Royal Caribbean offers short 3-night weekend cruises on Utopia of the Seas, but what is special about it?
I've sailed on Utopia of the Seas 6 times so far, and it's my favorite weekend escape. It certainly helps I live just an hour away from the port to be able to hop onboard without much fuss.
But if you're traveling from beyond Orlando, is a weekend enough time to see and do what you want onboard? The answer is a resounding, no.
Wait! That's not the end of this story.
A weekend is also not enough time to experience everything New York City has to offer or a national park. And yet, we go anyway because you have to start somewhere and no one said you can't come back again.
Royal Caribbean offers short cruises on Utopia as a kind of sampler cruise experience. The primary reason you see a big and new ship like Utopia offering these types of cruises is to offer new cruisers their first try at cruising.
Is Utopia of the Seas a nice ship?
Being the newest Oasis Class cruise ship, it's clear this is the "best in class" offering.
What I mean is you'll find the latest and greatest features and amenities of any Oasis Class ship on Utopia. Every cruise ship in a class is an evolution from the previous one. Royal Caribbean likes to innovate with new ships and improve the guest experience as they learn lessons from past ships.
This means the pool deck has an expansive Splashaway Bay, the best integration of the Lime and Coconut Bar, and wonderful seating options around the pool.
The suite sun deck is second-to-none in how it balances seating, bar positioning, loungers, and space in and out of the sun. Plus, it has a stunning plunge pool that you could sit in all day.
There are smaller decisions on Utopia that made a difference too. They swapped out Wonderland and put in Giovanni's Italian Kitchen and it's easily the most beautiful Giovanni's location in the fleet with amazing views.
On the Royal Promenade you have the Pesky Parrot bar instead of the aging Bionic Bar. Pesky Parrot is more eye catching and a bar you'd want to spend more time at.
Plus, the ship has destination elevators. I don't think they work as well as the ones on the Icon Class ships, but it's still an upgrade from conventional elevators.
A weekend cruise is great for trying it out, not doing everything
There isn't enough time to see everything on Utopia over just three nights, but it is enough time for a good time.
The cliched saying, "I'm not here for a long time, I'm here for a good time," certainly applies to Utopia.
If you've never been on this ship, there is almost too much to do. Between all the specialty restaurants, bars, water slides, shows, and parties, you'll feel like you're going in a few different directions.
When you look at what shows are onboard Utopia of the Seas, you find so many choices each evening.
But I think that's part of the appeal of a short cruise. Cruising isn't about completing a checklist for the sake of saying you "did it". Rather, it's about creating fun memories and doing things you'll brag about later.
No one comes home and starts competing with others for the quantity of things they did to see who snuck more fun in.
You can do the best things with just 3 nights
The important thing to know is you can definitely see the highlights on a quick weekend cruise.
When I've sailed, I found you can see the main shows, experience a few restaurants, and still have time for fun in the ports you're visiting.
Competing with what's happening onboard are the two ports of call: Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Royal Caribbean's private island is incredible because it feels like an extension of the cruise ship. CocoCay has beaches, a pool, and a few extra cost areas.
A visit here is arguably the crown jewel of the weekend, and I'd prioritize your time wisely. Disembark early and take advantage of a day spent at the beach.
Nassau used to be a defacto sea day because it's traditionally been a disappointing port of call you could skip and stay on the ship instead.
However, the new Royal Beach Club Paradise Island has totally changed that dynamic and I think it's worth spending your day here.
The Royal Beach Club has much prettier beaches, incredible heated pools, and wonderful service. There's no doubt new cruisers that dream of a Bahamas cruise have a place like this in mind when they book.
Even with two full days of fun ashore, you should be able to work in the shows, dinners, and a few parties too.
I'd also recommend trying to take advantage of embarkation day as a time to hit the pools, waterslides, and a few bars.
