Unforgettably Beautiful Travel

05/01/2025

Get your passport!!!

That is all now carry on.....

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03/01/2025

Carnival packages have been updated on the UBT website!!!

Book your Carnival packages, pay a deposit, and start making payments today!

Click the link below!

Carnival packages are now available! Book your package before they sell out!

02/01/2025

The More the Merrier!!!

Call all of your family & friends!!!

Sail with 3 or more in a stateroom and receive up to $125 off per room!

Deposits are only $25 per person for select cruises through Fall 2025!!!

This sale will not last for long! Book by January 4th to secure your booking!!!

Contact UBT 470-799-0221 or submit a form through the link below
https://bit.ly/3rSphU1

02/01/2025

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31/12/2024

UBT went on vacation for Christmas with Carnival Cruise Line and enjoyed every moment.

There was never a dull moment and the food was great on the Carnival Spirit out of Mobile Alabama.

The kids could play and eat all they wanted. My parents could do whatever they wanted at their own pace.

Every day there was a different theme night, different activities, music catering to all genres, kids clubs for ages 3-17, dive in movies at the seaside theatre, nightclub, sports bar, a pub, comedy show and so much more. But I will say this, no one was shy about dressing up for the different themes especially the Christmas ones.

People kept the holiday spirit going by decorating their stateroom doors and organizing door decoration contests, stocking stuffing among groups, hiding different ducks and other things around the ship for people to find and take home as souvenirs, and just enjoying the holiday season.

The food was delicious and there was a different dinner menu every night. Christmas dinner menu was superb in the main dining room along with the nightly entertainment by the wait staff!! The buffet was hot and delicious anytime of the day that it was open. Sea Day Brunch had plenty of options and the fresh pressed juice had me wanting more. My children couldn’t get enough of the fries, pizza, ice cream and grilled cheese sandwiches. Honestly besides the main dining room and the buffet, the deli was my favorite food option on the ship. I could eat all the buffalo chicken sandwiches and Southwest chicken wraps I wanted to eat. I forgot to mention I enjoyed my first tea time on the ship. It was really cute and offered at least 3 times during our cruise

The cleanliness of the ship 10/10. The crew was always cleaning or shining something. My stateroom attendant Rennel kept our room immaculate everyday with a nice towel animal daily.

Our cruise itinerary consisted of us going to Costa Maya Mexico, Roatan Honduras, Belize, and Cozumel Mexico. I’ll go into detail about those ports in another post. Leaving and returning to the ship from each port was a breeze.

The memories from this Christmas cruise will last a lifetime and already planning for next one. Ready to book your Christmas cruise?

Contact me today to book your 2025/2026 Christmas cruise!

https://linktr.ee/unforgettablybeautifultravel

16/11/2024

Here's something for the family! September 2025

🏝️ Beaches Deal of the Week 🏝️

A true Jamaican family all-inclusive resort in Negril, is at Beaches Negril!

Enjoy a Tropical One-Bedroom Grand Concierge Family Suite (1BG) for 5-nights, arriving 9/8/25 only $6,632 for a family of five (2 adults 3 children)! 🏝️🇯🇲

🌴 Fall Fam Jam - includes a Free Sesame Street Tuck-in for Tykes or Free Red Lane Spa Couples Massage!

Ready to book? Contact me 470-799-0221 or
book through the link https://bit.ly/3J10Ecm

16/11/2024

Want a change in scenery? Try St Vincent & The Grenadines!

September 2025

🏝️ Sandals Deal of the Week 🏝️

The peaceful azure waters, majestic rainforests, and stunning white-sand beaches are a richly colorful backdrop for exciting new experiences, at Sandals Saint Vincent & The Grenadines!

Enjoy a One-Bedroom Garden Butler Suite with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub (VF) for 4-nights, arriving 9/18/25 only $5,784 for two!🏝️🇻🇨

Ready to book? Contact me 470-799-0221 or
book through the link https://bit.ly/43KGs89

16/11/2024

Spend Valentine Day 2025 in Jamaica!!!

🏝️ Sandals Deal of the Week 🏝️

Feel the love and sand in your toes on Valentine’s Day, at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort!

Enjoy a Poolside Club Level Villa Room (NPV) for 6-nights, arriving 2/10/25 only $5,143 for two!🏝️🇯🇲

Ready to book? Contact me 470-799-0221
or book through the link https://bit.ly/43KGs89

16/11/2024

Lets start booking your vacation for next year in the Bahamas!!!

October 2025

🏝️ Sandals Deal of the Week 🏝️

A blend of European sophistication with an exotic offshore island adventure, is at Sandals Royal Bahamian!

Enjoy an Island Village One Bedroom Butler Villa Suite w/ Balcony Tranquility Soaking Tub (VS1) for 5-nights, arriving 10/22/25 only $5,085 for two!🏝️🇧🇸

Ready to book? Contact me 470-799-0221 or
book through the link https://bit.ly/43KGs89

16/11/2024

🚨 Black Friday Deal Alert 🚨
Save up to $175 off per booking. More details below:

Family Packages
$175 off per booking* on 6+ night stays
Valid on new hotel + commercial air packages to most destinations
For Travel: Now-Dec 31, 2025
Book: Nov 14-17, 2024

$125 off per booking* on 3, 4 & 5 night stays
Valid on new hotel + commercial air packages to most destinations
For Travel: Now-Dec 31, 2025
Book: Nov 14-17, 2024

Family Hotel-Only
$175 off per booking* on 6+ night stays
Valid on new hotel-only bookings to most destinations
For Travel: Now-Dec 31, 2025
Book: Nov 14-17, 2024

$125 off per booking* on 4 & 5 night stays
Valid on new hotel-only bookings to most destinations
For Travel: Now-Dec 31, 2025
Book: Nov 14-17, 2024

Packages
$125 off per booking* on 6+ night stays
Valid on new hotel + commercial air packages to most destinations
For Travel: Now-Dec 31, 2025
Book: Nov 14-17, 2024
Valid for two or more travelers

$75 off per booking* on 3, 4 & 5 night stays
Valid on new hotel + commercial air packages to most destinations
For Travel: Now-Dec 31, 2025
Book: Nov 14-17, 2024
Valid for two or more travelers

Hotel-Only
$125 off per booking* on 6+ night stays
Valid on new hotel-only bookings to most destinations
For Travel: Now-Dec 31, 2025
Book: Nov 14-17, 2024
Valid for two or more travelers

$75 off per booking* on 4 & 5 night stays
Valid on new hotel-only bookings to most destinations
For Travel: Now-Dec 31, 2025
Book: Nov 14-17, 2024
Valid for two or more travelers

Contact me when you're ready to book 470-799-0221
or https://bit.ly/3rSphU1

16/11/2024

Georgia Residents receive up to 15% off in addition to the current promotion on Virgin Voyages on the voyages below:

Voyages 15% off
Riviera Maya • Nov 17, 2024 • 5 nights from Miami
Dominican Daze • Nov 22, 2024 • 5 nights from Miami
The Virgin Voyages Weekend w/ Sam Feldt • Nov 23, 2024 • 2 nights from Miami
Riviera Maya • Dec 1, 2024 • 5 nights from Miami
Dominican Daze • Dec 6, 2024 • 5 nights from Miami
Eastern Caribbean Antilles • Dec 14, 2024 • 8 nights from Miami
Dominican Daze • Dec 15, 2024 • 5 nights from Miami
Valiant Caribbean Holidays • Dec 20, 2024 • 6 nights from Miami
Western Caribbean Charm • Dec 22, 2024 • 6 nights from Miami
Western Caribbean Charm • Jan 5, 2025 • 6 nights from Miami
Eastern Caribbean Antilles • Jan 11, 2025 • 8 nights from Miami
Riviera Maya • Jan 12, 2025 • 5 nights from Miami
Dominican Daze • Jan 17, 2025 • 5 nights from Miami
Western Caribbean Charm • Jan 19, 2025 • 6 nights from Miami
Fire and Sunset Soirées • Jan 22, 2025 • 4 nights from Miami
Eastern Caribbean Antilles • Jan 25, 2025 • 8 nights from Miami
Riviera Maya • Jan 26, 2025 • 5 nights from Miami
Western Caribbean Charm • Feb 2, 2025 • 6 nights from Miami
Eastern Caribbean Antilles • Feb 8, 2025 • 8 nights from Miami
Riviera Maya • Feb 9, 2025 • 5 nights from Miami
Dominican Daze • Feb 14, 2025 • 5 nights from Miami
Western Caribbean Charm • Feb 16, 2025 • 6 nights from Miami
Eastern Caribbean Antilles • Feb 22, 2025 • 8 nights from Miami
Riviera Maya • Feb 23, 2025 • 5 nights from Miami
Western Caribbean Charm • Mar 2, 2025 • 6 nights from Miami
Fire and Sunset Soirées • Mar 5, 2025 • 4 nights from Miami
Eastern Caribbean Antilles • Mar 8, 2025 • 8 nights from Miami
Riviera Maya • Mar 9, 2025 • 5 nights from Miami
Dominican Daze • Mar 14, 2025 • 5 nights from Miami
Western Caribbean Charm • Mar 16, 2025 • 6 nights from Miami
Eastern Caribbean Antilles • Mar 22, 2025 • 8 nights from Miami
Riviera Maya • Mar 23, 2025 • 5 nights from Miami
Dominican Daze • Mar 28, 2025 • 5 nights from Miami
Western Caribbean Charm • Mar 30, 2025 • 6 nights from Miami

Voyages 10% off:
One-Way San Juan Sojourn • Nov 30, 2024 • 6 nights from Miami
Fire and Sunset Soirées • Dec 11, 2024 • 4 nights from Miami
Scarlet New Year's Ahoy! • Dec 28, 2024 • 8 nights from Miami
Valiant New Year's Ahoy! • Dec 30, 2024 • 4 nights from Miami
Fire and Sunset Soirées • Jan 8, 2025 • 4 nights from Miami
Fire and Sunset Soirées • Feb 5, 2025 • 4 nights from Miami
Fire and Sunset Soirées • Feb 19, 2025 • 4 nights from Miami

Ready to book?
https://bit.ly/3FrPyeR

or contact me directly 470-799-0221

12/11/2024

Who wants to spend New Year's Eve at Sandals Ochi? You know its going to be a party!!

4 nights arrive 12/29/24 in the Riviera Luxury Suite (PG) for only $2757 per couple!
Ring in the New Year in style! Hurry, limited quantities!!

Ready to book? Contact me 470-799-0221 or
click the link below
https://bit.ly/43KGs89

11/11/2024

2025 will be here in no time! PLAN NOW!! Have you ever been to Carnival in the Carribbean? This is your chance:

Grenada Spicemas Carnival is 8/6-13 of 2025.
You can attend and stay at Sandals Grenada on those same dates in the Lovers Lagoon Jr Suite (LJS) for only $5678!!

Ready to book?
Contact UBT at 470-799-0221 or
click the link below
https://bit.ly/43KGs89

12/10/2024

Part 4 of my 7 Day Western Mediterranean Cruise

The second port of call was Marseille, France. I'm going to be honest, at first I was thinking this port will be boring but I was pleasantly surprised.

We were originally scheduled to arrive around 9:30 am but we were able to leave the ship around 8:30 am. There is an option to ride the shuttle into town for 20 euros per person roundtrip or take the local bus. The local bus stop is about a 10 minute walk from the pier. Do not try to walk into town, that is an extremely long walk with a lot of twist and turns. The shuttle ride is about 20 to 25 minutes. The shuttle dropped us off downtown across from Cathedral de la Major. This is the same location we used to return to the ship.

There are several things to do in the shuttle drop off area: the cathedral across the street, walk 10 minutes up the street and there's several museums and a fort. We didn't visit any of these locations as we were on a mission to go to specific spots we found through research.

Up that same street is a train stop for tours called La Petit Tram Touristique. For 10 euros per person, we took a cute train tour to La Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde on Circuit 1. On the way to the church, there is an audio tour of different sights we passed and although it was cloudy the sights were beautiful. I definitely enjoyed riding through the different neighborhoods where the locals stay and seeing the locals peep out their windows and waving as we passed by. Once we arrived at the top the hill to Notre Dame de la Garde, the train dropped us off in a the parking lot. This is the same spot we will catch the train to go back down the hill into town.

Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde is beautiful and the location is breathtaking. The church has 5 levels and once we arrived on the top level, we had a 360 degree view of Marseille. On one side was land and the other side was sea. At the top as well is the sanctuary. Definitely something to see with high ceilings, beautifully detailed decor with gold and ancient writings, paintings, statues, and more. I made sure I dressed with my shoulders covered out of respect for the church.

After spending about an hour there, we descended the hill to return back to town. The area where the train is stationed is a port where there are a lot of restaurants and shops. We started to explore the area and found a souvenir shop. We bought our souvenirs for one euro each, I collect magnets. While walking we arrived at a soap business called La Bazaar de Cesar which my husband found on Youtube. You could smell the soaps from the street and it's located in a 13th century home. After buying from them we explored the La Panier area which was full of art & grafiti, small businesses from shops, restaurants, clothing designer shops, barber shops, beauty salons and more. We accidently ran into a free museum which exhibits the history of Marseille and its very interesting.

The museum is called Panoramas. We had to go through security and we were given two free tickets to explore. No video was allowed in the exhibit area, but we were able to take pictures. We spent about 40 minutes there. I'm pretty sure there was a lot more to explore, but time was winding down and we were ready to eat.

My husband is a big fan of the late great Anthony Bourdain. When he found out there was a restaurant in Marseille he visited we had to go. We ate at Restaurant Elyssa, a Couscous restaurant about 20 minutes walk from the port area. While walking to the restaurant, it began to rain. Luckily I had on a jacket but my husband didn't so he got rained on. However we finally arrived at the restaurant and was ready to dry off and eat. Couscous texture reminds me of crumbled cornbread. I ordered couscous with lamb and hubby ordered couscous with chicken. Both were DELICIOUS and fresh!! Of course I ordered a cocktail and hubby ordered bottled water. The restaurant is decorated beautifully and is 2 levels. The service was quick and they were very nice; and the restaurant was very clean.

After eating we decided to return to the ship and walked back in the rain. It was tolerable but we didn't visit the other attractions we originally planned to see on our way back to the ship. That's ok! More reason for me to return to Marseille and see the attractions I didn't get a chance to visit.

Tip 1 Do your research. I was told by several people, there is nothing to do, go visit the church across the street and get back on the ship. I'm glad I didn't listen. Even when I return to Marseille, I will have something to do because I didn't get to do everything we had on our list.

Tip 2 Walk outside of the tourist traps and explore where the locals go. Still be careful and cautious

Tip 3 Buy shuttle tickets ahead of time.

08/10/2024

Part 3 of my 7 Day Western Mediterranean Cruise

The first port of call for our itinerary was Palma Mallorca, Spain. In this port we set up a walking tour through AirBnB experience. Also, this is the only port where we had a tour. We could have booked through the cruise line but I do not like touring with a lot of people and I like to go at my own pace.

First, we were able to get off the ship at 8 am but had to be back by 3 pm. Our tour began at 10am. Royal Caribbean offers a shuttle for 10 euros per person roundtrip from the cruise terminal into the city. The same location the shuttle drops you off, is the same location you board the shuttle to get back to the cruise ship. The drop off location is directly across from the Cathedral.

From the drop off location we walked to meet our tour guide in a different part of the city which was about a 20 minute walk. The walk really didn't seem that long because it was very scenic. We passed by a lot shops, walked through different plazas, and finally made it to the King James I statue; the meeting point for our tour. While waiting for our tour guide we found a corner store and bought bottles of water which was 1 euro each.

Our tour guide, Daniella, arrived on time and she lives in Mallorca. She has been living in Mallorca for about 15+ years, and told us she moved there because of her ex. However, she doesn't regret moving there because her hometown of Czech republic she says is not the best.

During our tour we saw a lot of sights, explored the market - L'Olivar- where we tried different tapas and wine; she explained the traditional dishes in Mallorca, the fruit seasons, and the different meat that is offered in Mallorca. We tried a local pastry favorite in a cafe called Ca'n Joan de s'Aigo, where the first ice cream in Mallorca was created. Then it began to rain heavily. During that down time, we visited a free museum which is owned and operated by the richest family in Mallorca. The art was breathtaking, beautiful, unique, and more. After the museum, the rain stopped and we walked more where we explored the Jewish quarter - a lot of unique stories there, saw a 600 year old olive tree, she explained the architecture and told the story of the two friends who didn't complete their bridge to connect their buildings because they stopped being friends. We walked the back streets, went souvenir shopping, tried local candy, ate cookies from nuns. She explained the history of the cathedral and its architecture, explored its garden - very beautiful. We went to another church however by the time we got there it was closed. The rain slowed us down so we missed it by 5 minutes or so.

However, everything was wonderful although it rained. Our tour ended at the closed church which was a 5 minute walk from our shuttle drop off spot. The tour was only us and our tour guide which I loved and I will definitely do it again.

We were back on the ship about 1:30-2:00pm

Tip #1 Wear good walking shoes, we walked about 18,000+ steps that day

Tip #2 If you do not want to take the shuttle there is a local bus you can take from the cruise terminal into town for I believe 2 euros but you have to walk from the ship to the bus stop. Taxis are available as well. This port was 1 of 2 ports you could actually walk from the ship into town. Other ports you had to take a shuttle because walking in the cruise port is not allowed

Tip #3 Buy your souvenirs closer to the shuttle drop off area. We bought our souvenirs away from the drop off area and it was a lot more expensive. The shuttle drop off location is called Escollera.

Tip #4 On the day we arrived in Mallorca, which was a Monday, there were tents set up like a local market with different vendors and people selling fake designer bags. Our tour guide told us when the police comes the bootleggers flee.

Tip #4 When it rain the sidewalk is very slippery. Be cautious and careful, walk in the street when you can

Tip #5 If you love to shop, there are a lot of designer and local boutiques in Palma. Great place to buy something unique.

More to come!!!

06/10/2024

Part 2 of my 7 Day Western Mediterranean cruise experience

Now let's talk about the cruise ship experience. For me, the ship and its crew sets the tone for your cruise. Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas is a nice size ship, and actually the biggest ship I've ever been on so far. Cant believe there are ships bigger than this one.

I've always sailed on Carnival and I hadn't sailed on Royal Caribbean in almost 20 years so I knew there were major changes with Royal. Nevertheless I was ready to get on the ship and sail into my dream vacation.

Embarkation - our cruise departed and returned to Barcelona. The cruise terminal was pretty simple and easy to identify. There was a gift shop and several seating areas in the terminal and nice decor.
The check in process went smoothly at the cruise terminal. Check in began at 11:00 am, which was my check in time. Boarding for my group number was called at 12:15 pm. Usually with Carnival I would need the hard copy of my cruise documents with me, but Royal Caribbean accessed everything through the app. This made the check in process quick, easy, and smooth.

What is the check in process during embarkation?
Part of the check in process is completing your check in on the app. Then completing the health form 24 hours prior to boarding via the app. On arrival at the cruise terminal, we went through security where they scanned our luggage and walked through metal detectors. Talked to RC check in reps that checked our SeaPass in the app and our passports. Lastly completing our muster drill the day of boarding and doing the last step when you get onboard and getting checked off at your muster drill meeting spot.

The Entertainment
The entertainment was good from different aspects of the cruise. According to my husband the sail away party was very lite, not many people were there. I was in a different area of the ship trying to win a shopping spree. LOL

The shows were fantastic! I was not able to attend the aqua show due to the high winds which made it very cool and I did not want to get sick. They were handing out blankets but that wouldn't have been enough coverage for me. Other shows on the ship were CATS Broadway show, One Sky - a music and dance show, and Frozen in Time - an ice skating show. The shows were phenomenal and I loved every moment. Husband went to sleep.....

The activities on the ship were plentiful, not many pool deck activities. Actually I don't remember there being any at all but there was plenty to do. The boardwalk area had the carousel, the tallest slide on the ocean, other shops, restaurants, and bars. The 5th floor which is where we boarded the ship is called the Royal Promenade. Plenty of shops, a few food options, karaoke spot, Royal Theatre and more. On the 8th floor this area is called Central Park. And it definitely resembles Central Park in New York but on the ship. The specialty dining restaurants were located on this floor. The 15th & 16th floor is where the pools, water slides, rock climbing, buffet called the Windjammer and more is located. The ice cream is on the these floors as well. At night of course you had the club, silent disco, the comedy show and more. Music was continuous in the Royal Promenade with a live band and singer.

The food
I have to be honest. I did not try the food in the main dining room and hubby did not want to wait for service. So everyday we ate at the buffet. And it was not disappointing at all. Since it is mostly the same menu as in the main dining room, we didn't miss much in my opinion. But don't skip out on the main dining room experience, it's a treat. We've cruised a lot, so it wasn't a big deal for us. I did not like El Loco Fresh, the mexican cuisine, it was pretty bland to me. I'm used to Carnival's Blue Iguana Cantina, the best mexican cuisine on the high seas if you ask me. Our favorite was the Solarium Bistro. Adult only for breakfast and lunch but open to children for dinner. The best thing I loved about the buffet in the Windjammer is the hand washing machine. You cannot enter the buffet without washing your hands and they enforced it. I'm all for good hygiene.

The App & Reservations
Everything you needed to know about your itinerary and the ship is in the app, including your onboard account and the ship charges. The shows, eating in the main dining room and dinner in the Solarium Bistro required a reservation. Royal Caribbean opens check in 45 days prior to your cruise. Show reservations open the first day of the month of your cruise and dining reservations begin 90 days prior. As for the itinerary, the app had detailed instructions for when you can get off the ship to go into port and what time you needed to be back on, details about the different ports including transportation, what was nearby, weather, and contact info in case of an emergency.

Theme Nights - there were plenty of theme nights which included two elegant nights, Caribbean night, and wear white night. We didn't participate, we enjoyed sleeping in a lot.

Spa Experience
I only went to the spa because I won two $50 gift cards at an art auction. I thought I could use them both on any service and on one service but nope I couldn't. I had to choose a signature service which was more expensive and hubby decided to get a pedicure since I had to use the other $50 gift card for something different. However, the experience was much needed after all the walking we did on our trip and very nice. Besides the rough seas we were experiencing on our sea day, the spa experience was nice. Hubby had the fire & ice pedicure & I had the fire & ice mani-pedi. Privilege was my nail tech from Zimbabwe and she was superb.

Room attendant - I only saw my room attendant once on the cruise and its because they only cleaned the rooms once a day and no turn down service. We would be away when the rooms were being cleaned. Out of the 7 days I only got 2 towel animals which I was disappointed about, because I'm use to a different one everyday.

Disembarkation and airport shuttle - We booked the airport shuttle through the cruise line, and requested for early disembarkation. Disembarkation was seamless. We carried our own luggage off and was off the ship around 630am. The shuttle was supposed to leave at 645 am but didn't leave until 7:15 maybe 7:30 am. There were plenty of taxis outside waiting since we had an early disembarkation. Taking a taxi would have been half the price of what we paid for the airport shuttle. We arrived to the airport in 20 minutes.

Overall I will give the ship an 8/10. Some things I felt could be better but overall I had a great time.

Tip 1. Onboard account - you will receive a sea pass that looks like a credit card to use on the ship for purchases and as your ID to get on the ship when coming back to the port. To pay for expenses during your cruise, you have the option of a cash account or card account (credit card). If you use a card they will put a pre authorized hold of $100 on the card and will release at the end of the cruise based on your balance. If you do not like multiple charges and holds on your card, I recommend a cash account. I believe you have to put $200 cash on your account. When you are rooming with someone you can do a joint account or separate accounts

Tip #2 Check In - Check in to your trip as early as possible if you want an early boarding time. We got the earliest boarding time because we checked in the day check in began and at the exact time it opened. The check in opens according to the local time of the port you are departing from.

Tip #3 Download the app - you have to download the app, it is very useful and makes everything easier. And i mean everything.

Tip #4 One bottle of wine (750 ml or less) per person is allowed on the ship. Make sure it doesn't require a wine opener or you will be charged a corkage fee. Also 12 unopened nonalcoholic 12 oz beverage cans can be brought onboard during embarkation.

Tip #5 Bring wrinkle release spray for your clothes and hang in closet on the first day or use the laundry service on the ship. There
weren't any irons or garment steamers available in the room or on the ship to use. These items are considered fire hazards and are not allowed to bring on the ship by guests.

I will probably update this post periodically with more tips.....

Happy Sunday!!!!

Cabin Tour
https://youtu.be/_Mh2pUV4mw8?si=8ka79ABzAtA3yxs5

05/10/2024

Happy Saturday everyone!!!

Just recently got back from my vacation and it was definitely a trip of a lifetime.
I cruised with Royal Caribbean International on the Oasis of the Seas on a 7 Day Western Mediterranean Cruise. Since this was a 7 day trip, I will make a series of posts to break it down per port with tips and experiences that I had while there.

We had to fly into Barcelona, Spain which is where our cruise was departing. We arrived a day early and early in the morning around 6 am from JFK airport.

First tip when exchanging Euros - if you can exchange through your bank ahead of time, please do so. You will get a better exchange rate. We checked the exchange rate in Atlanta, and it was too low for us, so we decided to wait until we got to JFK. I'm glad we did because we received $150 more in JFK airport than what we would have gotten in the ATL airport. Ok, back to the trip.

It was raining the majority of the time we were in Barcelona but we made the best of it. Also during our time in Barcelona, there was a festival called La Merce which translates to the mercy festival. During the festival, there are a lot of different performances happening all over the city big and small. There were performances outside of our hotel on a stage. It got very crowded later in the evening.

We stayed at Hotel Colón Barcelona, A beautiful boutique hotel located in the center of the Gothic quarters. The breakfast buffet was delicious and the rooftop terrace was perfect for views of the area. We explored the Gothic Quarters during our time in Barcelona, and it is full of history, mystery and beautiful architecture. Our hotel was situated across the street from a beautiful cathedral where we started our exploration of the Gothic Quarters. We did not get the best frontal view of the cathedral due to the stage setup in front of it but it was a beautiful sight to see.
In the Gothic quarters there are plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, and so much more. After exploring the gothic quarters we were able to check into our room and take a nap before going to our Spanish cooking class later that evening.

Tip 2 - Be aware of pickpocketing. If you wear a backpack, wear it in front of you or don't put anything of value in your backpack if you wear it on your back. We wore pouches which laid across the front of out bodies, and we could keep an eye on it at all times. Now back to the cooking experience.

We booked a Spanish cooking class through Viator, where we learned how to cook Paella and how to make authentic Sangria. We had to meet our chef and group at the Travellers Nest bar, where other tours were meeting. We met at the bar and the group of about 30 was split into two separate groups. From there we walked to the market where they explained the seafood we would eat and how to pick them in the market. We had about 20 minutes to walk around the market which offered a lot of other food items beside seafood. Fortunately we explored the same market earlier that day, so we were fine with the short time. I'm glad we did, because when we arrived with the group a lot of stalls had already shut down and was cleaning up for the next day.

After the market, we walked to our kitchen where we would be cooking. We met our other Chef, she introduced herself and we all washed our hands and started cooking. We started with tapas of cheese, a hummus type dip with toasted bread, olives and of course Sangria. Got our wine glasses filled them up and started cooking. Everyone had their own assignment in the kitchen. Mine was stirring the ingredients in the Paella pan and my husband chopped the bell peppers. The Seafood Paella we cooked had a lot of different seafood which I thought I would never eat in life. But it was great! We met other couples from different countries and the United States. Definitely an experience to remember!

After the cooking experience, we walked back to our hotel where we ran into several different concerts which were actually nice to listen to and the locals were enjoying it as well. The next morning we ate breakfast at the hotel and took a taxi to the port to check in and board our ship.

Our check in time was 11 am for the cruise and everything started around that time as far going through security and checking in. The whole process took less than 10 minutes. We were given a group boarding number which they called when it was our time to board.

Tip 3: If sailing with Royal Caribbean, make sure to complete all the steps in the app and complete the health form they send you 24 hours before your cruise. It made our check in process so easy and fast. Also you can complete your muster drill steps as well and then complete it on the ship.

Tip 4: We are wine drinkers. So the day before we went to Carrefour grocery store to buy two bottles of wine. Royal Caribbean allows one 750 ml bottle of wine per person on a cruise.

We did not board the ship until 12:15 pm, but once we got on, we completed the muster drill and the rest of time to ourselves. Our rooms were ready around 1:30 pm. We did not check our bags in at the terminal and we walked on the ship with them. Which I liked because we got our rooms so fast, that I was able to unpack my luggage and get comfortable.

Overall Barcelona was wonderful and I will return for a longer trip.

More to come!