Check out my favorite things about Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside resort:

If you want to stay at a Moderate resort at Disney World, consider Port Orleans Riverside. It is one of the most popular and I recommend it to most of my clients. It is one of the prettiest settings when it comes to Moderate resorts. I love the Southern theme. The grounds are beautiful. You have Alligator Bayou (bayou) and Magnolia Bend (mansions).

Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside has the theming of a Deluxe Resort for the price of a Moderate Resort.

Port Orleans Riverside resort has the entertainment offerings of a Deluxe Resort for the price of a Moderate Resort. You can explore the grounds by foot or by renting surrey bikes, you can book a carriage ride, or go fishing. Port Orleans has several pools and can also use the amazing themed pool at it’s sister resort next door, French Quarter. There are campfires on certain nights of the week. Ask the front desk about the activities that are going on during your stay. Some are free and some may require an additional charge. 

You can also catch a ferry from the resort to Disney Springs.

The resort also has cute Princess/Royal themed rooms with light up LED Headboards. These rooms are a bit further away from the main hub. If you want to be closer to dining, I would request the Magnolia Terrace building.

Boatwright’s is the table service restaurant, however, there is also the River Roost Lounge (YeHaa Bob Jackson is a popular entertainer that sings and plays the piano there) and the Riverside Mill Food Court (below).

Have you ever stayed at Port Orleans Riverside? What did you think? Comment below if you have a different favorite moderate resort and state why. If you want to learn more about another Disney resort, check out my post about the Aulani Resort & Spa on Oahu in Hawaii.

To celebrate our 18th Wedding Anniversary, my husband, Donnie, and I went on a 5 night Western Caribbean Cruise on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. The ship was called “Independence of the Seas”. We visited the ports of Cozumel and & Costa Maya. We stayed in a Concierge Suite. There are many great perks when you stay in a suite. One of which is you get priority entrance. Woohoo! If it’s V.I.P., it’s for me!

You also get a reserved area out on the pool deck if you are in a concierge suite.

We were in the Sardinia Suite cabin #1320. It was huge! Here is a short video of our suite:

 

 

 

Being that it was my first time on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, I was pleased to see that it was a very nice ship.

Here is one of the pools…

Here is the adults only pool…

Even though we didn’t have kids with us on this trip, I checked out the very nice kids’ clubs…

In addition to the rock climbing wall, basketball court, mini golf course, they also had their signature “Flow Rider” surfing simulator. And no, I did not attempt it for fear of what the high speed water would do to my swim suit!

The ship had everything you would need such as a nice gym, a library, a chapel for weddings, and of course delicious restaurants like Chops Grill.

Since we were in a concierge suite, every night we would have fresh fruit, cheese, or a sweet treat waiting on us when we returned to the cabin.

I enjoyed watching the ice skating show. It was the first time I’ve seen one on a cruise ship. The skaters were very talented and entertaining.

Another perk of being in a suite, is that you get to have access to the Concierge Lounge where they serve snacks, finger foods, as well as cocktails, etc.

Our first port was Cozumel. The ferry ride over was very rocky that it actually made some people sick. Just a warning to bring medication for motion sickness. We got to snorkel in a cenote. A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. It was like swimming in a cave with cool, clear water. It was beautiful. You also had the option to scuba dive and go deeper into the caves with a guide. I highly recommend the cenote excursion. I only had a disposable underwater camera but the pictures came out too dark but here is what a cenote looks like:

After we snorkeled, we went to eat at a restaurant on the beach (Playa del Carmen) called Inti Beach. The food was good and the view was amazing.

After lunch, we walked around and shopped a little bit. Then we headed back to the ferry and then the ship to wash up and eat dinner. We had a lovely view from our dinner table.

The port for the next day was Costa Maya. Our excursion was to the Mayan Ruins. We waited in the “village” area for our bus to take us to the site.

It was really neat to see the ruins and hear about the history of the Mayans.

We had a lunch buffet at a small beach resort and then headed back to the ship.

This was my first Royal Caribbean cruise. We really enjoyed how clean the ship was and the friendly service. We even booked our Alaska cruise for June 2018 while on board the ship to take advantage of the great prices and low deposit. Have you been on a Royal Caribbean cruise? What did you think about it? Comment below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I LOVE to travel but I do not love the packing part. I always feel like I am forgetting something, and it makes me feel a little anxious. So I always make sure I have at least my:

• Wallet (credit card, cash, license)
• Passport
• Cell Phone
• Extra pair of contacts and my eyeglasses (I’m blind-as-a-bat without them)

These items are always packed in my carry-on luggage so they don’t get lost. I pretty much just bring carry-on luggage every time I travel. I don’t like to hassle with lines at the baggage check and waiting for it again at baggage claim. But that’s a whole other blog post….

As long as I have those 4 to 5 items, I know I can pretty much buy anything else I forget. If I am following my checklist correctly, I definitely make sure I have my top favorite travel items with me including:

1.  Antibacterial Sanitizer and Wipes

 

 

 

 

 

With my background as a Registered Nurse, I have become very “germ conscious” (A.K.A. Germaphobe). I wash my hands with soap and water all the time, especially after being in public places.  

Sanitizer and wipes are a blessing for those who are “germ conscious” and can’t get to a sink. For this reason, I carry a bottle of hand sanitizer and a travel pack of antibacterial wipes. I use them before I eat or to wipe down the headrest, armrests, seatbelts, tray table, etc. on the airplane.

Did you know that the tray tables on airplanes can be dirtier than your toilet seat at home?

According to an article written in Conde Nast Traveler called “The Dirtiest Place in Airports Is Nowhere Near the Bathroom”: 

“…an average of only 172 CFU are found on household toilet seats. Tray tables follow with 11,595 CFU/sq. in., then seatbelt buckles with 1,116 CFU/sq. in. According to a 2017 report by Thrillist, the FAA does not regulate how often—or how thoroughly—airlines have to sanitize their planes. So it’s up to the carriers to decide for themselves, and they tend to err on the side of saving time and money, rather than making planes sparkle for passengers. Cleaning crews will typically only remove trash and wipe down lavatories between flights, meaning your tray table and armrests are left with whatever germs the previous passenger left behind…”

2.  Cell Phone Back Up Battery

This might be an obvious one, but I have to have one for my phone. I take a ton of video and pictures with my iPhone 8 so after a long day of touring and travel, my phone battery almost always dies before the day is through. I am still trying out different battery chargers but I’ve used this one before. Comment below if you have a travel battery charger you love.

3.  Earplugs

They may be small but oh, what a difference they can make when trying to get a good night’s sleep in a noisy hotel. You know those hotels that have like an inch gap on the bottom of the door that leads out into the hallway where you can hear EVERYTHIN?. Seriously, who made that design? Or the paper thin walls where you can hear what the person is watching on t.v. next door? Or those nice, thoughtful, neighbors in the rental next to you who decide to laugh and play in their pool at 2 o’clock in the morning after arriving from a different time zone, acting as if they are the only ones in the neighborhood. Yes, that is when those tiny squishy blue things can make a difference. Don’t leave home without them and bring extra for your husband and kids.

4.  Makeup Organizer/Train Case

This is great for women (and men’s toiletries) because of how it zips open. I have a million cute makeup bags I have gotten for free with purchases but I don’t use them because it is hard to find things in it when it just zips up at the top. I end up having to take everything out to find the eyeliner I’m looking for. I love these types of cases because you just unzip and everything is there and organized. There is even a place to hold all of the makeup brushes. I never have to take anything out to find something. It is all out right there for me to see.

5.  Cell Phone Credit Card Holder

This is really convenient to have when you go through security at the airport. I’m always fumbling around with my boarding pass, phone, and license. I like that I can have my boarding pass downloaded onto my phone now and then I can just carry my license in the holder on the back of my phone. No more fumbling around or misplacing my license and boarding pass.

6.  AirborneBack to the germ talk. I can’t imagine what might be circulating in the air on those planes. I always try to bump up my immunity the day before, the day of and pretty much every day of my trip until I return home. I will dissolve a tablet in my water in the morning. It actually tastes pretty good. Knock on wood, it has done the trick so far. I haven’t gotten sick while traveling since I started using it.

7.  Portable/Flexible Water Bottle

It’s good to drink a lot of water while you travel so you don’t get dehydrated. I really like this foldable Vapur Element Bottle  because you can just roll it up and stuff it in your bag, and it doesn’t take up much space. It is dish washer safe. It has a nice flip top lid and a carabiner to hook it onto your bag or belt loop. 

8.  Blocktech Coat from Uniqlo

When I went to NYC in February, it was quite rainy. I needed to get a long, hooded, durable, water-repellent, waterproof, and windproof jacket or coat that was comfortable, stretchy, and breathable. I found all of this in Uniqlo’s Blocktech Coat. It helped to block the wind and repel the rain. It worked fabulously and it looked great as well. It was my first time in the Uniqlo store (on 5th Avenue) and I fell in love. Nice, well made clothes for great prices. Uniqlo also gives back to charity. Plus, they even had a Starbucks inside the store! What’s not to love??

So those are just a few of my favorite travel items. What are your favorite travel items and why? Share in the comments below.