We’re going on Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas on this episode with Travel Mom Linda Marie and a pre-trip to Disney World.
Host Shannon met Linda Marie on the cruise sailing out of Port Canaveral. Utopia of the Seas launched in August of 2024, and it’s called “The World’s Biggest Weekend” as you can sail Friday through Monday, which is a great opportunity for short trips and people new to cruising. There’s also the Monday through Friday cruise that we did.
For more family vacation inspiration, check out all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!
Tell us about yourself.
I manage the design of Lilly Pulitzer‘s woven products. I’m also a mom to three kids. I have a 17-year-old son, a three-year-old daughter, and a one-year-old son. I have different genders and different portions of their lives on trips, so I always have to think about different things to do and different places to be so that all my children enjoy the vacation.
We’re in Pennsylvania, and for this trip, we had a big group of 38 people.
Tell us about your Utopia of the Seas adventure.
We planned the whole thing almost a year in advance. And since we were flying into Orlando, we decided to take advantage of our location and visit Disney World with the kids.
We got to Florida on a Friday. We rented several vehicles and an Airbnb, and while in Orlando, we tackled Disney World on Saturday and Sunday. We did Magic Kingdom and a few of us even got in Epcot. The kids totally enjoyed it.
And by the time we got on a ship, we were ready as we were on foot a lot through the weekend, walking around.
It’s super easy to go from Orlando to Cape Canaveral, about a 45-minute drive. I planned for us to return the cars we rented in Orlando to the rental location near Port Canaveral so we could then take their shuttle to the cruise terminal. And the shuttle was a 10-minute ride. Then we just took Royal’s shuttle to the airport for our return to Orlando.
What did you do on Utopia of the Seas?
Oh my gosh. It was almost like what we didn’t do. As we had almost a year to plan, I spent a long time creating a notepad for each day, detailing what everyone would wear, where we would be, and what we would do. We tackled every floor of that ship. It was a lot of planning, but it worked out really well.
I was able to let Lanvin, my almost 18-year-old, do his own thing. The teens have their own section of the ship. So, it was telling him where dinner would be and where I would be if he needed me.
My 3-year-old had the most fun. The ship itself was so colorful. Even if we were just walking around on one of the floors, she was just so excited to see all of it. And there were so many amazing things to do in Adventure Ocean Kids’ Club, arts and crafts, science, reading, and karaoke for her age. There were so many fun activities for that age group.
As I had many family members, some of whom had no children, they were doing different things. And it’s good because the cruise has options for everybody’s interests and ages.
Utopia of the Seas: Perfect Day at CocoCay
Lanvin went off to participate in some extreme sports and visit the giant Thrill Waterpark. And we just parked ourselves on the beach.
We found a great spot near the food section and bathrooms. Because I always have babies, I’m always making sure we’re positioned near what we need.
At the time, it was freezing cold at home, and the only thing I personally wanted out of this trip was sunlight and the visuals of water that wasn’t frozen over, and some palm trees. It was perfect and peaceful. The section that we were able to find was just us.
Utopia of the Seas: Day at Sea
It was full of water adventures and shows. The shows were phenomenal. We were able to see all the Aqua Theater water shows.
The thing that surprised me the most on this trip was that my daughter enjoyed all of the shows. And then my 1-year-old, Jake, sat through all of them. I think he was just so fascinated by lights and sounds. Their shows are crafted so well that they capture the imaginations of everyone.
Utopia of the Seas: Nassau
Our whole group went to the beach, where there were some shops and food. It was all about sun and sand on the last day.
Next time, a great thing to do is one of the excursions that they have, where you can go on a catamaran and go snorkeling.
What was everyone’s favorite part of the trip?
My favorite part was discovering that my daughter enjoyed the shows that I really wanted to do, and that’s something we can continue to do back home. And then being able to just relax in the sun and on the sea.
Madelin’s favorite part was the hands-on activities, such as finger painting. She just wants to be immersed in her physical activities.
Lanvin enjoyed just having his own space. And Jake, I feel like he just enjoyed not being in the house.
Why do you think it’s important to travel with your kids?
I think all moms would probably say this. It’s about building memories. It’s about capturing photos and capturing moments. And now that I have a 17-year-old, I’ve learned that those moments fly by, and the things they used to love, as well as all the little things we want to do for them, they quickly grow out of.
So now that I have the little ones, I want to take more pictures because this is who you are today. This is what you love today. Traveling with the family and kids is about building memories so that when I’m not here, they have all these fun memories from their childhood.
What’s the next adventure you’re planning?
We have tons planned. Coming up, I have work in India and Sri Lanka, then I’m going to Dubai. As a family, we will be in Boston in April. In June, we’re in Palm Beach, Florida. In July, we’re going to California to see family and visit Disneyland. And in August, we rented a giant house again in Cape May, New Jersey. And then, rounding out the year, we’re going to visit Cambodia and Thailand. So, it’s going to be a wild year. This is how our family functions.
While I can, while my dad is here, and while my children are young, I’m going to do it. I like to save all my money for travel.
And you probably won’t be shocked, but we are already planning our next cruise for February or April 2026.
🚢 ☀️ 🏝️
Thank you for joining us, Linda Marie!
For more family vacation inspiration, tune in to all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!
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