Thursday, April 2, 2026

Living in Harmony- Sea Day #3

 Red, White and Blue Done Royally 
February 21, 2026 
Sea Day #3


Its our last day onboard...we've gotta live it up! 

Morning
The ship was rocking as we made our way back towards God's Country and Galveston, TX but we were all able to see a little better and were up after 7AM. We met on the Royal Promenade to do some laps around the track before getting breakfast in the Main Dining Room. TIP- The MDR is open for all sea day and port day breakfasts and it is such a slower vibe than the Windjammer and we prefer it over just about anything else. 


Good morning- this is my favorite view! 


It has been a great cruise! 


These banana pancakes just hit different! 

After breakfast Luke went to Deck 15 Aft to do another round (or four) of the FlowRider before the lines got really long shortly before 10AM. At that point he went to the Main Pool and I went to wake up Natalie who was enjoying the much needed rest and extra sleep. Chris and I went to the Pub for Live Music and more talking with our favorite bartender, Xue, about her life onboard. 


This was easily Luke's favorite thing onboard! 


Check out Luke's Sea Day #3 FlowRider session! 

We all met at the Captain's Corner talk in the Royal Theater at 10:30AM where we learned so much about the ship, the crew and the travel aspects of the Harmony of the Seas. TIP- The Captain's Corner is done on most ships the last sea day and offers a time to meet, greet and ask questions for the Captain and his main staff. It is one of our favorite events on board and we have learned a lot about the future of Royal Caribbean (or other cruise lines) future. Today we learned that while "The Discovery Class" of ships that was just announced will be "smaller" it is actually anything but. It will be similar in size to the "Voyager" class which is 140K gross tons or more. We were hoping for a new upgraded "Radiance Class" or similar ships. But Royal LOVES the MEGA ships and it is working out well for them so I get it. 


Be sure to check this out on the last Sea Day! 


Harmony of the Seas facts! 

After the Captain's Corner we hurried to Schooner Bar for the Search for the Nations game. Chris and I had seen this many times but never played this game but the kids really wanted to try it. Unfortunately, this was the ending of this game and it actually began on Sea Day #1. Next time... Sorry Natalie. 

We paused at Schooner Bar and played some cards before the Veteran's Tribute that was happening below on the Royal Promenade. We have seen Veteran's tributes and programs on other cruises and other cruise lines but this was something truly spectacular with the playing of the National Anthem, salute to all armed forces and a speech by the captain. It was very moving and we all really enjoyed it! 


A view of the cupcake display in the Royal Promenade from the Schooner Bar! 


Katie, the Cruise Director, and Captain did a fantastic job with this event! 


Natalie ran into the Captain on her way to the Boardwalk and asked for a selfie! 

Afternoon
We had reservations at Jamie's Italian for 1:30PM and we arrived around 1:20PM and were immediately seated. The restaurant was packed and we were able to sit at the only available table. We were able to get this reservation once on board but I will book this prior to embarkation in the future as it is much lower in price and well worth it after this experience. We paid $25/ person onboard and it was as low as $14/ person if we booked ahead of time. Even at $25/ person this was an incredible lunch and a wonderful experience. 

We were able to order every single appetizer to try since there was 4 of us and we all wanted more than one appetizer. In addition, we were all able to order a pasta plate as well as a main entree which allowed us all to try most of the items on the lunch menu. The service was very fast since we were the last reservation time of the lunch hour. In addition, the food was literally piping hot and absolutely delicious. Giovanni's Table is one of my all-time favorite specialty restaurants on any cruise ship (Royal Caribbean) but it is safe to say Jamie's Italian is a tie at bare minimum. We all loved this experience so much that I have already reserved a lunch time for our 2 upcoming Royal Caribbean cruises. 


We anxiously seen it all week but it is OUR TURN! 


The Jamie's Italian LUNCH MENU 


Jamie's Bar Menu 


Squid Fritti
This was a solid 4.5 from everyone. 


Ultimate Garlic Buns
I kid you not, my mouth is watering while I type this! These were INCREDIBLE!
5.0+ from everyone 


Tomato Bruschetta 
This was a solid 4.5 as well- although Luke was not as enthusiastic about it as we were. 


Truffle Burrata 
This was odd but I loved it. 
Kellie-5.0 and all others 3.5


Cured Meat Plank 
This was like a Charcuterie board on crack and it was delicious! 
5.0 from everyone! 


Truffle Arancini
We all loved these balls in the MDR and these were even better! 
4.5 from everyone! 


Creamy Prawn Linguine 
Luke-4.5 


Penne Vodka Arrabbiata 
Kellie-4.0 
This was the only "let down" of the meal but it was still SO GOOD! I will order the lasagna next time! 


Avocado Caesar Salad 5.0
Had the waiter not allowed us to order both pasta and main entree, I would have missed this and it is easily the BEST CAESAR SALAD I have ever had! 


Italian Banana Split 3.5
Luke was so full he barely ate any but it was good! 


Classic Tiramisu 4.5
This was the perfect end to our meal! 


This was a HUGE success and we will be back in June (and July). 

After lunch Chris went to nap in the stateroom while the kids went to play Table Tennis on Deck 15 Aft and then mini-golf. I opted to lay out in the shade of the Solarium for most of the rest of the afternoon before we all met in the Aqua Theater for their afternoon show. This was a great show and we loved theme- Hideaway Heist! 


I loved getting to see the Aqua Show in the daylight as well! 

Natalie and I did some last minute shopping and got some souvenirs from the shops onboard and then went to Johnny Rocket's for an afternoon shake before meeting the boys in the Schooner Bar for 1990s trivia. This was SO MUCH FUN... we didn't win but we loved the vibe. 

Natalie was feeling a little last minute "I must do everything" moment so she went and put on shoes to do the zipline one more time. She was able to get one ride in before it started raining but she had her moment! 


Natalie LOVED the zipline! 


Go, Natalie GO! 

Evening
Dinner in the Main Dining Room is not one of our favorite menus but the service was top notch and the kids loved many of the options they ordered. We made sure to get the names of all of our servers and managers so we could give them "shout outs" in the survey email we would get the following week. We also gave each of them as cash tip. 


Spaghetti- 4.0
Luke loved this and ordered almost every night! 


International Cheese Plate-3.0
If you know, you know! 

The kids love this last night! 

After dinner we spent nearly 2 hours in the peace and quiet of Vintages. Ursula is such an incredible server and we were able to talk to her about her life back home and life on board. The kids played chess in Central Park and then played more Table Tennis. The FlowRider worker even stopped and talked to Luke as he saw him so much this week. We love that even our kids are talking with the crew and making memories of their own! 

We all grabbed some late night pizza from Sorrento's and then called it a night shortly after 11PM. We were tired from an excellent week aboard the Harmony of the Seas. 


Day 7 was a success... We just we there was a day 8! 


That's a WRAP... Harmony of the Seas, WE LOVE YOU!
 
Did you miss Cozumel- Day 6? 

It has been an OUTSTANDING cruise and all that we had hoped for AND MORE! The kids LOVED this MEGA Ship and are already getting excited for more in a few months. 

We've got 3 more cruises booked in 2026 and we are debating about booking a true last minute cruise on MSC in April. We thank each of you for following along as we love sharing our week and cruise with y'all! 

Up Next... The Mariner of the Seas (our SUITE LIFE to achieving Diamond)... But BEFORE that a VERY LAST minute sailing on the MSC Seascape out of Galveston! A new cruise line and a last minute STEAL-  It is going to be awesome!

Coming Soon:

MSC Seascape- April 2026
Mariner of the Seas-June 2026
Symphony of the Seas- July 2026
Liberty of the Seas- December 2026
Freedom of the Seas (Graduation Cruise)- June 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Jewel of the Seas (B2B Part 2)- July 2025








 


Carnival Conquest- 2006


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Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Living in Harmony- Cozumel

 A Tough Entry But Good Times
February 20. 2026 
Cozumel, Mexico 


We LOVE Cozumel. 

Morning
We all got up by 7AM and we went up to the Windjammer for breakfast and we were already parked in Cozumel at the International Terminal. The boys decided to eat in the Windjammer but it was a little too crowded for my liking so the girls went to Park Cafe in Central Park where the vibe was much less hectic and the food was just as good. 


Hello Friday... And hello Mexico! 


Breakfast with my girl on a cruise ship... doesn't get much better! 

We grabbed some coffee, water bottles and Powerade from Cafe Promenade and then got off the ship shortly after 8AM. We made our way through the terminal and got a taxi to Sunset Beach just 5 minutes away. TIP- The taxis have standard and consistent fares to locations all over the island and are reasonably priced. This taxi ride was only $8 ($10 with tip) for all 4 of us. 


We love Cozumel and the International Terminal is our favorite! 

We had pre-purchased a snorkeling shore excursion from Shore Excursion Group, through our Travel Agent at Cruises Only. This was a 1 hour shore snorkel with all the gear included and then time on your own at Sunset Beach. We paid $35/ per person for a total of $140 for all four of us. The kids have never snorkeled and we were slightly worried how Luke would do but at this price we decided to give it a try. 

Once we arrived at Sunset Beach we got checked in, put on a lot of sunscreen and then made our way to the snorkel entrance. Just as we were trying to enter via the rocky shoreline, the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas was arriving at the International Terminal and passing right by our beach. This meant the waves were very choppy. We wanted to wait but our guide said we would have to get in or may not be able to get in for a while due to the waves. Chris was the first to try and get in and it was a struggle to say the least. We all had our life vests on but not our flippers and as Chris was entering the water the waves pulled his swim trucks down. Thank goodness for the life vest having a strap between your legs or he would have LOST his swim trunks. The Mexican guide and helpers were helping him get up and laughing saying "Blanco, Blanco". The poor guy survived but it was a very rough start. But now we have memories and can laugh about it for years to come! 


Sunset Beach, Bar and Restaurant between the International and Punta Langosta Cruise Terminals. 


The Harmony of the Seas... We were SO CLOSE! 


We are ready for our Snorkeling Excursion! 


The Independence of the Seas coming into Cozumel. 
Been there, done that... Check it out- Indy Cruise 2024

Luke also had a rough start as he was just not comfortable with breathing through his mouth. The mask fit him well but he just could not get the hang of it at first. He was panicking for about 10 minutes and I tried to calm him down but then the guide came back over and helped him and he finally got the hang of it. The rest is history as he LOVED every minute of it; we all did. 

We were able to see a ship wreck, a statue of Jacque Cousteau and countless fish. We swam around and snorkeled for about an hour before heading back to shore. Our guide was phenomenal and we all loved this tour so much. It was WELL WORTH the $35 and I would highly recommend. 


20 minutes into the excursion, he was LOVING it! We had to drag him back to shore! 


The kids really enjoyed this excursion! 


Check out this incredible excursion! Best overall VALUE in Cozumel! 

After the tour, we opted to get a massage right on the beach while the kids played in the sand and enjoyed fresh Nachos from the restaurant and bar. The massage was $45 for 40 minutes and was very aesthetic. Even with the tip and massages for both Chris and I, we only spent $115 after our snorkel tour. Overall this excursion cost $275 with the food, tips and taxis included; which is honestly a very cheap excursion in Cozumel for a family of four! 


This was $90 well spent... It was glorious! 


Luke enjoyed the nachos and lounge chairs as well! 


It will be an excursion and outing we will surely not forget! 


Sunset Beach entrance... They loved the swings while waiting for our taxi! 


It's been real... Until next time! 

We opted to take a taxi back to the International Terminal but we should have walked as it was not too hot and very close to Sunset Beach. Once in the terminal, the boys got back on the ship and Natalie and I did some more shopping. Natalie decided to get shimmer "braids" in her hair and we got some T-shirts to commemorate our trip. 


Still making memories... one Uber (or Mexican Taxi) at a time! 


POV- In the cruise capital of the World! 

Afternoon
We were all four back on the ship around 1PM and enjoying the empty Solarium hot tubs. We all took showers and then ate a lunch. The boys went to the Windjammer and Natalie and I went back to Park Cafe for Make Your Own Salads and it was delicious. 


A view of the Main Pool around 2:30PM. 
This is always a great idea to come back to the ship early to enjoy a fairly "empty" ship! 


The World's Largest Cruise Ship- The Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas. 
She had to skip Costa Maya (Costa Maybe) and then had to make a medical stop in Cozumel. 
She is literally MASSIVE but so impressive! 

Chris napped most of the afternoon while the kids played table tennis and enjoyed more of the Ultimate Abyss and I laid out in the Solarium. The kids and I also took a trip on the Rising Tides Bar so Natalie could enjoy the trip! We all met up at the Attic on Deck 4 for Friends Trivia and I WON! I got a Royal Caribbean highlighter! 


The Rising Tides Bar is such a fun experience! 


It's always one of my favorite activities on board! 

We opted to go to the Boardwalk for more people watching and were able to get some hot dogs from the Dog House and some cotton candy. TIP- The Dog House offers traditional hot dogs and Bratwurst as well. The times vary from day to day but are included in your fare and are really good. The cotton candy was $3.95 but made fresh and the kids loved it. 


YOLO- spend the $4 and get the cotton candy! 

We watched sail away from the aft of the outside Promenade Deck and were able to see a beautiful sail away and sun set before dinner. Since we were in Cozumel, we hoped to see some pier runners but all of our passengers were responsible and were already on the ship. The Harmony of the Seas set sail back to Galveston shortly after 5PM. 


We love a good sail away from Cozumel and this one did not disappoint! 


A view of Sunset Beach and our snorkeling area. We actually went within 10 feet or so of the roped off area in this photo! 


Goodbye Cozumel... All four of us will be back in July! 
Chris and I in just a few weeks... And then again in June! 


A view of the MSC Seascape... This was a sign. 
We try to see all ships in port and guess which one we will be on next. We saw the Seascape when we sailed out of Miami on our Indy 2024 Cruise and jokingly said we would be on her when she sails from Galveston. I guess it may not have been a "joke". 


This... This is why I sail. This view and the peace it provides is awe inspiring! 

Evening
We went to Boleros for US State Trivia and came in 3rd thanks to Luke and his crazy random knowledge. We also tried the Family Karaoke in On Air but it was too loud for us so we opted to go get ready for Formal Night #2. We had told our steward on day 1 we wanted evening service for our room but it seemed he was always in our room when we wanted to shower or change. I really miss the twice daily room cleaning but our steward was amazing! 

Once ready for dinner we went to the Royal Promenade for pictures and so did all of the other 6K passengers it seemed. We did not notice all the people on the first Formal Night but this seemed like people were everywhere. The kids were over it before we even got to take our pictures. I tried to explain that I used to make Chris go to every single booth on our first few cruises. But you live... and you learn. Now I just make sure I take a good picture to use my Emerald discount for a free picture. 


My "not so little" guy and I were enjoying the evening trivia! 


Picture Time in the Royal Promenade! 


My FREE picture (digital download) with my Emerald C&A Rewards! 

We made our way to the MDR for dinner and the lines were very long and the staff was running late from the first seating. We finally got seated after waiting for 15 minutes but the service was still really good. Once seated, we were in and out of the MDR within 1 hour and 20 minutes which is still remarkably fast for a cruise ship. In our recent experience, Royal Caribbean has the overall best (quick) MDR service. 


We are ready for dinner in the Silk Dining Room! 


They are all smiles tonight! 


Night #6- Formal Night 
The Royal Night Menu 


The Onion Tartlet 
Kellie- 4.5, Natalie-4 and Chris-4.5

The Lobster (only allowed ONE) 
We all enjoyed this very much and gave it a 5.0!


The Cheese Tortellini 
We all also enjoyed this very much! 4.5 or 5 from all! 


Strawberry Shortcake 
Kellie 4.5 and Natalie 5.0

After dinner Natalie and I did a little shopping in the Royal Promenade and then met the boys in Dazzles on Deck 8 for the High Seas Horns Big Band hour. This was one of my favorite things on our Allure of the Seas 2023 cruise and this was just as good if not better. We arrived a little late so we had to stand but that didn't matter. I swear, I am going to play my saxophone on a cruise ship before I die... What a life! 


Natalie Grace loves Formal Night on a cruise ship and getting dressed up! 
But time needs to stop... She is growing up SO FAST! 


The High Seas Horns were INCREDIBLE! 


Me and my mini-me were loving the live music! 


Another Bar Crawl video- Although, not my best, we still LOVE Dazzles! 
You've gotta check it out! 

Chris and I ended the night in Studio B at "The Quest", the adult scavenger hunt. This time it was not near as risqué as usually and maybe a bit "boring". TIP- This is a great fun event for adults but it can be a little naughty. Some of our best memories are from The Serenade of the Seas 2015 when Chris was a chosen player and our 2nd Liberty of the Seas 2019 when we played with our friends Julie and Nate! 

After The Quest, we grabbed some late night pizza and then called it a night right around midnight. The kids had already gone to bed as they were worn out from our day in Cozumel! 


A day in Cozumel NEVER disappoints! 

Did you miss Day 5- Costa MAYBE?

It was a great day in our "Cruise Home Away from Home" and we cannot wait to come back (in a few weeks, actually). Stay tuned for our last Sea Day aboard the Harmony of the Seas.

Up Next... Sea Day #3.  

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Jewel of the Seas (B2B Part 2)- July 2025








 


Carnival Conquest- 2006


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