So, I went on my first cruise.

When Royal Caribbean invited me to board their Newly Amplified Oasis of the Seas for a 7-day sailing trip through the Caribbean, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Naturally, I had questions:

“Would I get bored after 7 days?”

“Would I get seasick?

“What would it be like on this large cruise ship?”

I’d never been on a cruise before and it wasn’t necessarily on my radar. If you know me by now though, you know I’m willing to try (almost) anything at least once! My life motto is “why not?”, so I decided to give it a go. After three years of traveling full time, it’s always nice to mix things up and try various forms of travel. More importantly - as a travel blogger, It’s important for me to be able to speak about different trip styles from first-hand experience. To give you an idea of what went down, here were my top 5 experiences on Royal Caribbean’s Newly Amplified Oasis Of The Seas Ship:

Listening To Live Jazz Music

From salsa to rock, I was shocked to discover all of the live performances onboard. The jazz room was my favorite, by far. I returned night after night to listen to this extremely talented jazz band. I’d never been to a jazz club, so this was an absolute treat. Who would have known my first experience would be on a cruise ship?

Oh, and did I mention these musical performances are completely free?

Riding The Waterslides

I haven’t ridden a waterslide in years, so I was stoked when I realized that there were three different slides on the boat. I couldn’t believe that these jumbo slides we’re on the top deck. Our hearts raced and we felt like kids again as we raced down to the pools at the end.

Watching A Live Ice Show

An ice rink is the last thing I thought I would see on a cruise ship. Like the live jazz performance, I didn’t think my first ice-skating show would happen onboard. However, I quickly learned that anything was possible on the Oasis of the Seas. While I enjoyed the Broadway productions and even Aqua Dive Show (INSANE!), ⁣The Disney themed ice show was a major highlight for me. I was in absolute awe of these world-class ice skaters from all over the world.

Exploring The Islands On Port Days

We visited Haiti, St. Marteen, and Puerto Rico after departing from Miami. Our day in Puerto Rico was my favorite in particular. We were able to visit the ‘Cueva Ventana’, enjoy a local meal, and visit one of the top cocktail bars in the world. Port days may be short, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be sweet.

People Watching

With over 6000 people on the ship, there are plenty of opportunities to meet other travelers - or cruisers, as they might call themselves. We’d have random conversations with people we never expected, passengers and crew alike. In my opinion, it’s amazing to have access to so many different types of people. You never know who you might meet.

From ziplining to rock climbing, this barely scratches the surface all that we we’re able to do and see on the Oasis Of The Seas 7 night Caribbean Cruise. I worried about possibly getting bored on a cruise ship for SEVEN freakin’ days but there was so much to be done.

My final thoughts:

Overall, I’m so glad I tried a cruise for myself and Royal Caribbean was made the best first impression. Due to the low-maintenance level of planning, I think this option is a great group travel with family or friends. It would also work well for solo travelers that aren’t fully ready to deal with all the logistics alone. The boat itself was enormous and we got lost more times than I could count. There is plenty to do, so you’ll never get bored. The best part? You can do everything and nothing, depending on how you feel.  There were days where we did the absolute most and hours where we slept to the sounds of the sea crashing outside of our cabin balcony. There were moments where we felt young & wild & free on jumbo water slides and where we felt a bit more grown & sexy as we sipped cocktails to the sounds of live jazz music. We may have gotten lost more than a few times, but it felt good to know that the possibilities in this floating city were endless. 

Here Are Some Items You Should Pack For Your Cruise:

Waterproof Phone Pouches - You can find these bad boys online for $5-$8 and they work extremely well. You can use them for ‘just in case’ moments or you can literally dive right in & use them underwater. It’s essentially a bootleg go-pro. Thank me later! ⁣
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Microfiber Towels - These thin, quick-drying towels really come in handy for back to back days in the water. Or just a regular beach towel! That works too!⁣
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Dramamine/Motion Sickness meds - Whether you plan to get on a giant cruise ship or speedboat, you risk the chance of getting seasick. If this happens, Dramamine will make you feel grounded again⁣
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Sea Sick Patches - I ordered patches for the trip and I’m not sure whether this is the placebo effect or not but they seemed to work rather well 🤷🏾‍♀️⁣
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Waterproof Sandals- There’s nothing worse than ruining a nice pair of shoes/sandals or scraping your feet on a rocky beach/waterfalls. Been there done that. Get you some water shoes or sandals. I’ve used Tevas and Birkenstock’s! ⁣
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Lightweight Cover Up - A cute lil coverup will make it a breeze to transition in and out of the water! Bonus if it’s quick-drying! ⁣
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Sunscreen & SPF Lip Balm - Okay, my fellow black & brown girls...we need sunscreen too! Quite a few brands cater to darker skin these days, so yay to no white streaks!! I’m loving Supergoop currently. Also have been eyeing Black Girl Sunscreen & Glossier’s sunscreen! ⁣
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Bug spray - After a million sandflies tore my legs up in Cuba, I don’t play about bug spray!

Related: 22 Amazon Essentials For Every Trip
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