun to meet them at each event.

The Welcome party at Eden included an aerialist performing a sample of their show. We didn’t sign up in time for the Backstage Tour, so we missed that one. We did attend the Senior Officer’s Party where servers brought around drinks and appetizers. Below is the ship’s captain.

The Music & Mixology event was fun and unusual. A talented bartender juggled his wares as he mixed three drinks. If I recall, they were a Manhattan, Mai Tai, and Spiced Pimms.

A Wine Tasting was held in the Tuscan Restaurant. I took a photo of the bottles since we were not given printouts of the wines with room for notes as in the past.

In the mornings from 8 to 10am in the Bistro lounge, we could get a free Mimosa, Bloody Mary or Bellini along with a choice of light menu items. I liked the fruit and chocolate croissants.

We appreciated our benefits and felt as though our loyalty was properly recognized. This was a fun part of the trip.

Celebrity Apex Ship Review Part Two #cruising #CelebrityCruises Share on X

Coming Next: The Food and the Ports of Call

Celebrity Apex Review – The Ship Part One

Celebrity Apex has an ultra-modern design with eclectic art works scattered throughout the ship. It has sweeping upward ramps and a movable bar on the side of the ship and potted plants in areas such as the Rooftop Garden and the Eden Lounge. One modern technology I appreciated was the lack of handles on restroom doors that opened with a wave of your hand. Here are random scenes throughout the ship:

Pools

Deck 14 holds the main pool and the solarium, which was my favorite since it’s covered. In between the two is a grill where you can get hot dogs, burgers including a turkey burger, and fries. The grill also has a soft ice cream dispenser. The spa café is at the rear of the solarium. Here you can get light snacks and cold drinks or coffee.

Shops

If you like expensive brand-name merchandise such as Coach, Cartier, and Mont Blanc, you’ll be happy. Effy Jewelers are on board but there’s no fun selection of fashion jewelry like on other ships or dressy tops or sweaters. The resort clothing is bland and so are the logo souvenirs including tee shirts, hoodies, baseball caps, mugs, etc. We’ve had better shops on other ships. Even the liquor store had big bottles, nothing small, no gift packs of little bottles or even gift boxes or bars of chocolate. There were the usual rum cakes at 2 boxes for $35 and no Caribbean rum balls. So while there were a number of shops to browse in, not many held our interest. There were also no blow-out sales like on other ships.

Bars

We missed having a selection of lounges midship compared to our past cruises. No wine bar, bellini or champagne bar. The martini bar on Deck 3 of the grand plaza had a band or guitarist and was always lively, although the side walls are painted black and there’s no view of the ocean from there. Here’s the sweeping grand chandelier.

Midship on Deck 4 is a coffee bar where I believe you could order drinks in the evening. Specialty coffees here cost money, but the pastries are free. This large area has seating with a view. Opposite on Decks 4 and 5 were the Bistro and the Steakhouse, respectively. These specialty (meaning additional cost) restaurants took up space that could have been nice lounges. We missed having a piano bar, a quiet spot where you could sit and get drinks and chat with soft background music.

The Club is on Deck 4 next to the theater. No windows here so you feel closed in. This is the spot for game shows and other special events. The Casino is midship so again you lose space there that could have been a nice lounge. The Craft Social bar is adjacent, between the casino and bistro, but it’s relatively small and more like a sports bar.

Then there’s the bar that goes up and down the ship’s side. This was parked in place for most of the cruise. We were told it would only move twice during the week and you needed a reservation. Otherwise, it served as a lounge with a view if you could find a seat but wasn’t as cozy as other settings.

Celebrity Apex Review - The Ship Part One #cruising #CelebrityCruises Share on X

Coming Next: The Ship Part Two, then Food and Ports of Call

Celebrity Apex Review – Embarkation

We cruised for 7 nights on Celebrity Cruises to Key West, Belize, Cozumel and Grand Cayman Island. The weather in April was perfect and we had smooth sailing.

Let’s start our trip review with the Celebrity Apex. Here we are on the way to Port Everglades from the Park ’N Go lot on Eller Drive. On the same shuttle were our friends, Ann Meier and Pat Babcock. Embarkation went smoothly and soon we could access our cabins to dump our luggage inside.

OUR CABIN

We had an Edge Stateroom with Infinite Veranda on Deck 7. The beds were comfortable and so were the bedding and pillows. A wide-screen TV was mounted on the wall opposite our beds. The room also held a good size couch, writing desk with chair, and three-drawer dresser. A mini-fridge held liquor, wine, and Cola available for an extra fee. Large bottles of spring water are also in the room but they cost money. It’s easier to take your own bottle from home and refill it at a water station. You are allowed to bring water bottles or soda cans, however much you can hand carry onto the ship.

A set of double paneled doors pushed open to a patio that was all enclosed. A huge floor to ceiling picture window gives a great view. You can open the top window if you want to hear the swoosh of the waves or catch a sea breeze. We enjoyed the patio with the windows closed, the a/c on, and the panoramic view. Two chairs and a small table completed the décor. A window screen raises or lowers with the push of a button.

The bathroom had adequate storage space. The shower was large enough for us to move around and it had a grab bar. Inside were dispensers with liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner. The soap was somewhat slow to dispense, so I’d suggest bringing your own bar soap and a travel-sized shower gel. Lotion and hand soap were provided. Boxes of tissues are in the bathroom. A nightlight under the counter in the bathroom goes on automatically.

We couldn’t fit our suitcases under the bed, so we stuck one in the closet, another on the patio, and the rest in a niche in the room. There were plenty of hangars in our shared closet. Our cabin steward cleaned the room in the morning and did evening service while we were at dinner. A wrapped chocolate awaited us on our pillow each night, but no fancy towel designs like in the past.

After settling in, we ran up to the buffet on Deck 14 to grab lunch and then explored the ship until we sailed away.

Celebrity Apex Review - Embarkation Day #cruising #Caribbean Share on X

Coming Next: The Ship

Tag: Cruising