Caribbean Cruise onboard the Celebrity Constellation
For a post-Christmas trip this year, I opted to try something new and take my family on an Ocean cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas on board the Celebrity Constellation. This was a 4-night cruise that would take us from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West to Nassau, Bahamas. This was our first cruise as a family and I was curious how it would go with kids that are 4, 7, and 8 years old.
When we boarded the ship in Ft. Lauderdale, we were warmly welcomed aboard by friendly crew members handing out champagne and mimosas. The kids were eager to explore the ship!
Our first stop was on the shore of Key West. Being able to wake up to the sunrise above the ocean horizon every morning was breathtaking! We took the opportunity to enjoy some of the many family-friendly excursions offered through the cruise such as the Conch Train Tour around the city and a journey through Ernest Hemingway’s house.
At night we enjoyed amazing dinners as a family and then the kids visited the Fun Factory (aka "kids club") every night where they engaged in fun activities with other kids aboard their own age. (One day they dressed up as pirates and went on a treasure hunt for chocolate coins, another night they decorated their own pillow case for a mock slumber party.) They couldn't stop raving about all the children they were meeting from all over the country. (There were over 400 kids aboard the ship during our stay.) The Fun Factory offers supervised play so it gave my husband and I additional free time that we weren’t expecting.
Those evenings while the kids were playing, we would head to the casino for some gambling or grab a drink with other adults at the onboard Martini Bar and listen to live music.
During our day at sea, my family and I enjoyed lying out on the deck to soak in the beautiful ocean scenery. The kids really loved watching the volleyball tournament that the crew put on. I know they were having a blast getting to be around all the kids their own age on the deck. After winding down from a day of swimming, we spent family time watching the nightly entertainment the ship offered including the Cirque du Soleil show, a ventriloquist, and a Disney themed show.
Once we reached the Bahamas, our family opted to spend the day at Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. To read more about our stay at Atlantis and all the incredible activities we did, visit my blog post here. We boarded the ship after our stay in The Bahamas and started our overnight journey back to port in Ft. Lauderdale.
We had our choice of dinner every night from one of the many venues aboard. We really enjoyed the elevated dining experience at Tuscan Grille, an Italian steakhouse with a nouveau twist. My daughter celebrated her birthday while we were aboard the Celebrity Constellation and she loved the birthday cake the staff provided as they sang to her.
Our cruise to Nassau, Bahamas on the Celebrity Constellation was an unforgettable experience for the entire family. I was pleasantly surprised about how much fun my young children had and how delicious the food was! We will absolutely take another cruise in the future and highly recommend this for a fun-filled family vacation.
- To book a cruise or for more information, contact Kendra at kthornton@royal-travel.com.