Bear with me, folks. I know this is an unschooling blog, but I’m an unschooling, homesteading, travel-advising wife and mom who just needs to let the world know about her vacation. Haha.
I had such high hopes for this trip. I was going to rock it. Do the damn thing. Be tired—but happy.
And I had my moments of highs and lows. Some parts, I truly rocked.
Carry-on only? Nailed it.
I had a plan. We pivoted and still executed it—bags and all. That said, next time, my crew is getting roller duffels or something. Those bags were heavy for them. Mine? Eh, I overpacked, but I had wheels—easy peasy. On boarding day we parked those bags in Central Park outside of Park Cafe until the cabins were ready. I’ll remember the kimmelweck beef at Park Cafe—it reminded me of prime rib and fulfilled my need for protein. And the ranger cookies? So yummy.
Now, before I get too far in, let’s talk about the Oasis-class ships from Royal Caribbean.
If you don’t know, they’re huge. Like “start-walking-on-Monday-to-reach-the-dining-room-by-Wednesday” huge. I prepped with gym visits and walks, but still—it was a lot. I tried to strategically plan things, but standing in line early to get good seats for shows added up. My feet were already taking hits before we even got to port.
I should back up and tell you about getting there:
We arrived in Galveston via Saltwater Moms transfer from Houston International, with a quick ten-minute stop at Buc-ee’s on the way. Because:
- Brisket sandwiches (chopped, please), and
- Saving money—our hotel had a microwave and fridge, and downtown Galveston restaurants aren’t cheap.
We stayed at Harbor House at Pier 21. This was definitely a splurge. Not a huge hotel, but it was charming enough. What saved me from feeling like I’d made a mistake?
Dolphins swimming in the harbor just outside our hotel, and watching cruise ships come in all lit up. Magic.
A heads-up if you’re considering this hotel:
No pool (it’s at the Hilton, an Uber away).
Breakfast is sparse. Like not-so-yummy pastries and cold cereal sparse. But hey, they had community coffee with flavored creamers and juice.
On Board + Excursions
Boarding went smoothly… I think. It was the port days that did me in.
I’ve never been to such big ports. I mean, who am I kidding? I’ve only been to Nassau and CocoCay. These ports are built to keep you there—with lots of walking and maze-like layouts.
Port Day One:
We managed to find a taxi to Paradise Beach Club. I had it built up in my head… maybe too much. The all-inclusive aspect was nice, but when I tried to get out of the water and stepped up onto the sand—pop.
I pulled a muscle in my heel.
Yup, that was the start of the foot saga. The sand was hot, and the bathrooms were a hike if you’re not in shape (which I thought I was… surprise!).
Tipping Tip:
You tip at the end of the day—not upfront. And 18% of your admission cost is appreciated.
I honestly don’t know which day my feet officially gave out, but by the third day of excursions, I was taking Tylenol just to limp around the ship. One night, my family brought me a mashed potato bowl and cookies back to the room—I physically couldn’t handle the buffet. My feet were red, swollen, and maybe even sand flea-bitten? I don’t know.
Note to self: I drank a mix of ship water and bottled water. ParoDeeJay warned about ship water causing swelling. I should’ve listened.
Birthday Dinner at Wonderland
Despite the foot situation, I made it to Wonderland for my birthday dinner. The experience? Loved it. The food? Hit and miss. My family? Not fans. Haha.
I forgot the lobster bisque bite had caviar on top. And I am the only one who likes caviar.
They took it like champs, though. And I didn’t share much of my forbidden apple dessert—a raspberry mousse with something coconut in the middle. It was mine. Rude? Maybe. But it was my birthday.
The Final Day
I let myself down that last full day. We came back to the room after an underwhelming hibachi lunch (I did it for the hibachi fans, not me), and I crashed. Took a nap. Then no one else wanted to leave the cabin.
I let being tired and my child telling me “no” put me in a mood. So I stayed in. Rested. Regretted it a bit—but my feet didn’t. They thanked me the next day at the airport.
Unschooling Wins?
From an unschooling perspective, I’m not entirely sure what our kiddo got out of this trip.
But I do know this: he was planning and comparing his Minecraft temple while visiting the Mayan temples. I’ll take that as a win.
And he got used to snorkeling in Roatán—a huge family win. Our first time snorkeling, and it was beautiful.
All this to say, it was still a beautiful trip. I will have to work on getting more in shape for those ports.
Have you had any experiences where your feet let you down? How did you remedy it?
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