First Published in Irish Daily Mail on August 8th 2026
I’m sitting with an array of muffins, readily poised with my icing equipment but I’m on my own. My daughter, Nicole and I signed up to the cupcake decoration class for nostalgic reasons because the first time we took a Royal Caribbean Cruise she loved it – well, she was eight-years-old. So why am I on my own? Nicole is now twenty-two and she was dancing on deck 14 until the small hours with Fernando from Peru.
Royal Caribbean do family travel in a very special way and dotted around the ship, large groups of three generations and sometimes four, enjoy a special time together that only a vacation can offer. Fernando is joined by his sister and ten other family members spanning three generations – to prove a point.
I don’t blame Nicole for going all out on this trip – she recently graduated from university, where she studied Culinary Entrepreneurship. It goes without saying that food is important to her and this little celebration of Mum and Daughter time offers plenty of opportunities to explore food and beverages on the water. Our package has three specialty meals included and on our first night we descend on Chops Grill, a New York style steakhouse that really is a highlight on the ship.
On our second night we went oriental and dined in the Teppanyaki restaurant, Izumi. Our chef oozed fun and charisma as he tossed steely blades above his head and spun delicate eggs on the hot grill. What followed was a lesson in how to eat Japanese food well, with a selection of prawn, beef, lobster and chicken all washed down with sake.
Travelling with an adult daughter has advantages – there’s no need for the childcare facilities at Adventure Ocean this time. The activities there are so good for small ones that I’d to drag her screaming out of it in the past. On one occasion she refused to leave the ship on a port day because she had an art class with her new friends.
As an adult, this time, she joined me in the casino and came second in the slot tournament, missing out on a $500 prize by split seconds. Healthier options for our wallets on board included dance classes where we honed our Latin moves. We spent our first afternoon at sea in the Olive or Twist Bar where Vinny, the senior bartender from Brazil, took us on a rum-tasting tour of the Caribbean. Nicole is a bit of a beverage expert after finishing her degree but the variety of rums and mixers added new recipes to her repertoire.
Our drinks package included all day coffee, soft drinks, water and cocktails and is definitely worth getting when booking your package. You can eat in the dining room or buffet-style Windjammer and avoid the specialty restaurants but everyone should eat at least once in Giovanni‘s – with a real taste of Italy. Every day is a new surprise on the ship. One morning a candy-floss machine was in full flow at the wash-basin area.
You can be as active or as lazy as you like on the cruise ship – learn to surf, wall-climb, play basketball or table-tennis. Probably one of the most fun activities is ice-skating where the rink turns into a venue for dancing and shows. The comedy club and karaoke are popular choices – especially for the teens. But it’s the quality of performers in the west end style theatre that rivals any show you will go to see at the Bord Gais Theatre. We were treated to a medley of fairy tales watching Once Upon a Time, laced with favourites from musicals and dazzling special effects. All this and then after the show we still had time to show off our Latin Dance moves at the disco on the top deck.
Our first stop was at the island of Cozumel in Mexico and a chance to sample Central America. Unfortunately our day trip to Checin-itza was cancelled so we spent the day wandering the tiny island and took a local guide to bring us around. This island is supported by cruise ships and can get busy around the port so one of the best ways to spend the day is at a beach club and sample the glistening turquoise waters with a Margarita in hand.
Following another glorious day at sea we were ready for paradise. Perfect Day at Coco Cay is a small island in the Bahamas that Royal Caribbean has purchased and turned into an idyllic theme-park-styled stop-off on their Caribbean cruises.
It’s a beach paradise similar to Disney World for adults and children alike. A massive hot air balloon hangs in the middle of the resort for thrill seekers and for the really adventurous ziplining over the lagoon is a must. We got so cosy with new friends on South Beach we didn’t notice the time slip by. There’s even a swim up bar in the sea with reggae music putting everyone in the party spirit.
A mid-size ship like Freedom of the Seas is ideal for the first time cruiser or anyone tempted to try out cruising. Royal Caribbean have just launched Legend of the Seas which promises to be a bucket list experience with even more attractions and wonderful ways to live your best life at sea. The Western Caribbean was the route where I took my first cruise with Royal and it is one of my favourites so for seasoned cruisers you can have the best of both worlds with bookings already piling in. Every cruise and ship caters for all stages and ages. As we reluctantly arrived back to Miami Nicole and I both agreed that as the years pass cruising is always going to be our favourite way to spend those special moments together. Maybe someday in the future she’ll be able to bring her own little one to the cupcake decoration class and make even more mum and daughter memories!
Factbox
Michelle was a guest of Royal Caribbean Cruises
Freedom of the Seas is sailing from Miami on 4- and 5-night vacations. Prices start from €691pp for two adults. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/ireland
There are images here: https://we.tl/t-A3njBdwzpOaCSf5k and on the media centre here: https://royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/legend
Legend of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s latest Icon class ship and launches this summer 2026 visiting top destinations in Europe with a 7-night Western Mediterranean adventures from Barcelona, Spain, and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; and the Southern Caribbean* commencing November 2026 from Fort Lauderdale.
Prices start at £2,211 (sterling) for two people in a Stateroom including flights from Dublin to Barcelona and transfer from Barcelona to Legend of the Seas. There are images here: https://we.tl/t-A3njBdwzpOaCSf5k and on the media centre here: https://royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/legend
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