We arrived at Royal Caribbean’s new state of the art Terminal A in Miami to start our 4-night adventure on the Navigator of the Seas. We downloaded the Royal Caribbean App prior to sailing and completed our cruise check-in.  Our set sail pass was available on the app so we didn’t need to bring any papers to board the ship. We produced our electronic set sail pass and off we went to board the ship. There were no line ups and the entire process took minutes. The new process cuts down on cruise terminal time which allows you to spend more time on the ship.

Once onboard, we went to our cabin to drop off our carry-on luggage. Waiting in our cabin was our room key, a welcome letter, a copy of the Cruise Compass, a program which includes a daily snapshot of the weather, top deals, highlights, dining venues and hours of operation, general info and your daily planner, which includes a complete list of daily activities. This information is also available on the Royal Caribbean App.

There was staff setup onboard to assist with dining reservations and purchasing beverage packages. We made reservations for two of the speciality dining restaurants before heading to the Windjammer for lunch. This was my second time on the Navigator of the Seas and if you would like to read more about my experience, see my 12 Night Eastern Med & Egypt Cruise blog. With the bow to stern upgrades, I felt like I was seeing the ship for the first time. The addition of water slides and the reimaged pool area with the Caribbean feel was a nice addition. The Lime and Coconut is the new pool area bar and features multiple levels. Other additions include To Dry For, the first standalone blow dry bar at sea; the first Johnny Rockets Express, Hooked Seafood restaurant and one of my favorite restaurants, Jamie’s Italians.

We joined the other guests up on deck for the Sail Away party and then joined our group at the Cosmopolitan Club for an information session. Afterwards, we left to enjoy supper in the Main Dining Room. There are lots of choices and if you can’t decide, you always have the option to order additional servings. After supper, we went into one of the many venues to listen so some entertainment before heading to the Royal Theatre for some comedy.

We arrived in Nassau at 8:00am. There were many shore excursions to choose from but we decided to spend the day at Sandals Royal Bahamian. We spent out day enjoying the resort and sampling the food and drinks. After some time in the main pool and feasting on pizza at the Bella Napoli pizzeria, we took a boat ride over to the exclusive Sandals Island. You have access to two secluded beaches, a pool, whirlpool, swim-up bar, seafood house, hammocks, private cabanas etc.

After spending most of the afternoon at the Island, we took the boat back to the resort. We spent a little time in the gift shop before heading back to the ship.

Tonight we dined in the Main Dining Room and once again, the food and service were great. There was lots of entertainment available including pool deck movies, laser tag, workshops, bingo and sports tournaments to name a few. We decided on the Schooner Bar where we were entertained with great singing and piano playing.

Today was our chance to experience Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas…Perfect Day at CocoCay. By all means, it was a Perfect Day! The gangway opened at 8:00am where you could walk ashore or take a tram to the Island. This amazing experience has multiple beach areas, a thrill waterpark with 13 water slides, watersports, a 450ft helium balloon ride, the biggest wave pool in the Caribbean, the largest freshwater pool in the Bahamas, a 1600ft zip line, swim up bars, cabanas and I could go on and on. There was so much to do and so many choices! Many of the activities were complimentary but some require an additional fee. Wi-Fi is available for those with an internet package and if you purchased the drink package as part of your cruise, you could use it to get free drinks at all of the bars on the Island. There were lots of complimentary food and snack options on the Island but there was also a la carte menu available at Captain Jack’s for an additional cost.  

We spent most of our time at Chill Island where we swam, relaxed on our floating mats and enjoyed a drink or two at the swim-up bar. After a fun-filled day on the Island, we headed back to the ship where we got ready for a dining experience at Jamie’s Italian. We experienced family style dining for our group of six. After choosing our entrée, our server brought out the Famous Plank where we shared cured meats, pickles, cheeses and more. After this, our server brought out pastas, truffle fries and it goes on and on! We were full at this point and our entrée was yet to come out. We managed to sample most everything as the food was absolutely amazing and we had the pleasure of interacting with some of the best staff on this ship. We didn’t have any room for dessert after this, or so we thought. We were dazzled by another plank full of dessert. We managed to eat some before rolling out of the restaurant.

There was a Stowaway Piano Player popping up throughout the ship. One night, he was riding one of the elevators. He’ll ask you where you’re from and then break out in a song from your area. After being entertained by him, we were off to the lounge for some entertainment before heading back for the night.

Today was a full training day provided by our National Account Manager. We were provided lots of great material and also had the opportunity to hear from other Managers on the ship. This was a very informative seminar which provided a great opportunity for learning and experiencing. There was another lunch experience at Jamie’s Italian. Although it was a lighter menu, our experience was as fantastic as the night before. The staff even remembered our names and drink preferences.

Our training finished up late afternoon and then we headed to the pool deck to enjoy the warm sun with some drinks.

As this was the last night on the cruise, luggage needed to be packed and placed outside of our cabin by 11:00PM.

Tonight, we dined at Chops Grill, one of Royal Caribbean’s signature speciality restaurants. The revamped menu brings contemporary flair to the traditional steakhouse offerings. We had another fantastic meal with great service. After supper, we headed to the Casino to experience a little luck. Unfortunately, the stars didn’t align for me that night but we still had fun. We went to the Royal Promenade for the 80’s Party before heading to the Royal Theatre for an adults only comedy show. After the show, we stopped at the Schooner Bar for more entertainment before heading back to the Royal Promenade for some pizza.