Disclosure: I attended a complimentary one-night cruise in exchange for my honest review.
I was so excited to be invited by Royal Caribbean for a day-trip cruise on
Navigator of the Seas. My husband however was not very thrilled. In fact, he swore he'd never go on a cruise. The thought of being in the middle of the ocean with no escape from a possible tragic accident just did not sit well with him. But when I informed him that we were going on this trip, he relented, mostly just to appease me.
We drove the 3-1/2 hours from Austin to Galveston, Texas, early Saturday morning, then climbed into the shuttle from the parking lot. You could even see the trepidation in his face as he hung on for dear life in the parking shuttle. He wondered aloud how something so big would even float. I just grinned. I knew he was going to have a wonderful time. Side note: make sure your luggage has wheels, because it's quite a walk to get from the port door to your ship room.
Upon arriving at the port, we went through security and checked in to get our Sea Pass. A Sea Pass is linked to your credit card, so you really only need cash handy for tips and the casino. Your Sea Pass is your room key, your on-board charge account for nearly everything, and it's Royal Caribbean's way of keeping track of who gets off and on the ship at different ports. Since this was just an overnight trip, we only floated out into the Gulf and then back, but it was a party all the way!
Since I've once cruised before, on the Royal Caribbean
Liberty of the Seas, I was excited to find that the ships are laid out very similarly (however, the entertainment shows are different). Our room was a private balcony room, with a king-size bed, couch, desk, television, closets, and bathroom with a shower. Ours had a royal blue theme, which I thought was very appropriate for a Royal Caribbean cruise, especially since the balcony curtains had a wave-like design.
The king-size bed is designed so that guests can have the bed separated into two twin beds if they prefer. One of the things I love most about having a private balcony is being able to leave the sliding glass door open a bit during the night, so the sounds of the waves can lull me to sleep. I sleep very soundly on a ship and love the light rocking of the water.
Once we'd settled into our room, we set out to explore some of the decks on Navigator of the Seas. Royal Caribbean has recently added lots of new
features to this ship and it's simply gorgeous! The Promenade Deck is where we found all the shops and some of the restaurants. I love all the glamorous decor and the beautiful art everywhere. The windows that overlook this area are those of the inner rooms (those without a water view).
Just before setting sail, the gangway to the ship is closed and everyone on board reports to their muster station for a drill. At that time, security features of the ship are discussed, evacuation procedures are explained and we got a close-up look at the giant boats that would take us to safety in the event of an unlikely emergency. I think this is where my husband finally relaxed, knowing what to do "just in case."
As we pulled out of the port at Galveston, we headed up to the pool decks to wave goodbye to the poor landlubbers who didn't get to come along. Even the seagulls and the pelicans flew alongside Navigator of the Seas to wish us a "bon voyage!" It's a good idea to always have a camera handy to capture the moments you don't want to forget.
There are plenty of places for food and refreshment all over the ship. We stopped at the Sky Bar near the pools to get some "foo-foo" drinks, which I think should be a requirement of cruising. I have also decided that calories do not count when one is on vacation.
