Cruise Like a Davis- Our Cruise Travels 2006 to present
RCCL Anthem of the Seas 2025
Chris and I took our very first cruise in Summer 2006 shortly after we were married in March. His parents gifted us this cruise with his family and we loved traveling via a cruise ship. Almost a decade later after having our two kids, Natalie and Luke, we decided to go on another cruise out of Galveston, TX and the rest is HISTORY- We were hooked! We have now been on over 27 cruises and this form our travel will remain not only our favorite but our kids favorite as well. It has also proven to be the most economical way to travel with kids in our most recent experience traveling via LAND and SEA.
We have sailed four of the biggest (and BEST) cruise lines in the world and we love comparing and contrasting each ship and cruise line as we sail. We have tried to highlight each cruise with our trip details, pictures, tips, costs and more.
What started as a way to share our trip with my grandma, has now grown into a well followed blog and I am so grateful for all of you who continue to support us by following along on our travels!
Platinum Pacific Style February 19-23, 2024 Long Beach, CA
We loved you Carnival Radiance!
It's hard to believe this was my TWENTY-THIRD cruise but here I am... Killing it on the HIGH SEAS! While 23 cruises may seem a little extreme, this is our favorite way to travel and the easiest for our family. This was also our 1st cruise, besides Alaska, that departed from a home port other than Galveston and we LOVED IT!
We have cruised 12 previous times withCarnival, 7 times withRoyal Caribbean, 2 times withNorwegian and 1 time withPrincess.
This blog will contain entries of our day-to-day life aboard the Carnival Radianceas well as a highlights from our travel days getting to Long Beach as well as specific details of our 2 new destination ports.
Throughout the blog posts, we will also share the lots of tips, tricks and insiders knowledge about cruising out of Long Beach, CA, information about Platinum perks from Carnival as well as lots of pictures and videos of our family trip!
Once again, thank you for following along and support our business! I hope this will help someone planning a cruise on the Carnival Radiance(or sailing from Long Beach/ Southern California)or planning to get back to cruising after the pandemic... Or even a first time cruiser! Feel free to reach out with any questions!
Up Next... our return to Coco Cay... This time for PERFECT DAY!
Monday, February 19, 2024 Embarkation Day- Long Beach, CA
Embarkation Day is the BEST DAY!
Morning Our alarms went off at 7AM and we were up and ready for Embarkation Day aboard the Carnival Radiance. Chris recently switched some of his medications and he did not have a great night so we were a little tired but we were not going to let anything RAIN on our parade. Except... the actual rain! It started raining around 7:30AM and it never really let up.
Rain or Shine... We are ready to get on that ship!
A view from our Balcony at the Pacific Inn.
We made our way to the 3rd floor of the hotel for the continental breakfast, which was surprisingly bountiful and pleasant. Once we finished breakfast the front desk called to let us know that the shuttle was in traffic but a LYFT had been called to take us to the Carnival Cruise terminal in Long Beach, approximately 20 minutes away. Our Lyft driver was not necessarily the brightest and got lost 2 times before she even picked us up and her vehicle was questionable at best. There were times in the drive we even questioned if we would make it to the terminal.
We were pleasantly surprised by the amount offered at this "continental breakfast" at The Pacific Inn.
We are on the LYFT and it's GO TIME!
WHOA... Hello California! I better start saving now for our GAS BILL for our April California trip! YIKES!
But a las, we arrived around 9:40AM for our 10AM arrival time. This terminal was fairly small and seemed VERY chaotic upon first arrival. There were porters on both sides of the drop off area and we were not sure if they were to help those passengers getting OFF the ship or those of us getting on. We reluctantly gave our bags (and a healthy tip) to a porter who ensured us he would get them on the ship and made our way in the pouring rain to the Check-in Line. We got in line shortly before 10 and within minutes we were told to go into the terminal.
This terminal was so cool... Both inside AND outside!
I loved all the air and space decor!
As a PLATINUM cruiser, I was able to have BOTH of staterooms get the priority treatment for check-in. However, that "priority" came to a screeching halt when grandpa was particular about the passport and documents. This was super irritating as I wanted EVERYTHING to go smooth for this embarkation since it was my first time to enjoy the Platinum benefits. I was a little annoyed with this geezer, but it turned out to be a good thing as he checked in Luke TWICE for the cruise and never checked in Chris. Since they both are labeled David Davis on the cruise documents, it was an easy oversight. Grandpa marked Luke boarding pass with "JR" and after about 15 minutes, we were pushed on to the main waiting area.
We LOVE Embarkation Day photos!
Once inside this oddly shaped dome terminal, I asked where the Platinum passengers wait and was surprised to find the Captains Lounge area where all Platinum passengers could wait. This very secluded and cute area was so COOL. I do not remember Galveston having an area as nice as this for it's premium guests. Chris and Luke were in a different cabin than me so technically they were NOT platinum and were not supposed to get these benefits. However, I just marched right in there with them in tow. TIP- The worker at the entrance of the Captain's Lounge stopped us and said that usually it does not work but since this voyage did not have very many Platinum and above guests, she would allow it. This was a very interesting ordeal but I am so glad the boys got to tag along with the fun.
Wow... I have FINALLY made it to the TOP! This was so cool!
Look at all these low-lifes enjoying MY Platinum benefits! Haha, just kidding!
I'm the REAL winner of the group!
We waited about 20 minutes before the first announcement was made at 10:31AM. Shortly after they started boarding with the MASSIVE wedding party first. Then the diamond guests and then Platinum guests around 10:46AM. We were onboard the Carnival Radiance and heard the first ding at 10:50AM.
Luke "I see it. I see our ship" I love the excitement that comes with the gangway walk to the ship!
It was a very rainy and stormy day but that did not rain on our parade.
DING- We are ON BOARD!
Our experience of Embarkation Day in Long Beach!
We immediately went to the atrium bar and got our Bubbles stickers for the kids. TIP- Carnival offers a "bubbles" package of unlimited soft drinks for $6.99/ day per person. This is a good deal since each 12oz can of soda costs $3.49. Carnival only serves Pepsi products and does not offer Dr. Pepper.
After we took care of the logistics, we went up to the Lido deck to Blue Iguana Bar and got a few Mai-Tai and then made our way to the Cucina de Capiano - Pasta Bar for lunch. The kids were SO excited to try the pasta but Chris was more excited about the Big Chicken so he grabbed a sandwich and met us on Deck 10. The service was fabulous in the Pasta Bar and the food was good as well. We then all made our way to the Guy's BBQ on Deck 10 aft to get our BBQ fix. TIP-This was probably the biggest disappoint of the entire cruise as far as food goes. The meat was dry and the flavor was missing.
They were SO excited about the Pasta Bar!
I am excited to relax and enjoy the drink package!
Luke was so hungry and he ate a LOT!
It's LUNCH TIME!
A walk through of the Lido deck during the lunch rush on Embarkation Day!
Afternoon
Shortly after our lunch(es), we made our way to our Muster Station get checked in on Deck 5. TIP- Carnival (like the other major cruise lines) are still offering the Muster Station check-in instead of the actual meeting (pre-Covid times) and this means you watch the video on your phone/app or in your stateroom and then get checked into your Muster Station. This is SO MUCH easier than actually meeting and crammed in like cattle. Thank you Carnival for keeping this new Muster Station tradition!
After we checked into the Muster Station, I went and dropped off our carry-on bag in our stateroom then we went to the Atrium bar for live music while the kids explored the ship looking for venues and etc. The kids LOVED having this freedom and even with Natalie not having a phone, they checked in with us each hour.
Natalie and Luke were ready to EXPLORE!
We are already LOVING the Carnival Radiance!
Family Selfie #1...
It's CRUISE TIME!
Luke stopped for some Big Chicken!
I decided to go to the Main Dining Room to check our dinner table and I am so glad that I did as we were originally scheduled for a table of 10. We are not a fan of sharing a table as we want to spend our vacation TOGETHER and not with strangers. Many people love sharing a table but it is not our thing. The Maitre d' moved us to a private booth at the front of the dining room and I was so happy with this change.
By this time, the staterooms were ready and we were ready to get into these connecting staterooms and get unpacked. Tip- We absolutely LOVED these cabins. They are a "sideways" interior cabin found on Dream class ships (on deck 6) and Vista class as well. They are MASSIVE and have a LOT of space. We also loved the connecting cabins (one for adults and one for kids) and we may never cruise any other way!
Seriously, these cabins are THE BEST! The space is incredible and they are the same price as regular interiors!
As soon as we got into the room we noticed a letter stating that the order of our port days and sea days had changed due to severe weather and rough sea conditions. TIP- Since Catalina Island was a tendered port, this meant the chance we could actually miss the port. We didn't care about the order of ports, we just want to be able to get to them all. Especially since we FLEW to get here!
We were originally supposed to do the following route: Day 2- Catalina Island Day 3- Ensenada Day 4- Sea Day
Now this was the new itinerary: Day 2- Sea Day Day 3- Catalina Island Day 4- Ensenada
Natalie and Luke changed into swim suits and went to the hot tubs and Chris and I took a quick nap. Our luggage arrived around 2PM and I got the suitcases all unpacked while Chris and the kids went to Guy's Burgers. We all met up to explore the ship together and try to watch us pull out of Long Beach! The rain was light and heavy at times and it made for a nasty Embarkation Day but we didn't care! We were on board and nothing was going to steal our joy!
Cruise Like a Davis VIFP cards! Next cruise- Chris will be Platinum and Luke will be gold!
And family selfie #2 with the Queen Mary!
Our traditional buoy picture!
OMG, it's the Titanic... Well, sort of! The Queen Mary stays in Long Beach and currently is a museum and hotel.
I am so excited for this cruise!
The weather was so bad (and cold- It was 55*) that the main Lido deck pool was emptied!
A view of the Long Beach Cruise Terminal next to the Queen Mary!
I love this guy so much and I LOVE that he loves cruising just as much as I do!
The Carnival Radiance Sports Deck and Ropes Course on Deck 11 in the aft of the ship! (This is also where Guy's BBQ is located)
Then it was time to set sail. Unfortunately, it had been raining all afternoon and the rain continued so the sail away party had to be relocated to the Atrium. As soon as we arrived we saw the Fun Squad and took a picture before the deck party in the Atrium. After the party we got a great picture with Pauly the Cruise Director and this was the soonest in a cruise we had ever gotten our CD picture. Pauly was SO MUCH fun and full of energy and we enjoyed him all cruise!
Cruise Like a Davis and the Carnival Radiance FUN SQUAD!
Our traditional Cruise Director Picture- We love you Pauly!
This was such a fun sail-away! Even inside! Thanks Pauly for making our sail away SO MUCH FUN!
Evening
It was now about 5:30PM and we still had not set sail from Long Beach. We never got an answer as to why we were delayed in setting sail but we only had to travel about 100 miles (or less) to Catalina Island so it really did not matter. Chris and I spent the evening in the Hero's Bar on Deck 5 just waiting for our dining time in the MDR at 8PM. TIP- Hero's Bar was a great little sports bar connected to the casino and the service was fabulous all cruise.
I did a quick round of shopping on deck 5 with Natalie and she got a Pandora bracelet with her spending money. We then went back to the stateroom to get ready for dinner and just chill for a bit. Luke opted to make a stop by the ice cream machines before getting back to the room and changing for dinner.
I love our back-of- shirt numbers! How can this be my TWENTY-THIRD cruise... I am NOT that old?
We made our way to the Deck 3 forward dining room only to find out there was some weird water damage from the previous cruise and we had to enter the dining room through the back. Due to the build of Carnival ships, this meant we had to go up to Deck 4 and then make our way to the back entrance since Deck 3 does not go through the middle of the ship. We got to the back of the Dining Room and finally got to our table through the chaos of people.
Night #1 in the Main Dining Room!
I love getting to share all of this with my kiddos!
Our dinner was FABULOUS! The food and the service were seriously outstanding and we were impressed. The kids LOVED being able to order additional appetizers and entrees and trying out foods they would not normally try.
We quickly made our way to the Welcome Aboard Show after dinner and had to sit at the very top of the theater due to so many people being at this single show for the evening. Overall the production shows were not as impressive but we still enjoyed them.
We ended the night after 11PM and the kids decided to go back to the stateroom and go to bed while Chris and I were still jet-lagged (believe it or not) and decided to continue the fun at our favorite... The Alchemy Bar. This place NEVER disappoints with the intricate details of ingredients and flavor. We finally called it a night shortly after midnight.
The Forty is the New Twenty- I LOVE this one!
But the Painkiller is my absolute favorite!
Overall it was a GREAT Embarkation Day aboard the Carnival Radiance and out of Long Beach. The kids loved the freedom of exploring the ship by themselves and we loved getting to enjoy the whole experience together!
Up Next... Our one and only Sea Day aboard theCarnival Radiance!
Morning As per the usual for the 1st day of vacation, we woke up early and excited at 5AM. Unfortunately, this is literally our NORMAL as we have a school start time of 6:45AM and live about 30 minutes from our school. So it was just another day! We were out the door and waiting (AND WAITING) for our Whataburger breakfast by 5:30AM. Despite having placed the order in the Whataburger app 20 minutes before arrival, Whataburger did not have our order and we had to wait for them to make our food. Sadly, I had already PLANNED for this slow down and despite the 20 minute delay at Whataburger, we were "right on time".
We made the 45 mile/ 55 minute trip to Houston Hobby Airport where our Southwest flight to Long Beach departed at 8:55AM. We arrived right at 7AM and had no issues and only a 10 minute wait to get through security! TIP- Hobby airport is so much easier to get through security than Bush Airport in North Houston. We think the additional driving time is worth it. However, we will fly out of either... Whichever is cheaper!
TIP- Southwest Airlines has open seating and you can sit where ever you like once on the plane. However, you must check in for your flight 24 hours PRIOR to the flight departure time. They have "boarding groups" and these are a first come first serve order of who checks in and the timing of their check in. We opted to pay the $25/ per person fee for "EARLY BIRD CHECK IN" which automatically checks everyone in 36 hours before flight time. This proved to be worth the $100 as we got boarding group A (56-59); which is basically the top 25% of the passengers.
Once we got through security, we made our way to our gate and then got some coffee at Peet's Coffee in the terminal. While waiting for our plane to arrive, we learned that this flight was only about 70% full. We were already doing the happy dance thinking about the empty seats for our 4 hour flight.
Hello Houston Hobby... Long time, no see!
This was the best thing I read ALL DAY!
Our ride arrived around 8:15AM and we literally watched all 6 of our suitcases get onto our plane to California! Once on board, Chris and Natalie snagged the open and very spacious front row while Luke and I went back to row 12 and spread out hoping nobody would join us and we would have an open middle seat. Chris and Natalie were not so lucky and a middle passenger joined them but Luke and I were able to enjoy this long flight without a middle person!
Hello Boeing 737- Take me to Cali, please!
We were SO EXCITED to NOT have to share the row!
I seriously LOVE that he will still hold my hand... It may not last very much longer! Please NEVER GROW UP- or at least STOP growing up!
The flight was fairly boring with lots of cloud coverage and not a lot of turbulence. Luke was able to see Phoenix and the Rocky Mountains in particular with his window seat. We also flew quite literally right over my in-laws property just north of Lubbock, TX.
Goodbye Houston!
Hello Southern California!
The Carnival Panorama was in port and headed out on a 6 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera!
We touched down in Long Beach about 15 minutes earlier than planned and were able to get to our gate very quickly. Long Beach airport was SO COOL. We were able to de-board the plane via stairs and even 2 exits which made the debarkation of the plane SO MUCH EASIER. This also meant a gorgeous entrance to Southern Cali as we walked from the plane to the airport terminal. TIP- After having flown in and out of LGB airport, I would HIGHLY recommend anyone trying to avoid LAX and flying to Long Beach. This airport was so chill and laid back and has a very California vibe that we LOVED!
I am not sure when the last time I got off a plane without a jetway!
This was SO COOL!
We LOVED Long Beach Airport! #FLYLGB
Waiting for our LYFT in front of this tiny airport!
This airport may literally be my new favorite!
Once in the terminal, we made our way to baggage claim and waited for our luggage to arrive before contacting our Hotel about the shuttle. This shuttle turned out to be a "LYFT" paid by the Hotel but we were happy with this "free" shuttle to The Pacific Inn, our hotel for the evening. Our LYFT driver was a local who gave us lots of tips and tricks for our upcoming April 2024 Baseball trip to LA and Anaheim.
Afternoon Once we arrived at The Pacific Inn, we were able to get checked in and leave out suitcases with the hotel and go and get lunch. However, I learned once we started to pay that the bank had not put our vacation notice on the right day so I had to spend 20-30 minutes trying to get a LIVE person on a Sunday to take the hold off my debit card! Thank goodness for Juan in the Walmart Bank in Conroe! We got it all figured out and we were on our way to Schooner or Later, a Diner's Drive-Ins and Dives in Seal Beach. We decided to walk to this restaurant which was about a mile from our hotel at the Alamitos Bay Mariana Center. WOW... Southern California weather makes me SO HAPPY (and jealous). It was a gorgeous walk and we made it to this diner around 12:30.
A view of Seal Beach near our hotel!
Walking across the Marina to Schooner or Later!
1.3 miles later, we have arrived!
We checked in with the hostess to learn there was over an hour wait. We didn't care as we really love to try DDD places on vacations. The marina was gorgeous and we enjoyed some drinks on the water while we waited for our table. Once seated, the service was OUTSTANDING and the food was even better. The kids devoured their meal and Chris and I enjoyed trying each others orders as well. Overall, this was a GREAT place to visit while in Long Beach and not too expensive for California prices. We paid $100 (with tip) for our food order and right at $50 for our drinks.
Ok, OK... Vacation can FINALLY begin!
Cheers to California and CRUISING!
We loved the California weather- It was 65* and GORGEOUS!
Poor Natalie had DNow weekend at church and was up until 3AM the night before!
She was tired!
I love this guy so much!
Luke and I LOVED walking this marina as we waited for our table!
We are finally seated around 1:45PM. TRUST ME... IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT!
Luke ordered the "Very Berry Pancakes" and they were HUGE! (He ate every bite)
Natalie's order was a bit unique for her but "Fish and Chips" for the win!
I ordered what Guy did on Diner's Drive-ins and Dives, as I always do.
This Turkey Club was AMAZING!
Chris ordered the "Patty Melt" and after tasting mine he wished he would have ordered the Turkey Club as well!
After brunch, we tried to walk and get some Long Beach souvenirs but we had a hard time finding local shops. We walked away from our hotel about .5 mile and then we got a phone call saying our room was ready so we headed back to The Pacific Inn.
I found this hidden gem on Cruise Critic as a lovely place to stay before sailing out of Long Beach! The reviews were spot on and we agreed- this place was perfect!
This suite was HUGE and we loved it! This is too far from our attractions we will visit in April but it would be PERFECT for an extended LA stay! We paid $259/ night and this was about $200 less than the downtown Long Beach hotels!
We got into our MASSIVE Executive suite and got settled before taking a quick nap. We were all so very tired from the early morning and the long flight! Once we got up, we opted to go towards Seal Beach for some shopping and beach time.
We made it the 5 blocks to downtown Seal Beach and did some shopping before getting down to the beach around 4:30PM. This beach was gorgeous with soft sand and gorgeous views of the Pacific. The kids ran up to the high hill of sand to get a quick look (and Natalie took a picture) while we rolled up our pants to go into the FRIGID waters of the Pacific. The kids and I RAN out into the ocean while Chris stayed back with our shoes. The waters were SO COLD and all three of us came RUNNING back into shore after getting no more than knee high deep in the water (fully dressed). We got back up to the shore line and Natalie yells "Bruh, where's my phone". The rest... Is history!
The ONLY beach picture I took... Just moments before the crisis!
"Bruh! Where's My Phone?" Even watching this now... it breaks my heart for Natalie! | It can (and could) happen to any of us!
We spent the next hour+ looking for her phone. We knew she had taken a picture on top of the sand hill and then we all went into the ocean at the same time. I didn't even think about her phone. She was wearing loose jogger pants with very small and loose pockets and her phone had to have just fallen into the ocean without any of us knowing. We looked all over that beach, asked 4-6 lifeguards and even filed a police report with Seal Beach police. The 1st 2 times we called her phone it rang but the times beyond that, it went immediately to voicemail. We used Life360 and her location never changed from the minute we realized it was lost. We also did the Find My app and her location never changed. We called ATT and they advice us to erase the device and remove it from our account in case it was found. Since we were boarding a cruise ship the following morning, we were very worried about identity theft and etc. Chris was FURIOUS to say the very least.
Evening
We stayed on the beach trying to find the phone until about 5:45pm and then we decided to head back to the hotel to use Natalie's iPad to erase her phone. The "highs" and California/ vacation vibes were gone and were all on edge. We were not hungry but we decided to stop at the Seal Beach boardwalk to get a light dinner at NYC Pizza. This was anything BUT NYC pizza and was the biggest disappointment of the trip. TIP- True NYC pizza is ONLY found in New York City! This placed tried... but failed!I will admit that the prices were AMAZING for California! They offered a special of 2 large slices and a drink for only $8.95! We also grabbed some ice cream at Bruster's in hopes of raising our spirits but we were all still super bummed.
The menu at A Slice of New York Pizza in Seal Beach!
The outside of this hole in the wall!
Ice cream makes almost anything better...
We walked back to the hotel and got showered and took care of erasing Natalie's phone and deleting it form our ATT account. Right outside our suite room was the hotel pool and hot tub. It is not our style to get bathing suits wet prior to boarding a ship but honestly, we didn't care at this point! We had enough of this day and needed the relaxation. Chris and I enjoyed the hot tub while Natalie and Luke did some pool time as well. We called it a night around 9PM to get ready for our Embarkation Day aboard the Carnival Radiance.
This was a well appointed area of the hotel and we enjoyed the hot tub!
It was not the way we thought our fist day would pan out but we tried to make the best of it. Poor Natalie had all kinds of emotions and I truly felt for her as she had to start HER vacation like this. However, I was so grateful that is was HER phone and not mine or Chris's as it has SO MUCH info on it and linked to our bank and credit cards! Nowadays, it is so convenient to have everything on your phone but it's these situations that remind me to keep it all close! We have now learned our lesson and will be sure we have ALL devices with an adult prior to running out into the frigid Pacific waters (or anywhere else for that matter).
It was all ok... BECAUSE the next day we get on a CRUISE SHIP! Seriously, those are the BEST DAYS EVER!
Stay tuned for Embarkation Day on the Carnival Radiance!
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