Long Weekend? Try Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas. The World’s Biggest Weekend!
- paigelandrum
- 10 hours ago
- 12 min read
Contributed by Paige Landrum
AMAAB Travel Advisor and Toddler Mom
Every parent knows the feeling: you love your kids more than anything, but sometimes you just need a reset. A little time to remember what adult conversations feel like or what uninterrupted meals taste like. Or to remember what it’s like to sit in the sun without simultaneously applying sunscreen to a moving toddler who’s inevitably sandy the second you step foot on the beach (hi, it's me!).
So, when we had a friend with a big birthday invite my husband and I with 10 other parents for a weekend getaway on Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest Oasis Class ship, we were quick to say “we’re in.”
Branded as “The World’s Biggest Weekend,” Utopia packs the energy, food, entertainment, and relaxation of a full-length vacation into a quick getaway. It’s ideal for anyone craving a break without taking a week off work (or a week away from home). For the 3-day itinerary, the ship leaves Friday afternoon and ports back on Monday morning, so it's easy to do with only taking two days off work and 3-4 nights away from home depending on if you leave the day before (recommended if you live more than a few hours away). For my husband and I, this was a much-needed adults-only cruise, and it truly delivered.
Sailing Into the Weekend
As soon as you book your cruise, you can download the Royal Caribbean app, which makes the entire check-in process extremely easy. Before we ever left home, we had checked in, chosen our arrival time, linked our reservations, and could already see the schedule of shows and activities for the weekend.
Once onboard, the app becomes your pocket-sized concierge, updating you with showtimes, dining hours, deck plans, and daily events. If you like to know what’s going on and when (guilty!), this app is your best friend. My husband, on the other hand, never opened it after arriving.
Port Canaveral is incredibly smooth to navigate. Parking is right next to the terminal, and you can either opt for the parking garage or the uncovered lot across the street. We always opt for the outdoor parking, but this process went so much quicker without two kids and ten extra bags! We were able to go directly to the parking lot (versus dropping our bags first) and then drop our bags with the attendants as we entered the terminal.
I am absolutely notorious for not printing things, (I honestly can’t stand a printer), so we did not print luggage tags ahead of time (loud gasp!)... turns out it was fine and the attendants had extras and never batted an eye.
*Unofficial advice: don't sweat it if you don’t have your luggage tags.
After dropping checked luggage, we went through security, which was our longest wait of the weekend (approx. 10 minutes). We were offered Express Boarding, which meant we went into a nonexistent line with some very friendly staff, showed our passports, and then were stepping onto the ship right around 12:30 PM (our boarding time was noon, but we got slowed down with a Buckeyes stop on the way to the port, IYKYK). Even with the small delay, we had plenty of time to visit our muster station, grab a drink and lunch, and explore before sail away.
Pro Tip: If you are checking your bags, remember they will not make it to your room until later in the afternoon, so bring a carryon bag with anything you may need before then - things like bathing suits, credit cards, phone charger, sunglasses and sunscreen. If you book your cruise with one of our A Mouse and A Beach travel advisors, we will help you by sending this cruising checklist so you are fully prepared!
Exploring the Ship and Neighborhoods
If you’ve never sailed an Oasis Class ship, the “neighborhoods” are the first thing that catches your attention. Each area has its own personality, making it feel more like a floating resort city than just a ship.
Utopia of the Seas has 8 neighborhoods, and they are all truly unique, and each one is a must-visit.
The Royal Promenade is the beating heart of Utopia, bustling from morning coffee runs to late-night dance parties. This is where you first enter the ship, and is your go-to place to shop, grab a slice of pizza, or simply people watch (with a drink in hand from the Pesky Parrot of course).
Central Park, with its live plants and open-air design, gives you a calm, almost hidden escape, perfect for a quiet drink or evening stroll. When you visit this area, you can catch glimpses of birds and sit on benches that line the park. It's easy to forget that you are in the middle of a ship.
Meanwhile, the Boardwalk is lively with sounds and smells of a coastal boardwalk town. You’ll find a carousel, arcade games, ice cream, a candy shop, hotdogs, milkshakes, a sports bar and views into the AquaTheater at the aft (back) of the ship.
The pool and sports zone is where Utopia truly lives up to its “biggest weekend” name. On the upper decks you can experience sprawling pools, water slides, the adults-only Solarium, mini golf, sports courts, and zipline. They also have a really awesome kids playground section (with seating for adults too!) that I know we will spend 80% of our time at when we bring the kids.
Entertainment Place is a contemporary nightclub district that showcases a theater, casino, and lounges.
Vitality at Sea - Fitness Center and Spa is your go-to place for health and wellness or to simply relax and unwind.
Youth Zone is where you would find the nursery and kids and teen clubs.
The Suite Life is a dedicated area for suite guests, and includes restaurants, lounges, and sun deck with plunge pools and panoramic views.
I’ll be honest, my favorite neighborhoods are Central Park and the Boardwalk, for entirely separate reasons, but the atmospheres of both make me happy.
Room Types
Utopia offers a variety of staterooms, and each one brings a slightly different vibe. Ocean View Balconies give you a relaxing, wide-open view of the sea, they’re ideal for unwinding at night or sipping coffee in the morning.
If you want a balcony, but want to save some dollars, you can also opt for a Boardwalk Balcony where you have people-watching views over the lively Boardwalk neighborhood. Or opt for the Central Park balcony, where you can view a greenery-filled, peaceful space that feels worlds away from the pool deck.
Other options include 1 and 2 bedrooms, suites and Jr Suites (Jr Suite is what we typically do with the kids, but this time opted for a standard ocean view balcony), ocean view which includes a window, or interior cabins.
Dining Around the Ship
Okay, so everything couldn’t be perfect, right? This one is partially my fault though. I went into this cruise with HIGH food expectations. It’s a new ship, it's gotta have top notch food, right?
I will preface that with saying, I am NOT a foodie. I don’t seek out the best of the best food on vacations or any other time for that matter. But for whatever reason, (maybe it’s because I’ve been seeing all my DCL friends with their awesome dining experiences lately) I just really had high hopes for food and I was a bit let down.
Now, let me explain why this is partially my fault and what I will do differently next time around. Since we were with a large group (12 adults total), my husband and I chose to not do any specialty dining, simply because we weren’t sure of everyone's schedule, but we did know everyone else was planning on just eating in the Dining Hall each night, so we opted for that too. Looking back, I wish I had booked at least 1-2 meals of specialty dining, because the Dining Hall food did NOT do it for me. It is a rotating menu, and it is very possible that I just didn't make the best choices, but even my Crème Brûlée was less than stellar. The third night, half of our party opted for the Windjammer buffet, and it was the best dinner I had.
This wouldn’t keep me from sailing again, but next time, large group or not, I’m going to book specialty dining and eat my sushi until my belly is full and my heart is content.
Now, let me give credit where credit is due - we did room service for breakfast each morning (except it's not offered on debarkation day), and it was worth every bit of the $8 tip we owed. You could pick basically anything you wanted off the menu, and boy did we. Eggs, waffles, grits, bacon, sausage, potatoes, French toast, pancakes with syrup. Pair breakfast with coffee (or mimosas) and eating on your stateroom balcony, and this was probably my favorite part of the trip.
Here’s a full list of included dining options:
Main Dining Room (classic cruise meals with assigned or flexible dining times)
Windjammer Marketplace (buffet)
El Loco Fresh (casual Mexican)
Café Promenade (grab-and-go snacks)
Sorrento’s Pizza (a variety of pizzas perfectly located to people-watch)
Coastal Kitchen (for suite guests)
Solarium Bistro (Mediterranean-leaning lighter fare)
Park Café (salads, sandwiches, and the famous kummelweck sandwich)
Boardwalk Dog House
Here’s a full list of Specialty Dining (Extra cost and reservations recommended)
Royal Railway - Immersive dining experience that we will 100% be doing next time!
Chops Grille (steakhouse)
Izumi Hibachi & Sushi
Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar (Italian)
Hooked Seafood
Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade - We got appetizers here and it was significantly better than our dining hall food.
The Mason Jar Supper Club - This was a favorite for drinks- will get food here next time too.
Johnny Rockets
Starbucks
Chef’s Table (Elevated multi-course meal)
You can make reservations for any specialty restaurants on the Royal Caribbean app ahead of time, but it's also possible to make reservations once you board as long as you are flexible on timing.
Nightlife and Entertainment
Now, where I felt the food was lacking, it was made up for with lounges. This being a kids-free trip, I was actually able to sit in multiple (maybe most? all?) of the lounges on this ship and enjoy the ambiance along with the specialty drinks that tied right back to the theming of each lounge. I have my favorites, but they were all awesome in their own way.
Some of my favorite lounges included:
Bell and Barley - Irish pub with live music. Due to location, this is actually the first bar we entered on our trip, and the last one we visited as well on our final night.
Playmakers - This was a fun sports bar that also had food. It was extra lively because we were there on a Saturday during football season.
The Schooner Bar - This piano bar was my favorite; I could have been happy to stay here all night. They also had espresso martinis that were top notch.
The Rising Tide Bar - This was a fun experience, the open-air bar rises 3 stories while you enjoy fancy martinis. We did this one night while we had 30 minutes to kill before dinner.
The Mason Jar - Live country music nightly, but I actually appreciated this place more in the daylight. It feels homey with rocking chairs, floor to ceiling windows, and drinks out of mason jars. The menus were themed like a Southern Cookbook; the little details really sold this one for me.
The Pesky Parrot - This one probably had my favorite drinks, but was in a busier part of the ship than I preferred. The decor was so cute though and reminded me of Margaritaville.
The Lime & Coconut - Pool bar vibes, wasn't here for a long time, but had a good time.
Even on a short cruise, Utopia doesn’t hold back when it comes to entertainment. The AquaTheater show is a must-see - high divers, acrobatics, synchronized swimming, all performed outdoors with the ocean as the backdrop. I regrettably didn't catch it on this ship, but we have seen this one previously on the Allure of the Seas. The performers are truly amazing. The ice show is another highlight; the talent is unreal, and it’s one of those things you don’t expect to be so captivating until you’re watching it.
The main theater offers Broadway-style productions, and the comedy club brings in rotating comedians. I’m a big live music fan, so having live music popping up around the ship - saxophone in Central Park, Latin dancing at Boleros, a pianist belting out singalongs - there is so much going on, you could never have a dull minute (but that’s your choice!).
Nightlife continues with dance clubs and themed parties. Another go-to for us was the Music Hall where they had 80’s night with live performers, 90’s night was more dance club style and rounded out the weekend with college drinking games. We also paid a visit to the Karaoke bar where talent ranged widely, but every song was pure entertainment.
On a kids-free trip, it was fun to stay out late knowing we could sleep in the following morning (with our room service!).
Kid Spaces (for next time)
I couldn’t help peeking at the kid areas, force of habit as a mom of young kids and travel planner. Adventure Ocean (for elementary ages), the nursery (for littles under three), and the teen/tween lounges all looked fantastic. Up on Deck 16, the dedicated kids’ splash areas and water features were buzzing with activity.
I’ve sailed on other ships in the Oasis class, and one thing that stood out about this trip was the Playscape area, which was a dry play area near the sports courts that was nautical theme and included climbing and swinging apparatuses galore. I would have given anything for this to have been on the Allure last year with our then 1 and 3 year olds.
Even though we left the kids at home, it’s nice to know this ship would be an easy “yes” for a family trip in the future!
Port Day 1: Nassau
Nassau is one of those destinations that can be as relaxed or adventurous as you want. Since we hadn’t been on this ship before (and totally nothing to do with how many drinks we had the night before), we opted to stay on the ship for our Nassau day and explore it while it was less crowded (catch me in the solarium taking my mid-day nap!).
My recommendation is checking the Royal Caribbean app early and book any excursions that you want to do ahead of time.
We spent our Nassau day mostly at the pool, and below you'll find some proof that the water slides aren't just for kids! Some other honorable mentions from this day include the Solarium, shopping the ship boutiques, a peaceful walk through Central Park, people watching while enjoying pizza (also a late-night favorite), and some pool side entertainment.
Port Day 2: Perfect Day at CocoCay
CocoCay truly is the most perfect day, in my opinion. The island is lively, spotless, and easy to navigate.
There are a ton of options no matter the ages of your group. For this particular trip, my husband and I, along with some people from our group, chose to spend most of our time relaxing at Chill Island. We easily found chairs (with shade for me!), and it was close to the water, the bar, and the snack shack. Honestly heaven.
Other people in our group opted for the Oasis Lagoon Pool, or Hideaway Beach. The last time we visited with our kids and my teen nephew, we even visited Thrill Waterpark and of course Splashaway Bay. All this to say, there is no shortage of unique places, depending on your family’s wants and needs. As someone who often travels with kids, even if we were childless on this trip, it's hard not to appreciate how easy the island makes vacationing with little ones. Plenty of shade, tons of seating, and food stands that have something for everyone (including mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, fruit and ice cream, my toddlers’ sole vacation diet).
Debarkation
The departure morning was simple. While room service isn’t available on the last day, there are several grab-and-go breakfast options, and the Dining Hall was also open. We went to the Windjammer buffet. Since we only had our two bags, we opted to just bring our luggage off the ship with us, but if you want to have your bags waiting for you at the terminal, you just need to have your bags in the hall by 10pm the night prior. Upon exiting, customs used facial recognition, so the entire process moved quickly. I didn’t time it, but I would guess we left the room and were to our vehicle (across the street) in under 15 minutes.
Would I Recommend Utopia of the Seas?
Utopia of the Seas delivered on its promise of the “World’s Biggest Weekend.” In just a few days, we squeezed in sun-soaked relaxation, big-energy entertainment, peaceful mornings with water views (my favorite!) and got to have some grown-up fun that’s hard to come by in the middle of everyday parent life.
It felt refreshing without being overwhelming, cruising is just so easy compared to anything else! Honestly, my biggest decisions were what to wear. Especially for my Florida residents - hear me when I say take advantage of living so close to the port!
Whether you’re planning a couple's trip, a girls’ weekend, a big group like we did, or bringing the kids along, this ship makes it easy to say yes to adventure without needing a full week away. After this experience I can say, with some adjustments on my end, I would absolutely sail this ship again, and next time I'm bringing the kids.
For more tips on cruising with kids, I’d love to invite you to join my Facebook Group, Toddler Moms Plan Disney Trips and Cruise Vacations. Here I share valuable information on making a vacation with toddlers both manageable and enjoyable.
Whether you are looking for a short weekend getaway, or a longer cruise, our AMAAB Advisor team can help. Our staff encompasses several advisors who have sailed on a variety of cruise lines and ships and are equipped to help point you to what will work best for your needs and desires for your next vacation! Let’s get started here.
-Paige Landrum, Toddler Mom and AMAAB Travel Advisor
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