June 13, 2026 - Marietta to Orlando
Well, the day began a little rocky with a phone text from Rich that Connor grabbed two passports from his home safe, but unfortunately, both of these were Melanie's!!! Yikes! So, he and Mel quickly tookUber back to their home to get his passport, with plans to take a later red eye flight which would get them into Orlando at 5:00 AM on cruise day. Meanwhile, Mel found a flight on Southwest that would get them into Orlando on 6:40 the night before the cruise. It was a stressful few hours, but eventually, everyone was on planes, destined to Orlando! I used Anthony, a driver who drives for Uber, and independently, to take me to our ATL airport. At least my day was stress-free! I arrived in plenty of time to enjoy a light lunch before boarding my flight! I arrived in Orlando minutes after Rich and Rachelle, so we met at baggage claim, and immediately headed to the pickup for the free shuttle to our Wingate by Wyndham Hotel. Poor Rachelle opened her suitcase to change clothes, only to find that she had Connor's suitcase which looks exactly like hers! A little more stress until she could confirm that he had her suitcase. Luckily, the kids took carry on luggage, not checked luggage. After a short rest, we walked over to Rock and Brews, a local restaurant, for a fabulous dinner. We shared a delicious soft pretzel before our meals. Rachelle and I ordered a strawberry and field green salad topped with grilled chicken which as too much to finish and definitely yummy. We decided to turn in early since they had been traveling since VERY early this morning. Mel and Connor arrived, checked in, and crashed! All is well in our world.
June 14, 2026 - RCCL Star of the Seas
We met for breakfast, went upstairs to gather luggage, and then SURPRISE, our ride to the cruise port called to say they were in the lobby - thirty minutes early!! Luckily, I was already on my way down to the lobby, so I texted everyone, and they rushed to board the van! We had a very uneventful ride to Port Canaveral, and our check in went incredibly easy! By 11:30 we were on the ship!! We purchased wrist bands (Wow bands), got our tickets for the Torque Aqua Show, and by then, it was time (1:00) to see our cabins - 10449, 10451, 10453 - deposit our carry-ons, and enjoy lunch in the Windjammer! We were pleasantly surprised how easily we found tables. Even though this very large ship has over 7,000 passengers, it does not seem crowded!!! After lunch, we explored a bit, before returning to our cabins to unpack our luggage. I was a little concerned about being in an inside room, but my cabin is quite comfortable. My only complaint would be the lack of drawers/shelves/cabinets for storage, BUT I had an abundance of hangers, so my clothes were easily stored. We met for drinks and then went to stand in line for our "My Time" dinner. The first night of a cruise is typically chaotic, and tonight was no exception, but the delicious food made up for the wait. We had a little time to kill before our show, so we had drinks in a cute pub, Thistle and Thorn. I was skeptical about the show when I realized that it was a magic show, but it was fantastic. The Headliner Show, Dave the Magic Show, involved audience participation, including children, and I can honestly say that I have not laughed that hard in ages!!! Afterwards, we returned to the pub for drinks and to listen to Trenton, a delightful English fellow, sing great songs. I went back to my cabin around 11 PM but the kids stayed out MUCH later!!
June 15 - 2026 - Cocoa Cay, Bahamas
Our day began with breakfast on Deck 3, Main Dining Room, as we waited for most of the guests to disembark at Cocoa Cay. By the time we left at 1000 hours, the crowds were gone and we easily walked to the tram for the adult area, the Hideaway. Our weather involved periods of sprinkles, but the temps were perfect. I found a great umbrella on the beach where I placed a few phone calls, scrolled through my emails and FB while the kids hung out at the swim up bar. Eventually, we all met for lunch where we noticed some dark clouds and decided that it would probably be wise to head back to the ship. The kids went to the pool, but I headed back to shower and relax. Getting our table at dinner was much easier this evening. Everyone enjoyed the "Back to the Future" production, followed by listening to Trenton at the Thorn and Thistle. I passed on the pizza at Sorrento's to return to my cabin to read.
June 16, 2026 - Day at Sea
Love, love, love the sea days! After breakfast, Rachelle and I headed to Next Cruise to collect information for next year's cruise because we have several rooms to book. I had done some research for the cruise, so I knew the ship and sail date. What I hadn't planned for was the fact that the ship was already pretty booked. We took the last rooms in our category, and decided to go ahead and reserve the cabins. Yay - Harmony of the Seas, June 12 -19 is booked!! Rachelle and I watched "Battle of the Sexes" game show which was entertaining. The gals won, which apparently happens often!
After lunch, we spent some time at the adult pool, before getting ready for dinner. It was our first "dress your best" night, so the guys really enjoyed the lobster. We had pictures made, and then we rushed to be the first in line for the aqua show only to discover that the show had to be cancelled due to technical difficulties. Bummer! Luckily, it was automatically rescheduled for later in the cruise, so we'll be able to see it on Saturday.
So, instead we went to 'Shush" - AKA silent disco and danced, laughed, and burned some of our calories off! I left at 11 PM, but the rest of the gang continued to midnight. Funny, how things work out!
June 17, 2026 - St Thomas, USVI
Always, one of my favorite ports! We arrived around noon, and we were in a taxi to downtown by 1 PM. I navigated us to Alpha, our favorite jewelry store. Sony and Nakita were there to greet us, and everyone began shopping. At one point, I turned quickly around and thought I saw Rob sitting in his favorite chair. It was Richard, looking so much like his dad.
I had brought several heirloom pieces of jewelry to repurpose into jewelry that my "girls" could wear. Nakita had fabulous ideas which I am very excited about! Meanwhile, I had my jewelry cleaned and a bracelet from Bubbie repaired. Melanie is the proud owner of gorgeous new earrings and two bracelets. Rachelle purchased a lovely gold cross with diamonds, two stunning bracelets, and had her earrings gold dipped. Connor and Rich purchased new wedding bands. Mel had selected lovely earrings that her mother didn't want, so I purchased them instead. While everything was being sized, etc. we did a little shopping - pillow cases from Mr. Tablecloth, t-shirts, hats, keychains, and a turtle shirt for David.
Back on the ship, everyone chilled until dinner. The food has been exceptional on this cruise, and tonight, we had spectacular service from Francis at Table 166.
I'd also like to give a shout out to our room steward, Aseep! He unobtrusively cleans our cabins, without getting in the way.
June 18, 2026 - St Kitts/Nevis
Happy 44th Birthday, Ari!! Again, we had a relaxing breakfast while the majority of the guests disembarked. We didn't need to meet our excursion group until 10:15, we took our time leaving. Even so, we still had some time shop around a little before assembling for our excursion - Rose Mill Rum Punch Mixology Class/Beach break! The ride to our destination was break-taking! On one side we could see the Atlantic Ocean, and on the other, we could see the Caribbean Sea. I even spotted a monkey running across the road. Once at our mixology stationed, I was pleasantly surprised at the readiness to help those who would be making a "mocktail" since I was wondering what would happen. Our family won mini bottles of the hibiscus rum for guessing the closet date (1680) date of the formation of rum. We had such fun making the drinks - thanks, Rachelle for selecting this RCCL excursion!
Then, we went to the beautiful beach where we were able to vividly see Nevis, only a two-mile swim across. I rested comfortably under my umbrella, reading while the rest of the group stayed in the water. I was thrilled to see a darling 7-month-old monkey.
After our scenic ride back to the port, we shopped a little in the strip of shops. The guys found cool shirts and Mel bought Croc sandals. Back on board, it was pool time again.
Dinner was amazing, except for the dessert. Mel and I had the same chocolate concoction, took one bite, and gave it a thumbs down! Yuck - tas ted like chocolate gelatin mush. We had to time change into warmer clothes which we knew we needed for the chilly venue. Our ice show, SOL was THE BEST I've seen! The extreme skaters were truly exceptional!
June 19 - 20, 2026 - Days at Sea
Two back-to-back sea days are soooooo wonderful!! We all slept in, did our own thing for breakfast, and spent both days doing exactly what we wanted to do! I walked both days trying to keep up my rule to do some sort of exercise every day! The first day, I actually went to the Fitness Center, so the second day I was too sore to workout again.
Friday - Rich, Rachelle, and I went to Create, a cute production with the orchestra, performers, and great technology, at 2 PM. I planned to get my free day of Internet on Friday around 3 PM so I could make the most of my time yet be able to check in for my flight home. Rachelle and I went to the Diamond Lounge, so we could have quiet. She worked on a crossword puzzle while I worked on my travel blog. I needed to get ready for services, so I went back around 4:30. Services were in the Market Place of the Windjammer. We had a VERY small crowd, only 5 of us, but RCCL had done such a lovely job with the Sabbath - wine, challah, yarmulkas, white candles, salt, and prayer books. There were three Israeli women, one who was married to the lovely gentleman from New Jersey, and myself. We said the Shabbat blessings, and then had a great conversation. In no time, I needed to leave to meet my family for dinner as we wanted to take more pictures on this "dress your best" night and then attend the "Love and Marriage" Show! Oh, how we laughed at the Love and Marriage Show. Such fun! It was a great way to end a wonderful sea day!
Saturday - Slept in late, had a good walk, and then enjoyed a spinach/cheese omelet with fruit and an iced coffee in the Windjammer. I had a nice shipboard credit, so I made a couple of small cosmetic purchases before meeting Rich and Rachelle for the Veteran's Tribute which was THE BEST one I have ever seen on any RCCL ship. They had red, white, and blue cocktails (along with a non-alcoholic drink) as you walked in. The show opened with a beautiful explanation of the "table for one" items. I had seen many of these tables, but never knew what each item represented!
Now, I've spent only two hours updating this blog before I must return to my cabin to pack. We are gathering at 5:00 PM to see our rescheduled Torque Aqua Show.
Dinner will be at 7 PM, then we'll return to the cabin to put our luggage out before going to our scheduled Adult Comedy Show which begins at 10 PM.
Why do cruises go by soooooo fast?????
