Best Cruise Ship for your Girlfriend Getaway

Choosing to go on a cruise with a group of friends is the perfect way to connect and enjoy time together. Taking a break from the routines and responsibilities of life is easy on a cruise ship.

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My amazing experiences on Royal Caribbean’s Allure big ship and on Celebrity’s Reflection ship with friends were both great. Once unpacked, we could relax and enjoy a stress free vacation sipping drinks poolside, enjoying live entertainment and dancing the night away.

For both trips, we were able to drive the 3 hours across Florida to embark in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Both ships offer similar itineraries from southern Florida to the Bahamas, Caribbean and Mexico. Both ships have fair-priced packages which included all meals and optional drink packages. The balcony rooms provide great views and fresh air when not taking advantage of the many activities on the ships.

Why we chose Celebrity Reflection

Celebrity Reflection accommodates 3046 passengers. Our group consisted of 28 neighbors who play pickleball together. Our trip included stops in Cozumel, Cayman Islands and Bimini Island, Bahamas. We arranged for the day in Cayman Islands to play Pickleball at the Pickleball Cayman facility and then spend a few hours on 7 mile beach.

We enjoyed the pool area, even though in March the ship did have 400 kids in the kids program. Some of us enjoyed the spa, the gym, the casino and shopping. One day we played games on a day at sea.

We took advantage of the shows in the Reflection theater and the live singers in the lounge. We especially had fun line dancing and participating in the silent disco which was offered twice on our 6 night cruise.

As a group, we coordinated wearing white one evening, wearing formal gowns one evening, and wearing our light up shoes as much as possible. Oh, and one night all the women wore different wigs.

We sure had fun.

A week after we got home, we all signed up to do it again next year!

Why we chose Royal Caribbean’s Allure

Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas ship accommodates 6078 passengers in double occupancy – twice as many as Reflection. It is a HUGE ship.

Our group of 10 new Pickleball friends chose a 3 night cruise in November. Our trip included stops at a private island and Nassau, Bahamas. This big ship provides 4 outdoor pickleball courts. The day in Nassau we stayed on the ship to play pickleball and enjoy pool time instead.

Once you embark on the Allure, you forget you are on a ship! I must say we were in awe of how large and pretty everything is. My friend Barb has cruised on this ship a few times and arranged our trip directly with Royal Caribbean. By calling and speaking with them she was able to get us the best prices AND rooms next too each other with connecting balconies!

The 10 of us arranged to wear matching hot pink tank tops and white shorts on day one. We danced around the pool area as we left port in the afternoon.

Allure has some major entertainment offerings. The Aqua Theater puts on nightly shows with high divers into a small pool of water next to a rock climbing wall. There is an ice-skating rink for skating and shows. The Mama Mia show in the theater was as amazing as the one I saw on Broadway a few years ago.

So fun.

And so is this group of women ranging from 50-65 years old. We dressed up after the Mama Mia show in 70s outfit for the 70s party. We wore all white one night and Caribbean outfits to go along with the ship’s theme parties.

When we got home, we all committed to doing this again next year!

What to pack for the Girls’ Getaway Cruise

Matching Tank Tops – lots of groups arrange for matching tops so why not you!

White dress – Perfect for cruising and again if dancing is something you want to do, the lighting on the dance floor makes those white dresses glow.

Sun hats – For lounging poolside or beach days, a large brim hat is fashionable and helps prevent sunburn on your face.

Beach cover up – Freshen up your wardrobe with a new cover up to wear at the pool and beach.

Light up shoes – We were the envy of the ship. “Where did you get those?” everyone asked. It makes dancing so much fun.

Work out clothes – Even if you don’t play pickleball, yet, you may enjoy walking around the perimeter of the ship. A walk or nice workout in the gym will help balance the all you can eat and drink mentality on cruise ships.

Magazines – Books are fine, but magazines are fun to share with girlfriends as you sit poolside.

Clips for chairs – It is often windy on the ship so these secure your ship provided towel and also hold your chair if you decide to take a dip in the pool.

Tags and lanyards – This set contains things you need like the plastic cover for the luggage tag you print out before your trip and the key card needed to purchase things and open your stateroom door on the ship.

Wigs – We thought this was fun – you will too!

Drugs – Sometimes the water can get rough so seasick bracelets or medicines will help temper the nausea.

Liquid IV – Any type of electrolyte supplement will help with overindulgences of heat or alcohol. I started putting these in my drinks when playing pickleball to combat leg cramps.

Flip flops nonslip – The deck on ships gets very hot, and slippery, so choose flip flops that are not too worn out on the bottoms.

Sunglasses to match outfits – a few pairs of cheap sunglasses to complement outfits is a fun way to accessorize, and you won’t care if you lose them.

Mexican train – Bring a game along to play for rainy days or days at sea.

Cross body bag – My favorite affordable hands-free bag holds reading and sunglasses, my phone, small wallet and lip gloss. I’m also not too concerned if it gets a little wet or sandy.

Beach Bag – Heading to the pool or beach, you will need a stylish bag for your towel, a change of clothes

Waterproof phone bag – If you plan on snorkeling or a boating adventure these are great to have.

Goggles – These are great to have if you are stopping at a beach and just want to swim and explore a little.

Hair dryer brush – Getting ready to go out, we loved this brush that eliminates the frizz.

Water bottle – Good for the excursion days.

Hangers – The ship doesn’t always provide enough. In fact, I now leave my tops and dresses on hangers when I pack, then simply hang them up straight from the suitcase to closet.

Cruise power strip – Older ships don’t have as many outlets as the newer ships and with all the items that need charging, this is good to have.

Packing cubes – I love these. You can keep all the small clothes zipped up neatly in these bags and then use them to store dirty items as the trip goes on.

Travel make up mirror – The rooms do not have them, and for some of us who don’t see as well anymore these could be helpful.

Portable charger – Even with the Wi-Fi package, my phone battery died quickly. Keep one of these in your bag.

Travel Steamer Iron – Sometimes the clothes do get wrinkled. This ortable ironing machine is easy to use and quick. Small enough not to take up much space and irons are sometimes not even allowed on cruise ships.

When choosing the best cruise ship for all of you, remember it is one that all of your friends can go on together. Can everyone get the time off and afford the price? Great!

Once the deposit is sent in, then comes the fun planning before you set sail.

Happy packing and have a great time!