A Little Trips Big Days Travel Adventure
Sometimes the journey to the cruise is an adventure all on its own.
For this trip, we set sail on a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise aboard the Grandeur of the Seas with Royal Caribbean International. Since we live near Greenville, South Carolina, we decided to drive to Tampa rather than fly.
The drive was supposed to take about eight hours. With bathroom breaks, food stops, gas, traffic, and nonstop downpours, it ended up being closer to twelve hours.
One important tip we always share:
If you live more than three or four hours from your departure port, arrive the day before your cruise. Travel delays happen, and the ship will not wait.
Many hotels near cruise ports allow you to park your car and provide a shuttle to the cruise terminal. That’s exactly what we did.
Our Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay
We stayed at a Quality Inn Airport & Cruise port on Dale Mabry Road. It was more of a motel-style property, but the rooms were clean and the staff was friendly and helpful.
Breakfast was included and had a surprisingly good selection. The breakfast supervisor, Linda, was especially personable and made sure everything ran smoothly.
There were several restaurants within walking distance, and after twelve hours in the car, I didn’t want to drive anywhere else. We decided to walk three blocks to Bonefish Grill with the two other couples traveling with us.
On any normal evening, that walk would have been easy. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain. Even with umbrellas and rain jackets, we were soaked by the time we reached the restaurant—but at least the food and company made it worth it.
Embarkation Day in Tampa
Your arrival time at the cruise terminal depends somewhat on the check-in time you selected during online check-in (usually about 45 days before sailing). The cruise lines aren’t always extremely strict about these times, but it’s still best to follow them when possible.
Driving through Tampa on the way to the port was beautiful. I honestly wished we had more time to explore the city.
The cruise port area itself is lively, with plenty of restaurants and shops nearby. Our embarkation process went very smoothly.
When deciding whether to check your bags with the porters, remember that cabins are usually not ready until around 1:00 p.m. or later. Be sure to keep medications and medical devices with you.
If pool time is a priority on embarkation day, consider wearing your swimsuit under your clothes or packing essentials like sunscreen and swimwear in a small backpack. Just keep in mind that anything you carry onboard stays with you until cabins open.
We usually start our cruise by grabbing lunch and exploring the ship. And more often than not, you’ll also find us grabbing a drink at the Schooner Bar.
One very important step after boarding:
Don’t forget to check in at your muster station. The ship cannot set sail until every passenger completes this safety requirement, so it’s best to get it done early.
Our Ship: Grandeur of the Seas
The Grandeur of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s older ships, built in 1996 in Finland. Instead of the newer promenade design, it features a centrum-style atrium and has 12 decks.
For this cruise we booked a Junior Suite, which ended up costing about the same as a regular balcony cabin on a newer ship.
The suite offered:
- A slightly larger cabin
- A small sitting area
- A full bathtub instead of just a shower
- Double points in the Crown & Anchor Society
The Schooner Bar on this ship was long and narrow, which sometimes made trivia events a little crowded since guests were also walking through to reach the South Pacific Lounge.
Dining on Royal Caribbean
There are plenty of dining options onboard.
The Windjammer Marketplace offers buffet-style dining, and there are specialty restaurants available for an extra charge.
Our favorite, however, is always the main dining room.
Guests can choose between:
- Set dining times (typically around 5:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m.)
- My Time Dining, which allows you to eat whenever you like
We prefer set dining because you sit at the same table every night with the same waiter and assistant waiter. Over the course of the cruise, you really get to know them, which adds to the overall experience.
Our waiter on this cruise was Jibby, and his assistant was Tijan. They were fantastic and always made a point to say hello whenever they saw us around the ship.
And yes—Jibby made sure we always had extra desserts.
Port Stop: Costa Maya, Mexico
Our first stop was Costa Maya.
Originally, we thought about taking a taxi to the famous The Krazy Lobster, but with recent unrest in parts of Mexico, we decided to stay near the port.
The port area itself was impressive.
It included:
- Two large pools
- Swim-up bars
- Plenty of lounge chairs
- Live flamingos
- “Flying men” performers
There were also many shops. While vendors tried to encourage visitors to come inside, they weren’t overly aggressive compared to some other ports we’ve visited.
Port Stop: Roatan, Honduras
Next, we visited Roatán.
We booked an excursion that included several stops.
First, we visited a chocolate factory where we learned how chocolate is made from the cocoa bean and sampled several varieties.
Then we continued to a monkey and sloth park.
The first enclosure featured beautiful parrots that flew freely and happily landed on our shoulders and heads.
Next were capuchin monkeys. These curious little guys loved climbing on visitors—and if you had a shirt pocket, they were absolutely going to check it for snacks.
Finally, we visited the sloths.
Visitors used to be able to hold them, but after some sloths became sick and died, Honduras made it illegal. Now guests can pet them but not hold them.
They were incredibly soft and gentle animals. Sloths eat mainly green leaves, have very slow metabolisms, and only go to the bathroom about once a week.
One interesting fact we learned: fruits and vegetables grown on the island are primarily used by locals rather than exported. The island’s biggest export is seafood.
Port Stop: Belize
Our next port was Belize City, in the country of Belize, which was once known as British Honduras.
Today, the country’s largest industry is actually call centers.
Our excursion took us to Travellers Liquors, which was celebrating its 75th anniversary.
We toured the barrel room and museum and sampled several different rum varieties.
During the tour we learned about rum runners during Prohibition in the United States. In one story, rum runners had their boat shot up by U.S. authorities. They set the boat on fire and caused it to explode so no rum could be found as evidence. They later sued the U.S. government for destroying their boat—and actually won.
Another interesting fact: Belize City still operates the last manually operated swing bridge in the world, although it is expected to be replaced soon because of structural concerns.
And yes—Coca-Cola in Belize is made with real cane sugar.
Port Stop: Cozumel, Mexico
Our final stop was Cozumel, and it was absolutely beautiful.
For the day, we visited an adults-only luxury beach resort.
We relaxed on daybeds right along the ocean and enjoyed:
- An infinity pool overlooking the water
- Snorkeling
- Authentic Mexican cuisine
- Plenty of margaritas
One of the highlights was learning how to make authentic guacamole.
Cozumel is definitely a destination we would love to return to and explore more in the future.
Final Thoughts
This cruise was a great reminder of why we love cruising so much. You get to visit multiple destinations, enjoy amazing food, meet wonderful people, and unpack only once.
Even with a twelve-hour rainy drive to get there, the adventure was absolutely worth it.
Sometimes the best memories start with a little trip that turns into a big day.
To see why we like to cruise, check out our recent post here.
