Utopia of the Seas presents brief cruises on a ship with tons to do. How will you benefit from it?
I just lately sailed on Utopia of the Seas for a 4-night Bahamas and Good Day at CocoCay cruise.
Leaving round-trip from Port Canaveral, Florida, I knew I solely had a brief period of time to expertise every part Utopia has to supply.
Cruisers first criticized Royal Caribbean when it debuted its latest Oasis Class vessel with solely brief sailings.
Nevertheless, the cruise line discovered that first-time cruisers like to start out with 3 and 4-night sailings, and Utopia is the proper ship to attract them in.
With every part from a prepare car-themed eating expertise to waterslides and escape rooms, there are numerous actions to strive on Utopia of the Seas.
However how are you going to match all of them into only a few days?
Discover the ship to get your bearings
I at all times discover the cruise ship as quickly as I get onboard, however that is particularly essential to do on a brief cruise on Utopia.
On such an enormous vessel, with so little time, cruisers should know their manner round.
You will need to get your bearings as quickly as you board, to be able to discover occasions shortly and guarantee you do not miss something.
It is arduous to maintain every part in your head, so begin out by getting a visible sense of what the ship’s neighborhoods and venues seem like.
I like to recommend wandering the entire ship no less than as soon as—you do not need to miss something on the map.
Generally it takes strolling round your self to search out hidden places or resolve if a specific venue piques your curiosity. Do not take the app’s phrase for it—go see every spot with your personal eyes.
Reserve specialty eating places prematurely
A specialty meal is price the additional price on Utopia. The 5,668-passenger vessel presents high quality venues discovered on few different ships, such because the Mason Jar, Izumi Omakase, Izumi within the Park, and the Royal Railway.
Different specialty venues onboard embrace Chops Grille, Sugar Seashore, Johnny Rockets, 150 Central, Chef’s Desk, Playmakers, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, Starbucks, Izumi Hibachi and Sushi, and Hooked Seafood.
Eating at an extra-cost restaurant will get you higher-quality meals in a themed venue and means that you can see extra of the ship throughout a brief crusing.
To make sure that you are in a position to dine at your favourite places, you should definitely make reservations forward of time. Specialty eating places on mega ships can promote out shortly, and also you by no means need to be turned away from a dinner you had been trying ahead to.
You are in a position to reserve particular person eating places or bookings as a part of a eating bundle on the Cruise Planner web site earlier than the cruise.
If you happen to do not make reservations on-line, you can too go to any eating venue on the primary day of the cruise and make your bookings then. My recommendation is to pre-book to save lots of money and time.
Hit the highest deck actions on embarkation day
The most effective time to go to the pool, water slides or sizzling tubs is as quickly as you board the ship.
The pool deck is open on embarkation day, together with the water slides. Not solely is it obtainable, nevertheless it’s the most effective time to expertise them as a result of there are least quantity of crowds.
Most different passengers have not boarded but, are busy exploring the ship, or just haven’t got their bathing fits with them.
That is the proper alternative to take pleasure in smaller crowds and shorter traces. Pack a showering swimsuit in your carry-on, or simply put on it onboard.
Use Royal Caribbean’s app to prioritize occasions
To slot in Utopia’s continuous occasions, you will have to have an in depth itinerary.
The Royal Caribbean app will turn into your supply of all cruise info and it really works with or with out the WiFi bundle.
Occasions shall be listed in nice element every day of the crusing, together with the time, venue, and any related prices.
I like to recommend consulting the app ceaselessly to maintain monitor of onboard occasions.
Learn extra: 5 issues to know earlier than crusing on Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas
The Royal Caribbean app means that you can add occasions to your personal Calender, and it’ll even ship you a notification half-hour earlier than the occasion begins.
I additionally noticed occasions get canceled or change occasions whereas on my Utopia crusing, so checking the app ceaselessly allowed me to remain up to date.
Pack your carry-on effectively
Maximizing a brief cruise on Utopia means utilizing each second you get onboard—together with on embarkation day.
This hack takes a bit of further planning however may give you hours of further enjoyable.
By packing your carry-on effectively, you’ll start actions earlier than your stateroom is prepared or your baggage is delivered.
Learn extra: 6 errors to keep away from whereas planning a cruise and sharing a cabin with a pal
Since baggage does not get delivered till late afternoon, packing logically will let you begin having fun with actions as quickly as you get onboard.
Pack calmly, however carry medicine, water bottles, sun shades, sunscreen, a swimsuit, and a change of garments in your carry-on bag.
You’ll take pleasure in lunch, time on the pool, or different actions whereas different cruisers are nonetheless boarding and ready for his or her cabins.
View occasion highlights on the TV
Every Royal Caribbean stateroom has no less than one TV, the place visitors can view 10-20 free channels, buy motion pictures, or solid from their gadgets (relying on the ship).
On Utopia of the Seas, you will discover that a number of channels stream or present recaps of occasions occurring onboard.
Whereas I do not want to view occasions on TV as a substitute of experiencing them, you should use this characteristic to benefit from shorter sailings.
If you end up double-booked, a fast replay of the earlier occasions can catch you up.
While you return to your stateroom after dinner or late at night time, you’ll activate the tv and see the highlights of occasions you missed.
For instance, my journey buddy and I finished in to look at the World’s Sexiest Man competitors on the pool deck however needed to go away to seize lunch earlier than the Windjammer closed.
After that, we went on to the subsequent occasion, however we did not get to see who had gained the competitors!
After we returned to our cabin later that night time, the TV’s re-run confirmed us which cruiser was awarded the Sexiest Man.
Get off the ship in CocoCay early
The spotlight of any Utopia of the Seas cruise shall be a go to to Royal Caribbean’s non-public island, so get extra out of it by disembarking early.
You possibly can stroll off the ship to Good Day at CoocCay as early as 8am, and if you will get going that early, you will take pleasure in the most effective spots on the island.
Not solely will there be much less individuals within the pool or ocean, however you possibly can cherry choose the most effective chairs or day beds.
Furthermore, when you begin your day earlier, you possibly can take pleasure in extra time earlier than the crowds arrive later within the morning. If you happen to’re feeling like heading again to the ship, you will have already taken benefit of the least crowded time on the island.