My family recently cruised on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas out of Galveston. This was our first cruise since the onset of the Pandemic. While I love to plan vacations and travel, this one evoked a lot of anxiety for me.
As the cruising industry has been charging ahead to restart, it is no secret that things have been constantly changing with new or extended mandates from the CDC. With that in mind, I didn’t want to fly anywhere to cruise and looked to my home port of Galveston for options. I found a really great option that actually coincided with our youngest’s birthday. We had not cruised in so long, I was definitely looking forward to this vacation – anxiety and all.
Once I finally booked, I went straight to work to find a facility that could test us along with our little one that could also get our results back very quickly. Once I found a location, I called to confirm everything and actually called back a week prior to confirm again – yes, things change quickly and I don’t like those kind of surprises. Additionally, I did order the COVID -19 home test with eMed Telehealth Services kits for added assurance we could get this done on time, at least for hubby and I; I also found a secondary testing facility for the little one.
On the lighter side, I explored the excursions, drink packages, dining packages and even spa services. I joined Facebook groups and cruise sites to get the latest feedback from travelers and even found a family focused group that had moms and dads willing to share and answer questions real time for inquiring minds. I met lots of very generous parents that shared loads of time and info – really quite wonderful. Being armed with information is an incredible tool to combat the unknown and anxiety.
We completed the testing and unfortunately this was not received well by our little one. He was quite upset and I felt terrible and concerned that he would have to do this at least two more times (at boarding and disembarkation). I went back to the Facebook groups and hoped that experiences shared about how the cruise line completed the testing would be our experience as well.
Embarkation
I created a folder with all our docs: negative COVID – 19 tests results, passports, cruise details, extra luggage tags and parking pass print out. I chose the express parking which put us right at the terminal for ease and quickness for boarding, we arrived a bit earlier than our check in time but there were no lines and able to enter the terminal right away. There were a couple document check points, security checks, unvaccinated traveler testing, check in and test result waiting before we finally were able to board.
The most time consuming component was the testing for the little one. Fortunately they were very gentle and very understanding that his first test at the clinic did not go over well with him – at all. Thankfully he quickly regained his composure and earned a sticker for being a great kiddo. The wait time was approximately 45 minutes.
In total from terminal entry to feet on the deck, it was just over an hour – maybe an hour and 15 minutes (1:15 – 2:30 PM CST). It was smooth and really not anywhere near as stressful as I imagined it to be in my mind. I was grateful and relieved when we made it onboard.
On Board
The rooms were not ready when we boarded, so we headed to the Windjammer to grab a bite. Just upon entry, there are hand washing stations that you are directed to. Many of the tables were blocked and the others taken, it took us some time with the help of the staff to find seating. I would say, this was maybe the most difficult part of the trip and I say that in a good way – considering it’s a 9 night trip under these conditions.
By the time we wrapped up lunch our rooms were ready and I quickly scooted off to put up a few birthday decorations for our little one. We spent a some time unpacking a bit and then headed off to the muster station to complete the last piece of the safety drill. Pretty quick and easy.
From the Family Facebook page they encouraged making reservations for shows that were designated “E” for everyone, if we wanted our little one to tag along, because they may book up quickly. We then headed to the kids club to register for Adventure Ocean and schedule our initial sessions.
The shows were decent as were the activities, like trivia and karaoke.
Since the capacity was low, the staff seemed to be far more attentive and really took to our little one we were met with welcoming faces most places. It was nice.
Dining
Most days we did breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Main Dining Room. We simply didn’t want to walk around and the Windjammer to find seating. The staff in the dining room was great, they quickly picked up on what we liked to order and had a few appetizers and drinks on the ready for us, especially for our little. They were great!
Hubby and I did try two specialty dining restaurants, Playmakers (upcharge), Johnny Rockets and Fish and Ships. Our favorite restaurant and experience was definitely at Izumi! Playmakers and Johnny Rockets were decent. A treat for me was at Fish and Ships that serves Fried Candy bar (Mars to be specific). It was yummy and I even took it a step further with a mug of ice cream to go with it … warm gooey chocolate and ice cream – delish!
We developed an evening routine, that included pizza and jello (for the little) from Sorrento’s and/or pastries and milk steamer from Cafe Promenade. Since dinner was early in the evening, this was our late night snack and treat before heading back to the cabin for the night.
Excursions, Debarkation and Final Thoughts
I have to say, I really liked having the experience of the lower capacity ship, no waiting, no crowds, it felt like more freedom to move around no rush no fuss and relax. The itinerary was light, since not packed with many stops, we just felt like it was a lot more leisurely of an experience. We didn’t get off all at all the stops and didn’t feel compelled to do very much, but what we did do was pretty nice – Airboat and Alligator safari and the Blue Lagoon Island and dolphin encounter.
Preparation for debarkation included having our little one test again the day prior. We had an early disembarkation time and walked off with our suitcases. From room to our car was about 15 minutes. It was the easiest debarkation ever – no long wait for the elevator, no lines and no searching for luggage in the terminal.
This was a great trip for us stepping back into cruising after so long. I would say there were little to no bumps along the way and we had a good time being with each other and creating new memories.
Trip Favorites
A few things, that I brought on the cruise that I used and glad we had were.
We took the two larger bowls to store treats in our fridge.
These were great for the Perfect Day at CocoCay. They were light and compact, which made them easy to get into our luggage.
I used the hooks on the wall to hang hats and bags.
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Sailing!