Royal Caribbean Blog

Hello from the beautiful Odyssey of the Seas; it's Day 9 of our cruise, which means we only have 3 days left. The time has been flying by with our busy days exploring new ports (and countries!).

I am happy to report that I have a new favorite Greek island - Rhodes! After our busy days in Israel, we did not have an excursion planned for today so we could have freedom and flexibility to do what we wanted.

We woke up to a stunning view of Rhodes outside of our balcony!

Since we weren’t on a tight timeline, we enjoyed a slow morning with breakfast at Cafe 270. This was one of our favorite places when we cruised on Spectrum of the Seas back in 2019, and I am surprised we have yet to eat there on this cruise.

They have a wonderful selection of grab-and-go breakfast sandwiches and burritos, along with a bagel bar. There’s also a coffee cart located in 270, making it an easy place to grab breakfast.

Afternoon Shopping in Rhodes

With some quick research on Rhodes, everything online said the cruise port is located very conveniently in the old town.

Getting off the ship, we could immediately see the old town that was surrounded by a stone wall.

I found a few different locations within walking distance that I wanted us to check out starting with the Castle of the Old Town.

We walked through an old town entrance and found ourselves surrounded by lovely streets with tons of shopping and restaurants. Unfortunately, following the map on my phone to the Castle of the Old Town led us to a dead end on a side street. We looked around and saw nothing resembling a castle.

Fortunately, there was plenty to still see and lots of shopping that was close by so we went back to the main pedestrian

Mom and I were in heaven with all of the shops, especially the jewelry shops. We found a lovely shop owned by a Greek family who made unique bracelets, rings, earrings and necklaces. I think mom and I spent nearly an hour shopping inside this single shop with the owner helping us finding the perfect pieces.

The shop owners were so warm and welcoming! They said mom was their best customer of the day.

Dad roamed the streets by his lonesome self until we finished our shopping; of course, he wasn’t entirely pleased with how much time and money we spent.

Wandering Around Old Town

Back to our self-guided walk of the old town, we chose the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes. Say that 10 times fast!

We weaved through the streets, often getting distracted by how many photo opportunities presented themselves in this charming city!

At the Palace, we enjoyed taking some photos and ran into some friends from the ship that we spoke with for a little while. It was $10 to enter the Palace, so we opted just to enjoy the outside of what we could see from the castle.

We also met a nice family from Austria that told us how lovely the marina walk in Rhodes is, so we set that as our next destination.

After exiting the Palace, we walked through a really wonderful courtyard with greenery, flowers and views of the palace.

As we made our way to the sea, we walked out of the old city and into the newer area. We found an H&M and stopped in Starbucks for a quick resident and bathroom stop.

Marina and Rhode Windmills

We found ourselves strolling along the sea with incredible views of the ocean, Fort St. Nicholas and the Three Windmills of Rhodes. We could also see Odyssey of the Seas, along with 3 other small ships, in the port.

Fort St. Nicholas is located at the end of a short walkway-like pier that expands from the marina. It looked like a great spot to walk with sweeping views of the ocean.

This also gave us an up-close look at the Three Windmills of Rhodes. One of the windmills was missing its actual windmill, which was interesting.

I enjoyed taking some really fun pictures with the windmills and ocean views while dad climbed on the rocks with Angie and mom found some locals to strike up a conversation with. She enjoys talking to friendly locals and asking all about their city and economy.

The locals explained that Rhodes is one of the biggest Greek Islands and relies almost entirely on tourism for its economy. He also talked to us about the island’s problem with gypsies begging for money in the city, which have become more of a problem in recent years.

We didn’t walk to the end of the jetty but admired Fort St. Nicholas from afar and a display of European flags that lined the walkway.

Scammers at Saint Paul’s Gate

After mom finished conversing with the locals, we set our sites for the Temple of Aphrodite but stumbled upon the very charming St. Paul’s Gate!

Entering the gate, we found a staircase that allowed us to climb the ramparts and see sweeping views of the harbor. Angie, dad and I climbed the steps to walk around while mom admired from the safety of the ground level.

At one point, two gypsies started screaming at each other, disrupting our peaceful moment taking in the ocean views.

We continued to explore the area, in which we ran into more cruise friends who offered to take our family picture. We found cute little nooks to take pictures and enjoyed admiring the views.

Apparently, Saint Paul’s Gate is one of the most intricate gates in Rhodes and connects the old town to the harbor.

While I was snapping some pictures of Angie and Mom off in the distance, I turned around to see a gypsy yelling in my face. I was taken aback since I had not engaged in any sort of conversation or eye contact with the women. From years of traveling (and getting scammed before), I know it’s best to be persistent in not engaging with them.

She started to scream to NOT take her photo. I looked at her confused and showed her the picture of mom and Angie, I said to her that she wasn’t even in the photo and I wasn’t interested in photographing her.

She screamed even louder, “YOU LIE - YOU’RE A PSYCHO! I see you use your phone to take my picture!!!!” And I walked away insisting that I did not take her picture nor was I interested in taking her photo.

I was worried she was using this as an opportunity to pickpocket by creating a scene, but she didn’t take anything from me.

As we left the area, we saw the gypsies approach two men and place bracelets on their wrists - in which they proceeded to yell and expect the men to pay them for the bracelets. They prey on anyone who shows them compassion or makes eye contact!

As I was writing this blog, I found a few people noting online having the same experiences with these women. Some of the comments are from ten years ago - so these same women have been scamming people for almost a decade. It is too bad, as it does take away some of the beauty of the gate.

Souvlaki and Shopping in Old Town

Once we could decompress after the gypsy debacle, mom and I decided we had worked up an appetite for some gyros or souvlaki. When in Rome!

We walked by the Temple of Aphrodite as we looked to find something to eat near the port.

Back in the old town, we ran into our friends from earlier who recommended a spot that was right down the road. There was a quaint seating area with flowers and booths covered with colorful pillows.

We ordered 2 pitas for mom and I to enjoy while Dad tried baklava for the first time. Everyone enjoyed the chicken souvlakis and we appreciated a moment to sit down, refresh and rest after walking about 3 miles.

There was even a musician who came over to play the guitar - bringing a smile to all of us at the restaurant.

Following our souvlaki indulgence, Mom and I had more shopping to do in one of the leather stores before finding even more cruise friends in the old town. We love meeting so many kind people from the cruise and our rowdiness must make it easy to identify us in a crowd!

We decided to make our way back to the port since it was around 4:30.

Lime and Coconut

Once back onboard the ship, we dropped off our shopping bags in the room and spoke to our wonderful stateroom attendant, Waylan. We’ve been so impressed with the service we’ve received on this cruise. The entire staff onboard has been excellent and so attentive.

We decided to head up to the Lime and Coconut Bar to see our favorite bartender, Dwayne. Mom has been referring to him as ‘Dwa’ during this cruise; she met him on the first day and couldn’t see his entire name tag when he asked her to guess his name so she said ‘It must be DWA’!

‘Dwa’ whipped up four cocktails for us, including a mudslide for me, Miami Vice for dad and Bailey’s Banana Colada, which is Angie’s latest drink obsession. The cool drinks tasted so good after all the walking we did today.

The sun was starting to set over Rhodes as we enjoyed happy hour cocktails on the top deck. We reflected on another great day of our cruise and marveled at the perfect weather.

I concluded that Rhodes might be my new favorite Greek Island of all the islands I’ve visited (including Santorini, Crete, Corfu and Rhodes). The city was so charming and very clean. I’d love to return and visit the acropolis and other areas of the island.

Evening on Board

It was 6:00PM before we knew it, so we went to dinner in the main dining room. Tonight we tried a variety of appetizers, entrees and desserts but most of us found that it wasn’t our favorite meal of the cruise.

Angie was the only one who thoroughly enjoyed her entire meal tonight; she ordered the chicken wings, pork chop and berry crumble.

Dad and I found the Beef Trio to be a little tough while mom didn’t love her goat cheese tart or fisherman’s pie.

We mentioned to the server that we found the meat to be a little tough and shortly after, the head waiter came over to talk to us. We certainly aren’t picky or ones to complain, so we weren’t expecting to speak to the head waiter.

He was asking intently about the entree’s issues to ensure he understood the issue, although we emphasized that we have been happy with all of our food thus far. We were impressed by how concerned and quickly he came to address our comment.

After dinner, the rest of the family went to watch a magician performance in the Royal Theatre. Since I stayed up late (like 1 am) to finish yesterday’s blog after a busy evening with entertainment, I opted to come back and get some work done.

They greatly enjoyed the magician, so I will have to go watch his performance tomorrow night!

I enjoy having the quiet time to myself to go through photos and write today’s live blog.

Tomorrow’s Plans

Tomorrow, we are in Santorini, Greece! I’ve been to Santorini twice before. The first time I came to Santorini was during college when I did Semester at Sea; I flew to the island from Athens and spent a few days exploring.

The second time I visited Santorini was with my husband when we did a cruise from Venice for our honeymoon. During that visit, we did our own thing and took the speed boat and bus to Oia and walked down from Fira.

For this visit, we have a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean. I think this will be more relaxing for mom and dad not having to worry about logistics on our own.

I read that there will be a few other ships in port, so it could be busy. We also will need to tender to the island, so having the shore excursion should make that easy. Our tour includes visits to Oia (where the classic blue roofs are!!), a winery and Fira before returning to the ship.

I have never visited the wineries in Santorini, so I am excited to see what that’s all about!

The description of the tour makes it sound like we will be driven to Oia from the port and return to the port by bus; it does not mention the cable car or donkey walk down from Fira on the hilltop, so I am hoping that means returning to the port will not be an issue.

I am crossing my fingers that our good luck continues tomorrow! Mom, Dad and Angie have never visited Santorini and I know they are looking forward to it. This is an exciting port for many, as Santorini is an iconic Greek Island and a world-class destination for many.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventures! Until then, goodnight everyone!

A lot of people want to sail on Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship. So much so, it broke the cruise line's high water mark.

Royal Caribbean just set a record for how many cruises people booked in a single day when it put Icon of the Seas on sale.

The cruise line reported the single largest booking day in its entire history when reservations opened for the the first Icon Class ship.

As of the publishing of this article on Thursday, all of Icon's inside, balcony, and suite cabins were all listed as sold out for the inaugural sailing. The only category left was ocean view cabins, and I could only find one cabin to choose from.

The inaugural Icon of the Seas sailing is a seven-night cruise from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean on January 27, 2024.

Royal Caribbean has been riding a wave of excitement for its new ship ever since they revealed what Icon of the Seas will look like and what sort of features guests can enjoy onboard.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley was astonished by the high demand, "The enthusiasm and excitement for Icon are undeniable in more ways than one."

"The incredible response we have received from our loyal guests, vacationers new to cruising, crew members and travel partners continues to come in, and this is just the beginning. We can’t wait to share more of what Icon has in store in the coming months."

Royal Caribbean wants to lure families away from land vacations

Icon of the Seas is more than just the new biggest cruise ship in the world: it's a shot across the bow to all the typical family vacation destinations on land.

Icon of the Seas will be the first in a new class of cruise ship that has placed a greater emphasis on family travelers.

The ship will break records along the way with its 250,600 gross ton size, making it larger than the current holder of that record, Wonder of the Seas.

Part of why Icon will be bigger is to allow more families to enjoy the ship. You'll find more cabins that have extra capacity to accommodate third or fourth passengers in the room so that parents with children can sail together.

Moreover, the ship has an entire neighborhood dedicated to young families with the Surfside neighborhood, which is an outdoor pool and splash area.

Royal Caribbean wants Surfside to be a destination for families that they can spend most of their day at, with splash areas for babies and kids, pools and lounge spaces for parents, family-friendly eateries and shops, and a bar with "mommy and me" matching mocktails for kids and cocktails for grownups.

While speaking to reporters last week, Mr. Bayley said the ship is all about moving deeper into the family market, "We’re really focused on family and as you move into Icon, our focus on family is probably at the highest level it’s ever been."

"We know that every single week, throughout the whole year, we have a significant percentage of young families that sail with Royal Caribbean. It skews on the big Caribbean cruises and it skews on products that are connected to a drive-in home market, but that market is quite powerful."

"Young families is a big market and we think it’s an under-served market."

To that point, Icon of the Seas is a move to attract people who like to take the kind of family vacation where everyone of all ages can have a good time while being together.

Mr. Bayley talked about this importance when designing the ship, "The beauty of Icon is that its size, scale and the totality of the combination of the neighborhoods and the experiences that we offer fit all of our demographics within what we call the multi-generational family space."

Big spaces and new features

While the Surfside family neighborhood has garnered a lot of attention, Royal Caribbean did not spare on innovation.

There are eight neighborhoods across the ship, which Royal Caribbean thinks will offer something for guests of all ages.

Chill Island has a variety of pools to consider, including the first swim-up pool and bar at sea.

Nearby Thrill Island features the largest water park ever built on a cruise ship, with a record six waterslides.

Adults can find solace in the new Cloud 17 area reserved just for guests 16 and older.

And then there's The Hideaway, which has a suspended infinity pool that aims to offer a resort pool vibe.

Launching in January 2024

Whether you were part of the record setting day or are considering booking now, you're still going to need to wait a while before Icon of the Seas enters service.

Icon of the Seas is currently under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland.

She is expected to be delivered to Royal Caribbean sometime in late 2023, and then engage in a series of trials before prepping the ship to welcome customers onboard.

Royal Caribbean will base the new ship in Miami until at least mid-2025.

Looking for more information on Icon of the Seas? Check out our latest articles on this new cruise ship:

• Ultimate guide to Icon of the Seas cabins & suites
• Royal Caribbean reveals spectacular design for new Icon of the Seas cruise ship
• 7 of the most cutting-edge features coming to Icon of the Seas

Before you head out to trick or treat, you might be able to save money on a drink package or shore excursion.

Royal Caribbean will routinely offer sales on pre-cruise items every few weeks in an effort to bump sales, while at the same time offering potential discounts on popular items.

In almost all cases, buying a package or add-on before the cruise will save you money compared to waiting to book it onboard. It's quite rare for the price onboard to be cheaper than if you had pre-purchased.

It's a good idea to check the final price rather than looking at what percentage off is being advertised.

The Halloween Sale is valid on purchases made between October 26, 2022 – Tuesday, November 1, 2022.

It applies to all sailings between October 30, 2022 – August 31, 2023 (excluding Spectrum of the Seas and charter sailings).

Here is what is included during the sale:

Beverage: Up to 40% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: 30% Off onboard prices
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Over 30% Off onboard prices
• Water Bottle Pacakage: 40% off onboard prices.
• San Benedetto Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• Evian Water Bottles: 40% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship.
• Refreshment Package: Discount varies by ship.

Shore Excursions: Up to 25% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship.

Internet: Up to 50% Off

• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• The Key: Discounts varies by ship

Dining: Up to 50% Off

• Unlimited Dining Package on 3N – 9N sailings: Discount varies by ship

Gifts & Gear: Up to 20% Off

• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries
• Inky Beach Set
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe)
• Inky Travel Set
• Red Wine and Cheese
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel
• Strawberries with Champagne
• White Wine and Cheese
• Anniversary Decorations
• Happy Birthday Bright Style
• Winter Blanket

Photo Packages: Up to 65% off

• Photo Packages: From 5 - 100 Print and/or Digital Options: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: Private Photo Session: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: All Digital: Discount varies by ship.

Spa: Up to 30% Off

• Spa Packages: Discount varies by ship.

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site look for any available offers. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

More helpful information

• Should you buy pre-cruise purchases now or wait to buy it onboard?
• 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• How much should I budget for a cruise?

Hello from the beautiful and calm Mediterranean Sea! It’s Day 8 onboard our 12-night sailing on Odyssey of the Seas. We are making our way to Rhodes, Greece for our next port.

We were all grateful for his sea day to relax and rest after 3 very busy days in Israel. As Angie and I snuggled into bed, we both breathed a sigh of relief that we could sleep in without setting an early alarm.

The two of us didn’t get our morning started until 11:30am this morning. It was just what we needed!

Reflective Morning

I woke up feeling both refreshed and grateful for the incredible days we had in Israel.

As I mentioned, we’ve heard quite a few stories of people who had unfortunate luck during our time in Israel - like broken arms, twisted ankles, cancelled tours, scamming taxi drivers, getting left behind or lost, etc.

While these are all risks of life and traveling, there’s great disappointment that comes with highly anticipated trips that don’t go as planned. I know for many that this trip is once in a lifetime and that can make it even harder when things go amiss.

Hearing these stories makes me feel so thankful we had 3 amazing days touring and exploring Israel - everything for us went according to plan. It seems like others were not as lucky and I have a heavy heart for those who missed out due to things beyond their control.

My advice for anyone planning to do a Holy Land cruise is to book excursions through Royal Caribbean, especially on the first day for ease of immigration. If you book an independent tour, I would do research for alternative options in case your first plan doesn’t come to fruition.

Many people I spoke to that had canceled tours or they were left behind felt like they didn’t have any other options. It’s difficult to find something last minute - but being on the cruise forums and Facebook groups can help provide options.

Finally, pack your patience. From following blogs and other forums from previous sailings, there seem to be more logistical things that can go wrong with Israel compared to other sailings (like very strict immigration).

Afternoon and Sexiest Man Contest

It was nice to have nowhere to be today and no plans. The only breakfast available was in the dining room, so we opted for Sorrento’s pizza instead.

We met up with mom and dad in the promenade area and enjoyed some pizza for breakfast - all of us having slept well and feeling refreshed.

After, Angie and I decided to put on our swimsuits and head up to the pool deck. We found chairs next to mom and dad in the Solarium so we opted to grab a drink and hop in the pool there.

It was unexpectedly cold so we didn’t last long before heading to the hot tub.

By this time, the International Sexiest Man Competition was starting! We couldn’t miss out on this one for obvious reasons. Our cruise director joked that they might have to cancel due to lack of eligible participants - we laughed at that!

Have no fear though - 7 different men entered the contest to keep us all wildly entertained.

I grabbed a cheesy chicken quesadilla from my new favorite place, El Loco Fresh, and a Lime & Coconut cocktail to watch the exotic poolside show.

The men put on a great show with the pool deck erupting in cheers. We had dancing, splashing, muscle flexing and even a little twerking. Given the age demographics on this sailing, the participants were about what I expected!

The winner was a sweet older man named Steven from Montana who touched the hearts of everyone when he mentioned his grandchildren, his late wife and how he would create world peace if given the chance.

In an ironic spin, I think he was actually the most muscular of all the participants!

Trivia and Dinner

Angie and I made our way back to the cabin so we could get ready for dinner and General Knowledge Trivia in the Schooner Bar beforehand.

We joined forces with new friends and RCB fans from Ohio. Although we didn’t win the coveted Royal Caribbean water bottle prize, we had fun trying!

Angie and I had drinks in Boleros to kill time before dinner. I tried the Painkiller and Angie tried an off-the-menu drink known as the Bailey’s Banana Colada. We got to see the sunset while sipping on our cocktails.

Dinner tonight was excellent. Mom had 3 appetizers, including one of her favorites - the Seafood Cake. For dinner, we had chicken parmesan, beef short rib, steak and mushroom risotto.

We finished dinner with delicious desserts - Mississippi Mud Pie, lemon tart and apple blossoms.

Throughout dinner, we enjoyed getting to know those sitting at the table next to us. The table is located so close to ours that you can barely walk between them, so it feels almost like we are dining with them each evening.

Evening Entertainment

Following dinner, we all attended the evening show in the Royal Theatre. The performers also showcased their talents last night, but I was too tired to attend.

The rest of the family enjoyed it so much they went back for a second time. The couple performed a series of acrobatic moves in a stunning show. We all enjoyed seeing them twist and turn in ways that didn’t seem humanly possible.

Immediately after, we went to 270 to see a show called The Book. This uses the 270 space for a spectacular show that includes storytelling with cutting-edge technology.

Although we all struggled slightly to understand the storyline, the performers did an excellent job. It was electrifying, colorful and energetic as the performers danced, twirled, and sang.

There were even some acrobatic moves when performers were flung from the ceiling and danced.

The show was incredible with stunning visuals. Dad described it as sensory overload and joked that he felt like he was on drugs during some of the portions!

The late show means a late bedtime for us as I finish this blog.

Tomorrow we are in Rhodes, Greece. I have been to Greece a few times, but never to this island. I’ve heard wonderful things and luckily the ship docks right near the old town.

We plan to independently explore the island tomorrow and hopefully that’s a good choice.

Until then, good night from Odyssey of the Seas!

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!