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Anchors Away USVI St Thomas Catamaran Excursion

This shore excursion is one of my favorite experiences! If you’re looking for what to do in St. Thomas, especially with a family, then keep reading, as this post will share photos and our experience on the Anchors Away USVI Catamaran Charter.

When searching for St. Thomas excursion options, I was looking for something different and away from the crowds. Many excursions offered through the ship were for large groups of people and we didn’t want to do that this time. St. Thomas has tons of private tour operators, so I spent some time searching for our best options. We wanted something priced competitively that could accommodate 6 people, including 2 children. We also had some individual requests from family members, like needing a boat with shade coverage and possibly food/drink offerings.

I stumbled upon Anchors Away USVI St Thomas Catamaran Excursion and they met all the requirements:

A Catamaran with plenty of room and shade
Time options that fit our port schedule
Food/drink included
Able to accommodate 6 people and allowed kids
Great price!

Booking our Catamaran Excursion

I was able to view their availability right on their website, so making sure they had an opening on our port day was the first step. Next, I had some questions…this was our first cruise after the shutdown, so I was nervous about the potential of plans changing and wanted to ask about their cancellation policy. I used their contact form and got a quick reply from the owner. He was extremely helpful and responsive. Their cancellation policy put me at ease and he even let me modify their “Half Day Charter” to add an additional hour and snack for a small additional charge, since they didn’t have anyone booked for the evening. This allowed us to have more time on the excursion and not waste any time while in port. We are so glad we did this because the time flew by so fast because were were having so much fun.

Arriving in St. Thomas, we knew we were going to have a great day…it was absolutely gorgeous!

Arriving at our Catamaran Excursion

The dock that we had to meet at is not where our cruise ship docked. It was about a 20-25 minute drive to Compass Point Marina from the Cruise Ship Dock.

We considered booking a private car to make sure our timing would be good, and the owner provided a contact for one if we wanted, but also said there are plenty of taxis at the cruise pier and that would be okay too. The funny thing is that when we arrived to the taxi line, we told them where we needed to go and they looked kinda shocked and had to scramble around a little to find someone to drive there that could fit 6 people. There wasn’t an issue, it just took a bit for them to decide and get situated amongst themselves.

We arrived at the marina on time and were greeted by our Captain that walked us to the catamaran. We were introduced to his wife, who took care of all our food and drinks. Both were extremely personable, attentive and nice. He shared the tour of the catamaran and safety considerations and then told us what plans we had for the day as far as food, drinks and locations we would visit. This was based off of what I shared with the owner in emails prior to the tour, but the Captain also asked if we wanted to change anything or if we were good with the plan…they basically wanted to accommodate whatever we wanted to do the best they could and bring us to the best places to do those things.

Based on this, the plan was to go to two locations…the first was a great large area to snorkel to see lots of different fish and the second was a sunken ship to snorkel at that always has turtles and was close to the pizza delivery boat that we requested for lunch (more on that later).

What I loved about this catamaran was that there were so many options to relax. You could relax in the front, either in the padded bench nook…

…or on the nets over the water.

You could climb up to the padded roof for a great view.

Or you could sit in the shaded dining area…

…or the dining area inside.

The food was all fresh and handmade in the kitchen right on the catamaran. For our first snack when we arrived, we had large trays of fruit, veggies, cheese, hummus and crackers.

Once we arrived at the first location, all of our activity options were shown to us – all provided and included in the tour. We could use snorkel gear (we brought our own full face snorkel masks, but used their flippers and life-vests), paddleboards, floating mats attached to the catamaran to relax or the motorized water scooter (so fun!). We were told about how long we would be in this location and then we all scattered off to adventure.

As we were adventuring, they were preparing snacks for our return – tortilla chips and a bowls of freshly-made salsa and guacamole. Sorry, didn’t get a good before photos of those…we dug in and devoured them so fast, especially this snack monster!

Drinks were also included: Local & Seasonal Beer, Rum Punch, Sodas, Water, Fresh Brewed Coffee, and a Nespresso™ Bar. They also offered upgraded drinks, but we were all more than happy with the beer and rum punch, which was kept full for us to pour ourselves as often as we wanted.

We then ventured to our next location and were free to adventure as we pleased. And as promised, we saw the turtles! The kids loved looking at the fish guide to see if they saw any of those fish while snorkeling.

Shortly after we arrived to this location, our pizza arrived by boat! When looking up options in St. Thomas, I found two really cool options for getting food while out on the boat. One option was Lime Out, a floating taco restaurant only accessible by boat, and the other was Pizza Pi, a floating pizza restaurant that could deliver. We chose Pizza Pi since it was closest to where we were and it could be brought to us. We did have to make this decision at the beginning of our excursion, as they said orders need to be placed well ahead of time. Here comes our pizza…how cool is this!?

I was grateful for the opportunity to try paddleboarding for the first time. Can I confess…it looks much easier than it turned out to be!

I was so wobbly and by the time I made it up and balanced, I turned around and was yards away from the catamaran! Oh my gosh, I’m about to be Cast Away!

I had to fight the current to get back nearby the catamaran.

I’m sure it gets quicker and easier with practice, but me and my sister-in-law were quite entertained at our struggles and experience, but once we got up, we were quite proud of ourselves! We then determined kneeling and paddling was much more efficient on our way back.

My son made sure to let us old ladies know how easy it was for him to stand up on it…

Before we knew it, it was time to gather back on the catamaran for our trip back to the marina. For our trip back, we were spoiled with my absolute favorite, freshly-baked, warm chocolate chip cookies. Cookies, rum punch, kids entertained….I was a happy gal!

Pricing

The price for a half-day charter was $1000, not including gratuities. This included the fresh fruit/veggies snack. We added an extra hour for $250 and they added chips/guacamole/salsa and the chocolate cookies. This made the per person cost $1250/6 = $208 + gratuities. That price is phenomenal and comparable or even better than other cruise excursions AND this was our own private, personal excursion on an incredible catamaran with amazing service, food and unlimited drinks! They could accommodate up to 12 guests, so the more people in your group, the better the per person cost. They also offer full day, sunset and overnight options.

Do we recommend this excursion?

Heck yes! We felt like we hit the jackpot with this excursion. I know some people get nervous about booking excursions from private companies (i.e. not through the cruise ship) but I highly recommend seeking out all options, as most private operators offer a return guarantee and will do everything in their power to make sure you are back on that ship. There are some real hidden gem excursions out there.

I will share that when writing this post and going to their website to grab links and info, I am not sure Anchors Away USVI still operating. Their last social post was from over a year ago and their booking page wouldn’t work for me, but everything else was still as I remember it, with charter options, menus, etc. still shown. If you are seeing this and are interested in booking with them, you could try contacting them. Otherwise, and the reason I still continued to share this post, I suggest you check out any one of the private charter tours/excursions. There are lots of options for you to explore if you’re looking for something different/more private than the ship excursions.

Looking for more Shore Excursion posts? Check the out here!

Hurricane Milton Cruise Watch

Not only do we live in the current projected path of Hurricane Milton, but we are supposed to embark on our cruise from Port Canaveral on Friday. As someone that has lived in Florida for over 20 years, I’ve had my share of hurricane watch and prep, so I don’t typically post much on social about it, as I don’t want to seem like I am seeking attention or trying to profit from a natural disaster. But seeing as this is my first time having a cruise blog during a hurricane AND I have an upcoming cruise, I figured it was appropriate.

We have actually been on a few cruises impacted by a storm. The most impacted was our cruise onboard Harmony of the Seas in May 2022. Tropical Storm Alex developed while we were on the 7-day cruise. We were so close to the storm center while we were in the Bahamas!

I am so thankful we were on an Oasis-class ship that could withstand the waves better than a smaller ship. I didn’t feel sick or unsafe at all. Outside areas were pretty much empty except for all us adventure-seekers wanting to explore and see what it was like since much of the impact was during the day.

The outer bridge lookout spots were quite popular!

On our cruise in March 2024, there was an incoming storm on our Coco Cay day. It was very windy and we were worried that we wouldn’t be able to dock and get off the ship, as we read folks on other ships/ports not being able to. We were allowed to dock and enjoyed the (windy) day, but our all-aboard time was moved up about 30 minutes which we were told via an announcement made all over the island. We later saw that ships were unable to disembark at Coco Cay the next day, so we were very lucky and grateful.

As far as Hurricane Milton goes, we are waiting to see what happens. We have been in our current house about 3 years and have not lost power easily before. Losing power (since we have pets) and any home damage would be our biggest worry. If neither of those happen, we plan on going on and enjoying our cruise the best we can. So far, the only thing I see is someone posted that ships won’t be docking on Friday until after 11am, so that means are embarkation time will probably be delayed, but we have not received any official communication yet.

Can I cancel my cruise if there is a hurricane?

We are in a a Facebook Group for our particular sailing and I have seen mixed posts…some folks have been able to cancel with a full refund (without having insurance) and some were told they would lose the full cruise cost if they cancel. Some wondered if folks were allowed to cancel and get refunded if it helped provide Royal Ups to others. I guess we will never know!

We do not have any shore excursions booked, so there will be nothing to do there. We have onboard credit to use and this will be the cruise we finally earn Diamond status…so we will see how this all plays out. We are in a suite this cruise, so our concierge has sent us our 1-week prior email letting us know our benefits and that they are here to help with reservations, etc. but no mention of anything related to the hurricane just yet. For reference, we are about where the red dot is below.

With Orlando International Airport (MCO) closing for some time, flights are cancelled and many have to make the decision to drive, fly into a different airport and find transportation to the port, or cancel completely.

Hotels in various areas are cancelling reservations, so some folks have to find alternate lodging or change their plans.

Some live in the direct path and are being forced to evacuate. The major highways have been at a standstill the past couple of days and gas is difficult to find.

Others live in areas that are in the path, but not forced to evacuate. I am in one of those areas and we often have people in other states think we’re crazy for staying. I see so many videos on social making fun of Floridians and our “Hurricane parties” and it can be true. Heck, Disney World is AMAZING during hurricane times…we went to MNSSHP before Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and we rode every single attraction in Magic Kingdom with time to spare, nothing will ever compare to that night. So don’t let the joking or clickbait make you think we are all just crazy with no sense. If you’re not in a flood zone or an area that has a high-chance of devastation, then it really is up to you and your situation.

Hopefully, we will have good news in the coming days. I hope everyone stays safe and does what is best for their situation.

Aquadome Market on Icon of the Seas

This post will share photos, menus and our review of the Aquadome Market on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas.

The Aquadome Market is a new concept on Royal Caribbean ships starting with Icon of the Seas. It is essentially a Food Hall, with 5 stations, each offering a different type of cuisine. It is a great alternative to the Windjammer for food options. However, it is not a self-service buffet. Each station is manned by a crew member that will serve you the items you request.

Does the Aquadome Market have an Additional Charge?

There is no additional charge for the Aquadome Market and it is included in your cruise fare. As far as drinks go, there are free drink stations at each end of the market, offering water, fruit punch, lemonade, teas, etc. There is also a drink station at the end closest to the Aquadome offering canned alcoholic beverages for an additional charge (or included in your Drink Package, if you purchased that).

Aquadome Market Location

The Aquadome Market is located on Deck Fifteen Forward Starboard side. There are three entrance/exits…one by the Aquadome, one closest to the Lime & Coconut and near the elevators. This location was super convenient while hanging out by the pool. We could grab a drink, grab some food and sit at one of the outdoor tables to enjoy the cruise breeze and atmosphere.

Aquadome Market Menus

The menus for each station can be found at each entrance, in addition to each station having their menu displayed. You could also be like us and walk all the way down to see each station and make your decision and go wherever you want. You are free to walk around and then when you’re ready, go to the station you want and get it. During busy times, there may be a little bit of a line at a certain station, but we really liked how they were individual and not one long line to go through.

Let’s pretend we’re walking in from the pool deck…follow me through each station!

Crème de la Crepe

Creme de la Crepe offers freshly made sweet and savory crepes that are prepared to order right in front of you.

Savory Crepes:

Bacon and Eggs: Scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, gooey cheddar, hash brown potatoes.
Ham and Swiss: Sliced ham, melted Swiss, cheese sauce.
Roasted Vegetables: Peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, corn, and melted mozzarella cheese.

Sweet Crepes:

The Classic: Lemon zested, dusted sugar.
Salted Caramel: Sweet toffee, creamy vanilla bean custard.
Hazelnut and Bananas: Nutella chocolate spread, ripe bananas.

GNGR

At GNGR, guests choose a base of rice or noodles and then select an entrée. Vegetable Egg Rolls are also available to add to your meal.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Pineapple
Chicken Teriyaki with Snow Peas
Ginger Beef with Bell Peppers
Vegetable Medley Stirfry with Tofu

Mac’s Mac and Cheese

Mac’s offers a variety of macaroni and cheese options.

Pepperoni Pizza Mac: Italian pizza sauce and pepperoni with melted mozzarella cheese.
Broccoli Mac: Creamy cheddar mac with steamed broccoli.
Chili Mac: Simmering beef, bell peppers, and onion chili tops aged white cheddar mac.
Bacon Mac: Cavatappi tossed in a creamy aged white cheddar sauce topped with smoky bacon and buttery breadcrumbs.
Classic Mac: Aged white cheddar tossed with cavatappi noodles topped with buttery breadcrumbs.

Feta Mediterranean

Feta Mediterranean offers a create-your-own dining experience. Guests pick a base, a protein, toppings, and a sauce.

Bases: Herb rice, lettuce, or fresh pitas.
Proteins: Pork, chicken, or falafel.
Toppings: Red onions, feta crumbles, pickled cabbage, shredded lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Sauces: Toum garlic sauce, tzatziki, hummus, Greek vinaigrette, or harissa hot sauce.

Toast & Garden

Toast & Garden offers fresh sandwiches served with a choice of side salad.

Grinder: Turkey, salami, pepperoni, lettuce slaw, tomato, and provolone cheese on a hoagie roll (available toasted).
Harvest: Melted mozzarella, roasted apples, wilted arugula on ciabatta with balsamic aioli.
Provençal: Grilled zucchini, squash, and eggplant medley on a French baguette with sun-dried tomato aioli.
Monte Cristo: Ham, turkey, Swiss cheese, egg battered and served golden brown with powdered sugar and berry jam.

Side Salads:

Caesar Salad
Watermelon & Feta Salad
Red Bliss Potato Salad

What we love about the Aquadome Market

The Location: I’m a huge fan of any food or drink location close to pool/outdoor activities. However, I did get in trouble for going in with just my swimsuit and flip-flops and was told I needed to put something else on. No, I wasn’t wet and no, it wasn’t revealing, but perhaps I missed the sign – oops! But I definitely saw others more revealing or wet, so I guess it depends on the crew member at the entrance. Just note, it may be super easy to walk from the pool to the food without much thought, but put a coverup on!

Lime & Coconut: We loved grabbing a good drink from the Lime & Coconut to go along with our meal since they are right next to each other! In fact, we preferred to eat outside anyway, so we would sit right by the L&C and it was super convenient.

Seating Availability: Honestly, we NEVER felt crowded on Icon of the Seas. Which is crazy since it was the largest cruise ship at the time. But it’s worth pointing out that we never had to walk around looking for seats with our food, which is the WORST! There is seating inside and outside, but we always walked outside and there was always plenty of options…regular tables, high-tops, loungers and even comfy couches.

The food and options: Listen, my son LOVES the Windjammer. Like doesn’t want to go anywhere else ever kind of love…especially as the kids get older and they can go get what they want without me having to help. But he asked to go to the Aquadome Market over the Windjammer every time. He would even choose the Aquadome Market as a snack, walking in and coming out with some noodles just because it was there. GNGR was his favorite! He even asked for GNGR over grabbing an ice cream cone once…GASP!

Not only did he find his favorite, but we loved having choices without going through the larger Windjammer experience. I only wish that we had a chance to try more options throughout the week. I guess that means we need to go back ASAP!

Looking for more Icon of the Seas Posts? Check them out here!

White Pass Railway in Skagway Alaska

This post will share our photos and review of the White Pass Railway Train Excursion in Skagway, Alaska!

White Pass Railway Skagway Alaska Excursion

About the White Pass Railway

Technically, it is called the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway, but we’re gonna shorten it a bit for this post. I’ve also seen it referred to as the “Skagway Train Ride” No matter what you call it, it is an amazing Skagway excursion idea. The railway was a product of the Klondike Gold Rush. Men were taking the treacherous journey on foot and the railway provided a safer and faster journey. Construction started in 1898 and it began operations in 1900. It closed in 1982, but then reopened as a tourist attraction in 1988. You can read more history on their website.

White Pass Summit Excursion

The company actually offers several tour options. They offer longer one way trips and shorter round-trips. What to choose depends on a few factors, such as time availability and transportation options.

The one we chose was the White Pass Summit Excursion, which is a 40 mile roundtrip to White Pass Summit, just on the Alaska/Canada border. The tour is approximately 2.5-2.75 hours. There were a couple of time slots available given the length of stay in port, so you would have time to explore the town or do other things in addition to this excursion.

Skagway Landslides

Our Alaskan Cruise was in June 2023. Skagway had been experiencing landslides and falling rocks by the cruise port prior to that, so they had some modifications on how to travel once arriving. First, they have these open trailers that we had to walk through to protect us as we walked down the length of the pier.

Second, we had to take a shuttle the rest of the way down the pier. They ran continuously so no one was waiting around in an unsafe area. It was a very short ride, but I understand that it is safety first and I was appreciative of the extra precautions.

This photo shows some other safety precautions they’ve taken, such as barriers by the rocks and closer to the pier walkway.

The train is just at the end of the pier, so it is a super convenient excursion if you are there from a cruise. We waited a short bit for our time and man it was so hot! I know it sounds crazy, but Alaska was experiencing much higher than normal temperatures while we were there. I share this because you never know what will happen with weather in Alaska and to always bring layers!!

I had done some research prior to the excursion and knew we wanted to sit in the furthest back train car. When they let us in and told us to “pick a car” we turned right and walked to the back train car. The reason we wanted this is because you are allowed to stand outside of the train cars on the outside platforms (pardon my lack of train technical-term knowledge) and this would allow you an unobstructed full view from the very back of the train, but be prepared to compete with “view hogs” – more on that in a bit.

Below, you can see a cruise ship in the window behind us, showing just how close the train is to the pier.

Our excursion does a loop, so for those that choose to sit, this means that it doesn’t matter which side of the train you pick to sit, you are going to get a great view either going up or coming back. You can see below that both sides have large windows, so you can see out of both sides no matter where you are.

Before we started moving, our attendant came by with an intro speech, passed out brochures and pointed us to the cooler with free bottled water. Once the train started moving, we were free to get up. Our train had two other families that got up IMMEDIATELY…one took over the back platform and one took over the other platform at the front of the car.

The family in the back basically stayed there the entire trip up, then only a few of them sat down on the way back. I got tired of waiting and went and stood on the platform in the front of the car and the family saw us and scooched over to let us see and then eventually left. The back also opened up a few spots eventually. So here are my few tips there:

If you want to be the first outside, pick your seat accordingly and get up quick and go when given the all clear. When we arrived, both the front and back sets of seats were taken by those two families, so we sat in the middle. We didn’t have a chance against them haha
Be patient. This is a long train ride and folks will get tired of standing and go sit back down eventually. Or they will say they’ve “seen it on the way up, no need to see it on the way back” and go sit down.
Be friendly. Go stand outside and either squeeze in or wait. The view is still great and maybe someone will see you and give you some room.

Knowing the trick and heading towards the back…worth it! Look at that wide open view!

I particularly enjoyed the fresh air flow of being outside, so even if I was standing back a bit, it was still better than being inside.

The main event of this excursion? The view!

We were so fortunate to have a beautiful sunny day that provided such a spectacular view.

Some other fun parts of the trip:

You go through some caves that are pitch-black and you may even get a little wet if you are standing outside. The kids loved this and said it was like being on Big Thunder Mountain in Disney.

Throughout the trip, you can see broken down tracks and bridges. Sometimes it looked like that was what you were headed towards! We tried to scare the kids with a “Oh no! We’re gonna fall off!” but they weren’t buying it.

There are some crazy ledge spots, where I advise you to not look down if you are afraid of heights!

On the contrary, there were times when we would be so close to the mountains.

We had a lot of fun taking photos on the way back. Can you tell I was excited to be in ALASKA?!

How did we book this excursion?

We booked through the cruise line since the price was lower due to a sale. You can also book directly through their website at wpyr.com, through alaskashoreexcursions.com or various 3rd party tour sites.

Do we recommend this shore excursion?

Absolutely! This is an amazing way to take in the Alaskan scenery. If you enjoy photography, this excursion is a must.

Did the kids enjoy this shore excursion?

Yes! They enjoyed the freedom being outside and being able to go in and sit if they wanted. My daughter (who was 8 at the time) was the first to call it and went back in and sat, but she still enjoyed the view from inside, she just got to play on the phone a bit in between. So if you have younger children, you may want to make sure you bring something for them to entertain themselves, whether it be a book or electronics – I don’t judge – but you know your children and don’t be naive and think they will want to stand or stare outside for 3 hours straight if that’s not something they’ve ever done before. Best to have a backup plan 🙂

Looking for other Alaska excursion ideas? Check out this post!

Seattle Aquarium

This post will share photos and our experience visiting the Seattle Aquarium before our Alaskan Cruise!

We visited Seattle in 2009 before we had kids. We were only there for a few days, but had so many fun adventures. Knowing our Alaskan cruise departed from Seattle and that this was our kids’ first time on an airplane, we wanted to maximize our time out there and do some of the same fun activities, but with them! We didn’t visit the Seattle Aquarium in 2009, so this was new for all of us!

Seattle Shore Excursion Idea

The Seattle Aquarium may be an option for a Seattle Shore Excursion if Seattle is a port on your itinerary. It could also be a pre-cruise or post-cruise activity to do if you have time.

We arrived in Seattle in the evening two days before our cruise departure. I highly recommend giving yourself wiggle room and never arrive the same day if taking a flight. We had one full day before our cruise to explore within the city. We planned on renting a car for the few days back in Seattle after our cruise, so we chose activities that we could walk or monorail to.

Our day started with a visit to Pike Place Market for some coffee, breakfast and shopping. We then walked to the Seattle Aquarium. It was a short 6 minute walk from Pike Place Market, perhaps a minute or two longer due to some construction blockage, but super quick and convenient.

Although you can pre-purchase tickets, we were kinda winging it this day (crazy, I know!), so we were able to walk in and just purchase tickets at the front counter.

Seattle Aquarium Exhibits

One of the first exhibits in the Seattle Aquarium was actually the kids’ favorite…the touch tanks!

There were several open tanks full of various sea creatures for you to reach in and gently touch. Be sure to roll up your sleeves!

I liked how there were volunteers throughout the room willing to share cool facts and fun tips about the creatures. I don’t remember the exact creature, but one of the volunteers showed us how the creature reacts differently when you touch it in different spots (same, sea creature, same).

Moving along, there were larger tanks of other fish, creatures and jellyfish.

You might catch a scuba diver in the tanks!

Continuing outside, there are larger open, outdoor exhibits for birds, otters, and seals!

There were various times for shows and demonstrations, like sea otter feedings, but we didn’t stick around long enough for any of them – we had an entire city to explore!

This area provides a great photo spot with some of the city in the background.

Inside, there are a few large cutouts for photos available.

Be sure to take a photo with the Seattle Great Wheel while you’re outside after exiting! Or go visit it! We didn’t visit it this trip, but it’s another option for your Seattle activity list.

Below are some questions you might ask:

Where is the Seattle Aquarium Located?

The Seattle Aquarium is located on Pier 59 on the Elliott Bay waterfront, next to the Seattle Great Wheel.

What are the Seattle Aquarium Hours of Operation?

The Seattle Aquarium is open 9:30am–6pm (with the last entry at 5pm). It is open 365 days a year, including holidays (holiday hours may vary).

How much does the Seattle Aquarium Cost?

At the time of this post (2024), an Adult ticket is approximately $40.95 and a Youth ticket is approximately $24.70. The price fluctuates depending on the day and they do only sell a certain amount of tickets each day, which can be seen on their website. Children 3 and under are free.

The Seattle Aquarium is included in the Seattle CityPASS® so that is another option to save if you plan on visiting multiple Seattle attractions.

Is the Seattle Aquarium Worth It?

In terms of our goal of “let’s do something that we didn’t get to do the last time we were in Seattle” yes, we did accomplish that. The kids loved the touch tanks and it was nice to have the weather outside warm up a little while we were there during the morning hours. We were only there about a couple of hours at most, so compared to other aquariums we’ve been to and the little amount of time we spent here, the price just didn’t seem in alignment.

We are glad to say we’ve experienced it, but are also ok with only going once. However, if you spent more time and stayed for the demonstrations, then you may get more value out of your ticket. They have also added a new virtual reality experience and puppet show, so check their website for their list of current exhibits and activities to determine if a visit is right for you and your family and is it fits into your schedule.

Desserted Milkshake Bar on Icon of the Seas

This post will share our review and photos from our experience trying the Desserted Milkshake Bar on Icon of the Seas.

We absolutely love the free ice cream onboard all the Royal Caribbean ships. Between the kids and I, we go through multiple cones a day.

“Can I get ice cream?” (My son an hour after breakfast, an hour before lunch, and hour after lunch, an hour before dinner)

I do miss the days when I could make my own cone. The ice cream is my favorite part and sometimes I don’t even eat the cone. So when I make my own, I pile the ice cream as high as I can. However, I understand that not everyone is as neat and efficient, so having a crew member serve everyone is probably in everyone’s best interest.

I was thrilled to see that Utopia of the Seas offers sprinkles alongside their free ice cream cone stations. The Ice Cream location is called Sprinkles, after all! I kinda don’t think it will last long, though, as I’m sure a lot gets wasted, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for when we are on Utopia in October and January.

Since we are pretty satisfied with our free ice cream, I wasn’t sure we’d be getting anything at the new Desserted Milkshake Bar onboard Icon of the Seas. But Trent was intent on getting something at some point during our trip, and on the second to last day we brought him to pick out whatever he wanted.

Desserted Milkshake Bar Location

The Desserted Milkshake Bar is located on Deck 16 on Icon of Seas, towards the aft by the Basecamp. If you come out of the elevators and go towards the aft, it is immediately on the right. The spot is conveniently located next to other food and drinks at the basecamp, as well as all the water slides.

Desserted location Deck 16 Icon of the Seas

Desserted Milkshake Bar Menu

They offer paper menus for you to grab and peruse while inside.

There are 5 specialty milkshakes, each with an option to “make it adult” as well as some classic milkshake and float options. Royal Caribbean has “Desserted Soda Floats” included in the Refreshment Package and the Deluxe Beverage Package.

My son chose the Chocolate Castaway, but we wanted the piñata that sits atop of the Stranded Burro too….look at how cute this mini piñata is!

We asked if we could add the piñata to the top of the Chocolate Castaway and were granted our request.

They also have these cool edible straws available. I found them on Amazon in several flavors!

All of the ice cream is in a display case, along with the toppings.

There were some unique and fun toppings, as well as some I didn’t see as part of the menu, so perhaps you can get a little crazy and make your own unique milkshake.

The price is pretty standard for a specialty milkshake in a regular restaurant. But it can be little difficult to justify the “standard” price when you’re on a cruise ship where everything else is included in your fare already.

It was a decent size and, get this, he couldn’t even finish it!

The thing I like most about it is that it’s different and something fun for the kids. Icon of the Seas had a lot of new features geared towards kids and it was fun experiencing it with them. The $14 milkshake with a mini piñata on top may not be something we do often, but he looked forward to it and enjoyed the experience.

If you go, be sure to visit Marty, the very lifelike animatronic parrot at the Basecamp!

Want more Icon of the Seas food posts? Check out this one!

Ovation of the Seas Grand Suite with Large Balcony Stateroom 13634

This post will share our review and photos from our stay in a Grand Suite with Large Balcony onboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas!

When we decided to go on an Alaskan cruise, we without a doubt knew that we had to have a balcony. If there was ever a time to have a balcony, an Alaskan cruise was THE time. We wanted to enjoy the view as much as possible. We chose the Grand Suite with Large Balcony because of the way the balcony is configured…it actually wraps around the corner, giving a much wider vantage point.

Ovation of the Seas Stateroom 13634

Stateroom 13634 is located on the 13th floor. When booking, I completely forgot that Royal Caribbean ships don’t have a 13th floor because it is considered unlucky. When I remembered some time later, I thought I did something wrong and freaked out! However, upon consulting my friend, Google, I discovered that the Quantum Class ships do actually have a 13th floor because the number is not considered unlucky in Asia, where the these ships’ market is primarily located.

13634 is fairly close to the elevators without being too close and noisy. You can see on the Ovation of the Seas deck plan for deck 13 below that the balcony wraps around the room. I’ll show and talk more about that later in the post.

Upon entering the room, you are immediately in the living area. To the right is one entrance to the bathroom (there are two).

To the left is a mirror-covered closet and high-top dresser/table with drawers.

Ovation of the Seas 13634 Grand Suite with Large Balcony

The couch pulls out to a sleeper sofa. I think the intention is that two kids could sleep long ways side-by-side, but my kids we just short enough to lay the other way so they could have more room between them.

Back to the right, there is a desk with the coffee maker, some shelves and a tv.

This angle shows the rest of the living area, where you can see the extra chair, table, phone and extra space in front of the balcony door. You can also see the large curtain that spans the entire opening…this can be used to separate the rooms for privacy and light control. Because you’re in Alaska, where, depending on the time of year, there might be 20+ hours of daylight in a day, there’s light-blocking curtains for every door and window to keep it dark while you’re sleeping.

Just look at the next photo…the kids are in bed because it’s late and bedtime, but it’s completely light outside!

I liked the separation of the rooms, as opposed to one giant open room, but in order to have that, the wall between them does kind of make certain parts of the room feel cramped at times, specifically between the tvs and the bed/glass table. I’m not complaining, it’s a Grand Suite after all, but I did see some reviews sharing the same thought before we went. It just has a different configuration than most Grand Suites and some were saying they felt “roomier” in a Junior Suite on this ship.

The bedroom has a nightstand with drawers on both sides of the bed, a tv, closet and small desk/vanity.

There is another door to the bathroom here.

The bathroom is very roomy! There is one toilet, 2 sink/vanities and a tub/shower.

I absolutely loved the amount of windows that allow you to have such a great view even from inside the room, especially after grabbing a plate of Coconut Ranger Cookies from the Windjammer to enjoy from the comfort of my bed.

This view though…come out of the shower and BOOM mountains right there.

Ovation of the Seas Stateroom 13634 Balcony

While I felt that the room configuration left us a little cramped for a Grand Suite, the balcony more than made up for it.

The main part of the balcony can be accessed by both the living room slider door and the bedroom slider door. There is a table with 2 chairs, 2 reclining chairs with ottomans and a smaller table.

This table is a decent size to enjoy your breakfast before venturing to your shore excursion! You can even slide over more chairs and the smaller tables if you need them.

At the corner point, there is a wall with a door that you can open and close on your own, no need for stateroom attendant assistance. This to help with wind control.

Around the corner, there are 2 full loungers and a small table.

A small portion of this side of the balcony has some overhang from the deck above. We actually enjoyed it because it allowed for some shade when we wanted it.

Like when I want to enjoy my ice cream as we sail away from port.

Here’s another view of the overhang if you are wanting to see what that looks like for other Deck 13 rooms.

We loved sitting outside and using binoculars to take a closer look at wildlife. We bought these compact travel binoculars and they were prefect for the kids.

This was our favorite spot to relax and enjoy the view after hitting up the Suite Lounge!

Tip! See the blue blankets in all our photos? You can check them out at the towel stations just like pool towels! Alaskan cruises are so amazingly bizarre!

The balcony made viewing special events much easier, too! Like when we spent time at Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier. The ship gets as close as it safely can to the glacier and does a complete turn so that all sides of the ship get a viewing opportunity. We could enjoy the view from the balcony without having to go up to a top deck with lots of other people.

Ovation of the Seas 13634 balcony view dawes glacier

Oh, hey there!

Ovation of the Seas 13634 balcony view dawes glacier endicott arm

Ovation of the Seas 13634 balcony view endicott arm

Some of best whale-spotting from the ship happened from our balcony at late hours of the night/early morning.

Of course, a perfect view all of the time is not guaranteed. We woke up one morning to this!

Overall Thoughts on the Grand Suite with Large Balcony

If you can swing it, a balcony is a must on an Alaskan Cruise. If you can’t, there are plenty of viewing spots up on the top decks. In fact, I found myself hanging out in various locations of the ship taking in the view just because it was such a different vibe than being on a Caribbean cruise. But we definitely hung out on this balcony more than any other cruise balcony we’ve ever had.

Do you need a suite? No, you don’t NEED one to get a balcony, but the Grand Suite provided extra benefits as well, since it is in the Sky Class of Royal’s suite categories. There is a Suite Lounge, which is open throughout the day to enjoy various snacks and drinks, with an espresso machine to use any time. You can also go in the evenings, typically 5-8, for hors d’oeuvres and complimentary alcoholic drinks.

There is a Suite Concierge, that will help you book shows, dining, excursions, etc. One of our favorite concierge amenities was that they will walk you off the ship via your own exit at each port and debarkation. We didn’t know how beneficial that was until we passed lines of people each time!

To see more Suite Class benefits, check out Royal Caribbean’s Suite information page here.

Overall, my favorite aspects of this room are the balcony, the bathroom and the suite benefits.

Looking for more stateroom reviews? Check out this one!

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Review

This post will share our photos and review of the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour in Ketchikan, Alaska!

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour King Crab

Ketchikan, Alaska was one of our ports during our Alaskan cruise onboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. This Alaska shore excursion stood out to us because we used to watch the Deadliest Catch and even met Sig Hansen in EPCOT several years ago. It is labeled as kid-friendly, offers several time options and doesn’t consume the entire time in port, which left time for us to explore a bit on our own. I was worried it would be a little too “touristy” but we ultimately decided to book based on the many overwhelmingly positive reviews and recommendations for it online. We really enjoyed it and the kids had a blast!

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Background

The boat you take the tour on is the Aleutian Ballad, which is a crab boat that was featured on season 2 of the Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel. It is most known for an episode where a 5-story tall rogue wave almost capsized the crab boat. You can watch that portion of the episode in this video.

Fast forward and the Aleutian Ballad has been converted to a tour boat! It now has an amphitheater-style sheltered lower deck and a panoramic open-air upper deck, with lots of seats to view the the speakers and creatures.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour Alaska Shore Excursion

How did we purchase this Shore Excursion?

We booked this tour through Royal Caribbean, as the price was a bit cheaper due to a sale. You can also purchase directly from their website, alaskacrabtour.com as well as alaskashoreexcursions.com which is where we purchased our Dog Sledding Tour in Juneau.

How to get to the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour

The tour boat is located at the same pier the cruise ship docks at and is just a short walk to the meeting location and then specifically to Berth 3 – Tender Float. There is no need for additional transportation if you are coming from a cruise ship for this shore excursion.

We arrived about 30 minutes prior to the tour, which is what was recommended. There were folks already there sitting all along the front row that had purchased a VIP option, but reviews I read prior to the tour said that 2nd row was actually best as it allows a better view beyond the boat, so we chose 2nd row center and it was a great spot.

As we waited for others to arrive and settle in, there is a tank with various live creatures for everyone to look at.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Schedule

The tour is approximately 3 hours and begins by venturing to the fishing ground locations. But don’t worry! This isn’t the “fishing grounds” you might be thinking of from the Deadliest Catch! The tour stays within the calm waters of the Inside Passage.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour location

As we made our way to the first location, the tour guides shared the history of the Aleutian Ballad and facts about crab-fishing, crabs, and other Alaskan wildlife and history. They also allowed some free roam where you can take photos. Do I look like a crab fisherman now?

The crew demonstrated pulling up real crab pots.

One of the crab pots contained several types of crabs, which we were allowed to come down and hold.

Aubrey was so funny…she wasn’t scared at all and would just reach in the pot and grab a crab next to the tour guide.

We’ve got crabs!

They also pulled up an octopus pot and showed everyone the octopus that was inside. The octopus was just to see and not for us to hold. With each creature, they would share facts about them, what they like to eat, how they are caught, etc.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour octopus

They don’t pull up any real Alaskan King Crab in pots, but they do highlight them in two ways…

They show one for everyone to see that they have in the tank up front. These guys are crazy big!

They pull up a crab pot with fake red crabs but with tags tied to the pot. This is a fundraiser they operate where you can donate and have a note tied to the pot. At the end of the season, they collect them all.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour fundraiser

There were a few other types of creatures pulled up as well.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Eagle Experience

While the tour’s focus is crabs, one highlight was the bald eagle experience! The boat ventures to the protected waters of Annette Island. Guests are welcome to leave their seats and stand by the edge of the boat to witness the crew throwing food to the bald eagles.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour bald eagles

You can never guarantee what you will see when it comes to wildlife, but we were so fortunate that there were so many bald eagles this day! They fly all around you, it was incredible!

The funny thing is, when we were walking around Ketchikan on our own earlier that day, we spotted a bald eagle and were so elated to have seen it. Little did we know we would have 20-30+ bald eagles putting on a show for us just a few hours later!

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour bald eagle

This would be a good time to also go upstairs and view from up there, as you get a more 360 degree view and perhaps even some close-ups as the eagles fly by and swoop in.

Eating Alaskan King Crab on a Crab Boat!

On the way back to the pier, they offer some free-roam around the boat, suggesting you check out their gift shop, where you can watch the featured Deadliest Catch episode on repeat on video screens on the wall. They also offer chilled, halved King Crab to eat.

We debated on if that was how we wanted to enjoy crab, but ultimately decided we HAD to do it. How many people can say they ate Alaskan King Crab on a Deadliest Catch Crab Boat in Alaska!? We can now!

Bonus points for the fact that it was actually really good and easy to eat in the way they prepared and served it. You don’t have to worry about doing any kind of cracking. With it being halved, you just use your fork to pull it out, dip it in the butter and enjoy!

They also offer to take photos with you. The tour guides were incredibly entertaining, knowledgeable and friendly.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour deadliest catch aleutian ballad

Are we glad we did this shore excursion?

Absolutely! This was our very first shore excursion on our Alaska cruise and it was a great way to kick off the fun and adventure. I appreciated the variety…times where we could sit and take in the show and knowledge, and other times we could venture around, take photos and interact with the wildlife. The kids were entertained and never bored.

A coworker recently went on an Alaskan cruise (her first cruise ever!) and when she was planning, she asked me for tips on what to do. I recommended this tour to her and she booked it! She sent me photos of her holding a jumbo shrimp, as well as photos of them doing some of the same activities we did. She was super pleased with the recommendation.

Is the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Good for Kids?

The answer is yes. Just check out all the photos in this post…my kids loved it! If your kids are interested in sea creatures like this, this excursion is perfect! Just the right amount of time, time to explore, time to sit and enjoy the show, and a truly hands-on experience.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour Tips

Being out on the water in Alaska can get cold! They do offer large stadium jackets, coffee and hot cocoa if you need it! We were fortunate to have a beautiful, sunny day for our tour, but we still got quite cold. Not enough to need their extra jackets, but don’t let a “beautiful, sunny day” make you think you will be ok out on the water…always bring layers in Alaska no matter what you are doing! We were also shielded by the wind being on the bottom floor. When we ventured upstairs for a portion of the tour, it was much colder up there! Keep that in mind when picking your seat.

Be silly and adventurous! Explore around the boat, take the photos, hold the creatures…have fun!

Take in the view, you’re in Alaska!!

Grab a cool photo on your way to/from the tour in front of your cruise ship.

Looking for other Alaska shore excursion reviews? Check out this one!

Icon of the Seas Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony Stateroom 9698

This post will share our review and lots of photos from our stay in a Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony Stateroom onboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas!

When we first saw all the new stateroom types on Icon of the Seas, this room stood out to us the most. Sure, we would have loved to experience a suite in order to access the suite-exclusive areas of the ship that looked incredible, but with two kids, the bunk beds were a must-try.

We were in Stateroom 9698, which is located on Deck 9 towards the aft. It was a really convenient spot near the elevators, which is always nice not having to walk a mile down the long hallways multiple times a day.

Size

Total Stateroom: 335 sq. ft. (includes 50 sq. ft. convertible balcony)

Beds

One Royal King bed (can convert into two twin-size beds)
One double sofa bed
Bunk bed with 2 twin beds

Occupancy

Up to 6 guests

Stateroom Entrance

From the hallway, there is only one door for two staterooms. This is because these rooms were designed for families, especially families staying together in connecting rooms. You use your key to open the outside door and then walk into a foyer area with the two separate doors.

The benefit here would be if the two families knew each other, they could leave these doors open. We, however, did not know the family in the other room. The outside door can actually be locked from the inside. My first thought was “What if the other family accidentally locks the outside door from the inside and we can’t get back in?” We asked our stateroom attendant and all he could say was we would have to contact guest services to be let in. Yikes! Thankfully, this never happened to us, but the way he reacted when I asked told me that it has already happened (we were only on the 9th sailing!).

Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony Chalkboards

One fun feature about this area are the chalkboards. There are two chalkboards, one next to each room. This is a good way to communicate with each other your plans and locations throughout the ship if you knew each other. Since we didn’t know each other, we just thought we wouldn’t use them. Boy, were we wrong! There were kids in the other room and they would leave questions for our kids to answer, which they did and we would ask questions back. We never saw them, but this was a fun element of the trip for the kids to be able to “chat” with them.

Speaking of chalkboards, when you enter the room, you are greeted with a large chalkboard on the wall!

Kudos to Royal Caribbean for this idea. When we first booked this room, the photos showed a scrabble wall, which sounded so much fun. When we saw they changed to chalkboards, we weren’t sure how to feel about it. We get it, I’m sure the scrabble letter blocks would have mysteriously disappeared (free souvenir?) over time. But chalk? Sounds messy. Well, we found these chalkboard markers on Amazon in multiple colors that were PERFECT!

They left no chalkboard dust and it was like the kids were drawing on the wall. Royal only provided a few white chalk bits, so we were so glad we brought these. Their designs stayed intact throughout the week and when we were walking out on the last day, we took a wet washcloth and wiped it down easily.

No THIS is my kind of To-Do list!

Family Infinite Ocean View Bunk Beds

Turning left, the bunk bed area is sectioned off with a curtain.

This was a nice feature to provide privacy and block light and sound both ways.

Each bunk has its own tv and reading light.

The top bunk has a mini curtain, which was useful when my son, who was in the top bunk, still wanted the tv on but my daughter, in the bottom bunk, was sleeping.

The bottom bunk has large drawers underneath and the steps going to the top bunk have nooks for storage. I was grateful for the extra storage and the kids liked having spots for their stuff instead of it being out with our stuff.

Behind the steps, there is a cute reading nook with a cushy stool and light. My kids didn’t really use this spot because if they were lounging, they were usually laying down on the bed.

Family Infinite Ocean View Bathrooms

Turning right after going in the door, there are two bathroom doors. Yes, TWO bathrooms! But before you get too excited, it isn’t two full bathrooms, as it is just a way to separate the toilet and the shower.

In one bathroom, there is a toilet and sink/vanity. In the other bathroom, there is a shower and additional sink/vanity. This was another genius move by Royal. How many times are you waiting for someone else to finish showering before you can go in there and get ready? Or, dare I say it, someone goes to the bathroom and you do not want to go in there after to take a shower (this can also be helped with a little Poo-pourri!). With this setup, two people can accomplish tasks at the same time, resulting in quicker rotation and increased time efficiency. Time efficiency in the bathroom means more time having fun around the ship!

Starting with the first bathroom with the toilet.

Onto the second bathroom with the shower.

The shower itself had a decent amount of room, more room than the standard room showers on other ships, in my opinion. Here’s my then 9-year old for size reference.

It’s also nice to have a ledge.

Unfortunately, this leaves little room once out of the shower. The sink/vanity in this room is tiny, so we left this for hand-washing and teeth brushing and used the sink/vanity area in the other bathroom for getting ready.

Family Infinite Ocean View Main Room

Entering the main room, on the left, there is a decently sized desk with several drawers for additional storage.

Here’s a picture of the location of the blowdryer because for some reason, every single review I saw before going made sure to feature the blowdryer as if it was some treasure chest that you have to hunt for and celebrate when found. I saved you from hunting, you’re welcome 🙂

The cooler fridge has its own compartment.

To the right, there is a couch and closet area. The couch can convert to a bed, but we never needed it and don’t have any photos of it made up that way.

The closet was a decent size, but I would have liked some shelves instead of two hanging sections. Kids for size. 😀

The bins at the bottom were great to store our shoes and random things, but they made the loudest, awful sound when pulling them in and out. We avoided putting our sneakers in there because we would need them to work out early in the morning and didn’t want to wake the kids up with the noise. My son will sleep through a tornado, but my daughter would wake up for sure.

On the side of the closet, there is a narrow shelf area. Not wide enough for anything substantial, but a nice little spot for little things.

This is also where the tiny safe is. We put a piece of paper in there for size reference. No laptops or large ipads going in here!

Walking further into the room, you’ll find the bed and tv. We had the single queen bed configuration. I don’t recall if there was a choice when we booked, but wanted to call that out.

Each bedside has a table AND USB charger spots! We always have the hardest time charging everything in most rooms. Usually only one side has a charging spot and we have to use an external battery to charge at night, but this time we could both charge our phones next to us at night.

To each side of the tv, there are corner shelf nooks, great for quick grab things that you don’t want taking up table space.

Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony

Now for the main event! The “balcony”!!

Icon of the Seas is the first Royal Caribbean ship to utilize this concept. Instead of a door to get out to the open balcony, the inside area of your room is extended, with a sitting area and table, and the top portion of the window comes down to enjoy as a balcony. You can sit and enjoy the view while still in the air-conditioning.

You can enjoy a balcony without having to open and close the door.

Balcony doors can be loud. Additionally, I liked being able to enjoy the balcony features while still being with my family if they were still inside. With a standard balcony, if you are the only one out there, you can sometimes feel alone.

Don’t get me wrong, that is sometimes a good thing, but not something I always want. If you do want to be alone, you can close the curtains! We also felt like there was more privacy. You couldn’t really see in the neighboring rooms even if you leaned out as far as you possibly could. Outdoor balconies also have cracks in the separators so you can see through them, but that isn’t a factor here.

One downside is the same as leaving your door open on a regular balcony room, when your balcony window is down, the air-conditioning is off. In hotter months, it would be best to not leave it open for extended periods of time, unless you are comfortable with just the ocean breeze. During cooler months, not a problem!

The room control unit is by the stateroom entrance door. It’s a very nice new feature, but we had the stateroom attendant give us some tips, which we were glad we did because he told us something that very first day that others didn’t know and we had to share it in our Facebook Group. DO NOT use Sleep Mode! He said using sleep mode turns off the air-conditioning. Others were saying how hot the rooms were and when we told them this tip, they were so grateful! Why wouldn’t you want A/C while sleeping??

Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony Safety

The balcony felt very safe, both to operate and to have my kids around. There are buttons on the wall to operate the window. They are pretty high up, so little ones can’t reach them on their own. Also, when closing the window, if something or someone is blocking, it will stop immediately, even if you are holding it down. We had my son rest on it as if he was looking out and it would not move to close while he was there.

It was also comforting being together in the room with them still being able to enjoy the view.

Overall Thoughts on the Family Infinite Oceanview Balcony Stateroom

We absolutely loved this room! It was almost like staying in a suite with the extra space, but even in some suites we can feel cramped as our kids get bigger (why do they keep growing so fast!?) but we aren’t quite ready to start buying two connecting rooms. The bunk beds were PERFECT, both kids fit in theirs and they didn’t have to sleep together or with us, on an inflatable mattress or on an uncomfortable couch that gets rolled away every day. They had their own separate space that felt like theirs, that they could set up how they wanted without being in the way.

I’ve seen mixed reviews of this type of balcony and I can see all points as valid. Our opinion? We really enjoyed it. Can you tell?

Well, I guess everyone looks happy when they’re arriving at Coco Cay, but you get the point.

Sometimes I feel like I don’t utilize a balcony enough when we have one. That was not the case this time. Every morning, we enjoyed our post-run/walk morning coffee and grab-and-go breakfast snack in that spot before the kids woke up. It was nice being able to glance over at any random moment and see a full view of the ocean.

Would we stay in a Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony again? Absolutely, yes!

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Want more Icon of the Seas posts? Check out this one!

Icon of the Seas Windjammer Embarkation Day Lunch

This post will share our review and photos of the embarkation day lunch in the Windjammer on Icon of the Seas.

The Windjammer is Royal Caribbean’s main buffet and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is something for everyone there and a perfect place for even the pickiest of little eaters. It’s also a great place to try new things. Or you can be like my son as ask the chef for chicken tenders, who gladly makes them and brings them out to your table.

Inaugural Sailing or Season Perk?

We were on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas during its inaugural season. This was the first time we had been on a ship during it’s inaugural season and we were surprised at some of the perks. One surprise and very welcome perk was the special lunch in the Windjammer on the first day of the cruise. When we watched videos of the very first sailing and saw this extraordinary lunch buffet, we thought it would only be for the first cruise and then it would be normal by our cruise. For timing, Icon of the Seas first sailed in January 2024 and our cruise was in March 2024 during our spring break.

When we got on the ship, it wasn’t long before an employee told us to make sure we did not miss lunch in the Windjammer. We thought that was a bit much for a normal lunch so we wondered if the Windjammer was indeed still serving a “special” lunch on the first day and couldn’t wait to find out.

Mr. Washy Washy

When we arrived at the Windjammer, we were greeted with everyone’s favorite Mr. Washy Washy! The level of enthusiasm he maintains throughout each meal service is beyond my comprehension, but we absolutely loved him and definitely washed our hands because he said so.

The Windjammer Buffet on Icon of the Seas is split into two sides, so when you enter, you choose to go left or right. Don’t worry, both sides are the same. During slower times, they will close one side so they don’t have to unnecessarily maintain two full buffets for less people.

Before I get to the food, let’s first appreciate all the special decorations! Carved cheese and ice sculptures!

Icon of the Seas Windjammer First Lunch Cheese Wheel

What’s so special about the First Lunch in the Windjammer?

What makes the first lunch at the Windjammer Buffet so special is the plethora of seafood options. There are several fish options, lots of shrimp, and even lobster! Yes, even those folks that are still upset that you can only get one free lobster tail on lobster night in the Main Dining Room can grab as many lobster tails as they want here!

We have never tried crawfish before and we were going to…we each brought one back to our table but just couldn’t do it!

What else is there in the Windjammer?

Of course, there’s other non-seafood offerings too, including salad, sides and meat-carving stations.

There’s lots of bread! My son wanted to just grab all bread.

And we can’t forget about all the dessert options. I wouldn’t say there was anything overly unique and special, but there were some dishes we hadn’t seen before.

When we sail on Utopia of the Seas next, we will be in a suite and plan on taking full advantage of Coastal Kitchen. However, since it will be in its inaugural season, we will definitely choose the Windjammer for lunch on the first day if it looks like this again!

Your thoughts

Have you been on a new ship during its inaugural season? What about a very first sailing? One day, we would like to try being on the first ever sailing of a new ship!

Want to know what we’re up to? Check out the Our Cruises page!