I started off the morning with a yoga class in the Vitality Fitness Center. The fitness center on this ship was setup very different from the last ship I was on. The entrance is somewhat discreet, but it’s that discreetness that also makes it feel welcoming. There wasn’t anyone guarding the door ready to sell you something. I simply walked in and looked away for the yoga area. The class was down a few steps at the front of the fitness center on the wall that faces the front of the ship. While it was at the front, the step down made it feel like we were in our own private room and not like we were front and center of the ship. I practice yoga about twice a week at a studio back home and have done yoga for several years. I’m officially a yoga snob and this class fell short of expectations. The instructor was a personal trainer at the fitness center, but she had limited yoga training. The class was fine and if you don’t practice yoga regularly you probably wouldn’t know that. She also had a strong accent which made it hard to follow along. The mats were also fitness mats and not yoga mats and were about 18 inches shorter than a yoga mat. I’m happy I got some movement this morning, but the class wasn’t worth the hefty $23 price tag.
After yoga I headed to the windjammer for breakfast. There was a ton to explore off-ship today so I found my favorite foods and ate a quick breakfast. Bacon, strawberries, dragon fruit, and a small croissant.
Volleyball was on the schedule today and I was curious about this so I headed to the SeaPlex. I didn’t expect anyone to choose volleyball indoors on the ship over a waterpark and beach exploration. My expectations were correct and two lonely non-standard white volleyballs sat untouched under the center of the net. I should have turned around and went to the beach, but I couldn’t help myself. I had to serve a few!! I haven’t played volleyball in awhile so it was nice to get a few swings in.
Now it was time to see Perfect Day at CocoCay. The simplicity of walking off the cruise ship and simply having to scan my SeaPass to leave and scan it again to enter makes me feel like I’m doing something illegal. I thought customs and immigrations was a necessary right of passage for all international travelers. This part of cruising blows my mind. Granted, Perfect Day at CocoCay feels more American than Bahamian so it hardly counts as an international destination.
I step off the ship and Symphony of the Seas is docked right across from us. This is the newest ship of the Oasis class of Royal Caribbean ships. It was pretty neat to see the two newest ships of the two classes next to each other. I haven’t stepped foot on Symphony of the Seas, but overall I think it’s a better ship for families with younger children. Odyssey of the Seas is best for teenage kids and adults in my opinion.
The long pier was decorated with colorful shade sails and after reaching land we were greeted with dancers and a band performing the catchy but also kind of annoying Perfect Day jingle. To the left was Chill Island and to the right was Thrill Waterpark. I chose a path down the middle and meandered my way through the island. I found a fun pirate ship for kids that reminded me of the one they had at Sea World when I was a kid. The most happening place was Oasis Lagoon which is the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean. Surprisingly the beach was relatively empty. There were a number of people snorkeling and the water looked perfect for it!
I realized 11am was fast approaching and I had a more official walking tour of the island at that time. I headed back to the pier and our tour shortly began. The most notable place we visited on the tour was the Coco Beach Club. This is an exclusive area of the island where paid admission is necessary. The admission price gets you entrance to this quieter area, drinks, and upgraded dining including lobster and filet. This area is also home to over-the-water bungalows that can be rented for a small fortune. It was a gorgeous area and the bungalows are complete with slides into the Caribbean.
After the walking tour, I headed back to the ship to drop off my cameras and prepare for Thrill Waterpark. It’s only a five minute walk from the island back to my stateroom which was convenient. I grabbed a quick snack at Sorento’s on the ship and then headed back out.
As I exited the ship I noticed some dark ominous clouds in the distance. The fact that we had the whole morning with great weather was a pleasant surprise. The forecast had predicted a full day of rain. I knew I needed to move quickly if I wanted to tryout the water slides. I found the lockers and locked up my phone and clothes. The lockers are complimentary and work similar to how the safes work in the cabin.
I headed to the smaller set of slides that use rafts to ride them. Most of the slides required you to pickup a raft from the bottom and carry it to the top. There was one slide with a raft elevator. Of course that’s the one to ride! It had the longest line but by this time it was raining. I never really understood why rain deters people from waterslides but hey, shorter waits for me! It turns out the raft requires at least two people to ride and I was by myself. Luckily I made friends with a couple travel agents in line and they were gracious to let me ride with them. As we stood at the top waiting to ride, I noticed that there was more screaming than I would have expected. Wimps I thought! I won’t spoil the ride but I screamed too followed by uncontrollable laughter. So fun!!! There were three different types of slides on this smaller cluster of slides and I tried each one. The second one used a yoga type mat with handles and you laid on your stomach and slid down face first. Another slide ride filled with laughter. The third one required a standard single or double raft and was my least favorite. It involved some spinning that I wasn’t a huge fan of. After these slides I began walking towards the Devil’s tower of giant slides. The rain had picked up and I decided I’d save these slides for another day. I was also getting really cold so finding a towel was next on my agenda.
I walked around the island some more and found myself at a bar next to the beach. I ordered a strawberry daiquiri and sat comfortably in the shelter of the bar until the rain calmed down. When it didn’t calm down, I went to find lunch. I opted for a burger and fries. It was decent but nothing to brag about. The sky was completely gray at this point and I decided it was time to head back.
After warming up in my cabin, I looked at the activities onboard and realized there was a lot left to try. I headed over to the SeaPlex where a pickle ball tournament was happening. I’ve never played pickle ball and I didn’t have a doubles partner so I was just a spectator this time around. After awhile, I decided to checkout the views from the top deck. This brought me near the SkyPad and I decided to give the trampolines another go, but this time with the virtual reality headset. I actually found the experience easier with the headset. I played one of the VR games and after a couple minutes decided I was done with physical activity.
Dinner was next and I ordered grilled chicken with carrots and spinach. Probably not the tastiest option available but I needed to balance out the extra snack and things. I also started the meal with a wedge salad and capped it off with crème brûlée.
The bumper cars were open after dinner so I went to try them out. There was a decent line but lucky for me my party-of-one was able to ride with barely a wait. The majority of the riders were mature adults and we rode the bumper cars like we would get a ticket for crashing. 😂 I was 💯% for this version of “bumper cars.” It was more like Indy speed racing without a race track. Fun, nonetheless.
This short 2-night cruise had the entertainment of a 7-night cruise packed into it. There were still two signature productions to see so I saw them both. The first one was a show called the Effectors. This was a tale of four superheroes and their journey of conquering evil. It was the most technologically advanced show I’ve ever seen. The show utilized fancy projectors and performers interacted with the projectors in a very futuristic way. It was my favorite show from the cruise!
The second show for the evening was called The Book. This was also a very techy show that took place at the Two70 Theatre. This theatre is located at the front of the ship and this large wall of windows is transformed into one giant screen. It’s amazing how quickly they can transform the look and feel of the show. The show starts out in an adventure-type library. The main character moves around the stage opening different books until he finds the right adventure. Once he does, you are taken through a chapter book with riveting tales from around the world. Ultimately, it’s a love story. I have never seen anything like this show.
Once the shows were done, I headed to the cabin for a quick break to offload my pictures from the day to my iPad and prepare myself for a late evening. I headed back to Two70 for Hush! Silent Party. I wish disco parties were always like this! The room is filled with conversation with occasional outbursts of singing and choreographed dance outbursts. Everyone in the room has headphones that are either green or blue and the DJ is streaming two dance parties. The room is roughly split in two with half listening to the blue track and the other half listening to the green track. I grab my headphones and join into the party. I’m given a blue headset which is playing rap music which isn’t my favorite. I consider going back to the DJ for the green set, but after examining my headset, I notice a switch and realize I’m in control of which station I want to listen to. It was a really cool experience. The room was relatively quiet so good conversation was accessible without having to scream over the music and if you didn’t care for a song you could switch over. Also, I find discos to normally be uncomfortably loud, and my headset was originally set to the same deafening loudness but there is a volume control on each headset too!!
It was time to call it a night so I made my journey back to my cabin. On the way back, I noticed the pub and thought capping the night with a Strongbow and live guitarist was a nice way to end the evening.
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