Spotlight: STAR OF THE SEAS

Happy TRAVEL TUESDAY, friends!

Last week one of my amazing team members and her hubby were on a preview sailing of the brand new Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas and well, the pics were so good that I bumped what I had scheduled to share a little “spotlight” on their trip instead.

So many of you know…

…Tyler and Brooke.  Not only does Brooke head up my cruising department here at Mix and Match Travel Agency, but we go back now about 15 years as dear friends.  They have four kiddos…

…including precious Willow who is also adopted from China 🙂 .  How absolutely sweet are Britt, Mades and Willow?!  Goodness!  They’re all three so big now!

Tyler and I were both founding members of the Manda Strong Foundation (he was president and I was VP), so needless to say, our lives very much overlap.  I adore these people.

Everyone who works with me is REALLY REALLY good at their job.  Brooke is exceptional at research and when I tell you that she knows the ins and outs of every ship, sailing, itinerary and excursion, I’m not exaggerating.  She is passionate about cruises.

After following along last week as she shared pics on social media, I asked her to share some of her faves and some details here with you too.

Enjoy!

From the second we stepped onto the brand new Star of the Seas, we were blown away.  I’ve never seen anything like this in all my years of cruising.  You do not have to be on the largest and newest cruise ship in the world to have an amazing time, but this is an experience we cannot wait to bring our kids on with us as well.  I thought the size might be overwhelming once we were on board, but to my surprise, it was not.  The layout of the ship makes everything function efficiently with all the latest and most modern innovations.  For instance, we noticed that were always serval lounge chairs available.  It never felt super crowded.

Zip lining over the side of the ship!

The entertainment was out of this world.  From the ice skating show, the Back to the Future Broadway show, and the Aqua Show, we talked about the entertainment nonstop. I’ve never seen this level of production on a ship, and we only barely scratched the surface of the options that were offered.  From comedy shows to bingo, dueling pianos, dance classes and more, there is something for everyone.

You will never go hungry on a cruise!  We loved the food.  We loved both the complementary options and the food that cost a little extra too.  I have all of the specific tips and suggestions on food and cannot wait to share them with clients.

Our ocean view balcony was midship on deck 12.  It was the perfect size and location.  This ship has a wide variety of room accomodations to offer.

The two largest ships at port side by side.  What a sight!!  The Icon and the Star are almost identical.  Next year, the Legend of the Seas debuts and will be the third ship in this Icon series.

I’m always looking for new things to try when I’m visiting a port that I’ve already been to before.  At Perfect Day Coco Cay Bahamas, we decided to reserve two spots at the Coco Cay Club.  It’s an exclusive area with a more upscaled vibe that includes an infinity pool, a private beach area, and a specialty dining restaurant that’s complementary.  The staff was super attentive too.  We kept saying over and over that we did not want to leave.

Here are some other pictures from our day at Coco Cay…

It was the perfect getaway and extra exciting that it was the preview sailing for the Star of the Seas.  I have nothing but wonderful things to share about our experience.  Whether you’re a first time cruiser or a seasoned one, I can’t wait to help you plan it!

See?!  Now don’t you understand why I wanted Brooke to share?!  If you’re interested in this ship in particular or any other type of cruising (from small, luxury ships to the large Icons and everything in between), Brooke can help you with both ocean and river cruising all over the world.  She assists with all of the details before and after the actual cruise too as well as excursions, transportation and so much more.  We always pride ourselves for “putting our money where our mouths are” and paying the full price for our personal trips.  We get excited about our travels because we’re genuinely selecting, paying for and planning our vacations to destinations that light a spark in us.  We want to help you do the same too!

If you’re interested specifically in ocean or river cruises and want to connect with Brooke and her team, complete THIS INQUIRY HERE for more information.  If you want to visit Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia, South America or Australia, simply complete THIS INQUIRY HERE.

Before you leave today, it’s also BOOK DAY!  I’m sharing my AUGUST BOOK REVIEW today too.  Make sure you hop over there as well.

Have the best day, friends! xx