Monday, September 21, 2026

Diamonds are Forever- Day 6

 The Perfect Day at Coco Cay
Coco Cay, Bahamas 
July 9, 2026 


We love Coco Cay! 

Morning
Our alarms went off really early as we wanted to get off the ship as quickly as possible. We met at Park Cafe for breakfast and I have to admit, I was disappointed in their options and the service a bit; but it worked for what we needed. 


A view of Great Stirrup Cay being upgrade (for the past 2 years). 


Hello Thursday! 


My girl and I are ready for a gorgeous day on Coco Cay! 


Breakfast plate from Park Cafe. 
I am not sure why it was not as impressive as usual... 

We were some of the first people to get off the ship and make our way to the island before 7:30AM. I love the entrance to the island and the walk from the ship to the beach. We walked straight to Oasis Lagoon and Breezy Bay- stopping to take pictures of course. Luckily since we were some of the very first people there, we found great seats under some trees and were able to get shade all day!
 
Get off the ship with us:


It is one of my favorite piers and walks... The thrill of the private island really gets me going! 


We love Coco Cay! 


Oasis of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas at Coco Cay! 


We made it to Oasis Lagoon! 

We spent the majority of the day in the Oasis Lagoon- the worlds LARGEST swim up bar. This massive pool offers nearly 30 seats at the Swim Up Bar as well as several large swimming areas and seating areas as well. This is easily our favorite spot for "chilling" while at Coco Cay. 


We love this MASSIVE pool and the swim-up bar! 
It actually provides shade ALL DAY. 


The kids became a fan REAL QUICK. 
Especially of the shaded pool since they were both burnt to a crisp from the day before! 


Luke LOVED this day! 


Time needs to SLOW DOWN! 


A truly PERFECT DAY at Coco Cay!


I love the pictures they randomly take of you... even in the pool! 

But we did adventure out to Breezy Bay many times throughout the day to snorkel and enjoy the calm waters of this area of the island. Chris opted to stay in the pool most of the time but he also took several naps. He woke up not feeling 100% but still had a great time. 

Afternoon
For lunch we made our way to the Snack Shack in Breezy Bay just as soon as they opened at 11AM for the famous Chicken Shack Sandwich and the Mozzarella sticks. Both of these were BIG hits with all of us but the funnel cakes were biggest surprise as the kids went back for seconds and even a third trip to the Snack Shack later in the afternoon for this sweet treat. TIP- Order the Funnel Cake... Just do it! 


The Snack Shack Menu 
This is offered at ALL of the Snack Shacks around the island! 


Lunch on the Island 
Greek Salad- Natalie & Kellie 4.5 (The Greek Salad was surprisingly good!)
Funnel Cake- ALL 5.0
Mozzarella Sticks- All 4.0-4.5


Brownie 
Luke-2.5, Natalie- 3.0 and Chris- 2.0

We stayed on the island until about 1:30PM  and started making our way back to the ship. Chris opted to wait for the trams as the walk is semi-far from Oasis Lagoon. The kids and I stopped at the Straw Market and got some souvenirs and the tram was so slow, we beat Chris back to the pier. TIP- Be mindful of this as you are ending your day at Coco Cay. The tram ALWAYS has a very long line and is slow coming back to the ship as it literally circles the entire island picking up guests. 


We had a great time at Oasis Lagoon but it is time to head back to the ship. 
(Notice- It is not TOO crowded even at 1:30PM) 


This is near Chill Island. 


Lagoon near the bridge back to the ship. 


Another picture of the gorgeous Symphony of the Seas. 


I think this is their favorite ship EVER! 


Coco Cay does such a great job with picture perfect spots! 


My traditional ship picture on the pier to the ship! 

This walk back to the ship is HARSH...

We were back on the ship around 2:30PM and took showers for the rest of the evening spent on board the Symphony of the Seas. We met at Boleros for afternoon trivia and came so close to winning but took 2nd place. Then all four of us went to the Carousel for several rides around before getting off and heading to Playmakers for an early dinner. Chris was still not feeling great and became really tired very suddenly so he went to take a nap. TIP- The Arcade area of Playmakers can get REALLY loud with lots of kids but it is air conditioned and the traditional seating is not so it was worth the noise to us. 


I love it when they WANT to still be kids! 
They loved the carousel and took many rides throughout the cruise. 



We loved being kids too! 



Family selfie #100+ 


We have LOVED our time on the Symphony! 

Wings- Luke 4.5
Nachos (with Pulled Pork)- Kellie 4.5 and Natalie/ Luke -4.0
I really enjoyed these nachos and should have tried them earlier in the cruise! 

The kids and I watched sail away from the Deck 5 Promenade and enjoyed the gorgeous and breezy weather. We all met at in the Main Theater for the Price is Right gameshow. This was an interactive game show and we had never played. You had to pay to play and there was various levels of play but we opted for the lowest and cheapest option of only $15. I would honestly say this was TOTALLY worth it as the kids absolutely LOVED playing along. We did not win anything but Luke was in the top 100 players and the guy in front of us won $1600. 


This view NEVER gets old! 
I literally have videos of the wake I keep on my phone for when I am anxious or overwhelmed. This truly is my happy place and where I find peace in the chaos. 


My pride and joy! 

Despite a near 2 hour nap, Chris was still not feeling well and was light headed during the game-show. He went back to the room and took meds before our evening dinner and activities. He was not sure why he was not able to bounce back after the nap but he was truly wiped out. 

Evening 
We made our usual stop at the Crown Lounge for Happy Hour drinks and appetizers and the kids played cards for nearly an hour. We really enjoyed this venue and the privacy and "quietness" it offered. This became a pre-dinner activity each night and we LOVED it. I certainly hope future ships have this nice of a Crown Lounge venue. 

Dinner in the Main Dining Room was Taste of USA in honor of the July 4th Holiday. Chris and I have had this menu in the past on our Allure of the Seas July 2023 cruise which sailed over July 4th and we loved the variety. The kids and I really enjoyed the Lobster Mac & Cheese but it was missing a LOT of lobster. We decided we must have been spoiled in Hooked on Day 4. 


The Taste of the USA Menu 


Potato Soup 
Chris-3.0, Kellie- 2.5 & Natalie- 2.0


Lobster Mac and Cheese 
Chris- 2.0, Luke & Natalie 3.0 & Kellie- 2.5


Strip Steak 
Luke-4.5 and Natalie -4.0


Key Lime Shortcake 
Natalie- 1.5 and Kellie- 4.5


Another picture of our gorgeous girl! 
She turns 17 in August! 

Once again Chris was not feeling well and he didn't even finish all of his dinner after only ordering 1 of each appetizer and entree- very unusual of him. He ended up leaving the table and dinner to go back to the room as he was just not feeling it. He has not ever been sick like this on a cruise. We were all just hoping and praying he was able to get a good nights sleep and can be 100% the next day. 

After dinner the kids and I went to the Royal Promenade for the 80s party and we had a BLAST. Luke will never fully admit this (it's not cool as a teenager) but he LOVES 80s music and he really enjoyed this party. Natalie and I hit Boleros for live music and then we were in bed before midnight as we were all very tired from a fantastic day in Coco Cay! 

It was a GREAT day in Coco Cay and once again, I am remined how much I LOVE this island. Royal Caribbean does SO WELL with it and I am already trying to find a way to go back. 

Check out our day on Coco Cay: 

I think the kids now understand why we LOVE Coco Cay so much! 

Up Next... Sea Day #3 as we make our way back to God's Country!


God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Mariner of the Seas- June 2026










 


Carnival Conquest- 2006 

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Diamonds are Forever- Day 5

Swimming with the Pigs
Nassau, Bahamas July 8, 2026


It certainly was an adventure for the memory books. 

Morning
We got up early as we had a schedule shore excursion mid-morning and wanted to ensure we got off the ship and had enough time for Chris to walk to our meeting location. The Windjammer was especially crowded on this morning and we felt the "port day" hustle as we ate our breakfast. TIP- On port days it is best to wait to go the buffet until about 30 minutes to an hour after the gangway opens for the least amount of crowd. 


Royal Caribbean's Royal Beach Club in Nassau! 
This used to just be a strip of land... 


They have finally arrived in the Bahamas. 

There were only 4 ships in port on this day! 

The line for the Royal Beach club tender boats. 


Happy Wednesday y'all! 

We got off the ship around 9:15AM and started to make our way towards the exit of the cruise terminal. TIP- Nassau has completely overhauled the cruise terminal and made some GREAT changes but the Royal Caribbean ships port at the furthest pier due to being near the Royal Beach Club on the south side of the island. This means a LOT of walking. They offer small shuttles but they request these to be used for those with disabilities. With Chris's neuropathy, we opted for him to ride in the golf cart and we could walk but a manager took us all the front of the terminal. 


They clearly LOVE the selfies along the way! 


Nassau, Bahamas- CHECK! 
I am so glad we were able to take the kids to this gorgeous island! 

Once we were at the front the manager called the Bahamas Jet Boat (our tour company) to ask where we should meet as there was some discrepancies. We did have to leave the terminal and walk about 6+ blocks to get to the meeting location but with enough time, Chris did very well. We got checked in and then waited nearly an hour for our tour to start but there was free Wi-Fi which helped a lot!  

We started walking to our boat that would take us to Mansa Bay, our private island where we would swim with the pigs, at 10:15AM and were on the water within 7 minutes. We passed by Paradise Island and Atlantis Resort as well as many celebrity homes like Michael Jordan, Oprah and Tiger Woods. The water was perfectly blue and smooth as we made our way to Mansa Bay. 


One of my favorite things- Explore new things with my girl! 


Symphony of the Seas- She is a beauty! 


We are loving this boat ride! 


Atlantis and Paradise Island... They are so gorgeous! 


Michael Jordan's Bahamian home. 


Oprah Winfrey's house. 

The long row of celebrity homes on the eastern side of Paradise Island. 

Once at the island we noticed there was another group already there and pigs were in the water. The island is VERY small and the workers had to bring out more chairs and umbrellas to accommodate our larger 10:30AM tour. We got our chairs and umbrella set and then met to get the food to feed the pigs. It was chicken sausage and apples we would put on skewers to feed the pigs once they were released and got into the water. All of this was included in the excursion price. 

This hidden gem is so pretty! 

The pigs were released and it was such a neat experience. The pigs were all shapes and sizes and there was even a baby of only 6 months getting food from all of us. We all got in the water and fed the pigs but both Chris and I gave a lot of our food to the kids to allow them a longer experience. We were also able to hold an infant piglet of only 6 weeks. TIP- This excursion was $129/ person through Bahamas Jet Boat and was worth the money for this experience. However, be forewarned that the pigs do poop in the water and it is not necessarily the most sanitary. That did not bother us (at the time). 


Despite having been in the water when we arrived just 20 minutes before this... These fatties were HUNGRY and came running! 

The kids absolutely LOVED this! 


They wanted more and more food to feed the pigs! 

Some of the pigs were cute... 

This was one of my favorites! 

We LOVED this excursion:




Another adventure and memory made with my family! 


Priceless... 


And then they were able to hold the piglet... worth the wait! 

The Professional Pictures INCLUDED with our excursion (emailed to us):


I loved getting to share with memory with my family! 


#Priceless 

Holding the piglet may have been their favorite part! 


Worth the 20 minute wait! 


Thank you for these memories (oftentimes I am the one behind the camera). 


As seen in this picture... But it was worth it! 

After we fed the pigs, we were able to enjoy this private island for over 2 hours. The kids enjoyed the clear kayak and the beach swings for a long time before it was time to eat lunch. Lunch was included with our excursion and the food was not bad at all. Although as a later tour arrived, the pigs were out and tried to come and get food from other guests. Again, this didn't bother us and we thought it was funny. 

This island was so picturesque and we loved it all! 


Be still my heart! 


I have to treasure these moments as soon they will be gone! 


I was actually impressed the kids were able to get out in the kayak! 


They kayaked for over an hour before lunch! 


I am in my happy place... a gorgeous crystal clear beach! 


After lunch the kids went out on paddle boards too! 
We applied sunscreen but it was here we all started to feel the sunburn! 

Afternoon
About an hour before we were supposed to leave the island the kids wanted to try out the Twister Ride that was hauled by a jet ski and spins you around super fast. Luke was not thrilled but Natalie talked both Luke and I into it. Chris would have none of it and just laid out the rest of the afternoon. 

This Twister Ride cost an additional $25/ person but I paid it willingly hoping it would be a good experience. The kids and I, plus a young small Bahamian boy got on the Twister and were taken out to the open ocean and within one spin of the ride, I was under the water with the weight not balanced. I yelled and asked to be taken back to shore in hopes the kids could continue. A worker came and picked me up but when got off, it sent Luke flying off and he slammed into the ocean. He hit the water very hard and was shocked a bit. I on the other hand was on a jet ski with a Bahamian headed back to shore. The kids and the 3rd wheel Bahamian boy made their way back to the beach and got Luke some ice for his elbow and were very helpful. (Luke was totally fine, btw... just shocked). They offered us to go out with the jet-skis but I am not a fan of those and not supposed to ride them. So Natalie was able to take a jet-ski out completely by herself and she had a BLAST. She drove around for nearly 30 minutes before we to start getting ready for our return to our ship. Later in the week she said that was her favorite part of the entire cruise; of which I am not surprised. I am seriously glad we were able to make lemonade out of lemons and Natalie had a great time! 

Once back on our boat back to the cruise terminal, we were able to get snorkeling gear and head towards Pearl Island for a snorkeling adventure. The kids jumped right off and were able to see lots of fish and coral. I stayed on the ship as I was very sunburnt and Chris was not tried and ready to be back on the ship. 


It is time to snorkel... They LOVED it! 


Luke seemed like a natural after only just experiencing snorkeling for the first time on our Harmony of the Seas 2026 cruise this year. 

We rode back to the Bahamas Jet Boat pier and then started our journey back to the Cruise Terminal. Chris was having a really hard time with his neuropathy and was walking very slow but was making it. We had an all aboard time of 3:30PM and by the time we got to the terminal check-in, it was almost 3PM. We were able to ride the golf carts back to our ship which helped Chris a lot. 


Cruise #30 on the Symphony of the Seas- Adventure of a lifetime! 

Check out our Swimming with the Pigs Recap:


And be sure to check out all MANSA BAY has to offer (included with the excursion):

WORTH EVERY PENNY! 

We were back on the ship before sail away and all took showers to get ready for dinner and then met in Vintages to play cards. Once again, we LOVE the Vintages on the Oasis class ships as they are completely tucked away and somewhat hidden to the general public. We played cards for nearly 2 hours and then went to the Crown Lounge for Happy Hour before dinner. 

Evening
Dinner in the Main Dining Room was Caribbean Night and it is usually not a favorite of ours and we usually eat in a specialty restaurant; but the kids were very intrigued to try this menu so we opted to stay in the MDR. The food was still just "mid" but the service was outstanding. 


Taste of the Caribbean menu 


Tiger Shrimp 
Luke-3.5, Natalie- 2.0, Kellie & Chris-3.0


Jerk Chicken 
Chris- 4.5


Royal Chocolate Cake 
Natalie- 3.5 & Luke- 4.0


Carrot Cake
Chris- 4.0


Pineapple Cake (Sugar Free) 
Kellie- 2.5 (There's a reason it is SF)

We grabbed drinks in the Pub before going to the Main Theater for the ventriloquist who was hilarious and we all LOVED the show. I have not seen (or heard) Luke laugh this much in a very long time! We had seen this guy before on the Jewel of the Seas 2025 cruise and we loved him. We ended the night in the Pub listening to live music and the kids went to deck 16 to play table tennis. 

It was a GREAT day and a very unique shore excursion for us. We enjoyed getting to Swim with the Pigs and Mansa Bay was gorgeous. But I was ready for my favorite part of this itinerary, Coco Cay! 

Check out our day in Nassau:
It was a day for the memory books... for sure! 

Up Next... Our final stop in the Bahamas- Royal Caribbean's Private Island... Coco Cay! 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Mariner of the Seas- June 2026










 


Carnival Conquest- 2006
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