Mickey Chick's Magical Adventures: RCCL

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Sunday, February 23, 2020

vacation planning

Coco Beach Club @ Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay

Mickey Chick 12:12 PM 0

A DAY IN PICTURES:

Coco Beach Club

Royal Caribbean's

Perfect Day at Coco Cay

The Patisserie, the specialty coffee and pastry outlet onboard Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas, welcomes us to this private island in the Bahamas and sets the tone for today's adventure.

Although the clouds threatened a few morning sprinkles, they didn't last long and the day turned out to be sunny & pleasant.

They made it pretty easy to make ourselves at home - pointing the way to coffee and pastries to nibble on before the restaurant opened for lunch and providing lots of loungers to choose from.

While we chose a lounger near the pool and tiki bar, the Coco Beach Club offers a plentiful array of seating options for different family sizes and preferences.

With it's infinity-edge pool, teak furniture and decking, and large, thick towels awaiting guests, the Coco Beach Club is a private beach resort on an already exclusive island.

Guests to the Coco Beach Club can enjoy amenities such as a large pool deck with abundant seating, shady umbrellas, life-preservers, and floating beach mats...

No matter where you choose to sit, you'll enjoy a picturesque view of the area's offerings...

...with spectacular views of the calm, teal shore of South Beach.

Of course a day at the beach isn't complete without a waterfront beach lounger...and extra-attentive beverage service!

A newly dredged shoreline at South Beach offers a soft sand bottom, sandbars for all-day frolicking among the calm, clear, turquoise waters.

We couldn't resist getting a panoramic shot of the beach club shoreline, flanked by the the first over-the-water bungalows offered on a cruise line's private island.

A comfy lounger overlooking a crystalline infinity pool offers a perfect slice of paradise.

While the food offerings throughout CocoCay are both tasty and abundant, a special al-fresco restaurant at the Coco Beach Club provides stunning beach views and elevated options. Be sure to make your reservations early to have your choice of seating times.

The menu leans toward fresh seafood, but is quite varied.

After placing an entree order, guest can enjoy a buffet of starters such as vegetable crudite, hummus, Greek and Caprese salads, and ready-to-eat shrimp.

Don't forget Beach Club specialty drink:
the Coco Cuvee

The filet mignon was grilled to perfection and to-die-for!

Don't skip dessert!
This caramel and chocolate brownie
left us super-satisfied. YUM!

The island easily - and comfortably- accommodated two large ships: The Mariner of the Seas and The (slightly bigger) Anthem of the Seas. This is impressive planning on Royal Caribbean's part, as it was President's Week - so both vessels were filled to the brim with families.

I hope you enjoyed our photo tour of the Coco Beach Club at Royal Caribbean's private island, Perfect Day at Coco Cay. Be sure to contact us if you have questions, comments, photo requests, or would like more information about planning your own cruise adventure.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Looking for Last-Minute Cruise Deals?

Mickey Chick 8:45 AM 0

What about those “last-minute” cruise deals?

For many years now, “conventional wisdom” has suggested that travelers wait until the last minute to book a cruise, because that’s when the best deals are to be had. The thinking goes that they lower the prices to fill the ship if it hasn’t been selling well. This hasn’t been true for quite some time. In fact, depending on what you value, this type of thinking can actually wind up costing you more.

1. The best deals are usually found the further out you book – in fact, the closer to the opening of the schedule, the better the cruise fare will be. You will also have a wider selection of stateroom class and location. (We’ll talk more about that later.)

2. If you require a flight to your embarkation port, last-minute airfare will be at some of the highest price-points, with limited choices on flight times and carriers.

3. Plus, since it’s recommended to arrive at least a day prior to your cruise departure, hotel space may not only be limited, but you will have also lost the ability to take advantage of special discounted rates or special deals such as free breakfast or cruise-length parking included at no extra charge.

4. Even if you’re traveling from a port closer to home, a last-minute cruise will require immediate payment in full, robbing you of the ability to make smaller, incremental payments.

5. Most cruise lines offer specialty dining and drink-packages available for purchase at a slightly discounted rate prior to sailing. Furthermore, these packages are often subject to special sales, which further reduce the financial impact of purchase, and also allow cruisers to spread out the expenses of the vacation prior to the sail date.

6. And speaking of sales… From time to time cruise lines will offer some fantastic fare specials that they use to fill the ships - reducing the need to offer fire-sales closer to departure. When these price-drops occur, your travel advisor can usually apply these special rates, such as Reduced Airfare, or Kid-Sail-Free to your reservation. As the embarkation date approaches, these offers disappear.

7. When vacationing with kids, it’s also important to consider their school, sports, and social schedules. Ships tend to sail a little lighter when school is in session, so “last-minute” rates are generally offered on these trips. The short notice will likely make it difficult to coordinate time off from work, as well as interfere with academic or athletic obligations.

8. Since cruising is such a great time to connect with family, many multi-generational and extended family groups enjoy cruising together. Those wishing to be together will often want to have rooms nearby each other – especially when the children outnumber the adults. Larger families who require larger accommodations either book the more spacious quads and mini-suites, or opt for connecting cabins. Reserving two of these staterooms, which feature a door to the adjacent cabin, can be a great bargain for bigger broods, so they tend to fill up fast. However, there are rarely any of these available the closer to sailing you get - rendering them unlikely to appear in last-minute inventory. Choosing from the more costly suite options will negate any savings you might have anticipated by waiting to book.

9. Today’s cruise ships have become destinations in and of themselves. They offer a multitude of activities, rotational and specialty dining venues, as well as various entertainment options. A late booking impedes your ability to book the best specialty restaurants and dining times, private-island cabanas, entertainment showtimes and activity options. Although your cruise fare includes most of these offerings, last-minute reservations will be limited, if available at all.

10. Do you prefer a rear-facing balcony? Would you like a forward-facing oceanview room? Will a stateroom above or below the nightclub interfere with your rest? Do you or someone in your family suffer from motion sickness? Would you like a balcony stateroom so you can enjoy the view while your toddler naps? Choosing the just-right cabin for any special requirements or concerns is an important part of the planning process. A major drawback of waiting for a last-minute deal is often losing the ability to choose your cabin or book the stateroom category of your choice.

As my mother always said, “the cheap turns out expensive.” There is value in the ability to make choices, plan, budget, and take advantage of special offers along the way. Clearly, it is to the traveler’s advantage to book as early as possible.

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Exclusive Presidents' Week 2020 Cruise Offer

rantnnravin 5:40 AM

Mickey Chick's Magical Adventures has teamed up with Second Star Travel for an Exclusive Presidents' Week Sailing on the Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas.

Since the itinerary includes a stop at Port Canaveral, Florida for day of Theme Park Fun, a free personalized theme park itinerary from Second Star Travel will be added to other special amenities.

Contact Second Star Travel to reserve your stateroom today!

Mickey Chick's Magical Adventures