Universal Resorts to Royal Caribbean for a Doubled-up Vacation

Every family at some point needs a Vacation to relieve some of the stress we may deal with on our everyday adventure called Life. Living can put a large amount of stress on our shoulders even making it hard for us to get along with one another. When it comes to a family Vacation you may want to build a bond with your fellow family members. Capture everlasting memories that are sure to make those stressful days a little less stressful. A memory that may very well alter a bad day to a day full of joy. Universal Resorts and Royal Caribbean have created a Vacation Package that is sure to bring those memories and ideas to life for the whole family to enjoy. The more the merrier for this fun filled Vacation. Make sure to bring the whole family on this one. I guaranteed that this will be the Vacation that trumps them all. 

Universal Resorts and Royal Caribbean have come together to create the ultimate vacation package, bringing the best of Land and Sea to your vacation adventure at one great price. Your family can choose from 1 of 4 great on and, off-site hotels with Universal Resorts (read more on Universal Resorts here), followed by selecting a cruise option with Royal Caribbean. The next thing you will need to do is very important, maybe make a list, but more importantly begin packing everything you want to bring on your vacation. If you have a GoPro this will be a good opportunity to bag it up and bring it along. These moments are the kind that you’ll want to capturer on your video or picture camera. I sure didn’t forget to capture my own while on this amazing vacation hosted by Universal Resorts and Royal Caribbean. I would like to take the time to thank both parties for allowing my family this great opportunity to share with my readers. Thanks again. 

The man responsible for this took care of our room and made a new towel animal everyday for my nephew thank you sir!

Checking in for your Cruise is a slightly different then getting on an airplane to travel. When I say that I mean it was easier by far. It roughly took a half-an-hour for us to get through security, check in with the Royal Caribbean Cruise line and find our cabin. After settling in, my family and everyone aboard the Freedom of the Sea was instructed to participate in a quick drill in the case of an emergency. We then spent the remainder of the day exploring this fabulous ship. And finally, we had chance to eat a delicious dinner. I ordered a Classic Caesar salad with a mouth-watering pork chop as the main course and ending with an amazing Crème brûlée for dessert. This was much like your classic Crème brûlée with a twist, a banana twist to be exact.  I also had the opportunity, (thanks to my sister Jackie) to eat a curry. My sister had mentioned how much she enjoyed eating Curry and how surprised that they had none on the menu. Because of this our server Kummar had requested the chef cook this for us. Thank you my sister Jacky and our server Kummar for that great experience!

Dinner upon the Freedom of the Sea

Between destinations you roughly have at least a day to enjoy the Freedom of the Sea, they have more than enough to keep you entertained for the few days you get to wonder the amazing ship. From the Royal Promenade to top deck which has rock climbing, a putting course, basketball court, and even a flowrider for you to get your surfing on. If you are less interested in the sports deck or the shopping experience you can gather from the Royal Promenade you may appreciate more of the other activities that are on the Freedom of the Seas. Many of these activities include a big screen for video entertainment which houses 3D capability. A well-kept ice rink which is open for free skating when it is not being used for entertainment by the professional ice kkaters on-board the Freedom of the Seas. Spend the spare day relaxing in 1 of the 4 Hot-tubs that hang over the deck allowing you to get a great view of the beautiful ocean surrounding you. While you enjoy this time, you can send the kids too Adventure Ocean, where the younger kids can stay and be supervised (No adults are allowed in this area, it is only for children). Each child has a band on their wrist in case they get separated from their parents for any reason. The staff is trained to take your child to the table location you are given on your Seapass card, which would be the meeting area in case of an emergency. 

Making a stop in Labadee Haiti 

Our first destination ports at was Labadee Haiti, which started out our fun adventure of islands soon to be seen. Once getting off the Freedom of the Sea, there had been an obvious climate change. The atmosphere held a different type of heat that I was not used to back home. Much like the temperature change you could tell that the humidity in Labadee Haiti was much less then back home in Ohio. After a 5 minute walk from the ship we have arrived to the beach at Labadee Haiti enjoying the breeze while my nephew enjoyed the water. 

Arawak Aqua Park

Arawak Aqua Park is just one of the hot spots in Labadee Haiti for you to cool off from the sun, let the little ones bounce around at the fun park while you get some much needed rest time in the shade. Take a few moments to relax before running over to other exciting activities like Dragon’s Breath Flight Line, the longest Zip Line over water in the world. After you are done with those you can walk over and try to Dragon’s Tail Coaster, a bobsled inspired ride that will give you views that you wouldn’t think possible. For a small price you and your significant other a more private experience by renting a cabana that overlooks Nellie’s Beach. After getting a few souvenir in Haiti we ended the day by filling our hungry stomachs with  a delicious BBQ thanks to Royal Caribbean. 

Making a Stop in Falmouth Jamaica 

This is Sadiki, thanks for the Jerk Chicken! 

Off the Freedom of the Seas and on to dry land at Falmouth Jamaica, where I got to meet an interesting person who enjoyed talking about the culture in the area.  Sadiki, the man in the picture above had stopped to make sure my family and I had a chance to try Jamaica’s delicious Jerk Chicken right before getting back on the bus to get back on the Freedom of the Seas. This I must thank you for Sadiki, the Jerk chicken and other items in the to-go box had my taste buds tingling for more. The people of Falmouth Jamaica were well educated with the history of their land, and had no problem taking a history lesson on it. This was very intriguing for me because I have a knack for history and enjoy knowing what has happened in the past only to compare it to how much change has occurred for the future to take place.  If I took anything from Falmouth Jamaica it is that you can have as much fun as you like at any destination you go, yet the people you meet on those trips are far more important to the experience than anything I could imagined. Every face in Falmouth Jamaica was filled with a warm friendly smile just ready to start talking to you about their land and the fun experience you are going to have with the culture. 

Jerk Chicken, some Greens, and a type of Bread (Can’t explain how delicious this was)

Falmouth Jamaica had many fun activities from guided tours to showing off everything that makes Jamaica unique to itself. From a simple horse carriage ride to an ATV tour if you are interested in a quicker pace of things. Either way you will not leave Jamaica without memories that will leave an everlasting impression on your life. And let it be known, everyone will sing at least one Bob Marley song before leaving the destination. 

George Town, Grand Cayman Sting Rays

After some rest we were off to the Grand Cayman to take a short boat ride to Stingray City. Swimming with the Stingray was an experience that is hard to explain. Every Stingray verified in sizes from small to large, my party got to the site early so we had plenty of up close and personal time with the Stingray. Dozens of the Stingray swam around me while I traveled through their natural habitat. The oddest feeling was when they brushed up against my legs, especially the large ones to get a sense of what I was. After a while other boats started to pull up bringing other groups of people but it never seemed to get over crowded to me. After everyone got the opportunity to feed the Stingray we got back on to our tour boat and traveled only for a few minutes to a more calm and less populated area. Our Guides let us know that we would need our snorkeling gear and if you had none some would be provided for us. I took a nice jump off the side of the boat and took a good relaxing swim looking at the natural coral and sea life in the area. It was calming to the mind while you looked in to the water and seen the different vibrant colors that the sea life contained. After drinking a few gallons of salt water thought it would be best to get to some food and beverages, so back on the boat and off to Tiki Beach. 

 Arriving at Tiki Beach my nephew Niko found his home at the beach, and I found my home where the sweet smell of BBQ poured from. Getting a nice plate and another fresh glass of Jamba Juice (this jamba juice was paired with alcohol). After a burger and piece of Jerk chicken (minus the sauce unfortunately), I went on to the beach to get a nice tan. The water was a perfect temperature not being to hot or to cold giving you an easy entrance to the water. A friendly reptile ended up swimming up out of the water, I think he was just looking for attention. He eventually got out of the water and went on his married way not bothering a soul. Saying goodbye to the Grand Cayman and another great night of rest. I was worried at first how I would sleep, thinking that the Freedom of the Seas would be rocking back and fourth. This was not the case, actually what little rocking had happened seemed to help me fall in to a deep sleep and ready for another morning of adventure. 

Cozumel, Mexico 

Get ready to find some of the most precious treasures around when you step foot in to Cozumel, Mexico. Greeted a few people dressed as pirates just waiting for you to snap a picture with. The bars and restaurant in the area had delicious taste in food and alcoholic beverages much recommended. You get a ride to the city from your port for a small fee of 3 dollars. This was no problem and the travel didn’t take to long, once at your destination you get the chance to see the area in  your own way. Stores contained precious treasures that Cozumel is known for and available for you to purchase these one of a kind items. If you got time check out the white sands of Playa Mia Beach, this was my first experience with white sand. The sand itself had an entirely different look to it like a powder, and the texture was much different being softer then sand I’ve occurred on other beaches. Very comfortable to your feet, you find yourself digging your toes in to the white sand after a while. 

Other interesting activities in Cozumel were taking the Atlantic Submarine down in the the watery depths to get a good tour underwater. Travel the east side of Cozumel, Mexico for a Safari ride inside of Jeeps that take you through dunes for an unforgettable experience with the family and take the history of Cozumel, Mexico home with you and your family. Another long day of Adventuring and once in a life time memories that are sure to stick around for years to come. 

Final thoughts

If you are thinking about taking a vacation with the family, or even a significant other then this may be the trip you want to plan. A Theme Park and Cruise in one package will set the perfect balance of land and sea adventure that everyone is sure to love. The experiences you get while on both of these trips are unique to their own and seemed like very rare opportunities. The food and drinks that I got to eat through my journey still leave my mouth a watery mess just thinking about them.  From delicious Pork Chops to the best Lasagna I’ve ever experienced these foods will leave me yearning for more as I taste other less tasty dishes.