The Talking Suitcase

Cruise & Curated Travel Specialist

Icon of the Seas Tips & What’s New Onboard

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Icon of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s newest ships and the first of her class. The ship boasts a ton of new features including some “first at sea” experiences such as the first swim-up bar in the fleet, the biggest waterpark at sea and the first suspended infinity pool at sea. Royal Caribbean has been busy reimagining new features while keeping some of the fan favorites. Royal Caribbean’s goal with its first Icon Class ship was “redefining adventure and setting a new bar for extraordinary.” I think they have definitely succeeded in setting that bar!

There are so many new features of the Icon of the Seas, I wanted to mention them in one article to show why you’ll want to sail this massive ship.

Icon of the Seas Fun Facts:

  • 250,800 GRT
  • 1197 ft
  • 20 Decks
  • 2,805 Staterooms
  • 7,600 Max Guest Capacity
  • Powered by LNG
  • 7 Pools and 9 Whirlpools
  • 6 All New Record-Breaking Slides
  • 1st of her class!

Icon of the Seas Ports:

Icon of the Seas will begin sailing from Miami with a mix of 7-night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day and 7-night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day itineraries. Each itinerary will include a stop at Perfect Day, so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy Royal Caribbean’s private island and all its incredible inclusions.

Eastern Caribbean sailings include 3 options:

  • Miami, Florida
  • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
  • Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
  • Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas
  • Miami, Florida
  • Miami, Florida
  • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Labadee, Haiti
  • Miami, Florida
  • Miami, Florida
  • Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
  • Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
  • Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas
  • Miami, Florida

Western Caribbean sailings include:

  • Miami, Florida
  • Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico
  • Roatan, Honduras
  • Cozumel, Mexico
  • Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas
  • Miami, Florida

Icon of the seas will have 8 Neighborhoods to keep sailors soaking up the sun and partying the night away.

Icon of the Seas 8 Neighborhoods: 

Thrill Island – You won’t want to miss all the adventures at Thrill Island like Category 6 Waterpark which boasts six record-breaking slides, and the not for the faint of heart, Crown’s Edge. You’ll also find revamped favorites like the new rock climbing experience called Adrenaline Peak, a new mini golf course, the popular FlowRider, and more.

  • Category 6 waterpark is the largest waterpark at sea featuring the longest, tallest, and fastest slides. Frightening Bolt is the tallest drop waterslide at sea and the Pressure Drop is the first open free-fall slide at sea. There are height requirements with a range from 48 to 52 inches depending on the slide or ride, so make sure you’re aware before sailing. No one wants disappointed kids!
  • Lost Dunes is the new mini golf course with nine holes allowing cruisers to play through shipwrecks, plane crashes and fallen palms.
  • Crown’s Edge is a challenge that’s part skywalk, part ropes course, part thrill-ride along the ship’s Crown & Anchor. There is a section where the floor collapses and you’re hanging over the open ocean!
  • Adrenaline Peak boasts the highest vantage point yet and 5 racing lanes allowing climbers to choose their difficulty level and challenge a friend to the top.

Surfside – This family-friendly neighborhood was built on the concept of allowing families to play, eat and drink together. Find Splashaway Bay Aquapark, Baby Bay, and the new Water’s Edge Pool to splash the day away. For parents who want to relax with the kids, the new Water’s Edge pool features in-water loungers and islands dotting the pool.

The area is also home to reimagined classics such as the arcade, carousel, and more. The arcade boasts retro and modern games including air hockey, skee-ball, claw machines, pinball and other fun games. Playscape offers sensory experiences for toddlers as well as physical play options for older kids. Plus the beach-themed carousel is fun for all ages and was inspired by pool floaties!

You’ll also find Adventure Ocean close by so little ones can roam whimsical rooms, find climbable creations to explore and enjoy the interactive tinker time at Workshop.  There is also dedicated programs for babies and younger kids at AO Babies and AO Juniors. However, it’s not all for little kids. Teens get their own exclusive space to hang out, Social020. Here they’ll find music, movies, the latest gaming consoles, and comfortable places to relax with new friends. My kids have always found new friends while cruising, so I highly encourage you to take advantage of these programs.

Looking to dine? Find fruit-forward drinks for kids and adults at The Lemon Post, plus a casual buffet and lunch options at Surfside Eatery and Surfside Bites.

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Virgin Voyages: 30 Things I Loved & Hated About Our Virgin Cruise

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Updated: October 2025

Virgin Voyages has revolutionized the cruising industry in just a few short years.  It’s no wonder cruisers are raving about Virgin Voyages with their unique entertainment, incredible value, laid back approach to luxury, and distinctive heath and wellness opportunities. VV has a 95% satisfaction score and 40% onboard rebooking rate, so you are pretty much guaranteed to enjoy your next cruise. We found so many things to love about Virgin Voyages and some things that we didn’t necessarily like. However, that doesn’t mean we didn’t overall LOVE our Virgin cruise. I put together a love/hate list to share more information about cruising on Virgin Voyages.  We recently sailed on the Valiant Lady but many of these details will be similar on all the Ladies.

Here’s what we liked and didn’t like about sailing with Virgin Voyages:

Loved how much is included for FREE. All dining, entertainment, fitness classes, wifi and gratuities are included in the cruise price. There are some up charges you could make at the restaurants and paid activities such as the Grog Walk (Pub Crawl). However, you could get away without paying another dime while onboard (assuming you’re not drinking alcohol).

Hated lack of restrooms around the ship. This was the first cruise where I actually thought about restrooms. One example: the women’s restrooms are far away from Extra Virgin. This was a complaint we heard from 3 people that were sitting near us during dinner. Men’s restrooms are located by Extra Virgin while the women’s are located across the ship by Razzle Dazzle. It was inconvenient while dining or relaxing around the ship to have to hunt for a restroom.  There were some unisex that I know can put some sailors off, but I’d rather have more restrooms around the ship than worry about who I’m washing my hands next to.

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50+ Virgin Voyages Cruise Tips & Tricks

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Updated: October 2025

We all need a little help planning our next vacation and it’s important to learn as much as possible before setting sail. That’s why I had to put together this Virgin Voyages cruise tips & tricks article to share everything you need to know before sailing with Virgin Voyages. No one wants to be on a ship and find out they didn’t know to pack certain clothing or they miss  out on something extra because they didn’t know it existed. Virgin Voyages distinctive way of sailing the high seas may just steal your loyalty from some of the other cruise lines out there.  Assuming, of course, that you won’t be sailing with your young kids.

Virgin Voyages Cruise Tips & Tricks:

Before You Board:

1) Screenshot or write down your stateroom number. You’ll be asked for your stateroom # at the port when dropping your bags and you’ll need it for check-in. My app wouldn’t load once we got to the port. It was a good thing I had a screenshot of the app screen with my stateroom # or I wouldn’t have been able to tell the porter which room to send our luggage.

2) Luggage tags aren’t provided in advance. Other cruise lines will mail (occassionaly) luggage tags or have tags available to print at home. You don’t get luggage tags at all with Virgin Voyages. You’ll provide your stateroom number to the porter when you drop your bags outside the terminal.  Don’t forget the A or Z part of the room assignment. While I found it a bit unsettling to not have my luggage tags attached when I arrived at the port, it turned out to be so convenient. No need to print and attach them yourself. No need to remember to bring your luggage tags, it’s handled right at the terminal.

*VV now offers the ability to print luggage tags in advance but you can still get them at the port.

3) Download the app before sailing and login to your account. You can do so many things in the app.  Complete the check-in process, book shore things (shore excursions), reserve dining and more. You’ll need the app while you’re onboard, so get everything set up before you arrive at the terminal.

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Virgin Voyages Miami Roundtrip: 5-Night Riviera Maya Review (Cozumel & Bimini)

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

We were thrilled to cruise with Virgin Voyages on the 5-night Riviera Maya sailing to Cozumel and Bimini. This was our first cruise without kids in almost 15 years, so we were ready to get away on a couples vacation. Virgin Voyages is such a unique cruise line. Not just for catering only to adults, but for the incredible value you receive by having all dining, wifi, gratuities and more included in the rate. Our cruise with the Virgin Voyages Miami embarkation started the moment we entered V Terminal and the good vibes kept on going throughout the entire cruise.

We arrived the night prior to our cruise and stayed at the Gabriel South Beach. Located just across the street from the ocean and right in the heart of what’s happening in Miami, it was a great spot to start our vacation. We ate a light dinner at the hotel restaurant choosing to sit outside to people watch and enjoy the music before calling it a night.

If you’re interested, we stayed at the Gabriel for FREE using points earned from our Hilton credit cards. We were also upgraded to an ocean balcony room thanks to Derrick’s Hilton Aspire card. Our flight only cost us $24 total in taxes as we used points earned on my CitiAdvantage card. I highly recommend taking advantage of credit card bonus offers to earn points to travel for FREE or cheap.

Virgin Voyages Day 1: Virgin Voyages Miami Departure

Our boarding time wasn’t until 3pm. We had time to relax and enjoy the beach before heading to the cruise terminal. Virgin Voyages is strict about their boarding times, so don’t bother arriving at the port early. After a leisurely breakfast, we walked the beach and hung around at the hotel pool until it was time to request an Uber.

Our 3pm boarding was quick and painless. We walked right into V Terminal after leaving our bags with the porter and only waited in a short line to check-in. We were on the Valiant Lady within about 10 minutes of arriving! Typically we will go exploring once we board a cruise, but I was starving since we had skipped lunch. I only wanted a snack as we had 5:30pm dinner reservations, so we headed to the Dock, where we ordered the grilled shrimp, Spanish octopus, and hanger steak. It was all tasty, but I preferred the shrimp. It all paired nicely with my first glass of sparking rosé!

After snack time, we decided to go to our stateroom and watch the mandatory safety video. Our luggage was already being delivered which meant I had to take a few minutes to unpack. I also took time to jump on the app and see if I could book a dinner reservation for 2 of the nights we were missing. Space had become available, so I was able to get reservations at Gunbae and The Wake. Since all guests must watch the safety video and check-in at their muster stations before the ship can leave the dock, we got our muster drill visit checked off our to-do list.

Then it was time to get ready for the Sail Away Party. Free champagne was available on the 15th and 16th deck by the pool during the party. The sparking rosé at sail away was definitely a lower quality than what you pay for, but, it’s free! We decided to hang around on the 16th deck as it was a fun place to watch the happenings at the pool plus get a couple free glasses of booze.

Dinner was at Extra Virgin, the Italian restaurant. I felt the server was a bit rude as he walked up to introduce himself and stated he wanted to take our entire order all at once. He promptly left and returned sometime later to take our drink order (excluding water) along with our dinner order. Once we ordered, it was quite a while before our bar drinks arrived. I was put off by this first encounter and a bit concerned for the rest of our cruise. Not to worry, all other staff on the ship were excellent.

We enjoyed the charcuterie, it was a great dish to share. The calamari wasn’t our favorite, but the popular meatballs were delicious. Try eating a meatball together with the bread – yum! The soup was right up my alley and truly delicious. Derrick through the New York strip was the best steak he’d had on a cruise ship and I loved my Ragu.

For dessert we both ordered the Affogato. It’s ice cream and espresso prepared tableside. I ordered the chocolate and Derrick had the vanilla ice cream. We both had it with the espresso. It was delicious and drinking the rest of the espresso at the end was a good pick me up at the end of the meal.

The PJ Party was that first evening, but we couldn’t stay awake that late. Lots of other cruises said they had a blast.  I may give it a try on my next cruise.

There were only 1,900 sailors on board our cruise while the max is just over 2,700. That’s huge when thinking about capacity at the restaurants, common spaces and Bimini. We were rather spoiled.

Our stateroom was the Valiant Lady Central Sea Terrace (12 174 A). I loved the simple, modern design. The room is small but it has a larger feel due to the open spaces and clean lines.  The balcony had the iconic red hammock. It was lovely to relax in the hammock with my book and gaze at the water while we sailed.  I do think I’d upgrade to the XL terrace for our next cruise if it’s in the budget. I’d love to have the larger bathroom. The smaller was fine for a 5 night cruise, but the storage options were seriously lacking. It’s great that we have a hanging toiletries bag to hang on one of the towel hooks on the back of the door. My makeup bag and meds were on the shelf under the sink in between the trash can and extra toilet paper.

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NCL Alaska Cruise Seward to Vancouver (Glaciers, Skagway & Juneau) Review + Alaska Inside Passage Cruise Tips

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Alaska is a bucket list destination for many – including my family. We had been discussing taking an Alaska cruise before COVID, and finally made the trip the first week of June. The stunning beauty of the 49th state is indescribable. From the magnificent glaciers to the expansive and untouched wilderness, Alaska is a dream destination.

Our adventure lasted 14 days with a 7 night Alaskan cruise included in our itinerary. Our cruise was the 7-Day Alaska cruise from Seward to Vancouver: Glaciers, Skagway & Juneau on the Norwegian Jewel. This included the popular Alaska Inside Passage cruise where we spent a day leisurely weaving through the islands on the Pacific Northwest coast – absolutely stunning!

Instead of taking an Alaska land and sea cruise with a ship sponsored land tour, we decided to explore some of the cities for a few extra days on our own.  Next time we’ll likely include a visit to Denali National Park and possibly add in a road trip. My parents and in-laws previously took an Alaska land and sea cruise and enjoyed the ship organized train rides and accommodation.  However, we prefer doing things at our own pace, so we created our own land tour.

Don’t miss What to Wear on an Alaska Cruise: Printable Packing List

Off to Alaska We Go:

We flew United Airlines first class from Norfolk, VA to Anchorage, AK. The 2nd leg of our journey was 7 hours, so I wanted to be comfortable. Luckily, we had plenty of Ultimate Reward points to transfer to United. We only paid $22.40 total in taxes for our flight! The Chase Sapphire and the Sapphire Reserve are two great credit card options to earn UR’s – We used the Reserve.

Arriving around 8pm, we ended up taking a cab from the airport to our hotel for $21 plus tip. Uber prices had doubled by the time our luggage came out. Surprise, surprise! There were plenty of taxis lined up, so that was a better option  to get on the road quickly .

We chose the Marriott Anchorage Downtown for our 2 night stay in Anchorage. The hotel is a bit dated, but the staff were all friendly and the room was clean.  The location was great, and we had a lot of Marriott points and free nights available from credit card bonus offers. Derrick and I both have the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless which gives you a free night award every card year anniversary. I also have the AMEX business credit card for another annual free night award.

We were upgraded to the Concierge Level due to having Gold status from my credit card.  This gave us access to the Concierge lounge. Breakfast was complementary in the lounge along with a happy hour, bottled water and sodas. However, the lounge was closed on the weekend. I’m always disappointed how these perks aren’t available for weekend travelers.

First Full Day in Alaska:

After breakfast in the Concierge lounge, we finally made it out to explore Anchorage around 10am. K had a bit of work for his summer class to complete before we could start our day. First, we walked all around the downtown area. I would skip that and just focus on wandering “Main Street” 4th Ave. and the Mushing District for some shopping, good restaurants and learning about the history of dog mushing.

The Alaska Mint is a cool store if you want locally handcrafted jewelry, knives, painted ivory, coins, gold nuggets, and more. While most items are made in Alaska, they will tell you if something is made elsewhere. K purchased a fillet knife made with Oosik – a bone that only the male Walrus has…. You might want to explore that on your own.

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