OK, y’all, I’m a little overdue on this one, but today I’m so excited to share a few photos and thoughts from our cruise to Bermuda on the Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas.  If you were following along on Snapchat or Instagram during the cruise, you already know my general thoughts on it, and (*spoiler alert*) I thought it was top notch.  I had never been on a cruise before, and I’m not gonna lie – friends and family had warned me that the cruise life may not be my favorite based on tiny rooms, crowded dining halls, and cheesy activities.  I don’t know if it’s because we were on one of the newest and largest boats out there, but boy were they wrong.  Turns out, cruise life is my best life!

My first impression of the Anthem of the Seas: holy schmoly, this thing is huge.  I’m not even sure how many restaurants, bars, and shops were on that thing, but there are enough to eat somewhere new for every meal of the 5-day trip.  And when I saw my “tiny room”, I was beyond pleasantly surprised.  I mean, this thing was pretty spacious in my opinion, complete with two closets (with plenty of hangers – bonus), a queen-sized bed, couch, vanity area with a lighted mirror, and a balcony that would be plenty big enough for two.  There were three pools on the boat, a rock-climbing wall, a surf simulator, bumper cars, and tons (I mean tons) of lounge chairs looking out over the ocean, which was totally more my speed.  #CruiseLife

The nighttime activities to me were the best part, and lucky for me, Kathleen was paying attention to the daily itinerary that I somehow failed to read every day.  Our first night was spent at Groovy Town, a 70s-themed dance party where a few cruise-happy party goers really got the week started.  (Lady with several light-up rings in your mouth, I’m looking at you.)  The rest of the week included a Journey cover band (that was seriously dead-on), a rap music dance party or two, and my personal favorite, the silent dance party.  Have you guys heard of this genius concept?  Everyone in the room has their own headphones with two different stations that are controlled by two different DJ’s in the room.  You can switch channels as you please and, based on the colored lights on your headphones, see who else in the room is jamming out to the same tunes.  The best part though is when you remove your headphones and see a room full of grown adults dancing like wild animals to silence.  So golden.  When I’m having a rough day, I’ll always try and remember the sweet little lady belting out Adele like an American Idol audition.  You do you, boo.  Overall, it was an amazing five days thanks to Royal Caribbean, and I totally could have cruised on for, like, a couple more weeks at least.  (I think.)  And if there’s a little cruise life coming up in your future, here are a couple of tips from this newbie cruise lover:

1. Get the beverage package.  It’s totally worth it, and not just for the booze.  (Although let’s be honest, wine time is anytime when you’re cruising in the middle of nowhere.)  With the top beverage package, you can get specialty coffees, smoothies and green juices, and any soda your heart desires.
2. Be prepared ahead of time for a little motion sickness.  Luckily I was unaffected by the movement of the boat (and actually thought that it rocked me to sleep perfectly at night), but other members of our group weren’t so lucky.  Plan ahead with preventative meds like the behind-the-ear patches that are available with a prescription.
3. Pay attention to the daily itinerary.  Thankfully Kathleen did, so she let us know about the karaoke night that we loved and the silent dance party.  These are nights you definitely don’t want to miss.
4. Make some friends!  One day when everyone else in my group had emails and work to catch up on, I played hooky and roamed downstairs by myself for a bit.  I totally met a friend (hey, Mona!) and then got to give input on a New Jersey couple playfully arguing over who was more “tanked” the night before.  (For the record, one of them “fell up the stairs.”)
5. Have a little fun with it!  Sure, a 70s dance party may not be your thing, and Journey might not be your favorite band.  But if you go in with an open mind and let loose a little, your trip will be worth it times 1,000.  Promise!

xoxo Baublebar beaded bracelets (c/o);  Gorjana gold cuff (c/o);  Julie Vos thin bangles (c/o)floral maxi dress;  Kayu clutch;  Julie Vos necklace and bracelets;  denim jacket Brixton hat;  Sam Edelman sandals;  Quay sunglasses Brixton hat;  Quay sunglasses;  H&M top (total steal!);  Levi’s shorts;  Tassel Clutch;  Baublebar necklace;  sandals cabi tank and pants;  Kayu clutch;  Jemma Sands necklace and bracelets;  Hat;  Denim jacket Becca swim top;  La Blanca coverup;  White Elephant Designs hat;  sunglasses White Elephant Designs hat and beach bag;  GiGi NY Passport case;  Julie Vos jewelry;  Heart-shaped sunglasses;  Kayu Designs shell clutch;  Becca swimsuit;  Yosi Samra flip flops;  Supergoop sunscreen kit Becca swimsuit (c/o);  Green Dragon kimono (c/o);  Hat;  sunglasses Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas Green Dragon maxi dress (c/o);  Tassel Clutch;  Baublebar bracelets;  Sunglasses Rose All Day hat;  Out of Office Hat Sail to Sable romper (c/o);  Kayu shell clutch;  Denim jacket;  Gorjana necklace;  Baublebar bracelets La Blanca swim top (c/o);  cabi scarf/sarong (c/o);  Misa beach tote;  sunglasses Julie Vos jewelry Yours truly, Krystal, Courtney, Jenn and Kathleen

My dress – BCBG;  White Elephant Designs hats

Disclosure: I was gifted a cruise by Royal Caribbean, but all opinions are my own.  I legitimately just LOVED MY CRUISE LIFE!  Thank you for supporting the brands that make My Style Diaries possible.