We may not realize how important female friendships are… but they really are. We need friends who will help us navigate through the good times and difficult times in life. Whether it’s one best girlfriend or many, we need girl friendships to help make life better just by having them. There are so many benefits :: we make memories or recall those special moments that make us smile or laugh so hard until tears stream down our face, we need hugs of encouragement and joy throughout this crazy life, we need advice in times of difficulty and mostly give us justification to be US. Our girlfriends appreciate us for who we are.

There are so many more reasons to have your besties by your side of course but I’ve come up with at least eight things I find you absolutely must make time for ::

1. Let loose :: It’s important to be able to completely be yourself. Life can be difficult at times. But when you’re with your girls you can forget about your cares and enjoy each other’s company and just be silly.

2. Personal one-on-one time :: girl time is imperative. On our cruises we have breakfast together every morning on our adjoining balconies (in this pic we were waiting for them to take down the partition), catch up on our lives, uplifting one another, sharing spiritual unity, giving each other facials and venting about our family life… there is much, much more. Spending time together is the main thing.

3. Girls just wanna have fun :: it’s always a good time to dance, singing along with songs from the past that bring you back to your younger days, hanging out in the hot tub or pool, snorkeling and boating, laying out on the beach. We don’t need a reason to have fun.

4. Get dressed up and blinged out :: getting gussied up and looking fancy is always a great idea when the girls get together. It’s so much fun! Whether it’s dinner or a show, a celebration or just because.

5. To remind you that you’re not only one person with the one you’re with :: your girls allow you to be who you are, who you are meant to be, encouraging you to rise to the occasion of being you and not disappearing into the wife/girlfriend of him. Be you. Without a care in the world.

6. Girls are still your soul mates whether or not you’re with someone. Boys don’t understand your “girl”-ness and never will. Your girls do. They think the same way you do and will give you a perspective from a girl’s point of view that is impossible from him. Your soul mates understand you like no boy can.

7. Your girls keep you true to yourself :: there’s no need for pretenses, your girls keep you grounded. Laugh until you cry and maybe even almost to the point of peeing your pants about things that boys have no understanding of. We laughed every minute of every day, from the minute we woke up until the moment we fell asleep. Laughing is good for the soul and for your health. And being reminded and excepted for who you are makes life so much better.

8. Make more friends everywhere you go :: every excursion, every dinner, every night at the casino and at the bar. We had a woman in Puerto Rico stop us to say that our joy is contagious and she wished she was on vacation with us. She wasn’t the only one. At an otherwise uptight dinner venue on board we turned a stuffy night into a night of laughter and had the tables around us laughing with us. Or just waiting for our room (like in this picture) there are lots of people around us that want to be friends! There are lots of opportunities to meet new people and infect them with your joy.

In a previous post 10 Best Girlfriends Getaways in 2019 I mention taking a cruise as one of the best trips to take with your girlfriends. But there are lots of other things you can do so check it out!

So here is the itinerary of our Girls’ Trip 2019 to give you an idea of how you can plan yours! Ours consisted of a 7-day cruise to St. Maarten, Puerto Rico and Haiti sailing out of Miami so we arrived a couple of days early to make the most of our time together ::

Day 1 we arrived in Miami, all met up at the airport (from all four time zones :: California, Idaho, Minnesota and Pennsylvania) and Uber-ed to our hotel. Dinner next door to the hotel at Sergio’s Cuban restaurant after an exhausting day of travel. Talking into the early morning hours just catching up…

Day 2 in Miami we spent all day poolside catching up some more. Lunch by the pool and then dinner at an amazing Peruvian restaurant Cvi.che 105. OMG the food there was uh-MAY-zing! I’ve never had ceviche this way before and they have a full menu of many other choices of Peruvian deliciousness.

Then we did an Escape Room afterwards. We arrived late (it takes more time catching up than you realize!) and didn’t get out in time. Boo. Again a late night but So. Much. Fun!

Day 3 we boarded Royal Caribbean’s (RCCL) Symphony of the Seas (SoS). I have a separate post about this ship, the largest in the world, because it is absolutely incredible. Check it out! We hung out in a latin salsa bar called Boleros until our rooms were ready.

We then attended the poolside Sail Away Party where there happened to be a group of girls and their mothers celebrating their Quinceanera. There must have been about 20-25 14-year-old latin girls and their mothers (no men allowed, apparently) who danced the cruise away. It was the biggest and best Q party they could have ever had! And we enjoyed watching them enjoy this important celebration of life.

Dinner at Wonderland. OMG I need a separate post on this specialty restaurant. I think I’ll do that! Because this is truly an experience I highly recommend should you decide on an RCCL cruise on the SoS!

I had to include this video of the Chocolate Bomb we enjoyed… probably one of the best desserts I’ve ever had in my life… Oh. Em. Gee!!!

The balloon drop at midnight was crazy fun and we sang along to music from our past and to which we danced for the last couple of hours of the day. The band was pretty terrific! As if that wasn’t enough we then spent time in the casino and ate pizza at around 3am before heading up to our cabin. Yes, we were exhausted!

Day 4 we leisurely explored the ship, had our lunch in the Solarium (adults only) for lunch and laid out in the sun in our own cabanas most of the day. We attended an Art Auction wherein two in our group purchased some beautiful pieces.

We enjoyed our dinner at 150 Central Park specialty restaurant (this is the stuffy place I mentioned earlier). The food was magnificent and the staff was wonderful as well. We ended up closing the place down. LOL!

We then went back to Boleros to watch the salsa dancing again – those girls and their families had so much fun every night! Such a blast! We ended the night in the casino and pizza, of course.

Day 5 we had our breakfast and long, long meaningful discussions on our adjoining balconies…

…lunch at Park Cafe (our fave)…

…and then a slot tournament and bingo.

We had our dinner in the Main Dining Room (the only day we ate here LOL!!!)…

…and then attended the first of four shows onboard :: Hairspray. It was a fabulous Broadway performance and every bit quality! Back to the casino and pizza at 2am before heading to bed.

Day 6 was our 3rd day onboard and our first port stop :: St. Maarten – we took a private snorkel adventure with Captain Alan to 3 islands with Elisa and Jervais ::  Ile Tintamarre, Creole Rock, Ilet de Pinel – had a simple yet delicious lunch of sandwiches, salad and fruit onboard between the stops.

After re-boarding SoS we freshened up and were so tuckered out that we opted for a casual dinner at Johnny Rockets for hamburgers and fries – just the ticket! We finished the night at the casino bar meeting some people who were playing craps. He grew up in Long Beach and now lives in Orange County in Southern California with his family! It’s a small world.

Day 7 was our 2nd port :: Puerto Rico :: where we took a coach tour of old and new San Juan.

We did a little shopping at an outdoor market and had lunch at a recommended restaurant Mojitos and had mofongo for the first time.

Here is the woman we met that I spoke about earlier who wanted to join our group. She came to hang out with us for a while.

Once back onboard the ship we had dinner at Chops Grille specialty restaurant…

…and attended our second show Hiro which is an aquatic performance. Amazing!

Afterwards we went to Dazzles to see a Beatles tribute by the main band who also played at the balloon drop the first night. We actually came back later that night when everyone was gone and talked until the cleaning crew came in and worked around us.

Day 8 we docked in Labadee, Haiti which is owned by RCCL and we had another snorkel adventure, a nice lunch provided by RCCL there (while watching the zip-liners zip by over us) and leisurely shopping for souvenirs.

Back onboard we freshened up and had time to just hang together in our adjoining cabins until dinner which we grabbed at the Solarium Bistro and took out with us to eat in Central Park.

Afterwards we enjoyed the fabulous Ice Skating Show. They used 40 drones in the opening of the show which was pretty spectacular! And after that we stayed for the Battle of the Sexes game as well as the Quest game. Very entertaining! We ended up back in the casino and pizza again in the early morning hours.

Day 9 was our final day at sea. We had breakfast in the Windjammer, played our final slot tournament. I got in the finals but then lost. Boo!

We finally caught up with the traveling piano man, had lunch at Park Cafe (our very fave) and watched the Flowriders for a while. Then we spent time chatting it up with the girls in the jacuzzi.

In the evening we attended “Flight – Dare to Dream” which is an original RCCL production chronicling the evolution of air and space travel and which included for the first time in history on stage :: zero gravity (as you can see in the video above)! It was absolutely magnificent!

And if that wasn’t enough they used 3-D technology to fly this biplane over the audience. Absolutely breathtaking show!

To read more about this production and all the productions on Symphony of the Seas, click here. It is totally worth taking SoS if only for their stage productions if not every other state-of-the-art technologies they use throughout the ship!

After the show which was completely unmatched, we had a very low-key dinner in the Solarium Bistro and couldn’t stop talking about the amazing shows and ship we had experienced all week. We spent our last night in the casino and casino bar with our new found friends and had our last pizza night before bed. A tradition we just couldn’t break.

Day 10 we disembarked, the easiest disembarkation ever, by the way, RCCL does an amazing job of getting us out seamlessly! We found our way to the Uber station along with 4000 other people! That was a crazy experience! Trekking through the crowds and finding our Uber driver was a challenge but we did it! We ate at the Front Porch in South Beach before heading out to the airport to meet our flights.

Such a wonderful girls’ trip and the perfect vacation for us all to catch up, laugh, get silly, make friends, renew our friendships and have an absolutely fun time! 

It’s funny that I am actually the only one in our group who doesn’t drink alcohol. That was absolutely no deterrent to our enjoyment. Luckily I have no inhibitions and don’t need alcohol to let go and get a little crazy. And luckily my friends are not the type to get inebriated and sloppy and inappropriate. All on a vacation of fun and letting go and being unafraid of doing and saying anything without judgement. These are the kinds of girlfriends we all need. 

I encourage you to find them and start the tradition of girls’ trips on a regular basis. Or if you live in different time zones like our group, set intended dates of getting together on girls’ trips throughout the year. Whether it’s once a year or every other year like we do, just make sure to do it. You will be so glad you did!

**Warning :: You will need a vacation to recuperate from your girls’ trip … it took me a couple of days to adjust to my “real” life. LOL! But I can’t wait for the next one!

Read More ::

10 Best Girlfriends Getaways in 2019

How to Pack a Carryon For a Cruise

My Favorite Travel Products :: Top 50

The post Girls’ Trip :: Come, Let’s Sail Away! appeared first on Where in the World is Louise?.

SoS by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ship has 2,752 staterooms, including 188 suites and 28 more balconies than the next largest ship in the fleet :: Harmony of the Seas. It can accommodate 6,680 passengers in 2,750 cabins which are available in different configurations. The passengers are served by 2,200 international crew members.

One of the reasons I wanted to write about SoS is to show some of you especially who are not necessarily interested in going on a cruise that there is nothing to be hesitant about. IMHO cruising is one of the best ways of taking a vacation. It’s all inclusive of room and board but best of all :: you get to travel from one location to the other without having to pack up your bags and get yourself to the next one.

I’ll try to cover lots of aspects of the ship for you so you can really get a feel of what the SoS is all about.

Symphony of the Seas :: The Balcony Stateroom

With state-of-the-art amenities in my balcony stateroom you really can make this your home away from home. The bathroom is the most important thing to me and this one is pretty perfect as bathrooms on a cruise ship goes. I mean, I’m sure it may be more spacious in suite but I’m not one for splurging on space when I won’t be in it but for an hour a day. Lots of storage, comfortable mattress and pillows, a large workspace, a couch and a spacious balcony.

I always choose a balcony stateroom for several reasons :: 

1. Looking out onto the water rather than a wall gives it the appearance of having more room
2. You can have your breakfast outside in the morning
3. You can see the view as you’re coming into ports or leaving the port :: sometimes there are views of other lands as you’re sailing from one port to another
4. You can wake up to the most beautiful sunrises and get ready for dinner to amazing sunsets. Depending on what side of the ship you’re on and what direction you’re sailing at that time of the day, sometimes you get both!
5. Sometimes it’s nice to have some downtime in private. Laying out on the balcony is much nicer than just being in a closed-in room
6. I love the smell of the sea air so I can leave the sliding glass door open while I’m resting or doing some work onboard or even when sailing at night. Speaking of work, I can also do that on the balcony if I choose to

To settle in to my stateroom I unzip my packing cubes and put them in the drawers, put my toiletries in the bathroom, hang up my clothes, set up my computer and slide my empty suitcase under the bed. Voila! I’m home for the next 7-14 days or longer…

Symphony of the Seas :: The Solarium

The Solarium is a great place to get a little peace and quiet away from all the crazy fun at the bars and the pool. It has a couple of private hot tubs and lots of space. Here you will find some comfortable seating including lounge chairs and cabanas. There are plenty of spaces for everyone. And it never seems to feel crowded.

Symphony of the Seas :: The Slides

There are several slides onboard the SoS that provide great water fun outdoors for kids and adults alike. Not only are there water slides but there is a dry slide that breaks all records.

This heart-pumping adventure on board beginning on the top deck :: 150 feet above sea level :: on a see-through glass platform is called the Ultimate Abyss and it’s not for the faint of heart. So as not to spoil the ride for you I’ve just included the exit… wait for it! HA!

Symphony of the Seas :: The Pools

There are four pools throughout the ship. They even have one for Adults Only. The jacuzzis are also scattered throughout in different sizes and shapes and locations. It’s always a good time for the jacuzzi!

Symphony of the Seas :: The Cabins with Interior Views

I’ve always opted for a balcony stateroom on the outside of the ship because of the reasons I stated above. But they also offer inward-facing balcony staterooms that are really popular. You can step out on your balcony and be instantly a part of all the activities happening below.

There is also one very special family two-story inward-facing suite available for those who are traveling with the family. Albeit unaffordable for most, Room 1733 goes for $20,000 and has all the amenities you could ask for and more. A slide takes the kiddos from the top floor to the bottom. Two full bedrooms with big-screen TVs, games, etc. You’ve got to see it to believe it. To see a video of the interior click here.

Symphony of the Seas :: The Shows

In my opinion Royal Caribbean has one of the best line ups of Broadway-quality shows on the high seas. Royal Caribbean Productions is the first team to consult with an astronaut that lived in space for a live theatrical production called “Flight :: Dare to Dream” in which the high-impact choreography and production also take form in 3D flying.

Offering three other shows, Hairspray (Broadway), 1977 (ice rink) and Hiro (aquatic), each performing on different nights, you have ample time to see them all. I recommend making reservations before you sail to assure a seat. If you are an RCCL Gold member or above you qualify for priority seating.

Symphony of the Seas :: The Dining Venues

SoS has ten complimentary dining options which includes the main dining rooms plus, of course, there is always room service. They also offer ten specialty restaurants for an additional charge if you choose to dine in a more upscale atmosphere. And they also have a full-service Starbucks store located in the Royal Promenade.

As far as signature restaurants go they include Hooked Seafood, Chops Grille, Izumi Hibachi and Sushi, Jame’s Italian, Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine, 150 Central Park and Park Café and many more.

Symphony of the Seas :: The Meals

You will find just about everything on the menus you could possibly think of and then maybe few more than you hadn’t thought of. The images below are just from the main dining room. The specialty restaurants are over the top.

Symphony of the Seas :: The Desserts

A picture is worth a thousand words. ‘nough said.

And so much more…

Among the many amenities of Symphony of the Seas are some more somewhat discrete features that are sometimes just taken for granted or overlooked. I mean, you’re on a ship so you expect it to function right and meet your needs and requirements for a good time. Well, the bars probably aren’t overlooked but since I don’t personally drink I overlook them all the time and so I’ve put them in this category. LOL!

The Elevators

I know, you’re probably thinking that elevators really don’t deserve a heading of their own. Well on SoS they are all pretty spectacular and I decided to feature them anyway. No minute is had on board that doesn’t entertain in some way.

There is even a traveling piano man who moves about the ship up and down the elevators to entertain you. Now, aren’t you glad I included elevators in its own category?

The Views

Whether leaving a port, coming into a port or sailing in the middle of the ocean there are amazing views to be had. You can see it all if you’re standing on any of the decks or from your stateroom if you have a balcony. All I know is that the views are intoxicating.

The Bars

Enjoy 42 bars and lounges where you can imbibe to your heart’s content serving everything from cocktails to specialty coffee drinks.

Among the many state-of-the-art features, the Rising Tide bar travels up and down between three floors :: what a ride!

I guess it isn’t such a stretch to self-tending-bartenders. Yes, robots. The Bionic Bar can serve up to 1,000 drinks per day with 21 mixers and 30 spirits from 2 robot bartenders.

But to see them working up close and personal is a trip (HA! I’m a 70’s girl). It is fascinating to see them pull liquor out of the ceiling, pour the exact measurements into glasses, get ice out of the freezer and even pick up and shake the drinks. It is truly hypnotizing to watch. See for yourself ::

The Royal Promenade

The Promenade is just one of seven neighborhoods onboard SoS. Boardwalk, Central Park, Entertainment Place, Pool and Sports Zone, Youth Zone and the Vitality Spa and Fitness Center are the others.

The Art

Feast your eyes on the beautiful artwork throughout. RCCL has left absolutely no stone unturned on this amazing ship.

They even have interactive art! OMG I never even knew something like that existed!

The Outdoor Fun

Outdoor entertainment facilities include pools and whirlpools, an ice-skating rink, a mini-golf course, a nine-deck-high zip line, two rock-climbing walls, a running track, full-size basketball court and tennis court.

The ship offers one of the tallest slides at sea as well as two FlowRider surf simulators, a Splashaway Bay water park for kids and toddlers and other waterslides.

Next time I’m on this ship I’ll be trying the zip line. Doesn’t it look fun?

Read more ::

Best Travel Tips After 30 Years of Traveling

How to Pack a Carryon for a Cruise in 10 Easy Steps

What an incredible ship it is. SoS is not only the largest ship in the world but it is truly the most fabulous.

Everywhere you turn on this ship brings excitement and fun. There is something for everyone, for every age, for every man, woman, girl and boy. So bring your friends and family and get on board the Symphony of the Seas. I highly recommend it!

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