Friday, October 2, 2026

Diamonds are Forever- Day 7

A Sea Day for Foodies
Sea Day #3
July 10, 2026


It's time for LOBSTER night and our second formal evening! 

Morning
Natalie opted to sleep in and I met the boys at the Main Dining Room for breakfast. The service had been slow earlier in the week so we request a table closer to the front which also helped Chris and his neuropathy in his feet. We were hopeful this would make the service faster but it still took nearly an hour to get in and out of the MDR for breakfast. 

Happy Friday from the Gulf of America! 


The MDR Breakfast Menu 


Chocolate Chip Pancakes 
Luke-4.0
*He thinks Poppy's are better! 


Buttermilk Pancakes
Chris-3.0
He was not feeling these on this day! 


Breakfast Burrito 
Kellie- 4.0

After breakfast, Luke and I started to get to work on our Symphony Bucket-list of all of the fun and exciting activities offered on board. We started with the Ultimate Abyss. We LOVED this on the Harmony of the Seas February and this time we had even more fun. We ended up going down this slide 4 times before lunch! 



Afterwards we went to the Guest Services to get our FREE 24 hours of Wi-fi with our Diamond perk. This was so easy to do with the help of the crew and we all four enjoyed this freebie and perk. We met Natalie in The Pub to enjoy live music and World Cup on the TV before heading to World Capitals Trivia in On Air. Luke demolished the competition on this one and then Chris was able to bring home our first trivia win of the cruise with the tie-breaker! 

I am so glad Chris was here to break the tie- Luke was too shy! 


This 14 year old knew WAY more than me! He loves this kind of nonsense. 

Afternoon
Even though breakfast in the MDR was rather slow, the kids wanted to try the lunch menu in the MDR at least once on this cruise so we all met for lunch and the food was exceptional. The service was better than breakfast but it still took longer than we would have liked. 

The Main Dining Room Lunch Menu 
(option #3) 


Manhattan Clam Chowder
All-4.0


Mozzarella Sticks
Kellie- 4.5
I swear these are the same from Coco Cay but they just seem fresher. 


Royal Burger 
Luke- 3.5


Lasagna 
Kellie- 3.0
This is NOT the same from the Italian menu and was lacking quite a bit! 


Spaghetti Bolagnese 
Chris- 2.5
He barely even put a dent in this. That is how we knew he was really struggling and not "just tired". Something was going on with him and we had no idea what exactly it was. 


Steak Frites
Natalie- 3.5
She LOVED this dish and actually requested it be put on the dinner menu! 

The kids went to play Table Tennis while Chris and I went to the Caymus Tasting in Vintages. We LOVE Caymus and especially from Vintages as they have special bottles and offer a tasting on most 7 day cruises. We have always wanted to do this but never had so we went ALL IN and tried this tasting. It was phenomenal and we LOVED getting to try this high-end wine with tapas and chocolate as well. TIP- This was $35/ person but it was very much worth it in our opinion as you get so much wine (nearly 2 bottles per person in the end) and this is such great wine it pays for itself. 

This was worth every penny! 


Each person started with these but they just kept on pouring! 
Thank you Richard in Vintages- you're the BEST! 

Chris was still not feeling 100% and even thought he had a fever so he went back to the room to take another nap. I assumed he had Covid since he was showing signs of weakness, tiredness and now a slight fever. He rested most of the afternoon. 

Luke and I met in the Crown Lounge for some afternoon snacks before going and checking out the Main Pool. It was hot but not crowded at this point of the afternoon (4-5PM). Chris met us at the Pool Deck bars so we could cross them off our Pub Crawl list. The drinks were fabulous but it was SO HOT! 

My traditional buoy picture... Just 7 days late! 


Cheers from the Solarium Bar. Just 2 bars to go... 
This bar was SO HOT. It was not shaded at all and we were really missing the Harmony Solarium

Evening
We all got ready for dinner and then went to the show Flight in the Main Theater. This is without a doubt the absolute BEST SHOW I have ever seen. Not just on a cruise ship but in general. Even better than Cirque du Soleil and Vegas Shows- This was INCREDIBLE . Be sure to check this out while on the Symphony. Natalie in particular loved this show as she plans to go into Astrophysics and Aerospace in college. 

The acrobatics of this show were VEGAS quality! 


Not to mention the props were incredibly high tech and realistic. 


Once again, the absolute BEST show we have ever seen!

After the Flight Show we meandered around Central Park before going to the Main Dining Room. We love Central Park- especially at night! It was formal night and we loved getting to take pictures in Central Park. 

Pink and Blue formal night! 


My kids are growing up WAY TOO FAST. Time is a thief! 


My whole heart in one picture. 

Here's a few of our professional pictures (FREE with our Diamond perk) 


Cruise #30 and Diamond Status has been reached! 

The menu in the Main Dining Room was the Royal Night and it featured our favorite- lobster. The service was once again, phenomenal with easily our best waitstaff team EVER. Chris did not eat hardly anything and really only the lobster before he had to leave dinner early as he was feel nausea. 

The MDR Royal Night Menu 


The Onion Tarlet 
Natalie- 4.0 and Kellie- 3.0
It was served lukewarm but overall taste was fantastic! 


Royal Lobster Tail 
Luke- 5.0 & Chris, Kellie and Natalie- 4.0
I love that Royal Caribbean still opens and cuts it for you! 


Luke had THREE desserts on this evening! 

After dinner Luke went to bed and then Chris, Natalie and I went to The Quest, gameshow in Studio B. TIP- This is an adults only gameshow but with a 17 year old, we opted to take Natalie and it was VERY mild. We laughed a LOT and enjoyed this show. Chris was not feeling well again and had to leave the show early to go back to the room and rest. 

This girl is a SENIOR and I am having a hard time watching her "grow up". 
Graduation will be here before we know it! 

Natalie and I ended the night in Boleros for live music but called it a night at 12:45AM ship time but we were able to get an hour back due to traveling back to Central Standard time. It was a great day spent onboard the Symphony of the Seas. 

Check out Day #7 on board the Symphony:
We LOVE Sea Days and this one did not disappoint! 


Up Next... Our last day on board! 

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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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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