Transatlantic Sea- The Best Place I’ve Been

My husband calls me in excitement one day and asks me the following:

“Did you know that Uber has a cruise? Have you ever been to Universal Studios? and how much do you love Soca?”

My response was no to his first two questions and I Love Soca ALOT! LOL

He says great I’m planning our vacation and hangs up the phone.

Now my husband doesn’t plan trips unless it’s to the grocery store. Not because he can’t, but it stresses him out.

His excitement made me excited, and very curious about where we were going. I mean what do Uber, Univeral Studios, and Soca have to do with each other anyway?

Special Announcement

After keeping me in suspense for what seemed like forever he finally let the cat out of the bag.

He announces that we are going to Universal Studios in Orlando, Fl before we go on a 5-day UberSoca Cruise. We would be sailing from Orlando to Turks & Caicos with some of our favorite soca artists!

To be honest, the only words I heard coming out of his mouth were:

We are going on a vacation within a vacation! HA!

This vacation was going to be lit and I couldn’t wait!

Who doesn’t love amusement parks? And who wouldn’t want to go to a “festival on the water” where the final destination is Turks & Caicos?

It was the best place I’d ever been.

First Stop: Orlando

Nov 2019 was the first time I went to Universal Studios with my husband.

It was a little after 9 am, the park just opened and the crowd hadn’t arrived yet. We stood near the entrance of the park and like two kids plotted our takeover. Harry Potter was one of the newest attractions at the time and we wanted to experience everything.

Looking at the map of the park, my husband notices that the attractions are laid out in a specific way.

He says if we walk to the right and stay on the path towards Hollywood it will take us around the park. The attractions were laid out in a circle-ish shape.

(This is the best way to see all the attractions at least once before the park gets crowded! )

Three attractions I can’t stop talking about and that you have to experience are:

Suess Landing

Dr. Suess and the whole “Cat In The Hat family” is my favorite childhood memory. It began with a Godmother gifting me a stuffed Cat in the Hat doll as an infant. That over time grew into a book collection, t-shirts, bedsheets, cups, etc.

Seeing some of Dr. Suess's iconic characters like the Grinch, The Cat in the Hat, and Sam I Am perform throughout Suess Landing was a dream come true. That was the closest I’d get to meet my favorite childhood characters.

Moe’s Tavern

Moe’s Tavern was the cutest dining hall I’d ever seen. It doesn't miss a beat because you feel like you are in Springfield. There are statues of Moe’s clients that make great photo opportunities. Menu items are named after characters and popular phrases of the show.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

I’m not a fan of the Harry Potter series. I actually find the books and movies way too long. Harry Potter is known to have put me to sleep on more than one occasion.

But… experiencing Harry Potter in Universal Studios was really fun and kept me up.

Everything is staged as if you are part of the story.

You can ride the Hogwarts Express, visit the Leaky Cauldron, go with Harry Potter as he escapes from Gringotts, and can even try Butter Beer! ( it tastes as it sounds and is very sweet)

I admit I wasn’t too thrilled about the world of Harry Potter at first but I’m glad I gave it a chance.

All Aboard Mariner Of the Seas

UberSoca cruise has been around since 2016 and is the “Largest Soca Festival At Sea”.

Soca is a genre of music that started in the ’70s by Lord Shorty in Trinidad and Tobago. It is influenced by African and Indian beats and wasn’t always accepted as a style of music. Today soca has become more popular with artists in other genres.

UberSoca Cruise brings people together to celebrate the “soul of calypso”.

Take Your Pick 50 Events In 5 Days

What makes this place the best I’ve been ever been was the energy that came with the events.

I didn’t make all 50 events but the activities I participated in were enough to feel the intention behind people connecting and having a good time.

Not only did I find a family member on the same trip in the middle of the sea (pure coincidence). I felt like I could talk to anyone on the boat and find at least three things in common.

Music was celebrated with concert performances from Teddyson John, Skinny Fabulous, Mr. Killa, Patrice, Kes the Band, DJ Private Ryan and so many of the hottest artists in soca.

DJ 101 lessons were taught by Brooklyn-based Dj Kevin Crown. He provided tips and motivation to aspiring DJs.

The cooking competition allowed me to bond with strangers over food and I left with some new recipes.

The best event besides J'ouvert on Grand Turk was the comedy show. The laughter and comradery were contagious.

If I could pick my favorite moment on the boat it would be my husband finding me at one of the bars on the boat ordering BBQ wings.

The Long and Short Of It

Orlando to Turks & Caicos was the best place I’ve ever been because it was the first trip my husband did an amazing job planning. We experienced many first’s together on that trip, we danced a lot and laughed even harder.

This was the best place I’ve ever been because it was the last vacation we took before the pandemic. It was a reminder to have fun in the present because you don't know what’s ahead of you.

Had I known that a pandemic was coming I’d probably have tacked on another destination on that trip. LOL