RC Oasis of the Seas: Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, Miami
Our most recent trip was on a cruise with the kids and some family and friends. We always cruise through Royal carribean, on the oasis class ships because they cater to all of our family needs. This time of year is hard to plan a full trip due to the busy schedules and the demands of both of our careers. We like to show up and choose what we want to do without the pressure of planning each full day from morning to night. Cruising gives us this option.
This year we traveled over February break rather than April break due to the prices and Royal having Kids Sail Free. This offer is not always available, and because I invest a lot of time in to research, I search for awhile to find the best deal for our family.
We sailed on Oasis of the Seas, which was a seven night cruise out of Miami. The ports of Call were Nassau, Coco Cay, Labadee, Haiti, and Falmouth, Jamaica. 🇧🇸 🇭🇹 🇯🇲
The class of ship included waterparks, water slides, ziplining, flow rider, rock climbing, mini golf, aqua shows, ice shows, and the Broadway show Cats. There were comedian shows and so many activities each day to fit all age groups.
In addition to the main dining options, you were able to make reservations for additional restaurants at a steakhouse, BBQ, Italian house, Sushi/Hibachi and a few others.
My favorite part of cruising are the many activities geared to our children. They are able to meet so many other kids, enjoy arts and crafts, games, science experiments, and go to the kids club each night so the adults have alone time. We also make sure that we put cruise ducks together as a family to hide around the cruise. They also love searching for them as well. 🐥
We always fly in the day before the cruise, and leave the day of the cruise due to timing. When it comes to flying out of Buffalo it can be come very pricey. The past three years we have flown out of Cleveland on Southwest Airlines❤️💛💙. The best time to purchase tickets for February break is in October if you are planning to fly Southwest Airlines. This airline is our preferred one because they offer great service and again cater to our kids and all of their plane enthusiast love. If we have travel delays, they are most accommodating to any changes or adjustments. We always book travel insurance through Allianz or use our travel credit card. Did you know most have travel insurance included? 🧳
Day 1: Embarkation Day: Very smooth. Most cruises only require license and birth certificate if it is leaving the US and coming back. We always use passports just to be safe. You will select a time to get on and then you show up at your time. I recommend checking your luggage at the port, but then having a pool bag packed because you typically don't get your luggage until later on in the day. Enjoy the pool and grab some awesome lunch at the Windjammer! 🍛
Day 2: Nassau, Bahamas: There has been a lot of hate in the news for this area. All I can say is be mindful and be smart. We NEVER once felt unsafe and ventured on our own through the area and outside the port. We walked along the roads and visited the shops. We walked to Junkanoo Beach where we enjoyed sandy beach, great snorkeling and some great local cuisine. We did not do an excursion here because we have been to this port many times before. In the past we have swam with the dolphins, catamaran sail and snorkel 🤿, hired a cab driver to take us around the area to the gems, and have done day visit to Atlantis Hotel & Casino, Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas. Highly recommend if you have the time and don't mind spending the money. Experience is pretty cool! ☀️
Our room was the ocean view expanded interior. We had a king bed, pull out Queen couch, bunkbeds that were closed off in another area, and a walk-in closet with SO much space to move around. Highly recommend if you have a big family. I prefer mid-ship so that you don't hear all the engines in the front or back of ship. Each time you cruise the same cruise line you earn points which give you more perks the more you cruise. 🛳
Day 3: Day at Sea: We enjoyed doing all the activities the ship had to offer all while relaxing. The kids are able to do their own thing while meeting and playing with other kids their age on the boat.
Day 4: CocoCay: This is the private island owned by RC. The island is beautiful and you are greeted by singers and dancers. We love relaxing by the lagoon because the waters are not too rough and our kids can build sandcastles and swim without worrying. They have pools throughout too. All of your food is included here because it is owned by the cruise line. If you are interested in an excursion I recommend jet skiing, the water park, or swimming with the pigs. 🐖💦
Day 5: Labadee, Haiti: 🏔️This was one of my favorite ports on this trip. Again, it is privately owned by the cruise line but the Haitian culture is evident and the views and water are beautiful and pristine. There are different areas around the island that you visit. We loved the area near Adrenaline Beach. Water was calm, there were tikis in the water, and a sea wall that made for amazing snorkeling. If you are interested in an excursion, I highly recommend the ziplining and mountain coaster. 🎢 Again, there are a few others you can do off the island, but we felt staying in Labadee was perfect for our family. They have local Haitian artisans who come in to sell their homemade items and they are small businesses to bring jobs to the people. We brought home so pretty cool things.
Day 6: Falmouth, Jamaica: We love this area. We haven't been here since we were on our honeymoon a long time ago. We did the cultural tour and always do one in one of the ports because you learn so much and they are so personable. Our guide took you through the school villages for Jamaica day. We then did some shopping in Montego Bay and spent the day at Doctor's Cave Beach which was beautiful. Afterwards, we went to some historical areas and stopped at a Jamaican restaurant which was such a great experience. Our kids loved it! 🚌🇯🇲
Day 7: Day at Sea: Again, we use this time to relax, enjoy the activities and catch the night shows that we haven't gotten to yet. 🌊
Day 8: Debarkation Day: make time! This can be a lengthy process. I used to recommend flying out day of, now...I say go as late as possible or even the next day! For us it was difficult and now we have learned to wait! You can find yourself in line for hours and not getting off in time.
Miami, FL: So much to do! If you are spending time here before or after your cruise check out the amazing culture and area. We recommend exploring Miami Beach for the day. Hopping over to the Everglades National Park and partaking in an airboat tour. It is amazing!
If you are staying in Miami, take a stroll down down the side streets and grab a Cuban coffee from Cortadito Coffee House. If you want to experience the Cuban culture spend the late afternoon on Calle Ocho. Stop at the historical monuments, visit Domino Park where you can see players partaking in Dominoes. So cool.
Visit the amazing art murals along Calle Ocho. We stopped at Ball & Chain for some music and mojitios, and ate dinner at Old's Havana Cuban Bar & Cocina. Best Cuban food I have ever had and I've been to Cuba. 🇨🇺 Close the night out with the some Azucar Ice Cream Company! You won't regret it! 🍨 The whole area is a vibe!
Highly Recommend:
*Getting ducks and hiding and finding them on the boat 🐥
*Drink package if you are in a lot of islands that are owned by the cruise line or have many sea days. 🍹
*Make shirts for your family throughout the week. 👕
*Join a FB group for the people going on your same cruise. You will meet and have fun gatherings with them once you are on the boat. I organized a huge Bills photo and everyone wore their Buffalo Bills gear on embarkation day. It was so fun! Go Bills! 🦬
*Decorate your cruise door. This is a fun way to share more about you and your family and find your room more easier!
*Be prepared for the theme nights. We have white out, caribbean night, 70's night, and a few formal nights. The gatherings at night are so fun! 💃🪩
*See the shows! They are incredible! The larger the ship, reservations are required so do this ASAP ✨
*Bring your own snorkeling gear. You’ll be able to find gems and not having to worry about rentals. 🤿
* Purchase chair bands, lanyards, water shoes, and bring your water bottles and sunscreen. These items can become very pricey if you forget them!
Check out our highly recommended items here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/LSOBECK7DQDT?ref_=wl_share
Most importantly, have fun and enjoy making memories with your family! We love cruising, and we're not done yet! #Cruise2025
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