Royal Caribbean Blog

There’s no doubt that working on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship is a unique job, but what is life actually like in the crew-only areas onboard?

Aside from the 2-hour behind-the-scenes tour offered by Royal Caribbean, most guests have no idea what life is like in the crew-only areas of the ship.

It’s possible to catch a glimpse of a crew-only stairwell from the hallway or peek down into the crew-only bar from the Promenade deck, but most of these “secret” crew areas are left up to our imagination.

In the age of social media, however, we’re able to learn more about the life of crew members onboard Royal Caribbean ships. Several crew members run YouTube and Tik Tok channels, and today we’re going to go behind-the-scenes on what was the world's largest cruise ship at the time, Wonder of the Seas.

Wonder of the Seas crew member's Tik Tok

Bryan James works onboard Wonder of the Seas as the guitarist and vocalist in The Mason Jar Bar. When he isn’t singing country tunes in Royal Caribbean’s newest restaurant and bar, you can find him making videos for his Tik Tok following of almost 700,000.

While all of his Tik Toks revolve around life on a cruise ship, he has several that focus on the day-to-day life of crew members onboard. In these videos, we can catch a glimpse of crew-only areas and learn more about the hangout spaces, food, and cabins reserved for crew members.

Let’s take a look at six of James’ Tik Toks to learn more about life for crew on Wonder of the Seas.

#1: Secret hangout in the ship’s funnel

Located at the very top of Wonder of the Seas is the ship’s funnel, but did you know that this is a crew-only hangout space?

Accessible from a crew-only stairwell is a spacious deck with views of the ship’s aft and Sports Court. The hangout space has tables and chairs, allowing crew to relax with expansive ocean views.

James states that “It’s like a secret hangout that’s by the funnel of the ship… and not even by the funnel. I mean, it’s like… in the funnel and it’s so pretty.”

@bryanjames.music Who's sneakin round the crew areas? #royalcaribbean #wonderoftheseas #cruiseshipcrew #🛳 #cruiseship ♬ original sound - Bryan James

#2: Shop for crew members

Crew members on Wonder of the Seas can purchase items like snacks, toiletries, laundry detergent, and other day-to-day essentials in a “secret” shop reserved just for crew members.

James mentioned that this shop was extremely helpful when crew members were not allowed to disembark the ship during the pandemic. Now that crew members are able to disembark in port, they can choose to purchase items at the onboard shop or in local stores in port.

When asked about the prices at the crew-only shop, James mentioned “It’s not too bad! There are weird taxes being overseas right now so everything is about 30 percent more expensive than it should be.”

In front of the shop appears to be a dining and lounge space for crew members, as seen in James’ Tik Tok.

@bryanjames.music What other below deck areas do you wanna see? #cruiseshipcrew #belowdeck #wonderoftheseas #cruiseship ♬ original sound - Bryan James

#3: What is the food like for crew members?

A major part of going on a Royal Caribbean cruise is dining at the ship’s restaurants, but what type of food do crew members eat onboard?

James gave an insight into dining options for Wonder of the Seas crew members on a recent Tik Tok, where he mentioned that “it changes quite a bit.”

In his Tik Tok, we can see a crêpe station at the buffet. This is similar to the live cooking stations we passengers see in the Windjammer buffet. This section seems to change day by day; he explains that this area sometimes offers other made-to-order dishes like fried rice or pad thai.

In addition to the live cooking station is a standard buffet, which has a salad bar, fruits, cheeses and cold cuts, and a section of hot foods like meats and side dishes.

James also shows an extensive selection of desserts, many of which are the same desserts you’ll find in the guest dining areas onboard. Crew members dine in the crew-only dining space located near the buffet.

@bryanjames.music Would ya trade the guest buffet for this one? #cruiseship #cruiseshipfood #cruiseshipcrew #royalcaribbean ♬ original sound - Bryan James

#4: “World’s smallest cruise ship cabin”

Bryan James moved into what he called the “world’s smallest cruise ship cabin” earlier this year as Wonder of the Seas geared up for its inaugural voyage in March.

He gave followers a behind-the-scenes look at where crew live, which is, unsurprisingly, quite different from the ship’s biggest guest suites 15 decks above.

James lived in a single room, which had one twin bed, a tv, mini fridge, small wardrobe, drawers above the bed, small desk, sink, toilet, shower, and full-length mirror. The bathroom is shared between two cabins.

The cabin is anything but spacious. In fact, he later shared in another Tik Tok that “I can touch every single wall at the exact same time!”

Not every crew cabin is the same size, however, and many crew members share a room. In another Tik Tok, James’ friend Zoe shared her crew cabin and it appears much more spacious. It also has a virtual balcony.

@bryanjames.music A biiiittt smaller than I expected. #cruiseshipsinger #cruiseshipdancer #cruiseshiplife #cruiseshipcrew #cruiseship #cabintour #🛳 ♬ Wii - Mii Channel - Super Guitar Bros

#5: A day in the life on a cruise ship

We caught a few more glimpses of crew life onboard Wonder of the Seas with a “Day in the Life” Tik Tok from Bryan James.

What you may not know about cruise ship operations is that there are frequent training, drills, and events for crew members.

James explains how, on this day, he had a CPR training in the morning followed by the weekly crew drill, during which crew members practice the ship’s safety procedures. Following the safety drill was a crew meeting in the Royal Theater led by the captain to discuss how the ship is doing.

After an afternoon in port, Bryan and a fellow crew member headed to the crew laundry room. Crew members have access to self-service laundry machines unlike guests.

Later in the evening, we see the crew members enjoying a crew-only party in the Solarium followed by a game of foosball in a crew-only space.

@bryanjames.music Looking for suggestions of where to hide the duck. #royalcaribbean #wonderoftheseas #symphonyoftheseas #utopiaoftheseas #iconoftheseas ♬ original sound - Bryan James

#6: Lifeboat drills for crew members

Our last Tik Tok doesn’t show a secret crew space per se, but Bryan James revealed an interesting snippet about lifeboat drills for crew members on his Tik Tok channel.

He mentioned how crew are randomly selected to test the capacity of the lifeboats on Wonder of the Seas. During this test, crew members must put on lifejackets and board the lifeboat, and red dots in the lifeboat indicate where to sit.

He jokes how “It’s just as hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable as it looks, but technically I’m getting paid to do this, so I guess it’s not too bad!”

@bryanjames.music How do we know the lifeboats still work? Pack em up with crew members. #cruiseshipcrew #royalcaribbean #belowdeck #wonderoftheseas ♬ original sound - Bryan James

If you're interested in learning more about life for Royal Caribbean crew members, be sure to follow Bryan James on his Tik Tok channel at @bryanjames.music for more videos!

It’s Day 7 of our cruise and today was our third and final day in Israel. Our beautiful ship made the short journey last night from Ashdod to Haifa while we slept off yesterday’s Dead Sea adventure. 

Our morning started a little later, which was a welcomed change. Our meeting time was 8:00am since the ship had to arrive in port and clear immigration.

We had breakfast in the Windjammer and it was packed! I have yet to feel like the ship was crowded until this morning, which is pretty good considering it’s Day 7. I grabbed a latte in the Diamond Club and made my way to the Royal Theatre for our excursion meeting time.

Angie and I got to meet two fans of the Royal Caribbean Blog in the elevator, which was a wonderful way to start our last day in Israel! We love meeting readers in person so please say hi if you see us around the ship or in port!

Today, we had scheduled a full day tour from Haifa to Nazareth and Galilee. While waiting for our excursion to leave, the captain came on to make an unexpected and disappointing announcement.

Unexpected Cancellations

In a subdued voice, the captain stated that the Haifa bus drivers were on strike today and some tours would be cancelled due to lack of available busses. He went on to explain that there was no way Royal Caribbean could have anticipated this happening.

Because of the strike, some tours needed to be cancelled. The captain started to announce the tours that would not be operating today - and the tension in the room could be cut with the knife.

We held our breath as they listed the cancelled tours. I truly thought this is where our good luck would run out! We’ve been fortunate with our tours and ease of immigration, especially after hearing some of the bad experiences others have had.

We’ve heard horror stories of people who have tried to do their own thing in port by taking a taxi only to get themselves in sticky and scary situations. We’ve also heard from people who booked independent tours and were left behind because they didn’t clear immigration quick enough.

Others said they did their own tours or grabbed taxis in town without issue, but it seems hit or miss for those that did independent tours in Israel.

The captain listed 3 different half-day tours that were cancelled, in addition to the small group tours to Nazareth and Galilee. When he first said the town names, my heart sank that our tour was getting axed.

Cancelling the half-day and small group tours makes sense from a business perspective, as they’d want to keep the most expensive tours (i.e full-day tours) running.

We were so grateful that our tour was still on and the group breathed a sigh of relief.

Nazareth Exploration

We were on our way to Nazareth once everyone was on the bus. We weaved through Haifa on our way up to Nazareth. One family that came running on at the last minute said they snagged last minute spots when their small group was cancelled.

I’m sure it was a mess back on the ship as people scrambled to figure out their plans!

Haifa is British-influenced and the architecture definitely reflects this compared to Ashdod. The area was certainly more modern than Ashdod as well.

First on our itinerary was a stop at the Basilica of the Annunciation in the town of Nazareth. This is known by Christians as the location of the immaculate conception.

Inside the church, there was a large alter hidden away where it’s believed the Angel Gabriel made the announcement to the Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. There was a line that we could have waited in to get a closer look, but we opted to not wait in the line.

Right next door was the site that Christians believe to be the workshop of Jesus’ father, Joseph. We went downstairs to see the ruins of which the church was built upon.

Mom missed this entirely because she waited 20 minutes to use the bathroom - which she said did not have an adequate toilet seat or toilet paper. The not-so-glamorous side of travel!

Up next was the Church of Multiplication, where we were greeted by a grumpy bathroom attendant. I swear she was some local woman who plops in front of the bathroom at this church and charges the tourists for entrance fees. She was waving a huge wad of cash!

Our guide, Leon, brought our group under a shaded tree to read to us the biblical miracle story of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fish to feed 5,000 people. It was a quiet moment among Tour Bus #4 and certainly set the scene.

Inside was the actual rock, now displayed under an alter, believed to be the rock where the miracle was performed. We weren’t able to get too close to the alter because it was blocked off.

Lunch and Sea of Galilee

After a short drive, we arrived at a resort located on the Sea of Galilee for lunch. Inside, we were served a delicious buffet with stunning views of the Sea of Galilee. By this point, we were getting to know the others on our Tour Bus #4 and enjoyed sharing stories about our Israeli experiences.

This was definitely the best buffet of the 3 days that we were served and most at our table agreed.

Without much time to explore, we snarfed down lunch and scurried down to the shore to put our hands in the Sea of Galilee. We snapped a variety of photos with other members of our group before it was time to head to the next stop. Dad even dunked his hat in the sea so it had a lasting touch.

At this point, our guide Leon was herding us around like sheep to get us from place to place on time. He would announce after each stop, “Well, we lost 4 but found 2 during lunch” when referencing tour members that couldn’t keep up.

Apparently, the Israeli tour guides are told to expect 10% of each bus to be missing at any point, which is somewhat concerning. It was a fast-paced tour though, and if you couldn’t keep up or you wandered away from the group, there wasn’t much wiggle room for time in the schedule.

Capharnaum Visit

Up next on our busy day was a visit to Capharnaum, which is a small fishing village known as the Town of Jesus.

It’s pretty mind blowing when thinking about the religious and historical significance of these incredible places. These are things you’ve only ever read in books and then suddenly you get off a cruise ship and they come to life.

At times, it was almost too overwhelming for my brain to comprehend.

In Capharnaum, we were able to see the synagogue where Christians believe Jesus taught regularly. The archeological sites surrounding the structure are thought to have been part of the homes back in Jesus’ time.

There was even a room specially marked with a cross that’s believed to be the room Jesus would stay when in Capharnaum at the House of Peter.

These remains date back to the first century BC…. Absolutely mind blowing! There was a church built upon the ruins of Saint Peter’s house, which have been excavated beautifully.

There was no time to waste though, as we were back on the bus and onto our next stop! The tour busses worked as a moving unit shuffling us tourists swiftly from one historic site to the next.

Mount of the Beatitudes

Not too far from Capharnaum was the Mount of the Beatitudes, which is a hill that is believed to be where Jesus gave his sermon on the Beatitudes. The beautifully designed church is located on top of the Mount and gives sweeping views of the Sea of Galilee.

We had all but 20 minutes to explore this site. There were tons of tourists going up to the church in unison and then shuffling back to the parking long after taking in the sites.

I loved photographing these pillars on the church balcony, which gave enchanting views of the Sea of Galilee.

We had one final stop to the Jordan River before we would make our way back to the ship. I was shocked to see the sun already setting, but we’d seen a lot in the day already and Leon kept us on a tight schedule so we wouldn’t miss anything.

Jordan River

Our 3 days in Israel went out with a bang by ending the tour with a stop at the Jordan River. This was the place that Dad was most excited about visiting!

The river is actually quite small and resembles more of a creek. There is a gift shop at the entrance that’s been obviously designed and structured to accommodate the bus loads of tourists that come to visit.

Christians believe the Jordan River is where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist; many also choose to get baptized in white robes in the river for the understandably significant nature of the river.

Although the historic site of the baptism took place in Jordanian territory, Israel is where most tourists come to see the river.

As we approached the river, I was stunned to see it appear emerald green yet clear enough to see large fish swimming. It was flowing gently and surrounded by lush trees. There was a large group that was getting baptized together in the river with touching music playing from a stereo for all to hear.

With only 20 minutes to souvenir shop and take in the sites, Dad went down the stairs that was crowded with some part of the baptism group. He gently dunked his head into the river for his own baptism renewal.

He rose from the stairs and launched his fist into the air in celebration. This was a big moment for Dad - it was so special that we could be there with him.

Shortly after, I ran down to put my hands in the river and Angie followed.

We watched as mom went down and put her own hands in the water. She came back up the stairs with tears in her eyes, overcome with emotion.

She said she wasn’t expecting to feel so touched by the experience, but I also think it symbolized her conquering her anxiety that she had about this trip visiting Israel. She knew it was a bucket list trip for Dad and originally said she wasn’t going to join us on the Israel tours. 

After much thought, she mustered the courage to join us and I think she was both relieved and joyous in the moment.

We must have started a trend, as many others from our group ran down to touch the water as well from this staircase.

20 minutes went by quickly as we rushed into the souvenir shop and frantically picked out t-shirts to purchase. Back on the bus, we were headed for the port.

Home Sweet Home

After another 10 hour tour in the hot sun, it felt so good to get back to the ship. This is one of the reasons I love cruising and why these types of cruises are my favorite.

We’ve been exploring and touring Israel for 3 long days, and I don’t necessarily think that our family would have enjoyed an Israeli-intensive land tour. I truly value the comfort of coming back to the ship each night to reset and refresh.

Cruising allows you to immerse yourself and a new culture and be out of your comfort zone while still returning to a clean room, a delicious meal and maybe even a Lime & Coconut cocktail.

Our day ended with dinner in the dining room. We enjoyed recapping the last 3 days together and sharing our favorite moments of the trip. Memories were shared among seafood risotto, beef tenderloin and autumn turkey dinner complete with chocolate cake, creme brûlée and apple blossom.

Somehow, everyone else had energy to go to the silent disco, live band in the Music Hall and acrobatics show tonight. They said everything was fairly busy, so everyone is ready to let loose and have fun! I chose to spend my night finishing the blog because I did not have much time today to work on the bus with how busy our tour was. 

Tomorrow we have a sea day, which is very much needed after everyone had three very busy days in Israel! Our plans for tomorrow are minimal, but will absolutely include a lot of sleep. We also have plans to see The Book, which is a show in the 270 Theatre - that should be fun!

Royal Caribbean’s innovative cruise ship designs never fail to amaze me, but Icon of the Seas has my mind blown. A 6-slide waterpark, indoor AquaTheater, and suspended infinity pool on a cruise ship? It’s ingenious.

Icon of the Seas is the first Icon Class cruise ship, and a new class of ships means Royal Caribbean will bring new activities, amenities, and venues to the table.

She will be the biggest cruise ship in the world with a maximum capacity of 7,600 guests, and has a focus on family-friendly activities while still offering amenities for every age and cruising style.

Here are 7 of the most cutting-edge features coming to Icon of the Seas.

Crown’s Edge

While Royal Caribbean ships are packed with activities like water slides, bumper cars, and zip lining, perhaps no other activity is as adrenaline-pumping as Crown’s Edge.

Crown’s Edge is a brand new activity coming to Icon of the Seas, combining a skywalk, ropes course, and thrill ride all in one.

This activity first takes passengers on a ropes course as they walk and balance on different shapes and pathways. Sounds easy? Here’s the catch: you’re walking off the side of the ship with nothing but the ocean below you.

If that doesn’t sound thrilling enough, the walkway drops for the second part of the ride, and you suddenly find yourself swinging 154 feet above the ocean back to safety.

I consider myself a thrill seeker, but I’ll admit that Crown’s Edge will surely push my bravery to the limit!

Category 6 waterpark

Waterslides on a cruise ship? Been there, done that. But a waterpark on a cruise ship? Now that’s something new.

One of the most thrilling features found on Icon of the Seas is the Category 6 waterpark, located fittingly in the ship’s Thrill Island Neighborhood.

Unlike other Royal Caribbean ships which may have 2-3 waterslides onboard, Icon of the Seas has a whopping 6 record-breaking slides:

• Pressure Drop: the industry’s first open free-fall slide
• Frightening Bolt: the tallest drop slide at sea
• Storm Surge & Hurricane Hunter: family raft slides which can fit 4 riders per raft
• Storm Chasers: the cruise industry’s first mat-racing duo

From boomeranging off a slide’s “lotus leaf wall” over the ship’s edge to waiting anxiously for the free fall slide’s “floor” to drop beneath you, Category 6 is sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike.

I’ll admit that I don’t typically use the water slides when I cruise. However, with a waterpark so impressive, I’ll definitely have to try each slide at least once. While I’m always impressed with the amenities Royal Caribbean manages to fit on a floating vessel, I am flabbergasted by how incredibly fun Category 6 looks to be.

AquaDome Neighborhood

When Royal Caribbean introduced the AquaTheater–a high diving, acrobatic performance space on its Oasis Class cruise ships–it was a mind-blowing entertainment venue in the cruise industry.

With the new Icon Class, Royal Caribbean aims to take the AquaTheater to the next level in the AquaDome neighborhood.

Located at the very top of Icon of the Seas is the AquaDome, which features restaurants, retail, bars, lounge spaces, and–most importantly–Royal Caribbean’s next-level AquaTheater.

The AquaTheater has been moved indoors on Icon of the Seas to allow for complete control over the venue’s weather, lighting, and sound. This helps ensure the AquaTheater shows are not affected by outside elements and allows Royal Caribbean to enhance the performances like we’ve never seen before.

Beyond the shows, however, are other ways to enjoy the AquaDome’s amenities.

By day, passengers can relax in one of the AquaDome’s comfortable seating areas with expansive, 220 degree views of the ocean. Based on the ship’s deck plans, the AquaDome also features several dining venues including Hooked Seafood.

The AquaDome is one of the features I’m most looking forward to on Icon of the Seas, not only for the incredible entertainment aspect, but also to kick back and relax with gorgeous ocean views.

Family-focused neighborhood at sea

Royal Caribbean always strives to make its ships as family-friendly as possible, but Icon of the Seas goes above and beyond with the new Surfside neighborhood.

Somewhat similar to the Boardwalk neighborhood on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class cruise ships, the Surfside neighborhood is located in the ship’s aft and focuses on family fun.

The neighborhood features the Water’s Edge Pool and Splashaway Bay aquapark, a carousel, arcade, and children’s play place. You'll also find kid-friendly dining venues which includes, of course, an unlimited soft service ice cream station.

Not only that, but Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean kids programming and Social 020 teen club are located in the neighborhood as well. The goal of this neighborhood is to combine the best of Royal Caribbean’s family-friendly activities in one convenient location, and they certainly hit that goal!

While I don't have kids myself, this neighborhood looks so fun that I might just have to book my nephews on this cruise with me!

Expanded suites-only areas

Royal Caribbean is following in the footsteps of other cruise lines by introducing more of a “ship within a ship” concept in the fleet’s newest vessels.

The fleet’s newest ship, Wonder of the Seas, made headlines by introducing a suites-only neighborhood complete with a private deck, bar, plunge pool, lounge, and restaurant. Icon of the Seas, however, takes this concept one step further.

Related: Wonder of the Seas neighborhoods tour

The Suite Neighborhood on Icon of the Seas is the largest suite neighborhood to date. The neighborhood spans three decks and includes a two-level suite sun deck with a private pool, whirlpool, and outdoor lounge spaces.

A new restaurant, The Grove, is available for suite guests on Icon of the Seas as well. This casual Mediterranean restaurant is located outdoors on the suite sun deck and provides a more laid-back yet still exclusive dining option for suite guests.

The Grove is in addition to the sit-down restaurant for suite guests, Coastal Kitchen. Coastal Kitchen has been expanded to a two-story venue with views into the AquaDome.

Swim-up Bar

Royal Caribbean’s swim-up bar at Perfect Day at CocoCay has been a huge hit, and they brought this concept onboard Icon of the Seas with the new Swim & Tonic swim-up bar.

Swim & Tonic is located in the Chill Island neighborhood of Icon of the Seas (the pool deck), and it’s a spot where passengers can soak up the sun with a drink in hand.

Long gone are the days of walking to a bar on the other side of the pool deck. Hanging out at Swim & Tonic means your drink is only a short swim away, and I have a feeling this spot is going to be the place to party.

First suspended pool at sea

Las Vegas pool vibes meet a Royal Caribbean cruise ship? That’s what you’ll find at the Hideaway Pool on Icon of the Seas.

The Hideaway is another of Royal Caribbean’s new neighborhoods on Icon of the Seas, and it is located in the very aft of the ship. The neighborhood features a multilevel terrace with comfy seating, whirlpools, and a bar, but what really makes it stand out is the Hideaway Pool.

The Hideaway Pool is the first suspended infinity pool at sea. Suspended eight decks above the Surfside neighborhood and offering infinity views of the horizon, it might be the most unique pool concept Royal Caribbean has designed yet.

Not only can you relax in the pool’s full-size daybeds surrounded by water, but you can party the day away with the neighborhood’s own resident DJ.

The Hideaway has to be one of the coolest features coming to Icon of the Seas for adults. Sipping a mojito in an infinity pool at sunset? What more could you ask for on a cruise ship?

Looking for more Icon of the Seas information? Watch our YouTube video on everything you need to know about Icon of the Seas:

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It’s our second full-day in Israel onboard Odyssey of the Seas. The ship was docked overnight in Ashdod, which is the port city for Jerusalem.

Some chose to spend the night in Jerusalem while most of us seemingly returned to the ship. It was a quick night’s rest with another early morning for our full-day tour to Masada and the Dead Sea.

Originally, we had booked the Dead Sea on Your Own Tour. These excursions are essentially transportation to and from an attraction where you have time on your own. After second thought, we figured we should change to the Masada and Dead Sea tour to optimize our time in Israel and see as much as possible.

Today, we were not visiting any holy sites so we could wear shorts and tank tops. 

Masada Bound

The morning came too quickly at 5:45am. I think that is truly the earliest I’ve ever set my alarm on a cruise before! The earlier start is due to our ship moving from Ashdod to Haifa, and therefore we all need to be back by 6pm.

Our guide, Moshe (which means Moses in Hebrew) is apparently one of the oldest tour guides in Israel! He’s been giving tours for 40 years - so we knew we were in good hands.

The Windjammer was opened this early to accommodate those of us on long tours. The sun had yet to rise as we grabbed our breakfast.

We congregated in the Royal Theatre and soon we were on our way to Masada. We drove about an hour before the obligatory bathroom and shopping. I grabbed some local snacks to try. 

During the drive, we weaved through big mountains and valleys. We started to drive along the Dead Sea and we could see Jordan just on the other side of the sea.

For those who aren’t familiar (aka me this morning), Masada is actually a national park in Israel and it has the archeological structure of King Herod’s palace.

Mayhem at Masada National Park

Once we arrived at Masada, the parking lot filled in with tour bus after tour bus. We all blindly followed Moshe into the sea of people - little did we know the chaos we’d be walking into.

I should note, there are 3 ships in port today, including an Oceania cruise ship docked in Haifa and we had the addition of a Celebrity cruise ship today. Apparently, we were all on the same timeline of heading from the port to Masada and then on to the Dead Sea. Not to mention, there are other tour groups that are prevalent in these big attraction sites.

All this to say - there were tons of people. Come to find out, there are only two cable cars that go up to the top of Masada and back down.

Everyone first goes through a small theatre to watch the little bit about the history of Masada. During this point, people were getting a little more aggressive about pushing and shoving to stay with their groups. This felt a bit like Disney World with less organization and people who had no respect for waiting in a line.

After the theatre, it was a huge bottleneck to get to the platform for the cable car. My mom was losing it seeing all the people pushing and shoving. There was even a woman with her baby that people were shoving around, which was astonishing!

Moshe was cool as a cucumber during all this - stating in all his years of leading tours, he’s never seen anything like this.

We pushed our way onto the platform with many others from our group. We loaded into the cable car with about 60 others, packed in there like sardines. As we turned around, we saw dad was left behind and didn’t make it onto the platform with us.

As the cable car launched into the air, we waved goodbye to dad as he stood amidst the chaos. Luckily, there were others from our group that were also stuck so he wouldn’t be alone.

Even with the mess, the cable car ride was beautiful as it catapulted us to the top of Masada. As we landed to the launching pad, we could see a huge line of people waiting to get back. Imagining that we’d have to endure more pushing and shoving - this time in the heat - led to a collective, large and unanimous sigh among everyone in the cable car.

We made our way to a shaded area under the guidance of Moshe. It wasn’t long before we met up with the remaining group members and dad found us quickly, to the relief of everyone.

At this point, some group members contemplated getting right back in line to return to the museum. Mom considered going right back down, but I warned her this wouldn’t do anything productive. She’d still have to wait for the rest of the group to finish and I told her it wasn’t a good time for her to venture away from the group.

Many of us realized we were grossly behind schedule. I asked Moshe if we’d be getting back for the ship’s scheduled departure of 5:30. His eyes widened and he laughed. It was pretty obvious we wouldn’t be back on time, along with lots of other tour groups in the same boat.

This is an instance where I was extremely relieved to be on a cruise-sponsored excursion. Had someone ventured to Masada on their own and got caught up in the chaos, they could have easily missed the ship’s departure.

I don’t always take short excursions through the cruise line, but there’s a time and place where it’s worth the extra money and convenience. Since we were on a Royal Caribbean excursion, we had the security knowing the ship wouldn’t leave without us and that gave us all a sense of relief.

Moshe guided us through the Masada fortress; however, it was quite hot and I have to admit that I was more concerned with taking panoramic photos of the view than trying to hear everything Moshe had to say. Everything was a bit of a whirlwind!

We toured where Herod the Great, King of Judea, lived. We saw the original bath structure that King Herod built. It’s believe that a mass suicide event took place in Masada when the Romans came to conquer the fortress, although archeologists don’t all agree with this theory.

Masada is one of the top tourist attractions in Israel and seeing the mountain-top fortress was very compelling. It’s not surprising that this is a major attraction given how far back the history dates!

It wasn’t long before we found ourselves back in line to take the cable car again. This line appeared more organized, although there was another bottleneck before entering the structured line area.

Our little tour group started to band together and ensure people weren’t cutting in front of us. We started to yell and point at others who weren’t obliging to the line.

Again, Moshe was cool as a cucumber. He was chatting with everyone and learning about their lives. He said this was his first time to Masada in 3 years because of the pandemic and he had never seen so many lines.

On the other hand, we couldn’t find mom at one point because she was down by the bottleneck calling out groups for not going to the back of the line. “A line is a line!” she kept yelling.

We cheered on mom as the line patrol. Moshe never lost his cool and said that’s just the way it is in Israel!

At one point, a ton of people started yelling and one of the cable car workers had to run over and start putting people in their place.

There were some tour groups claiming that they were planning to take the trail down - which can take an hour depending on your health. We all rolled our eyes at the group of baby boomers claiming they were going to take the rocky trail downward.

This all transpired while my deodorant was working overtime to keep up with the rising heat. It was dry and hot on the top of Masada while we were all trying to find humor in the chaos.

That’s just the way it goes sometimes when you travel!

In actuality, it took about 30 minutes to get back on the cable car and make our way back to the national park entrance. This was an improvement from the hour we waited to go up. We started chatting with a lot of our fellow tour members; it was almost as if we had a little trauma bond going on.

Although this was a bit chaotic, I can't really blame anyone. No one wanted to be separated from their group, hence the aggression in the lines. One of the tour guides explained that this is how things work in Israel and that us Americans have high standards for how operations should be run. That was an interesting perspective.

With only a few people working the cable cars and thousands of people going to the same spot at the same time, it was destined for mayhem. Moshe was apologetic was how unorganized it was, but of course, this was not his fault. This is one of those instances where you just have to go with the flow!

Dead Sea Bound

Back on the bus, we all cheered when every person miraculously made it back to the bus. Some members only rode the cable car to the top and stayed on to ride it back down. For those with mobility issues, this wasn’t a bad idea since the cable car ride was beautiful!

We were about 1.5 hours behind schedule when our bus made the short drive to the resort area near the Dead Sea.

At the resort, we were provided lunch and entrance to the changing area, spa and beach. The buffet had a variety of options, but I enjoyed the chicken fingers and French fries while dad tried a mystery meat that we have yet to identify.

We changed into our swimsuits and walked down to the beach. The Dead Sea is 400 meters below sea level - making it the lowest place on the planet!

Mom was actually the first in the water, which is funny because she can’t swim! The idea of not physically being able to drown must have given her courage.

We all joined her in the sea and laid on our backs as the salty sea kept us bobbing on the surface. I’ve never felt anything like it! Truly, it was one of the coolest experiences ever! 

We bobbed around the sea for a while -  noting how smooth and salty our skin felt. A tiny taste of the water on my lips was enough to keep me from any sort of splashing.

The sea floor bottom is filled with clumps of salt, so it wasn’t necessarily very nice to walk on. We had about 30 minutes to enjoy the Dead Sea, which honestly was plenty given the saltiness of the water.

It wasn’t long before there was an announcement for our bus to get ready for leaving in the next 20 minutes. Angie and I used the outdoor shower to rinse off and back into the changing room.

The drive back to the port was uneventful and quiet as many napped. I worked on this blog whenever the bus wasn’t weaving up the mountains.

Late Arrival Back to Port

We arrived back to the ship only an hour late, which isn’t as late as many of us were anticipating. The captain announced we would be departing at 8:00pm instead of 6:00pm.

After a long day touring, we decided to have dinner in the Windjammer again rather than having a long meal in the dining room. Again, I was pleasantly surprised by dinner selection in the Windjammer, as I really don’t eat dinner here often.

The ship feels a little tired and slow tonight with everyone recovering from their second full in Israel.

We ended the night with cocktails at Lime and Coconut to watch the ship’s departure; however, we didn't end up leaving until 9:00pm. We also used all of our Diamond vouchers to get canned water instead of letting them to go to waste. 

Tonight, the ship will move from Ashdod to Haifa, which is just down the road. Tomorrow, we have a tour of Nazareth and Galilee, which will includes a stop in the Jordan River.

Luckily, we only have to meet our tour at 8am, so not as early. We are looking forward to a more restful night before our third and final day in Israel.

If you carry an American Express credit card, you should check to see if you have a new offer to get a lot of money back for simply booking a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Amex Offers are an area at the bottom of the page when you log into the American Express site, where you can earn all sorts of statement credits for buying things from certain vendors.

Select card members may see an offer to get up to 25,000 bonus rewards points for booking a new Royal Caribbean cruise.

The exact offer seems to vary depending on who the cardholder is, but if you have an American Express card, it is worth checking out if the offer is for you. 

Since there are many types of American Express cards, not all of them may offer it.

Like all Amex Offers, there is specific language about how you can redeem this offer:

"Offer valid on cruise bookings made online at royalcaribbean.com, by calling 1-866-562-7625 or booked through your Travel Professional. Reservations must be booked on US website only. Purchases must be made in US dollars. "

"Excludes onboard purchases, e-gift card and physical gift card purchases made online, transfers/transportation to the ship, MGM Resort International Joint Vacation and Royal Wedding Packages. Excludes Celebrity Cruise, TUI Cruises and Silversea brands."

Keep in mind you do not have to spend the qualifying amount in one transaction. Rather, you can do it over the course of many transactions, but the offer kicks in once the aggregate total exceeds the threshold for the offer.

It can be redeemed once, and is open to only U.S.-issued American Express Cards.

You must take advantage of the offer by 12/31/2022.

Typically, Amex offer statements appear on your statement within a day or two, it can sometimes take several days for the statement credit to hit your account. 

How much are 25,000 AmEx Membership Rewards Points worth?

Getting 25,000 points sounds great, but what kind of a benefit is that to you?

There are many ways to possibly redeem your points, especially depending on which American Express card you have.

According to a NerdWallet analysis, AmEx points value is between 1 cent when used to book travel directly and 2 cents when transferred to partners.

The Points Guy estimates Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each.

Using your points for airfare is typically the best value, while redeeming them for cash to erase eligible charges from your statement is widely considered a poor value.

How to activate the offer

Before you can utilize an Amex Offer, you generally have to activate it on your account, so before paying for anything, be sure to do that. By using your credit card at a qualifying merchant, you can instantly take advantage of the discount, credit or bonus by using your American Express card there.

Simply log into your American Express account on their website or via their app.

Look for the Amex Offers & Benefits section, which is usually located towards the bottom of the main page.

Categorized under "Travel", you should see the Royal Caribbean offer there.

Pro tip: This offer can be activated for each card, so if your spouse has a shared card, you could activate the offer for their card and "double dip".

How to use this if you use a travel agent

You may notice in the fine print for this offer it states you can use a travel professional with this offer, which means you can still support your favorite travel agent.

You could simply book this offer with them, or book it on your own and transfer it to the agent immediately afterwards.

Even after booking a cruise with Royal Caribbean directly, you have up to 30 days to transfer it to a travel agent after initial booking. It must be outside of Final Payment and the booking is not paid in full.

I would recommend informing your travel agent what you are doing first, so they can be prepared for the necessary paperwork to transfer it to them.

All you have to do is complete this online form and the booking gets transferred to the agent.

Hello from Israel - we’ve made it! Our morning started super early with a 6:30am alarm, which gave us an hour to get ready, have breakfast and meet in the Royal Theatre for our excursion.

Today, we had a 10 hour excursion that would visit Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Angie and I made our way to the Windjammer to meet mom and dad for breakfast. We ate quickly and got ready just in time for us to go to the Royal Theatre.

By 8am, the ship had docked in Ashdod and they were clearing immigration. Along with the rest of our tour, we were escorted off the ship and into the terminal for face to face immigration.

As I mentioned yesterday, everyone onboard has to do immigration in Israel - even if you’re not getting off the ship in the port. Everyone on a Royal Caribbean excursion has priority, so most people on independent tours weren’t able to go through immigration until later in the morning.

Most were scrambling to get on a Royal Caribbean excursion or to move their independent tours to later in the day.

I’d highly recommend if you’re in a port that requires immigration to book an excursion for priority disembarkation. We also had this same mentality for Santorini, where we have to tender and will have priority on an excursion.

Immigration was quick and painless. From our research, we were prepared to pack our patience for going through immigration; it was a breeze for us on our excursion!! We were given a gate pass to keep in our passport throughout our stay in Israel.

In leu of a stamp, the gate pass acts as our entrance into the country. An Israeli stamp could prohibit future travel to Arab countries, so the gate pass is a way around that.

We were on the tour bus by 8:30 and on our way into Jerusalem from the port. The drive is about an hour into town and the port is very industrial.

Our guide, Ronen, gave us the low down on Israel. Our first stop in Jerusalem was a lookout spot that overlooked the entire city. We could see the Dome of the Rock with its gold dome off in the distance - this is one of the most photographed buildings in the world!

Also within view was the Mount of Olives, which Christians believe to be the mountain where Jesus the Messiah ascended into heaven.

This was a beautiful stop with panoramic views of the mountainous and hilly Jerusalem.

After the photo-op, we made our way into the old town to see the Western Wall. We had to go through a basic security check-point. There was a side for men and a side for women, but this was not being followed by anyone.

Once inside, there was a large square surrounded by the Western Wall with many people praying.

This is made of ancient limestone in the Old City of Jerusalem. The ancient wall, a small segment still standing off a once-larger surrounding wall, is a sacred place for Jews. It’s common practice to write your prayers/wishes on a piece of paper and place the paper in the wall.

There were 2 sections of the wall, one for men and one for women. Interestingly, the men’s side is probably three times bigger than the women’s side. The men’s side has tables with purple cloths overhanging while the women’s side had no such thing.

There was also a barricade between the two sides. The women’s side had stools that we could step on to see the men’s side.

I read that women needed to wear head coverings at the Western Wall, but this did not appear to be true. If it was, no one was enforcing the head coverings.

We didn’t have too much time at the Western Wall, just enough to take some pictures and place our prayer wish in the wall. Some were complaining about the lack of time at the Western Wall; however, I thought it was enough time.

Following our time at the Western Wall, we walked through a series of markets. These remind me of the medians in Morocco with lots of trinkets and hagglers.

As we made our way through the alleyways, we learned about a few Stations of the Cross along the way. Quite the juxtaposition to hear about Jesus walking these same steps to seeing Mickey Mouse on a bunch of t-shirts.

The alleyways were narrow with many shops, but it was fascinating to see and learn about the different stations of the cross that led us to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church has 2 grey domes that can be seen from across Israel and it’s considered one of Christianity’s most holy site. 

At this point, the guide said we would be climbing steep, slippery stairs inside the church. Some of the others in our group stated they weren’t able to do the stairs. As we went inside, we saw one lady crawling up the stairs because she was so determined to get to the top. 

This is why I’m so vocal to others, and especially to my parents, about the importance of traveling while you are (relatively) young and able. These kinds of trips are exhausting for able-bodied people, but we had some struggle to keep up all day. 

The excursion stated we would be walking on uneven surfaces for 3 miles - and we definitely did. Some were grumbling that the tour was too fast-paced for them, although we found it to be appropriate given all the things we were seeing in one day. 

Inside the church, we made our way up the stairs to see multiple sacred spaces, which include the spots where Christians believe Jesus was nailed to the cross and crucified. Many were waiting in line to kiss and bow to these sacred spots, although our tour didn’t allow time for this. 

We also touched the Stone of Anointing, which is known as the spot where Jesus was laid before he was buried. Many were taking personally items, like veils and souvenirs. and rubbing them on the stone as well. 

Last, we were able to see the Tomb of Jesus inside the church. According to traditions dating back to the 4th century, Christians believe this to be the spot where Jesus was resurrected after his death. There was a long line to enter the tomb with only one person able to go inside at a time, and our tour didn’t include this. 

We weaved quickly through the markets and I snagged a magnet, which is my favorite souvenir for my fridge. I haggled down from $7 to $3, which is about what I expected. 

Back on the bus, we stopped for a lunch buffet with all the other tours from the ship. There was a wide selection of food served in a buffet style.

We finished eating and the bus started heading towards Bethlehem. Those familiar with the area will know that Bethlehem is under Palestinian rule in the West Bank, so we had to enter their territory. We drove right through the border check but could see barbed wire and police guarding the entrance. 

Upon entering the West Bank, we also got another tour guide who would cover the Palestinian locations. 

I could immediately tell Bethlehem was not as nice as Jerusalem- there were many run down buildings and the streets were filled with trash. 

While I’ve always envisioned Bethlehem as being some sort of nativity with donkeys, I was shocked by the KFC right in the city center. It was nothing like I envisioned. 

Our new guide took us into the Church of the Nativity, which is where Christians believe to be the birthplace of Jesus. We didn’t have time to wait in the 2 hour line to see the actual manger spot, but those in line were showing signs of frustrating and angst as they stood in the heat.

At one point, someone in line pushed and yelled at our tour guide as he maneuvered our group around the line to talk about the church’s restoration. 

Throughout this tour, we lost 2 separate groups that would rejoin us during a later part of the tour. I thought the guide was joking when he said it’s normal for at least a few people to get lost or left behind! Luckily, our ship is docked overnight and they gave out the locations to share with taxi drivers to meet up. 

I had always pictured some sort of farm on the prairie with a cute little nativity scene in a barn - and this was nothing like what I expected. Travel can surprise us, that’s for sure. 

We had a quick shopping stop at a store that was almost certainly sponsored by Royal Caribbean. They put Jesus’ face on everything you can imagine in this store - even fingernail clippers. 

This was the last stop on our tour, and I used the hour drive back to the ship to go through photos and get started on this blog. 

The weather today was perfect and about as good as we could have hoped for! It was warm but not super humid with a slight breeze. 

We are so grateful that we booked this excursion instead of doing a third-party excursion as we had planned. We had a full day and got everything on our agenda before sunset. We certainly wouldn’t have seen everything we wanted to without getting off the ship so early with the priority immigration through the RCL excursion we booked. 

Before entering the port, we had to go through an immigration check where a local immigration officer had our tour guide sign a form. Almost every tour was getting back at the same time and it took us 30 minutes by the time we entered the port to the time we actually got to the ship. 

We were back onboard by 8:00pm, so we weren’t able to dine in the dining room. We went up to the Windjammer for dinner, which might be a first for me as well! I can't remember the last time I had Windjammer for dinner, but I was pleasantly surprised with how tasty it was. By this point, we were pretty hungry. 

Dinner tonight was BBQ themed in the Windjammer! Crazy to think we wandered some of the oldest religious sites in the world and then came back to the ship to have corn dogs, ribs, mac and cheese and funnel cakes. 

Tomorrow, we have an even earlier wake-up time with a 5:45am alarm. We will be heading to the Dead Sea and Masada for a full-day tour! It takes 2 hours to get to the Dead Sea from Ashdod, so we are anticipating another long day of exploring this beautiful country.

Until then, good night everyone!

You can now book a room on the world's next largest cruise ship in the world.

Icon of the Seas sailings from Miami are now available for booking on Royal Caribbean's website, beginning with January 2024 sailings.

The inaugural sailing is listed as January 27, 2024 and sailings are available to book from January 2024 through April 2025.

Icon of the Seas will sail year-round, 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations from Miami. Every cruise will visit Royal Caribbean’s private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, The Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean International President & CEO Michael Bayley talked about the significance Icon of the Seas represents to both Royal Caribbean and the cruise industry, "Icon of the Seas is the culmination of more than 50 years of delivering memorable experiences and our next bold commitment to those who love to vacation."

"Now more than ever, families and friends are prioritizing experiences where they can bond and enjoy their own adventures. We set out to create a vacation that makes all that possible in one place for the thrill-seekers, the chill enthusiasts and everyone in between, without compromise. It’s this first-of-its-kind combination that makes Icon the future of family vacations, and that future is here."

Royal Caribbean not only has cabins to book on Icon of the Seas that follow the traditional four types of categories (inside, oceanview, balcony and suite), but there are 28 unique categories, offering some of the most spacious rooms Royal Caribbean has ever designed.

With a gross tonnage of 250,800 gross tons, the ship is 365 meters long, and it features a total of 20 decks and 2,805 staterooms to accommodate up to 5,610 guests at double occupancy.

ou will find 82% of rooms have a high occupancy of 3 or more guests, which is more than double the Oasis Class ships.

Icon of the Seas will be home to seven pools, a 55-foot indoor waterfall, the largest waterpark at sea and much more.

New neighborhoods

Similar to the Oasis Class ships, Icon of the Seas will have eight distinct neighborhoods that have unique experiences that will draw you to each one, such as entertainment, dining choices, or activities.

Thrill Island – Vacationers can test their limits, scale new heights and reach top speeds at the center of thrill. This lost island adventure is home to highlights like Category 6, the largest waterpark at sea, with six record-breaking slides: Pressure Drop and its 66-degree incline make it the industry’s first open free-fall slide; the 46-foot-tall Frightening Bolt, the tallest drop slide at sea; Storm Surge and Hurricane Hunter, the first family raft slides at sea with four riders per raft; and Storm Chasers, cruising’s first mat-racing duo. Living on the edge takes new meaning with Crown’s Edge. Part skywalk, part ropes course and part thrill ride, it culminates in a surprising, shocking moment that will see travelers swing 154 feet above the ocean.

Chill Island – Among the seven pools on board, four are in this three-deck slice of paradise. There’s a pool for every mood, each with prime ocean views: the vibrant Swim & Tonic, the line’s first swim-up bar at sea; Royal Bay Pool, the largest pool at sea; Cloud 17, an adults-only retreat; and the serene, infinity-edge Cove Pool. Plus, The Lime & Coconut returns with four locations, including Royal Caribbean’s first frozen cocktail bar.

Surfside – Introducing a neighborhood made for young families from end to end, where adults and kids ages six and under will want to stay and play all day. Grownups can soak up the endless views at Water’s Edge pool, as they keep an eye on the kids at Splashaway Bay and Baby Bay. Only steps away are dining options, places to lounge, a bar, the signature carousel, an arcade, Adventure Ocean, and Social020 for teens.  

The Hideaway – Tucked away, this neighborhood 135 feet above the ocean combines the good vibes of beach club scenes around the world and the uninterrupted ocean views only a cruise can offer. The first suspended infinity pool at sea is at the center of it all, and it’s surrounded by a multilevel sun terrace with whirlpools, a variety of seating and a dedicated bar.

AquaDome – Perched at the top of Icon, what’s in store is a transformational place unlike any other. In a tranquil oasis by day, guests can take in wraparound ocean views and an awe-inspiring waterfall as they enjoy a bite or drink. By night, it becomes a vibrant place great for a night out, complete with restaurants, bars and the cruise line’s marquee aqua shows at the next-level AquaTheater. The signature entertainment venue takes artistry and cutting-edge technology to new heights, with a transforming pool, four robotic arms, state-of-the-art projection and more.

A grander Royal Promenade features its first floor-to-ceiling ocean views, plus more than 15 restaurants, cafes, bars and lounges.

A more lush and livelier Central Park has more ways to dine and be entertained.

The largest Suite Neighborhood is four decks of luxury, offering a multilevel suite sun deck – The Grove – that has a private pool, whirlpool and dining, and a two-story Coastal Kitchen.

Read more: Royal Caribbean reveals spectacular design for new Icon of the Seas cruise ship

Icon of the Seas is under construction at the Meyer Turku Shipyard shipyard in southwestern Finland.

This is the first of the Icon Class ships, with two other Icon Class ships on order.

Her delivery was pushed back from 2022 to 2023 due to the global health crisis. 

Royal Caribbean expects to take delivery of the ship in late 2023 and then put the ship through a series of tests before she is ready for paying passengers.

Hello from the beautiful island of Cyprus! Our consecutive sea days came to an end as we pulled into Limassol, Cyprus around 9am.

As I mentioned yesterday, we opted to cancel our walking tour excursion through the ship to do our own thing. Knowing we have 3 full days in Israel coming up, we wanted to have the flexibility to do whatever we wanted.

Angie and I enjoyed sleeping in a little longer than we were planning. Tomorrow morning's 6:30am wake-up call will be brutal!

We met up with mom and dad in the Windjammer for breakfast. This was, shockingly, our first time we’ve been to to the Windjammer. I love all the options available in the Windjammer - I think it's my favorite spot for breakfast when cruising. 

I was hoping to find outdoor seating like my husband and I enjoyed on Anthem of the Seas each morning, but there was no outdoor Windjammer seating for this ship. 

After a delicious breakfast, we made our way to the stateroom to get ready for the day and make our way to the gangway.

A Cyprus Dizzy Spell

After exiting the ship, I had my own 'Alpha Alpha Alpha' medical scare right after getting off the ship!

We took the elevator straight down from the top deck and then got off the ship. I noticed my ears were not popping, which is unusual, so I plugged my nose and forced my ears to pop.

All of the sudden, my ears started making some screeching sounds and everything started to spin. I was so dizzy, I couldn’t even look straight. Angie said I looked like I was in a sumo wrestler squat as I tried to get my footing. I started to hang onto my mom and then crouched a bit to create a sturdy base.

Unfortunately, the dizziness got worse and I went straight to the ground. I didn't want to take mom down with me, as she's not necessarily the most physically stable person as is. I didn’t feel faint, just extremely dizzy.

I knew if I didn’t get to the ground myself that the ground would find me - and I would fall flat on the concrete. There I was, having my own alpha alpha alpha medical scare right off the gangway.

I started to panic - what if I can’t see straight for a while?! I’ve never had vertigo of any sort and I rarely even get seasick. It felt like I was on an uncontrollable roller coaster.

A small group of concerned cruisers came crowding around me but I kept saying, “I’m fine, I’m fine! I popped my ears and now I can’t see straight”. 

Luckily, after staring straight into the distance for a minute or so, my vision started to get better.  Once the world stopped spinning, I grounded myself and felt fine enough to continue walking. I’ve never had something like this happen to me - it was a scary moment for sure. 

Perhaps my equilibrium was thrown off from getting off sea to land and then popping my ears exasperated the issue. That's the last time I force my ears to pop!

Exploring Limassol

Royal Caribbean provided free shuttles from the port into the city for free. This was a nice option, as the port was more industrial than I expected. The ride lasted no more than 10 minutes into town, which is just a few miles from where our ship docked.

We were out of the shuttle and dropped off near the Limassol Marina, which was a beautiful part of the city. This area was lined with shops, boats and seaside eateries. The water was strikingly blue.

First on our list was the Limassol Castle, which would have been part of our walking tour we originally booked. As we weaved through the side streets, we stumbled upon a lot of little souvenir shops. It was nice to shop and explore the old city without being on a time crunch.

We also noticed there were tons of cats wandering around the island. One of the shop owners claimed a street cat as their own, but we saw probably a dozen different cats throughout the day wandering the streets.

The Limassol Castle was not far from where the shuttles dropped us off. It was an easy and leisure walk - no more than 5 minutes had we walked straight there. The castle was built in 1590 according to our online research and it was a quaint little castle.

There was an entrance fee for going into the castle and we didn’t really feel like going inside, so we just admired the outside of the medieval structure.

Next, we walked through old town a little more and stumbled into some cute side streets and alleys. There were even more shops to enjoy. I was amazed by how quiet the city seemed, but perhaps this was because it was a Saturday.

We made out way back to the ocean and found a promenade, which was a nice walkway right along the sea. It was lined with palm trees, parks and eateries. There was a lovely breeze that kept the heat at bay.

During our walk, we found a spot to sit down and grab a quick drink. The menu stated if you left a TripAdvisor review that you would get a free drink; so, I promptly opened my phone and left a review. Say no more - anything for a free drink! Angie had the free drink while I ordered a limoncello cocktail.

Both cocktails were equally beautiful as they were delicious! It was nice to sit down and enjoy the ocean views under some covered shade.

Once we finished our drinks, we started to make our way back to the shuttle meeting spot; again, we walked along the promenade. This brought us all the way back to the Marina, where we enjoyed more of the local sights.

All of us really enjoyed Limassol! I would love to go back and take a tour of some of the other main attractions on the island. Given the port-intensity of this itinerary, we wanted to take it easy today in preparation for our next 3 days in Israel.

Back Onboard

As we made our way back to the ship, we went up to the pool deck for a quick snack. We walked about 4 miles while in Limassol so we worked up an appetite!

We all went to my new favorite spot, El Loco Fresh. The cheesy chicken quesadilla with sour cream just hits the spot every time. Mom and dad enjoyed some nachos.

The Caribbean band started to play as I went through today’s photos. I loved all the songs they were playing - even some Ed Sheeran ones with a Caribbean flair. It was a nice way to spend the late afternoon before we went back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. I even dozed off at one point while relaxing in the lounger.

Giovanni's Italian Kitchen

As the sun started to set, we went back to our staterooms to get ready for dinner. For tonight, we had a reservation for Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen. We’ve dined many times at the old Giovani’s Table, but we had not tried this new twist on the Royal Caribbean classic.

To start, our waiter, Anil, was excellent. His warm presence immediately made us feel welcomed into the restaurant. Since we’ve never dined at this establishment, there were quite a few things on the menu that we wanted to try.

He first brought us the warm garlic knots were oozing with buttery goodness - we immediately ordered a second serving.

For starters, we tried the Giant Meatball, Stromboli, Truffle Caprese Salad and Calamari. Everything was excellent. I loved the Truffle Caprese Salad and Angie also really liked the Stromboli. The meatball was indeed giant and very hearty. 

Giovanni’s is known for its pizza, so we ordered the Meatlovers pizza and the Truffle & Egg pizza sans the egg. The hit of the night was the Truffle pizza, which had the perfect hints of truffle. There wasn’t a piece left at the end of the night.

For pasta, we tried the Carbonara and Fettuccini Alfredo. The Carbonara was the showstopper at our table.

Entree wise, Mom ordered the Chicken Parmesan and Dad ordered the steak filet. Both said their meals were awesome. Dad even said the filet was *almost* as good as the steak he had in Chops Grille the first night! Our compliments to the chef.

Halfway through dinner, we saw the ship start to pull away from the port. We were hoping to see the sunset over Cyprus, but the sun had already set. We waved goodbye to the city as the ship turned around and started its way out to sea.

I wish the specialty restaurants had better ocean views, as all we could see were the big yellow lifeboats from inside the both Chops Grille and Giovani's.

Back to our meal, we also ordered a lasagna to share and the serving was absolutely huge. It was practically an entire pan of lasagna; unfortunately, this one wasn’t our favorite and we felt a little wasteful for wanting to try it and then not loving it.

Normally, we are pretty good about ordering only what we know we will eat. We’ve cruised enough to know the portion sizes that are adequate, but we definitely over ordered tonight. If we return to Giovanni’s, we know what to order and how big to expect the portions.

We always save enough room for dessert, which is served with a complementary shot of limoncello. Mom and I are the only ones who like limoncello, so I finished the shots from Dad and Angie.

Angie and I tried the Nutella fried ravioli, which was rich and decadent. Dad had the tiramisu and mom had the banana Nutella Stromboli, which is what Anil recommended. We were in Nutella heaven!

Overall, dinner was excellent and we would happily dine at Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen again. I love the revamped feel to make the space more trendy and less formal. I always enjoyed Giovanni’s Table and the food that was served, but I think we prefer Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen.

We had wonderful and attentive service from Anil and his partner - they both made our experience even better. 

Angie said she was ‘as stuffed as that Giant Meatball’ after the meal! I empathize with this metaphor.

Israeli Plans for Tomorrow

There isn’t a ton of entertainment tonight happening, as most are getting ready for the next few days in Israel. We have all day shore excursions booked through the ship for all 3 days.

We originally had a third-party tour booked for tomorrow, but we opted to book a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean instead. Excursions for the days in Israel were booked many months in advance and some have been sold out for months. Just about two months ago, more excursions were opened up and we made the decision to book through the cruise line instead.

There are a few reasons for this. First, we felt it would be the safest option to book through Royal Caribbean since local tour guides might have less risk tolerance. We also had extra flexibility and added convenience of booking through the cruise line

Second, some of the research I did uncovered that immigration in Israel can take a long time once we dock - like up to 4 hours. That’s a lot of time to miss out on during our first day in Israel and the Holy Land is our reason for taking this cruise.

Royal Caribbean shore excursions have priority to go through immigration first, so we should be off the ship in the morning once we go through face-to-face immigration. Everyone on an independent tour has to wait for all excursions to clear customs first.

We are required to carry our passport while in Israel. Most of the holy sites require shoulders and knees to be covered, so we are dressing appropriately. Some require women to cover their heads, so we are packing scarves as well.

Tomorrow, we are visiting Bethlehem and Jerusalem when our ship docks in Ashdod, Israel. The tour is 10 hours long with 1 hour driving each way and lunch provided.

We are stoked to be in Israel and to see incredibly historic and religious spots!

Rather than attend activities tonight on the ship, we are ensuring we have everything ready to go for tomorrow. I am going to read through the Israel immigration information that was provided through Royal Caribbean to make sure I am not missing anything important. 

Cameras are charging and passports are ready - here we come, Israel!

Happy Sunday! We are so happy that you stopped by and hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage, sit back, and check out the latest in Royal Caribbean news.

The big news this week was Royal Caribbean revealing Icon of the Seas to the public.

For the first time, we got to see what the new cruise ship looks like, as well as the major features onboard.

Designed with families in mind, Icon of the Seas will have 8 neighborhoods, including four new neighborhoods: Surfside, Thrill Island, Chill Island, and The Hideaway.

Icon of the Seas will be the biggest cruise ship in the world and begin sailing from Miami in late January 2024.

Your first chance to book a cruise will be on Tuesday, October 25, while Crown & Anchor loyalty members will be granted early access to bookings on Monday, October 24.

More Icon of the Seas

• Guide to Icon of the Seas cabins and suites
• The Ultimate Icon of the Seas Dining & Lounges Guide

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

What does Matt think of Icon of the Seas?

Matt shares his thoughts on Royal Caribbean's big reveal on this week's podcast episode, including a first-hand report of what happened at the media event held at Royal Caribbean headquarters.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New RCB Video: 5 cruise ship shore excursions I tried and instantly regretted

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 5 cruise ship shore excursions I tried and instantly regretted — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

50 best cruising with kids tips & secrets

If you're going on a cruise with kids, then we have all the best tips and tricks to help you have a fabulous cruise.

When you go on a cruise with your family, it can mean a mix of ages and even generations, and we wanted to focus on the sort of things families should know before they go on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Whether you are taking your own kids or going with someone else's, here are the top 50 best tips for cruising with kids on Royal Caribbean.

Odyssey of the Seas live blog

Allie is live blogging from Odyssey of the Seas this week!

She's sailing a 12-night Holy Land cruise aboard one of Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ships that includes three days in Israel, along with stops in Limmasol (Cyprus), Santorini (Greece), Rhodes (Greece) and Chania (Greece).

Follow Allie's adventure every day with her live blog posts.

Ultimate Guide to the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner site

Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner is where you book add-ons like shore excursions, drink packages, specialty restaurants, and internet packages. It’s your go-to place to see what is available on your upcoming cruise.

If you’re new to Royal Caribbean, the Cruise Planner can feel a bit overwhelming at first. 

Here’s our Ultimate Guide to the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner site.

It’s our second sea day onboard Odyssey of the Seas! Tomorrow we will be in Limassol, Cyprus - our first port of call. This is a new port and country for all of us, so we are very excited. 

We originally had a walking tour booked for tomorrow, but upon further consideration, we decided to cancel tonight.

The itinerary for the excursion included all things that we think we can do on our own and it will save us $200 to just get off the ship independently. There’s no tendering tomorrow and we want to take things at our own pace. It looks like a pretty easy port to explore on our own. Will report back on that tomorrow!

One of the reasons we like booking shore excursions through the cruise line is the ease of canceling, even the night before. We've done this for years and it's always been a total breeze canceling excursions onboard. 

I jinxed us by saying the seas were calm yesterday because we've definitely been rocking and rolling a bit today. Nothing horrible, but more noticeable and especially noticeable last night. 

Sea Day Sleeping and Breakfast

In the spirit of rest and rejuvenation, Angie and I slept until 10:30am. I had a lovely night relaxing and even took a bath in our stateroom - a cruise first for me!

Our ship had the dreaded time change forward last night, but it’s all good since we had no plans for today. I did consider going to the Hebrew Language class this morning, but my rest felt more important than stumbling through learning a new language in 30 minutes.

Our only option for breakfast was brunch in the main dining room again, so we made our way down there.

I opted for a simple breakfast with yogurt and a bagel while Angie and mom had an omelet. Angie also ordered the French toast again, which is served with a berry compote. 

The menu was slightly different than the brunch menu from yesterday morning, which was interesting.

They’ve also been coming around with different and fun juices during breakfast that are complimentary. I’ve tried both celery and carrot juice in an attempt to cancel out the alcohol I've been consuming. 

I enjoy having a slower breakfast in the morning on sea days, especially knowing we have 4 busy days coming up.

After breakfast, Angie went to a dance class with mom and dad on the SeaPlex. She explained it as a 'random compilation of wedding reception songs' that included the Cupid shuffle and electric slide. They said it was fun to dance and get moving. The instructor even noted how many people showed up and how pleased he was to have such a big group!

During this time, I stayed in the cabin so I could finish grading projects - which only took me about 45 minutes. Gotta pay for the cruises somehow, right?!

My Taylor Swift Moment

After finishing my work for the week, I wanted to get footage of the belly flop contest and see who would be participating in this event. Come to find out, the event was possibly done by the time I got to the pool deck, although I was only 15 minutes late. 

Dad claims he met someone who had a medal from the competition and said you couldn’t miss it on the pool deck! I guess it was a quick competition.

Today’s an important and historic day, as Taylor Swift released her newest album! As a big fan, I wanted to slot some me-time to listen to the new album. Might seem silly, but it's something I love to do. 

I made my way to the top deck and found there to be plenty of places for me to get comfortable. I found a little colorful cocoon daybed to make my sacred Swiftie spot.

It was so relaxing listening to the album and the crashing waves in the distance. I was having a happy moment.

In the distance, I saw the rest of my travel crew walking around. Dad decided to hit the gym while Angie, mom and I went to the pool deck. I opted for another Lime & Coconut cocktail and Angie joined me.

I love all the fun colors around this ship and couldn't help but take a cute picture of the cocktail again. 

We also enjoyed a warm cookie skillet from Windjammer topped with ice cream on top. Angie said the Windjammer didn’t have vanilla ice cream - so she went to the ice cream station. We indulged while jamming to the Caribbean tunes along with others bopping along.

Before long, it was creeping up on the early evening hours so we made our way back to the cabin. I love having a balcony all to myself and not feeling like I’m missing out on stunning ocean views by going to my stateroom.

I found that I enjoy spending more time in my cabin when I have a nicer, larger room. I really love coming back to our suite and each night have been enjoying the walk-in shower and bathtub.

Angie and dad decided to try the Diamond Lounge while mom and I finished getting ready for dinner.

They said they couldn’t find a spot to sit! With over 1,200 Diamond and Diamond+ people onboard, I guess it’s unsurprising that they couldn’t find a spot.

My husband and I found the same issue when we sailed on Anthem of the Seas this summer, which is the same ship class. We went one night to the Diamond Lounge and didn’t end up going back.

This is a disappointment for us, as we’ve always enjoyed going to the Diamond Lounge before dinner and smaller ships have much larger Diamond lounges.

For dinner tonight, we decided to deviate from our plans to dine at Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen. We pushed back our reservation to tomorrow night, although we wanted to move it to the next sea day.

We’ve had 2 big meals the last two nights and we wanted to just enjoy a more casual night in the main dining room. We always seem to eat more in the speciality restaurants because everything is so delicious. 

Lucky for us, our dining table is right by the window! We have a lovely table that seats all 4 of us.

I enjoyed another round of French onion soup while Angie had the roasted tomato soup. Mom had her nightly escargot and dad loves high nightly Cesar salad.

For main entrees, we enjoyed the Steak Diane, Chicken Cordon Blu, and a pesto pasta dish. Everything tasted delicious and the view couldn’t be beat as the Mediterranean sun went down.

We finished off with Royal Chocolate Cake, Tiramisu and Cherries Jubilee. The Royal Chocolate Cake is a RCL staple and it seems that every ship does it a little bit differently.

I adored the richness of Odyssey’s Royal Chocolate Cake! Some of the best I’ve had.

Showgirl Production

Tonight's entertainment was a Production Show: Showgirl, which included the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers. There was not an empty seat in the house for the early seating. 

As I mentioned, this ship has an older demographic so I assume everyone is going to the early show rather than the 10:15pm showtime. 

The show was dazzling with spectacular music and choreography. There were even acrobats at one point, which was a fun addition. Everyone enjoyed the upbeat music. It was energetic very entertaining! 

Stray Observations

Dad also had an exciting day - he finally found some strawberry purée so he was able to get his Miami Vice in the Music Hall. This is a fun venue each evening with live music - my husband and I spent a few nights in this venue during our summer cruise on Anthem of the Seas.

The ship is only sailing around 60% capacity but most of the guests are Diamond members or above!