Living in South Florida has many advantages. One being that we are close to the ports of Fort Lauderdale and Miami. This allows us to go on weekend cruises that leave on Friday and dock on Monday morning. We have an amazing experience and only need to take a 1/2 day off work. We drive from work to the port and vice-versa.

This past weekend, we left for one of our favorite weekend cruises aboard the Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas. This ship sails to a private island in the Bahamas and to Nassau, Bahamas.  The last time we sailed on this ship was in August 2012. I wrote about our trip in detail here, here, and here.

This time, we booked an ocean view cabin on the sixth floor. An ocean view cabin has a window in it. The window is about 2 feet x 3 feet.

Tip: If you book an ocean view cabin, be careful that you don’t get an obstructed view or a porthole. There are lots of those and while you might think you’re getting a great deal, a porthole is very small and, with an obstructed view, your window could be blocked by a lifeboat or metal structure.

Tip: Ocean view cabins always have the window above the bed. If light disturbs your sleep, this might not be the cabin type for you.

For the sail-away party, I wore a Muse jungle print dress with Enzo Angiolini pumps.

Tip: Cruising is not the time to wear your highest pumps or wedges. You will do a lot of walking on the ship and will often take stairs instead of crowded elevators. Also, there are many places where you can get your heel stuck (thus ruining it) and the rolling ocean water can sometimes make it tricky to walk up stairs and even level areas. I’m a highly experienced high-heeler but if you are not, don’t debut your high-heels on a cruise.

You don’t use money or credit cards on-board but are given a Sea Pass card that is linked to your credit card. You charge all your on-board expenses to that. No one carries a purse so you tend to come up with creative places to store your card. That’s mine sticking out of the top of my dress.

Tip: While your cabin, food, and on-board entertainment are included in your cruise price, you’ll have to use your Sea Pass card to pay for most drinks including: all alcoholic drinks, soft-drinks, and juices (juices are free at breakfast). Beware, if you’re not careful, your on-board expenses can be more than the cost of the cruise!

Friday night included taking a salsa dance lesson, then burning up the dance floor to disco music.

Tip:  Every ship/cruise has a disco night when the entertainment reflects this theme. The crew always dresses up; however, you not need to go in costume.  P.S.  It’s rare that I’ve been on any ship that does not have crew dressed as the Village People.

On Saturday, we docked at Coco Cay (previously called Little Stirrup Cay)–Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas. This might be one of my favorite islands of all the cruises I’ve been on.

Tip: If you take the Nature Path, you’ll end up at a magnificent very private beach that very few people know about.

Tip:  Each cruise line has its own private island where you spend the day and enjoy games, the beach and a beach buffet. Because the island is private, only the people from your cruise are there. It’s a nice break from the other bustling islands and sometimes intrusive vendors on the rest of the cruise. The buffet is free; however, the same as on-board, you’ll need your Sea Pass card for drinks.

Interesting fact: There are more than 3,000 islands, cays and islets in the Bahamas and this region encompasses 180,000 square miles of ocean.

We have these at home but it’s always fun to see one on the beach.

Saturday night was formal night. Since it’s a short three-day cruise, many people opt for a cocktail dress instead of a long formal one. It’s perfectly fine if you choose to wear a long one though. I often do.

Tip: The second night is usually the first formal night (seven-day cruises have two). This night often coincides with the “Captain’s Welcome” where the officers introduce themselves in a cocktail setting. It’s a classy event and an assortment of free drinks are usually available at the beginning of the hour. During this night, something fancier is usually served in the dining room (lobster, filet mignon, lamb, etc.).

Tip: Gentlemen and ladies, it is never acceptable to wear shorts and t-shirts in the dining room. On formal nights, a dark suit and tie is the norm.

For this night I chose a sequin number from Boston Proper.

Champagne for everyone.

On Sunday, we docked at Nassau, Bahamas. Nassau is the capital and largest island in the Bahamas. We tend to take the $4.00 per person cab ride to the Atlantis resort in Paradise Island where we enjoy the casino with free drinks.  P.S. I’m happy to report that Tim and I both won money.

There are some great pictures of this resort in my previous post here.

Our ship is the one on the far right.

I love this lighthouse and maybe it’s just because I love wine but…don’t you think the barrier to this area looks like corks?

Sunday night came way too quickly. Here I am dressed for dinner in a Muse dress and Christian Louboutin Pigalle heels.

The last night of the cruise usually includes the Broadway production. This one was called Boogie Wonderland and included a trip down memory lane.

Unfortunately, all great things must come to an end and we savored the sunset on our way back to Miami.

It is short and sweet but it is definitely a mini-vacation that provides you with so many wonderful memories. I hope you enjoyed this quick coverage of our weekend and that you find the tips to be helpful for a cruise you might be planning. We will definitely do this same cruise again, later this year.