Curious what a day in the life of a toddler mom working remotely while traveling the world looks like??
Look no further! Here's the daily recap from our latest cruise.
This was a 5-night trip on Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas out of Galveston, Texas. Below are all of the day-by-day happenings and how I fit working in while still enjoying the cruise experience and making memories with my little munchkin, Evi, who had just turned one the week before. I am happy to report that as a whole, this was definitely a positive experience. I was able to complete everything from my work task list for the week and even left with a killer tan! ;-)
Take a look and please comment if you have any questions! My goal is to not only live my dreams while building a successful business and the best mom possible, but I want to show YOU how to do it too!
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Royal Caribbean Cruise (Voyager of the Seas)
Galveston, TX / Costa Maya / Cozumel / Galveston, TX
June 17 - 22, 2023
(solo trip w/12 month old)
Day 1 - Embarkation Day
Saturday, June 17th, 2023
1:15pm - Luggage drop-off (tipped $3 for one large rolling bag)
1:20pm - Parking (approx. $125)
1:30pm - Our check-in time was designated as 1:30pm and we were pretty spot on timing-wise after driving about four hours to make it into Galveston around 1pm. We made it through the security/check-in process with ease using the stroller and having dropped off our largest bag. The essentials I had on hand fit nicely under the stroller and in our diaper bag which was attached to the stroller handle. (Ultimate Packing List: Caribbean Cruise) We went to the restrooms in the boarding area to change the baby before boarding (they’re larger and I didn’t know if our room would be immediately available)
1:45pm - Boarded the ship (lines were very quick)
1:50pm - Checked-in at our muster station
2:00pm - Made it to our room and was pleasantly surprised that it was already ready for us. I did notice that there was no pack and play which I had called to request once we had a room number about a week prior to boarding. I was able to pretty easily find our stateroom attendant though and he brought one right over. I unloaded everything I had on me and loaded Evi into the baby carrier. (All I carried around most of the trip for myself was my phone and my Sea Pass card.)
2:30pm - Windjammer for a late lunch. (Found out the baby carrier was NOT preferable for me and I did not use it again during the trip.) Evi loved trying all the different foods throughout the cruise but ended up eating mostly green beans and no sugar added pineapple upside down cake this meal. Anyone working in the restaurant walking around gladly helped getting a highchair (and anything else needed really) but the first day was quite busy and I’m not sure I would choose to grab food right away next time because it was challenging to get (and keep) a table this trip. I never had the same experience any other time during our trip though.
3:15pm - I went back to the room after we ate and changed Evi. We got her loaded into our lightweight stroller I brought with us and had used when parking and getting onboard.
3:30pm - I knew that once we had eaten, the next priority for us would be to check out Adventure Ocean for the open house and registration. It was not as busy as I had expected so we were able to get in right away to speak with someone from the nursery. I had all my questions answered (Adventure Ocean Guide) and then just had to fill out a quick registration on one of the tablets they had ready. I was not aware prior to this open house that the reservations were limited at that time to six hours or the hours of operation. Since I knew I had a few calls scheduled on the sea days, I broke up my six hours between those two days making reservations for the 9am to noon spots those days. The fees were $6 per hour for this period, with after 6pm to 10pm at $8 per hour.
4:00pm - Trivia at the Schooner Bar (Deck 4). Evi was all about being where there was music and people so she had a great time! She loved all of the attention she got and was “dancing” in her stroller for most of the game. (I tried to sit in places a little off to the side or in the back when we went to any mixed ages events and she liked practicing her walking skills between the chairs while saying hi to anyone around us who was giving her attention. No one seemed to mind at all that she was there and so many people wanted to talk to her which made for a great experience all around.)
4:50pm - We were heading back to the room to check for our bag and Evi fell asleep in her stroller. I took advantage of this opportunity and worked for the hour/hour and a half that she slept.
6:30pm - Evi played for about 30 minutes in the room with the toys I had in her backpack from the stroller and I got ready for dinner. We were on my time dining but I had reserved a table for 8pm each night as that had been all that was left when we booked a month prior to the sail date.
7:00pm - I decided to head to the Main Dining room to see if by chance we could be seated earlier than our reservation. The hostess was exceptionally accommodating and got us a table right away that was just for two and in a quiet corner area that also allowed room to “park” the stroller. After we had been seated, she came back a few minutes later and let me know that she had reserved that same table for us for the entire cruise and for the earlier time. I can not say enough good things about the dining staff as they absolutely relieved a lot of the anxiety I may have initially had traveling alone with a toddler. I knew that I wanted the full-service meal option the main dining room offered for dinner but also didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s dinner if Evi was less enthusiastic about it than I was. Luckily, she behaved so well for dinners (almost) every night. I think that the attention the staff showed her and their efforts to give her anything they could offer to keep her pleased made dinner an enjoyable experience for her. (And that made my dinners enjoyable too - what mom doesn’t want a week of not cooking or cleaning, right?? lol) Each night, the staff brought her a bowl of fresh fruit to start and she ate some of the bread from the bread basket. They poured her water each night in the glass and then I would pour that into her sippy cup. Evi enjoyed the crab cakes and mashed potatoes from my meal. I opted to share my meals with her for the most part so that she could try new things and it made me feel less guilty for ordering two starters each night too.
8:15pm - We headed back to the room to check for our bag again and it was there so I let Evi play while I unpacked and organized the room for our stay.
9:00pm - I decided to stop by Adventure Ocean and see if Evi could get a little energy out before bed. She tends to stay up a little later anyway but she had a long car ride and napped longer than normal too as a result. She was able to get in for an hour so I went to see the comedy show.
10:00pm - Evi was still restless so she played and then I let her watch a show on our tablet to wind down for the night. I worked for about an hour, made sure to fill out our room service breakfast order to have it delivered the next morning, and then I called it a day.
Day 2 - Sea Day
Sunday, June 18th, 2023
7:00am - Woke up and showered while Evi slept. (Her mission this trip was definitely trying to explore that bathroom so I made it a point to get up before her to shower and close the door before she was up.)
7:30am - Breakfast was delivered. Since Evi was still sleeping, I started working while enjoying my coffee.
8:30am - Evi woke up and ate her breakfast. Then I got her dressed and her backpack loaded up to leave the room. (I had been concerned about how she would sleep on this trip being in a smaller pack and play and the new environment but she did great every night.)
9:00am - Checked her into Adventure Ocean. They give you a phone to carry around the ship in case they need you but I never got a call from them for any reason. Evi was always very excited when we would get to the nursery. She loved the colorful murals on the walls and the sight of new toys and other little ones made her cry to get out of the stroller. She would just hold onto the door waiting to get in. I would peek in on her a little after drop off and before pick up and she was always happily playing so I felt good about letting her get some playtime in with a larger space to explore than our room offered while I was working or enjoying a little downtime myself. While she played this morning, I worked. Thankfully, the internet worked great. I split my time working in the room and working on Deck 11 or 12 (pool decks) enjoying the sunshine.
12:00pm - Picked up Evi and headed to the main dining room for lunch. I think this was the one time I ordered her a meal from the kid’s menu and it was mac and cheese with fruit and french fries. She LOVED the french fries which is something she doesn’t typically eat but she basically wasn’t interested in anything else after having one.
1:00pm - She played for a bit once we got back to the room and then I laid her down for a nap. I took advantage and worked for another few hours during this time.
5:00pm - Once she woke up, I gave her some of the snacks I had packed and some milk while I got changed for dinner and then got her changed. It was formal night but I knew with a one year old, that would basically just mean I’d put us both in summery dresses.
5:30pm - Beatles Trivia in the Schooner Bar. Since she had enjoyed the music during the last trivia, I thought we’d go for it. She was more adamant about being out of the stroller once we were there this time so there was very little trivia being played this time as I followed her crawling/cruising about.
6:30pm - Dinner at the main dining room. It was basically all mashed potatoes for my little princess this meal which left me appreciating the fact that I hadn’t tried to do any more to have us dressed up for the night. Lol. She had a great time enjoying her meal though and the food/service was once again fantastic.
8:00pm - “Finish that Lyric” game show in the Star Lounge. Evi LOVED the Star Lounge. Not only was there music and lots of people for her to “chat” with but there were large kind of segmented-off areas which made for a good area to roam around. The lounge was not exceptionally busy for this show (many events in the Star Lounge get completely crowded with standing room only once a show starts but this wasn’t one of them or I wouldn’t have stayed with her). We got a spot up near the top corner and she had a wonderful time while being able to get some energy out as well.
9:15pm - Drop-in at Adventure Ocean for Evi to burn off the last of her energy for the night. I went back to the room at this time to just prepare for the next day and take a shower before I picked her up at 10pm.
10:00pm - Once we got back to the room, it was lights out.
Day 3 - Costa Maya
Monday, June 19th, 2023
8:00am - Breakfast was delivered; the call letting me know it was on the way was my alarm for the day. I got up and showered and got ready while drinking my coffee. Evi got to sleep in a bit.
9:00am - Evi was awake so I fed her and got her ready for the day too.
9:30am - Talked to the Shore Excursion team to ask about the pools at the port and if swim diapers were allowed there. (I had been to this port previously so I knew the pools were nice and right at the port. I was looking forward to taking Evi if allowed.) He said yes but just stick with the kid pool since the adult pools can get a little crazy as there is a lot of drinking going on. Definitely a good point and something worth considering.) With that in mind, the plan was to take Evi to the port later in the day to go swim since she couldn’t swim on the ship as she wasn’t potty trained.
10:00am - Morning trivia in the Schooner Bar.
11:00am - Back in the room for some down time. Evi napped while I worked a little.
12:00pm - Lunch in the main dining room.
1:00pm - Evi went to Adventure Ocean and I worked for a few hours. I had a Zoom call scheduled and was pleased with the internet which had absolutely no issues in the hour meeting or while I worked online.
3:30pm - Picked Evi up from Adventure Ocean and packed up to go explore Costa Maya. We got off the boat easily (because we had waited, the elevator lines were gone by this time). I used the stroller to go on shore with her backpack stored under the stroller with all that I might need (swimsuit, swim diaper, sunscreen, diapers/wipes, snacks, etc.) and I set up our travel fan to blow on her since it was pretty hot. Evi fell asleep while I pushed her in the stroller and was out by the time we made it to the end of the pier so I decided to check out the shops to give her a little time to rest before a swim. I noticed that the prices seemed higher than I recalled in Cozumel from a previous trip so I didn’t end up buying anything and waited until we would be in Cozumel the next day. (I confirmed that the prices were actually lower in Cozumel the next day - from what I had been looking for at least.) I also got to see the aviary area from the ground and there was an aerial show with performers who you can see do shows or take pictures with you. I would love to check out the aviary area more from the elevated walk ways. This wasn't really an option with the stroller though. From the ground you'll likely just see the flamingos. Also, if you explore around the kids pool area, you can see the dolphin pool easily from the sidewalk. Around this time, it started to rain which sent most people out of the pools and then it got very difficult to walk on the paved areas since they became overcrowded. For that reason, once the rain let up, I went ahead and started back towards the ship, our plans to swim having been derailed. Next time we go, this is definitely the plan for Costa Maya since I do love their beach area and the fact that you don’t need transportation to get there from the port - it’s right there! And it’s free - they just ask that you order food or drink. The aviary would be another thing on my list for our next visit when either my husband is there to help with the Evi or maybe she’ll be walking well enough that I can manage her more than I currently could for that activity.
5:30pm - Evi woke up on the walk back to the ship and we headed back to our room to change for dinner and cool down a bit.
6:45pm - Dinner in the main dining room.
8:00pm - This was the only day that I was told that the nursery was at capacity when I stopped by to try to have her as a drop-in. Because she had taken such a long afternoon nap I had hoped she’d be able to play off some energy but instead, we headed up to walk the track with her in the stroller and she seemed to enjoy taking it all in from that viewpoint. We walked a while and then I headed to the pool deck where we sat and played a bit in one of the large cocoon-like seats together.
9:00pm - We got back to the room and wound down for the night. We fell asleep a little earlier tonight after watching a kid’s show on the TV together before crashing.
Day 4 - Cozumel
Tuesday, June 20th, 2023
8:00am - Breakfast delivered. Ate and then showered and got ready for the day.
10:00am - Dropped by Adventure Ocean to check availability. They were absolutely dead today so it seems like most parents opted to take their kids off at Cozumel rather than Costa Maya which was interesting to me since I consider Costa Maya more kid-friendly. While Evi was in the nursery playing, I decided to get off at Cozumel to walk around and do some shopping. The last few trips, I had always booked an excursion (there are a lot of great options at this port!) so this would be my first time just exploring on my own.
10:15am - It was again very easy to get off the ship because most people had gotten off earlier as the ship arrived very early that morning. Once I got to the shopping area, I was initially confused by the lack of lights in the shops which all appeared to be open. It was after talking to a few vendors that I learned the area was all without electricity. Not feeling comfortable going into many of the exceptionally dark stores alone, I was still able to find good deals on the dresses and a few other small items I had been looking for. I decided to then head back to the ship since there was also no A/C anywhere and it was already pretty hot.
11:15am - I got my work stuff and headed up to deck 12 to lounge in the sun and knock out some more items from my work list. I was literally the only person on the deck. The weather and atmosphere, looking at the beautiful shoreline and crystal blue waters, made this a great alternative to my previous plans for the morning. THIS is what contributes greatly to my desire to find this balance between travel, work, and family! I felt truly grateful during this time as I worked.
1:00pm - Picked up Evi from Adventure Ocean and headed to the Wind Jammer for lunch. (Note - Main dining was closed today for lunch as well as Adventure Ocean not closing for that lunch hour as they usually do.)
2:00om - Evi fell asleep and took a short nap once we got back to the room. I worked until she woke up and then I got her setup with toys in the room to play a bit. I was able to work for an extra hour and a half.
4:00pm - We went to the Star Lounge for visual trivia. Evi enjoyed being able to walk around a little saying hello to everyone and doing a little exploring of her own. It was fun all around.
5:00pm - Evi seemed sleepy so we headed back to the room and we both ended up napping.
6:45pm - Dinner in the main dining room. Great food and service, as per their norm.
8:00pm - Evi went to Adventure Ocean and I decided to work feeling energized by the nap.
10:00pm - I picked Evi up from Adventure Ocean and decided we’d go ahead and rent a movie. We ended up renting The Mummies (it was $11.99 for a limited time rental - I think only 24 hours). Since the movie was actually just hitting the theater, the price wasn’t exactly shocking and with only a few channels to choose from on the room’s TV I decided it was a good idea. That being said… we made it about half way through before falling asleep and then the rental expired before we had a chance to finish it. It would be nice if the rentals lasted the length of the cruise, in my opinion.
Day 5 - Sea Day
Wednesday, June 21st, 2023
8:00am - Woke up and got showered and dressed before Evi woke up.
9:00am - I missed putting the breakfast order out the night before so we headed to the Wind Jammer. Evi LOVED the pancakes!
9:30am - Took Evi to Adventure Ocean and I worked. I decided to work out on Deck 11 since I could do what I had to do on my phone and didn’t need my laptop. It’s most definitely moments like that one that make me thankful for the decision to do what I am doing. Rather than being in my home office or in a cubicle, I was sitting in a lounge chair in the Caribbean and conquering my work day. My passion is built on moments like these and are the "why" for this journey I have started. And the renewed spirit I feel in all aspects of life are the reason why I want to share this with others.
12:00pm - Picked up Evi from Adventure Ocean and she had fallen asleep for them in her stroller so I headed back to the room to work a little more while she napped.
1:30pm - Once Evi woke up, we were off to the Wind Jammer for lunch.
2:15pm: We walked around the ship for a bit and ended up in the Promenade where they had a silent disco going on so we joined in. Evi was very interested in how the headphones worked and obviously felt very special to have been given her own pair. She loved watching everyone dancing, especially all of the older kids. It was adorable watching her do her best to follow their lead; such a fun and memorable moment. After that ended, we walked a few other floors, including the pool deck and the Promenade a second time later to get her a snack at the cafe.
3:30pm - We headed back to the room to get a new bottle and to change her. Then we were out the door to Bingo in the Royal Theater.
4:00pm - Bingo was somewhat of a disaster for us… You might even call this experience a "misadventure." :-) Evi very much wanted to run around and explore the huge area which was fairly crowded with everyone else trying to pay attention to the balls being called. So, needless to say, our Bingo outing didn’t last too long before we decided to head back to the pool deck where I let her walk around a bit and we laid in one of the big chairs together playing.
5:30pm - After having changed, we headed to the main dining room for dinner.
7:00pm - We headed back to the room after dinner and both got a shower/bath. I packed everything to prepare to get off the ship the next morning. I also wanted to make sure to have our larger bag ready and in the hall to be picked up that evening so that I wouldn’t have to lug it around waiting to get off. This was an early night for us since we had to get up early. We were out by 9pm.
Day 6 - Disembarkation
Thursday, June 22nd, 2023
6:30am - Woke up, got dressed, and packed up everything that was left out from the night before. Got Evi up, dressed, and loaded in the stroller to be out of the room in time.
8:00am - We were out of the room and planned to head to the Windjammer for breakfast. The line for the elevators was exceptionally long and the elevators were very slow given the number of people trying to use them at this time. It took a while but eventually we made it for breakfast. We pretty much just took our time eating and then went up to the pool deck to walk around. It was great because it was completely empty! We lounged about for a bit and as our departure time came, we headed down to leave. By this time (we had the latest departure time), there was basically no one waiting for elevators so that was much nicer. The line to show our documents to disembark was also short and went very quickly. Soon enough we were off the ship, grabbed our luggage on the way out of the building, and headed to the car to drive home. This ended up being around 10:30/11am.
And that was our trip in a nutshell! I have so many stories and memories that I hope to share as well but this summarizes our day-to-day activities so that you have an idea of what a “day in the life” looks like when you balance work, travel, and being a mom. You can do it; just have a plan but accept that it's not all going to go according to that plan.
Stay tuned - More (mis)adventures are coming!
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