When X and I originally started researching a cruise for 2018, it seemed logical to leave from New York City or from Bayonne in New Jersey, since I’m in NYC. But after some research, I wasn’t too impressed with the itineraries leaving from either NYC or NJ. After some more research, I pitched two ships to X: the Allure of the Seas and the Harmony of the Seas – Royal Caribbean’s 2 largest ships in the US at the time. I had never been on a Royal Caribbean ship or a megaship. X had never been on a cruise period.

Both ships left from Florida – and we eventually settled on the Allure after reviewing the ports of call. We actually ended up booking Allure’s first sailing out of the Port of Miami. Neither of us had ever been in Miami before, so we opted to fly in 2 days early to explore the city.

Day 1 involved us waking up before the sun rose to fly into Miami. After meeting up at the hotel, we took a quick Uber over to Versailles, which is famous for their amazing Cuban food. Be sure to check out my Miami food post to see all the delicious noms!

After that, we walked over to Little Havana / Calle Ocho, which is the main drag. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this walk, as it’s very long and you take a while to hit the main section. But we enjoyed the stroll after stuffing our faces.

Our day concluded with a trip to Wynwood Walls, a neighborhood that features huge, colorful street murals by artists from around the globe. This was an amazing destination and we loved seeing all the different graffiti and street art.

Day 2 began with a shopping spree down Lincoln Road and a walk along Ocean Drive. We ended up at the beach at some point. The sand is so soft and if you walk towards South Pointe Beach, you can even see the cruise ships leaving!