This year’s family trip took us on a cruise. Not only were we doing our annual family trip, but we were also celebrating our 15th anniversary. It was a 3-day cruise, but it was endless fun.

It was my first time taking a cruise, and I was a little nervous about how boarding works, but it was pretty straightforward. It was actually a breeze.

We docked at noon but didn’t set sail until 4:20 pm. We left our luggage in our room and explored the ship. After walking around and eating pizza, we went back to our cabin to relax for a bit. I didn’t even realize we had left the dock until I looked out at the balcony. We were in awe. I didn’t feel a thing, even though I was expecting some sort of movement.

We put on our bathing suits and headed to the pool to lounge and enjoy a few drinks. I hadn’t planned on getting a drink package, but we splurged so we wouldn’t get shocked by the bill at the end of the trip—it was our anniversary, after all! Later, I stayed back to relax in the room while Angelino and the kids hit the buffet. They were so sweet to bring me back a plate.

The next day, the ship docked in Ensenada. We had a small breakfast before we left the ship to go explore. There wasn’t really anything we wanted to purchase, so we just did some window shopping. We did get on a mini boat that took us for a ride around the cruise ship and the marina. The kiddos enjoyed it.

We got back on the ship, rested up, and hit the pool. Another drink and another. We got ready and hit the buffet again. Angelino and I intended to go out and dance, but my one-hour nap turned out to be an eight-hour nap.

Our last day was at sea exploring the ship. We walked around and enjoyed the view. I reserved spots on the North Star observation capsule to get a good look at the ship from above. It was a little scary but pretty cool. Afterwards, we hit the pool one more time with a drink in hand. We checked out the buffet for dinner, but I messed up this time by overeating—I just couldn’t help it. Later on, Angelino and I got ready to check out a bar and some live music. I tapped out on drink number 20; since I overate, I just couldn’t drink anymore. The music wasn’t really my taste, but it was still nice to watch. Around 1am, we headed back to the room.

It was time to check out in the morning. If only the trip were longer! But now we know—the family loved the cruise. For sure, I need to book an even longer one next time. I’m already looking at options for next year: one with the family and one solo, because why not?

I love the family, but after any trip, I need some alone time. It’s self-care. The following weekend, I went to Joshua Tree with the gals 🤪. It was nice to have someone else take care of the itinerary. I loved being passenger princess for once.