| Jay and Karen sailed the Bahamas April 17-20 on the Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas to enjoy a vacation to Nassau and Royal Caribbean's private island Coco Cay.
Sailing adventures are fun, but they take planning. How many days? From what port?  How to get to the selected port? To what destinations? What type of cabin, as in inside or ocean view? What meal plan? What drink package, if any? What travel documents? What arrangements for vehicle parking? What to pack and what special items to pack, such as snorkeling gear? What onboard entertainment to book and for what dates and times? What amount of cash to bring, as in money for tips? What excursions to book, if any? But all of the above is very doable and should not dampen your excitement.
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Friday, April 17: Karen and Jay departed from home at about 8:15 and were at the Port by 10:30 where they used the port's parking garage. Check-in was easy and they were on board before 11AM.
Utopia of the Seas
Utopia of the Seas is one of the most innovative cruise ships in the world and is part of the Oasis Class operated by Royal Caribbean International. The ship began service in 2024 and sails primarily from Port Canaveral, Florida, offering three- and four-night Caribbean and Bahamas cruises. Unlike many mega-ships designed for weeklong vacations, Utopia was specifically created to deliver what Royal Caribbean calls the "World's Biggest Weekend."
As of April 2026 Utopia of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships ever built. The ship is approximately 1,188 feet long (362 meters), which is about the length of nearly four city blocks or about 3.3 football fields placed end to end. It has 18 decks and a gross tonnage of about 236,000 tons.
The ship can accommodate about 5,668 passengers at double occupancy, although the actual number can exceed 7,000 when families fill additional berths. The crew numbers around 2,290 people, essentially making the vessel a floating city.
People often compare modern cruise ships with the famous RMS Titanic. Titanic was about 882 feet long, so Utopia of the Seas is roughly 35% longer. However, the more dramatic difference is volume: Utopia has about five times the internal volume of Titanic and carries far more passengers and amenities.
The ship features more than 40 dining and entertainment venues, multiple pools, waterslides, Broadway-style productions, an AquaTheater, ice skating shows, surf simulators, and family attractions.
Passengers often describe the atmosphere as energetic and activity-filled, making it especially popular with families, multigenerational groups, and first-time cruisers looking for a shorter but luxurious getaway.
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Their first stop was at the Main Dining Room where they arranged their Anytime Dining, something that could not be booked in advance because of conflicts with the shows and showtimes they had reserved. Their next stop was the Windjammer Restaurant, popular because it is casual, faster, and offers wider variety, especialy for families returning late from excursions. Karen has a friend who had alerted her to the fact that the wonderful Windjammer food presentation would include cold lobster. Yummy. The friend also pointed out that opposite the cold lobster was a serving area that included mashed potatoes with hot melted butter, so they added the hot butter to the cold lobster for an even tastier treat. Around 1:30 the cabins were opened and Jay and Karen were very pleased with theirs: on Deck 14 in the bow area of the ship and with a nice balcony that looked down upon Central Park, about 12 decks below. All of the afternoon went smoothly, including exploring the many activities and amenities of the Utopia, and getting in our pictures. That evening there was eating in the Main Dining Room, and enjoying watching both the Ice Skating and also the AquaTheater shows.
Saturday April 18: Nassau had changed a lot since our last visit. The port area had been expanded and mnodernized, and Royal Caribbean had opened its Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island.
Nassau
Nassau is the capital city of the Bahamas and one of the Caribbean's most popular cruise destinations. Located on New Providence Island, Nassau blends tropical beaches, colorful colonial architecture, shopping, history, and resort attractions. Cruise visitors often explore Bay Street for souvenirs, jewelry, and local crafts, while others visit nearby Paradise Island, home to the famous Atlantis Resort.
Nassau also offers beautiful beaches, snorkeling excursions, historic forts, seafood restaurants, and opportunities to experience Bahamian culture and music. The city combines the lively atmosphere of a busy cruise port with the relaxed charm of island life, making it a favorite stop for many Caribbean travelers.
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Jay and Karen had talked a lot about "what to do in Nassau" while preparing for the cruise. The Aquaventure Water Park at Atlantis Paradise Island is a super place to go but with Coco Cay scheduled for the next day, maybe we didn't need all that water. After breakfasting and disembarking, we decided that a 3-hour city tour was right for us. And there sure were a lot of businesses and independent entrepreneurs offering city tours. We found one that seemed interesting for the money, and had a Tour Guide who seemed like he would be a lot of fun (and we were right). We loaded into a 8-passenger van with some other tourists and proceeded to hit five different spots in the Nassau area, including two businesses, the Queen's staircase, the Atlantis Resort, and a beach where we had a late lunch. We had a good time. The tour also ended early enough that we got back on the ship in time to have some fun with the ship's waterslides and some relaxation in the solarium pool where we talked, people-watched, and enjoyed some drinks from the bar (using our non-alcohol drink package benefits).
Soon it was time for our dinner meal (we really liked our waiter crew) and then the evening shows.
Sunday April 19: The "Perfect Day at Coco Cay," Royal Caribbean's private island.
Coco Cay
Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, is a popular cruise destination in the Bahamas designed to combine tropical relaxation with family-friendly adventure. Exclusive to Royal Caribbean guests, the island features beautiful beaches, enormous freshwater pools, waterslides, zip lines, snorkeling, and private cabanas. Guests can spend the day enjoying either high-energy attractions or peaceful beach areas with crystal-clear water and white sand.
An especially popular part of the experience is the complimentary island food served near the beaches and pools. Guests can enjoy casual island-style meals including hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, tacos, fresh salads, mozzarella sticks, sandwiches, fruit, soft-serve ice cream, cookies, and Caribbean-inspired dishes. Many cruisers appreciate being able to step off the ship and enjoy a relaxed beach barbecue atmosphere without additional dining charges. The combination of tropical scenery, activities, and plentiful food gives CocoCay the feeling of an all-inclusive private island resort.
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Coco Cay has come a long way since the Braden family first visited it and had to take a tender to get on shore. Now there have been amazing upgrades including a huge dock that will accommodate two cruise ships so passengers can walk to and from the island. Jay and Karen walked onto the island to its central tram stop, where they caught transportation to Chill Beach for snorkeling. They had brought their own masks and goggles so it just a matter of jumping in. After some time in the water, they decided to visit the large dining set-up where they could partake of an assortment of picnic type food that was provided by the ship. Afterwards, they returned to the water and where Karen had taken some french fries from the food area. She immediately became immensely popular with the fish, to the extent that she went back for another "serving" of french fries. After some snorkeling, they visited the large outdoor pool with a swim-up bar that was made famous in the July 19 cruise that Joyce hosted for her entire family. Then it was back to the ship to get dressed for dinner and the Price is Right game show in the theater.
"You have been ducked" is a phrase that began around 2020 and is most commonly associated with the Jeep community. Owners of Jeep vehicles sometimes place a small rubber duck on another Jeep they admire. The duck often has a note saying something like "Nice Jeep!" or "You've been ducked!" It's a friendly tradition called “Jeep Ducking” or “Duck Duck Jeep.” That tradition has spread to cruise ships where passengers bring on board small plastic ducks that they hide it various locations around the ship, and many of the younger cruisers spend their free time searching for these "treasures" so Karen purchased about 35 of these ducks that she brought on board, and she and Jay spent some time on Wednesday and Thursday nights hiding their ducks. (Later checks revealed that all of their hidden ducks had been found.)
Monday April 20: Back at Port Canaveral. Got a bite to eat at the Windjammer and said goodbye to the Utopoia and crew. Debarking was relatively easy and the trip home was smooth and uneventful. It was a really, really good father-daughter time.
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