JennaRCB

Antarctica! Currently 5/7 continents done, so once I visit Australia I will definitely be planning my Antartica trip! I'll probably do a small vessel with a company like Gadventures or Intrepid. Just about $8,000! 😅

Going on it today, so the live blog will be on the RCB homepage throughout the week so you can read about my experience!

I'm also doing this exact itinerary but a month before you! From what I've read, the ports are walkable enough in the city centers that an excursion is not totally necessary if you just want to wander around the historic city center. There are also beaches nearby which can be accessed through a taxi (or walking I think). I plan on spending most days exploring the towns, walking along the waterfront, eating a nice Mediterranean lunch, and maybe heading to a beach.
In Kotor, for example, I plan to walk around the historic town and then do a short hike to the Castle of San Giovanni for amazing views of the town/fjord.
However, if you want to do something specific or go to a particular part of the island, a tour might be a good idea. In Zakynthos there is a popular beach with a shipwreck on it that many tours go to. I saw some reasonable prices on RC's website for some of the ports, but you can also look at Viator or Tripadvisor for more ideas/tour options!
I will be writing a live blog of this exact itinerary on the Royal Caribbean Blog website during my trip, so you can always gather ideas there too. 🙂

Antarctica! Currently 5/7 continents done, so once I visit Australia I will definitely be planning my Antartica trip! I'll probably do a small vessel with a company like Gadventures or Intrepid. Just about $8,000! 😅

Antarctica! Currently 5/7 continents done, so once I visit Australia I will definitely be planning my Antartica trip! I'll probably do a small vessel with a company like Gadventures or Intrepid. Just about $8,000! 😅

When I was on Oasis last month, Portside BBQ was open from 12-5PM every day but not dinner. It might be due to staffing shortages.

I would walk around South Pointe Park in South Beach! Do it around ~5PM (or whenever ships are scheduled to leave that day) for some nice views of cruise ships leaving Miami. The park is really nice too and it connects with a long walking path up the beach.
 

When I was on Oasis last month, Portside BBQ was open from 12-5PM every day but not dinner. It might be due to staffing shortages.

I love Solarium Bistro for dinner! Hummus, pita, soup, salmon... so good! And the desserts are Mediterranean too. The baklava is amazing.

I would recommend a Royal Caribbean excursion in Civitavecchia (Rome) due to how far away the city is from the cruise port. I love visiting the Colosseum anytime I'm in Rome, so I would say that is a must-do! If possible, be sure to plan some time for a delicious Italian lunch while in Rome (just stray a few streets away from the tourist areas for the better, cheaper food). Cacio e pepe and spaghetti alla carbonara are from Rome and are extremely good!
If it's your first time in Naples, I would venture to the Amalfi Coast or Capri. If there is an "On your own" style tour where the excursion provides solely transportation and you are free to explore however you wish while there, I would probably choose that. That way you can wander around the streets, eat a nice Italian lunch, and explore at your own pace. The Amalfi Coast is beautiful!
Pompeii is another great option for Naples.
I have not been to Pisa, Mallorca or Marseille. If you have the option to visit Florence instead of Pisa though I would definitely do that.

I would walk around South Pointe Park in South Beach! Do it around ~5PM (or whenever ships are scheduled to leave that day) for some nice views of cruise ships leaving Miami. The park is really nice too and it connects with a long walking path up the beach.
 

That would be AWESOME!!!

I've had connecting rooms several times and have actually never heard my neighbors!

We bought a pair of Occer 12x25 from Amazon for $30 a piece on sale.  Honestly, we aren't expecting to see the hairs on a whale's pimple, so we are satisfied so far.  Used them for bird watching and they are good.  Can't wait to use them for whales.

I would personally choose the ones with the most "explore on your own" time, as I prefer having flexibility and moving at my own pace. Sometimes guided tours can feel too slow, and most Italian towns are extremely walkable and easy to get around so it will be nice to have time to explore on your own.

I would personally choose the ones with the most "explore on your own" time, as I prefer having flexibility and moving at my own pace. Sometimes guided tours can feel too slow, and most Italian towns are extremely walkable and easy to get around so it will be nice to have time to explore on your own.

The inaugural sailing of Icon might be a bit different than Wonder because it is supposed to debut in the UK first before coming to the US. I could be wrong, but there may be fewer bloggers/vloggers onboard on the 1st sailing because it would require flying to the UK. The first sailing leaving from the US might have more of that "vlogger" atmosphere, lol.
I really enjoyed being on the inaugural Wonder sailing, although some entertainment was not fully ready. If this is important to you, you might want to wait a few weeks in case the same thing happens on Icon.

I love Solarium Bistro for dinner! Hummus, pita, soup, salmon... so good! And the desserts are Mediterranean too. The baklava is amazing.

The inaugural sailing of Icon might be a bit different than Wonder because it is supposed to debut in the UK first before coming to the US. I could be wrong, but there may be fewer bloggers/vloggers onboard on the 1st sailing because it would require flying to the UK. The first sailing leaving from the US might have more of that "vlogger" atmosphere, lol.
I really enjoyed being on the inaugural Wonder sailing, although some entertainment was not fully ready. If this is important to you, you might want to wait a few weeks in case the same thing happens on Icon.

The inaugural sailing of Icon might be a bit different than Wonder because it is supposed to debut in the UK first before coming to the US. I could be wrong, but there may be fewer bloggers/vloggers onboard on the 1st sailing because it would require flying to the UK. The first sailing leaving from the US might have more of that "vlogger" atmosphere, lol.
I really enjoyed being on the inaugural Wonder sailing, although some entertainment was not fully ready. If this is important to you, you might want to wait a few weeks in case the same thing happens on Icon.

I agree with the others in that it ultimately depends on whether you would like to dine with just the two of you or with 6-8 other guests. Hibachi tables are for 8-10 people, so you won't sit alone. However, I would vote hibachi personally as it would be a fun birthday atmosphere!

I love Solarium Bistro for dinner! Hummus, pita, soup, salmon... so good! And the desserts are Mediterranean too. The baklava is amazing.

I'm also doing this exact itinerary but a month before you! From what I've read, the ports are walkable enough in the city centers that an excursion is not totally necessary if you just want to wander around the historic city center. There are also beaches nearby which can be accessed through a taxi (or walking I think). I plan on spending most days exploring the towns, walking along the waterfront, eating a nice Mediterranean lunch, and maybe heading to a beach.
In Kotor, for example, I plan to walk around the historic town and then do a short hike to the Castle of San Giovanni for amazing views of the town/fjord.
However, if you want to do something specific or go to a particular part of the island, a tour might be a good idea. In Zakynthos there is a popular beach with a shipwreck on it that many tours go to. I saw some reasonable prices on RC's website for some of the ports, but you can also look at Viator or Tripadvisor for more ideas/tour options!
I will be writing a live blog of this exact itinerary on the Royal Caribbean Blog website during my trip, so you can always gather ideas there too. 🙂

Nice research @JennaRCB!

Regarding pickpocketing... I always wear a backpack with a "hidden pocket" that is against my bag so that no one can access my important documents (passport, license, etc.) whenever traveling in the US or abroad! I would recommend getting a daypack like this. Just search "backpack hidden pocket" on Amazon and you'll find a bunch!