We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (2024)

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Utopia of the Seas Cruise Ship Overview

Utopia of the Seas is the second new cruise ship to launch this year for Royal Caribbean. While Icon of the Seas still holds the record of largest cruise ship in the world, Utopia’s stats are still quite impressive. As the sixth Oasis class ship, Utopia shares many similarities with her sisters, especially Wonder of the Seas.

This 18-deck cruise ship measures in at over 236K gross tons and carries 5,668 guests at double occupancy. Guests can enjoy familiar Royal Caribbean favorites, Oasis class staples, and even a few features that are unique to Utopia of the Seas spread across eight neighborhoods.

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Utopia of the Seas debuts a new dining concept and a brand-new bar for the Royal Caribbean fleet. Royal Railway – Utopia Station is a multi-sensory dining experience that takes guests on a train ride through the Wild West via digital screens and live interactions while they enjoy their meal. This is a fun and intimate adventure that the whole family will love.

The Pesky Parrot replaces the Bionic Bar in the Royal Promenade and serves up the ultimate tiki vibes. With Polynesian-themed decor, a signature drink menu with creative co*cktails, and the resident parrot Brian, you won’t want to sleep on this venue.

Some other differences you’ll notice on Utopia of the Seas is that Izumi has been relocated to Central Park similar to Icon of the Seas. The venue also features a new omakase experience along with an Izumi in the Park takeout window. Further, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen takes the place of Wonderland on Wonder of the Seas. This specialty restaurant is now a 2-story venue overlooking the Boardwalk and features an outdoor terrace.

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There’s also a new food truck on the pool deck, The Spare Tire, serving up grab-and-go options like tornados or chicken sandwiches.

Upholding the brand’s reputation for having the best entertainment at sea, Utopia delivers with three new production shows and a host of other parties. Always a favorite, Aqua80Too in the AquaTheater is a must-see. There’s also the Youtopia ice show in Studio B and the All In! production show in the Royal Theater. If you’re not tired yet, grab your toga and get ready to party!

Wait, there’s more…pools, mini golf, a zipline, the signature FlowRider surf simulator, the Ultimate Abyss, waterslides, a casino, a spa, live music, and a plethora of other food and drink options.

But, you’ll have to do it all in just 3 days (or 4 days). That’s right– the world’s biggest weekend is sailing short getaways to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Florida through at least April 2026.

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If you’re considering a cruise on Utopia of the Seas, here’s the CliffNotes version:

Pros-

  • Consistent Royal Caribbean experience
  • Most amenities of any weekend cruise
  • Variety of activities and signature entertainment for all ages

Cons-

  • Almost too much packed into a short getaway
  • New Spare Tire was a letdown
  • More upcharges than other Oasis-class ships

For a more in-depth look at our experiences on this new cruise ship, continue reading our day-by-day Utopia of the Seas review below.

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Utopia of the Seas Review – Day 1

On the Road Again

It seemed like we just returned from our Margaritaville at Sea Islander cruise, yet it was already time to head out again! This time we were setting off on a rather lengthy adventure. First, we’d be checking out Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas. Would the ship be too big for just 3 days?

Then, we’d be making a connection through Boston to pick up more luggage in our car and heading off to Rome for a 12-day Mediterranean cruise with Atlas Ocean Voyages. Phew!

With our multiple bags packed, we caught a late afternoon flight from Boston to Orlando. Taking the approximately 45 minute drive from MCO out to the Port Canaveral area, we arrived at the Residence Inn Cape Canaveral just in time to get some sleep before this jam-packed weekend getaway.

Boarding the World’s Biggest Weekend

Eager to experience all this new Royal Caribbean ship had to offer, we requested an Uber to the cruise terminal just after 10 AM, but catching quite a bit of traffic, it was nearly a half hour later before we officially stepped foot into Cruise Terminal 1.

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Thankfully, Royal Caribbean has embarkation day down to a science though. So, our check-in process was quick and efficient. In fact, we were able to board the ship in less than 15 minutes! Let’s get this Utopia of the Seas review started.

Immediately upon boarding, we logged into the app to secure our entertainment reservations, which for our sailing could only be made once onboard the ship. Guests could also wait in line at the Box Office near Studio B on Deck 4 to make these reservations. There are three brand-news shows: Aqua80Too, Youtopia, and All In!, as well as comedy shows in The Attic that all require reservations.

With this task complete, it was now time to start exploring. As always, we headed to the top of the ship starting at Deck 16 aft with the mini-golf, FlowRider, Ultimate Abyss, sports court, and Wipe Out Bar. Here, we noticed the Wipe Out Bar featured a new shaved ice offering which was an additional up-charge (and not included in the drink packages).

We continued touring the spaces on Decks 15 and 16, including the three pools, Splashaway Bay, the Solarium, the new Spare Tire food truck, the Mason Jar and Hooked Seafood specialty restaurants, and more.

If guests have cruised on other Royal Caribbean Oasis-class ships, they will feel right at home. There are many similarities, especially to Wonder of the Seas, with only a few new additions and minor reorganizations. During your own ship explorations, keep an eye out for the silver monkey statues found throughout the ship. They are very photogenic!

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A Walk in the Park

With only three days on Utopia of the Seas, we feverishly worked our way from deck to deck checking out every square inch of the ship from the Adventure Ocean kids’ club on Deck 14, to the newly re-located two-story Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen on Deck 12, to the Music Hall aft on Decks 8 and 9, and finally the Central Park neighborhood nestled in the middle of Deck 8.

Central Park is the same tranquil greenspace that loyal Royal cruisers know and love. Here, guests will find the specialty restaurants Chops Grille and 150 Central Park along with the relocated Izumi. On Utopia of the Seas, Izumi features three distinct experiences: hibachi, sushi, and omakase.

We actually liked the new setup of the restaurant as it gave each section more distinction. There are six hibachi tables in one area of the restaurant with a 6-person “chef’s table” used for the omakase experience separating it from the sushi bar and seating on the opposite side of the venue. Like Icon of the Seas, there’s also Izumi in the Park, a takeout window featuring grab-and-go sushi and bubble cones for an up-charge.

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Down on Deck 6, we toured the spa and fitness center. Those with a keen eye might notice that this area looks a bit different. Its lobby is more open, and there is no longer a Vitality Spa Cafe. Instead, there’s more retail area selling beauty products. Like most Royal Caribbean ships though, the thermal suite remains quite small when compared to other cruise lines.

The next signature neighborhood on Oasis-class ships is the Boardwalk located on Deck 6. This aft area features all the staples including a carousel, the Dog House, Playmakers Sports Bar, Johnny Rockets, and the AquaTheater.

After 3+ hours of running around in the Florida summer heat, we were tired, sweaty, and hungry. Thus, it was time for a little break in the air-conditioned Royal Promenade. Don grabbed a dog from the Boardwalk on the way back inside. I grabbed some pizza from Sorrento’s, along with our afternoon caffeine fix from Cafe Promenade.

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Like other ships in the fleet, the coffee at Cafe Promenade is included in the Deluxe Beverage Package and the Cafe Select Coffee Card (unlike the Starbucks kiosk found further forward in the promenade).

Our Home Away From Home

Cooled off and caffeinated, it was time to check out our cabin. For this Utopia of the Seas cruise review, we booked a guaranteed ocean view balcony cabin. Shortly before our sail date, we are assigned to cabin 11680. This starboard side balcony cabin is located just aft of the midship elevator bank.

The stateroom had a very similar look and feel to many other newer ships in the fleet. Entering the room, the bathroom was to the right, followed by the seating area. The bathroom was pretty typical with a cylindrical glass-doored shower and a vanity area.

The sofa was flanked by two closets; one featured a full length clothes bar and the other had a series of shelves beside a smaller clothes bar with two drawers below.

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We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (21)

The desk was adequately-sized and was adjacent to a dresser which housed the mini-fridge along with five drawers for additional storage. There were also several power outlets here, including 3 US outlets, 2 EU outlets, 1 USB, and 1 USB-C.

The bed was positioned closer to the balcony which is our preferred orientation. The television and some pegs for hanging bags were across from the bed, while a small nightstand was on each side of the bed. The lamps featured a USB-C and power outlet; though, the ones in our cabin didn’t work.

While I secured photos and videos of our cabin, Don checked out our preferred travel advisor‘s cabin. She was staying in one of the two new Solarium Suites on Utopia of the Seas.

Exclusive to this ship, these suites feature 280-degree forward facing views with a separate bedroom and living/dining area. While spacious and offering amazing vistas, there is no true balcony in this suite, only infinite balconies.

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By now, it was approaching 4 PM. While we had covered a lot of ground already, we still had plenty more to explore. Plus, our sailaway had been delayed awaiting guests who had flight issues due to the IT outage. So, it was back down to the Deck 5 Royal Promenade to pick up where we left off.

More Explorations

The Royal Promenade on Utopia of the Seas has all the familar favorites. There’s Spotlight Karaoke complete with new private karaoke rooms, Boleros, the Bell & Barley pub, Rising Tide Bar, and the Schooner Bar on Deck 6 overlooking the area. The one new addition is the Pesky Parrot.

The Pesky Parrot replaces the Bionic Bar, and it felt like the Bamboo Room 2.0. This tiki-inspired bar features Polynesian decor and co*cktails along with its own resident “pesky parrot”, Brian. This animatronic bird provides commentary to guests at seemingly arbitrary intervals.

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So, after exploring the Promenade and some remaining venues like the MDR, Royal Theater, casino, and Studio B, we decided to pull up a seat and test out some of the new co*cktails at the Pesky Parrot. During this visit, we sampled the Monkey Business and the Pesky’s Peanut Butter Pina. Both were good but the latter was rather heavy.

At some point while enjoying these co*cktails, the ship apparently set sail. Oh well, I guess we missed sail away!

An Action-Packed Evening on Utopia

With a dinner reservation at the Mason Jar for 6:30 PM, we headed back to our cabin to quickly unpack and change up for the evening.

Given this was only a 3-day cruise, we decided to reserve all specialty dining for this Utopia of the Seas review. We booked two of our favorites– The Mason Jar and Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen. Our travel advisor was also able to secure us a spot at the Royal Railway – Utopia Station which was still in technical rehearsals.

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We also had a show reserved each evening, and comedy shows, parties, and more to experience. With so much going on, it really is a lot to fit into three days if you have FOMO like I do.

While service at the Mason Jar was a bit slow, the food and drinks did not disappoint. We started with the Mississippi Moonlight and PB&J Old Fashioned co*cktails. The meal begins with buttermilk biscuits and jalapeno cornbread. I paired this with the smoky deviled eggs and charred watermelon salad which were both great. Don’s first course consisted of the lobster n’ crawfish gumbo and a po’boy.

For an entree, I ordered the chicken pot pie and Don did the St. Louis-style ribs. Don enjoyed the ribs, though, there wasn’t much chicken in my pot pie. We ended this indulgent meal with warm bread pudding and the gone bananas desserts.

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While not fancy, the southern dishes, co*cktails, and live music at the bar make the Mason Jar one of our favorite specialty restaurants on Royal Caribbean ships.

We’re Too Old For This

Even though the restaurant wasn’t all that busy, it still took nearly 2.5 hours. So, we didn’t have much time before our AquaTheater show at 10:30 PM. We decided to grab some co*cktails at the Schooner Bar and catch a bit of the piano player’s set before making our way to the show around 9:45 PM.

Upon arrival, staff were already scanning guests into the venue, but we were still able to secure some prime center seats for the show.

The AquaTheater productions are always among our favorite entertainment offerings at sea. Aqua80Too was no different. This high-energy sequel is filled with aerial acts, high-diving feats, slacklining, and plenty of synchronized swimming and dancing set to popular songs of the 80’s. They had me at E.T.!

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Ending right around 11:15 PM, the night wasn’t over yet. On the entertainment line-up, there was still the One Hit Wonders Street Party, the RED party in Studio B at midnight, and the new Royal Kappa Chi party in The Attic at 1 AM.

We made it through the promenade party and really wanted to stay awake for the Royal Kappa Chi party since it is a new addition to Royal’s entertainment schedule, but we gave up somewhere after midnight.

We were too tired to relive our college days. From what we heard though, it was a fun time complete with games of beer pong and more.

Tomorrow was another day and a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Utopia of the Seas Review – Day 2

It’s Gonna Be a Perfect Day

Day 2 of this Utopia of the Seas review was a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Up around 6:30 AM, Don headed off on his morning routine collecting content and eventually returning with our morning coffee. Once we were both ready for the day, we headed back out to continue our content collection before making our way ashore around 11 AM. We had basically seen everything on the ship by now with the exception of the Royal Railway as the venue is behind locked doors.

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Our friends at the Royal Caribbean Blog had invited us to join their floating cabana in the Coco Beach Club today. How could we say no?

If you are unfamiliar with Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay features several free areas and amenities along with some upcharge experiences. The Coco Beach Club and Hideaway Beach are two exclusive areas that do require admission.

Both have a pool, dining options, loungers and umbrellas on the beach, and for-fee cabanas. Coco Beach Club is the more chill area and is family-friendly. Hideaway Beach is adults-only and is more of a party scene. Both are great options for a day of fun in the sun.

However, if you don’t want to spend any extra money, there’s the Oasis Lagoon pool and sprawling beaches that are complimentary for all guests.

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While Utopia of the Seas was docked alongside Allure of the Seas today, this private island still did not feel too crowded even with two Oasis-class ships.

We spent most of our afternoon relaxing and enjoying the exclusive Coco Beach Club and floating cabana.

Around 3 PM, I couldn’t take the heat anymore so we headed back to the ship. We grabbed our afternoon caffeine fix and cooled off for a couple hours before changing up for another long night ahead of us.

Can We Stay Awake Long Enough Tonight?

On the agenda this evening was dinner at Giovanni’s, the production show All In! in the main theater, a comedy show in The Attic, and the ReZolution party. Could we stay awake long enough to see everything tonight?

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We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (41)

Prior to dinner, we found our way back to the Pesky Parrot to try out some additional co*cktails on the menu. This time, we sampled the Tiki’Mosa and Mai Time of My Life.

We had a 6:30 PM reservation at Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen tonight. This specialty restaurant is now two levels and overlooks the Boardwalk neighborhood. The only problem was that the sun was glaring through the windows making it quite warm during the first half of our dinner. While the view is great, some window shades would be helpful during certain hours of the day.

Of note, there is also a new outdoor terrace for diners to enjoy. But given the heat, we chose to eat inside the restaurant.

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As another one of our favorite specialty restaurants on Royal Caribbean, this meal lived up to our expectations. We enjoyed the caprese salad and calamari & polenta as appetizers along with a Giovanni’s pizza.

For entrees, I stuck with the classic chicken parm, while Don tried something new. One of Nonna’s Favorites, he did enjoy the Steak Muffuletta. We then finished out this indulgent meal with the Go Bananas dessert and some limoncello.

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An Evening of Entertainment

Out of dinner just after 8 PM, we grabbed some co*cktails from the pub before heading to the theater in advance of the 9:30 PM All In! production show.

While we always rave about the entertainment on Royal Caribbean, this show fell short for us. It more resembled a typical cruise revue show than the elaborate Broadway-style productions that we’ve come to expect. Especially following the amazing Wizard of Oz production on Icon of the Seas.

The show was rather disjointed jumping from scenes of Studio 54 to Miami, a Venetian party, steampunk, and more. Even the impressive drone show couldn’t make up for the lack of storyline. Let’s hope this is not a sign of things to come now that Nick Weir is no longer with Royal Caribbean.

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Next up was a comedy show at 11:30 PM. We attempted to go to the Mason Jar for some drinks and live music in between, but it was too crowded. Instead, we found ourselves back in the pub for some of the guitarist’s set.

The three comedians on this sailing were Tyrone Hawkins, Mike Merino, and Simeon Kirkiles. We thought Mike’s set was funnier than Tyrone’s but Simeon never disappoints. This fan-favorite kept the audience laughing the entire time…even with the “Deck 11” heckler in the crowd.

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We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (51)

From here, it was off to Studio B for the ReZolution dance party. This is basically just a reimagined white party with the DJ spinning hits. After about a half hour here, we decided to call it a night around 1 AM.

Tomorrow was already the last day of this weekend cruise!

Utopia of the Seas Review – Day 3

Is It Already Day 3?

Day 3 of this Uptoia of the Seas review was a call into Nassau, Bahamas. And given the short itinerary, we planned to stay onboard the ship all day…as did most other cruisers.

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Up bright and early once again, Don headed out on his morning routine while I got ready for the day. On the agenda for today was more eating, drinking, and entertainment. Isn’t that what the world’s biggest weekend is all about?

Unfortunately, time never allowed us to play mini-golf, ride the Ultimate Abyss, or even really lounge by the pool, but we did check off the new additions to the sports deck and pool deck in between spending some time in the Boardwalk and Central Park.

The Spare Tire Falls Flat

For lunch, it was our priority to sample the new offerings at the Spare Tire food truck on the pool deck for our Utopia of the Seas review. All in the name of research!

However, it wasn’t really what we envisioned. We thought this new food truck concept would be a Carnival Street Eats meets Perfect Day at CocoCay Snack Shack. Actually those chicken sandwiches and mozzerella sticks would have been a vast improvement to what was actually available.

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The menu at the Spare Tire includes a pepperoni tornado, chipotle chicken sandwich, ranchero beef tornado, Mediterranean veggie wrap, and cheesecake chimi. We did like that these items were individually packaged for easy grab-and-go, but the quality felt like microwave selections.

The chicken sandwich was not what we expected as it was more like a cold chicken salad, and the veggie wrap was quite soggy. The tornados were edible but not anything we’d return for, and the chimi was pretty good. But how can you mess up dessert?

In any case, the Spare Tire was definitely more like a flat tire in our opinion. We definitely think Royal Caribbean needs to do more with the offerings at this new food truck.

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We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (55)

A bit disappointed, we moved on to try the new shaved ice offering at the Wipe Out Bar on the sports deck. Here, guests can order up their favorite flavors with or without alcochol. A non-alcoholic version was $6 for a small and $9 for a large. Alcoholic versions were $14.

While this seems like a viable new family offering, we were surprised that it was not included in any drink packages. Honestly, we don’t see ourselves purchasing this shaved ice again unless we could use a C&A drink voucher or drink package on it.

So, when all else fails, get some drinks at the Lime & Coconut! The signature Lime & Coconut drink is always a win, and there are three bars on the pool deck serving this menu.

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The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness

Not sure where the day went, it was already approaching 3 PM by now. Thus, we headed back inside to do a little work and pack before our final night onboard Utopia of the Seas.

This evening’s itinerary was also filled with events. First, we had dinner at the new Royal Railway – Utopia Station at 6 PM, followed by the Youtopia ice show in Studio B and the new Silent Toga party.

The Royal Railway is a fully immersive experience that begins with a telegraph and tickets delivered to your stateroom. Guests are encouraged to arrive early as the train leaves promptly and those who are late will miss it.

Currently, the only multisensory experience available is the Wild West Train Trip but other options will be rolling out including a Silk Road experience.

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We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (58)

During our sailing, the price for the Royal Railway was $74.99 per person. This includes a pre-dinner co*cktail at Utopia Station and the dinner-and-a-show experience. Though, the price is expected to increase to $119 per person.

Upon arrival at Utopia Station, we were greeted by the conductor and directed to the loading platform where we received a flask of moonshine. Soon after, it was “all aboard” time, when we were escorted into an intimate train car with tables for 2 and 4 guests.

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We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (60)

During this 90-minute dinner experience, guests can enjoy the sights and sounds of the Wild West via digital screens in the train car. Think something you’d see in a Disney attraction. Without giving too much away, there might be some hijinks that occur along the way, so be on the lookout for bandits.

Along the train ride, guests are immersed in a story with live action skits interspersed during the meal. The menu is not all that upscale but the selections were good and you’re paying for the full experience.

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To start the meal, we had the outlaw bread cart and an off-menu amuse-bouche which was a small cowboy hat with shredded chicken. I ordered the Golden Nuggets and Roasted Poussin, while Don ordered the Old West Empanada Trio and the Braised Short Ribs. For dessert, we tried one of each– the Royal Railway Cigar and Denver Gold Bar.

While we did enjoy the experience and see it as a unique option that can be expanded over time, it felt quite rushed. Since the pacing of meals are timed and all guests are served at once, we didn’t feel like we had enough time to enjoy the food while still taking in everything else happening around us. Knowing the staff needed to stay on schedule, we ended up giving away our only partially eaten plates during each course.

It seems as though the dinner time needs to be a bit longer or some scenes need to be cut so guests can fully enjoy courses between the entertainment.

Honestly, we walked out feeling over-stimulated. Still, with a little improvement needed, this is certainly a fun family-friendly dining option. It’s unlike anything you’ll find on competitor cruise lines.

Our Final Evening on Utopia of the Seas

Out of dinner at promptly 7:30 PM, we made our way to the Music Hall to catch a bit of the tribute band Phoenix perform then hopped up to the Mason Jar. We grabbed some drinks and enjoyed the Country Trio for about an hour while chatting with some friends.

We then headed to Studio B for the 9:45 PM ice show. Youtopia is an energetic performance through various times and places featuring popular songs and a talented cast of skaters. While not the best storyline, these ice shows on Royal Caribbean are always a good time.

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From here, it was up to the Royal Promenade just in time for the balloon drop at 10:30 PM. Instead of the embarkation day midnight balloon drop, Utopia bid us farewell with this event. But the night wasn’t over yet! We still had to check out the third new party, Silent Toga.

This reimagined event took place in the Solarium and is exactly as it sounds. Your traditonal silent disco takes on a whole new meaning with guests wearing togas. Some guests did pack their own toga-esque costumes for the cruise. But if you don’t want that extra weight in your luggage, staff members do pass out sheets as well. So, you can get creative tying up your own outfit. We were too lazy, so just listened along with the headsets.

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Around 11:30 PM, we said our goodbyes and headed off to bed. Tomorow was going to be a long day of travel.

Utopia of the Seas Review – Disembarkation

From One Cruise to the Next…So We Thought

Today was the saddest day of our Utopia of the Seas review–disembarkation day!

Little did we know what we had in store for us today. We were supposed to fly from MCO to Boston to swap out luggage in our car during a 3-hour layover then connect to Rome to continue our cruising adventures.

With the recent Microsoft IT outage, I had been keeping track of Delta cancellations over the weekend and it didn’t look very hopeful for us. I had suggested we chance a 10:20 AM Jet Blue flight instead, but Don thought it was too risky given we needed to get from Port Canveral to the airport. So, we kept our fingers crossed that our 12 PM Delta flight would take off as planned.

We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (71)

Even on one of the largest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean has disembarkation down to a science. Exiting our cabin around 7:30 AM, we literally walked right off the ship, through CBP, and into an Uber in under 15 minutes.

At this rate, we would be at the Orlando airport before 9 AM, so we decided to go to Terminal C first to see if there was any hope of getting on that early Jet Blue flight to Boston.

Unfortunately, that flight had sold out since I last looked yesterday afternoon. But, there was a 6 AM flight tomorrow morning still available. I convinced Don to hedge our bets and book it as a back up just in case. After all, we were within the 24 hour window and could cancel if we indeed did get home on our scheduled Delta flight.

Let the Games Begin

So, we made our way to Terminal B where chaos would ensue. What a difference from the Jet Blue counter to the Delta counter.

To complicate our situation a bit, we had booked both legs of this trip separately. So, we wanted to make sure if we missed our connection to Rome that we’d get automatically rebooked since it was two different reservation numbers. So, we decided to wait in the customer service line. As we inched our way in line, we watched our flight delay increase one hour at a time.

We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (72)

After waiting over 2 hours in line and no where near the front yet, our flight to Boston had already been delayed enough to ensure we wouldn’t make the connection to Rome. And, the seats on tomorrow night’s flight were filling up quickly. Just throwing money out the window at this point, we booked tomorrow’s flight as insurance and got out of line. (This ultimately worked itself out, so we didn’t lose any money.)

We waited it out in the airport with hopes that we could at least make it to Boston tonight. At some point, the delay seemed to stabilize with a new flight time close to 9 PM. Thus, we decided to get in the drop off bags line around 6:30 PM. Through security and waiting patiently at our gate, there was a brief glimmer of hope.

But right around boarding time, we started hearing rumors that there were no pilots here. So, after literally waiting in the airport all day, our close to 9-hour delay officially turned into a cancellation. Thank goodness we had already booked that Jet Blue flight as a back up as Delta provided no re-book options.

Now, it was a mad dash to secure a hotel and retreive our luggage. Thankfully, there were still a few rooms available at the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport. But the luggage situation was a different story. With the crowds reporting 4+ hour wait times, we started to lose all hope of getting any sleep tonight.

We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (73)

With the limited staff on-hand doing their best to sort through the thousands of bags, it seemed like a lost cause. But, sometimes it pays to have the most obnoxiously patterned luggage. After waiting about 2 hours already, showing staff the location of our AirTags and a picture of our luggage saying “you can’t miss it”, our bag appeared on the carousel. At last!

Now, we could at least get a few hours sleep.

Let’s Try This Again

Up bright and early the next morning, it was time to try this again. Thankfully, our Jet Blue flight to Boston took off without issue arriving by 9 AM. Still, I couldn’t help but rub it in. If Don would have listened to me and chanced that early Monday morning flight we’d already be in Rome!

Instead, we were in the Boston airport until our new 6 PM flight this evening.

This is why we always recommend flying a day ahead of your cruise. Luckily, we would still make it in time to board our next cruise. Instead of a day in Rome, we would be heading directly to the ship. But, we’ll take it!

Without any further issue, we were off and ready for our 12-day Mediterranean cruise with Atlas Ocean Voyages. Stay tuned!

Comments

Did you find our Utopia of the Seas review helpful? Do you have plans to sail on the world’s biggest weekend? Drop us an anchor below to share your thoughts on this newest Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

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We Just Sailed on the World's Biggest Weekend - Here's Our Utopia of the Seas Review (2024)
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