Tag: Port Canaveral

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