Vacation rolls around and everyone has an opinion of what you should do this year. The kids want thrill rides, you want to relax. It can be an all out war or complete melt down sometimes. So what are you supposed to do? You want pool time, good food, and not have to clean. The kids want rides, characters, and shiny gadgets. Well, Universal Orlando Resort and Royal Caribbean have heard the cries and are offering two vacations in one. It is a good deal because you get to relax and enjoy different countries, they get the thrill rides and shiny gadgets.
What’s Included?
- 3/4-Night Bahamas or 4/5/7-Night* Eastern/Western Caribbean cruise onboard Royal Caribbean
- 2/3/4-Nights at an Universal Orlando® Resort including on-site hotel accommodations and Park-to-Park admission** to Universal Studios Florida® and Universal’s Islands of Adventure® during your stay
- Stay in the heart of it all at an Universal Orlando® on-site hotel and enjoy exclusive theme park benefits you won’t get by staying anywhere else
- All transfers between the Orlando airport, Universal Orlando®, and your Royal Caribbean departure port***
It really is a one-of-a-kind experience that can’t be beat. I know it for a fact because me and my daughter, Dakotah, got to take this wonderful combo vacation and it was AMAZING!
First Stop- Universal Orlando
After a very stressful flight with Southwest we finally arrived in Orlando 3 hours late. Thankfully we had an amazing PR rep that kept our driver in the loop and waited patiently so we could go to a scheduled dinner. Our driver was great and kept Dakotah on her toes by playing a rousing rendition of Jeopardy with her. The topic was Florida wild life and she had so much fun with him. We arrived at Loews Portofino Bay hotel safely and let me tell you, our first look took our breath away. Loews Portofino Bay is a luxury resort that has everything you need. Honestly, I am not sure you need to leave the property to have a good time. But, I am recommending you do. They have free water taxis that drop you off in Citywalk, the hub that connects Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
We were whisked away on one of those taxis to dinner at one of Universal Orlando’s newest restaurants, Vivo’s Italian Kitchen, located at Citywalk. They had an amazing menu planned for us with a lot of yummy options.
I ordered the Parmigiano and it was to die for. The chicken was crispy, the sauce had just the right amount of flavors without being to over powering, and the cheese was all melted perfectly. I normally don’t eat stuff like that because the sauce is always to bitter or to sweet but I am being truthful when I say they had it just perfect!
The one thing I loved about Vivo’s is that even though it had an upscale feel to it, it was totally family friendly. I saw a lot of guests with children enjoying their dinner. I also loved the open, spacious feel. You could watch chefs make homemade pasta right from the table if you were seated in the right spot. It is definitely a great place to dine if you want good, comforting food and a great atmosphere.
Loews Portifino Bay Hotel
Universal Orlando Resort actually has 4 amazing resort hotels to choose from. You can stay at the Hard Rock Hotel, Royal Specific, or the Portofino Bay. There are several perks to staying on-site and they include:
- Free Universal Express Unlimited ride access, allowing guests to skip the regular lines on most rides and attractions at Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter one hour before the theme park opens
- Complimentary water taxis and shuttle buses
- Resort-wide charging privileges with room key
- Priority seating at select restaurants throughout the resort
Complimentary delivery of merchandise purchased throughout the resort to the hotel - Golf Universal Orlando program
- Universal Orlando character appearances
It is totally worth it just for the express ride access. Especially in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which is more crowded than an Apple store when a new gadget is released.
The rooms are spacious and have a very luxurious feel to them. It took mine and Dakotah’s breath away when we first walked in.
They have beautiful water fountains, pools, restaurants, and stores. Dakotah let me take a pic of her in front of the fountain and she is actually smiling!
Our room had an amazing view of the beach style pool and it was so amazing to look out in the morning and see this view!
The next morning we had an amazing breakfast at the Trattoria del Porto. It was so fancy that they even served yogurt parfaits in martini glasses! After that I took a selfie of us in front of the water.
After that we were off to Universal Studios and the Islands of Adventure. We received our VIP passes and then were whisked away to a day of thrills, good food, and amazing fun!
Stay tuned for part 2 and see what we did in Universal Studios!
Additional restrictions may apply to all offers and benefits which are all subject to change without notice. *Itineraries are subject to change without notice. **Ticket is non-refundable, non-transferable, and must be used by the same person on all days. Valid only during normal operating hours. Parks, attractions, or entertainment may: close due to refurbishing, capacity, weather or special events; change operating hours; and otherwise change or be discontinued without notice and without liability to the owners of Universal Orlando® Resort. Ticket excludes admission to separately ticketed events at either of the Universal theme parks, or within any of the CityWalk venues. Some CityWalk venues require ages 21 or older for admission. Valid Photo ID required. Excludes parking and discounts on food or merchandise. ***For group bookings at off-site hotels an additional transfer fee may occur between the hotel and park. The Universal Orlando® Resort package may be booked in any Royal Caribbean booking system. The package is booked as a pre/post hotel. Once booked, all elements of the package are included (hotel stay, theme park tickets and transfers for the Port Canaveral sailings). Transfers included on ships that sail out of Port Canaveral. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & ©2015 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. Itineraries are subject to change without notice. Certain restrictions may apply. ©2015 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships registered in the Bahamas.
