Family Cruise 2016

A couple of weeks ago we had the most amazing experience of going on our very first cruise. So today, I’m going to share with you a full recap of our trip!

In total transparency, I was anti-cruise for years. The thought of being on a boat and the risk of getting sea sick, or (in my paranoid mind), falling off the boat, was just too much for me to handle. So when my husband presented the idea earlier this year, I responded with an emphatic NO! I was more attracted to the idea of a full beach vacation in Jamaica or Aruba, anywhere really … as long as I wasn’t trapped on a boat!

Looking back now, all I can say is … boy was I wrong! We went back and forth for awhile, but my husband (being the incredible salesman that he is) managed to persuade me and got me on board.

We decided on a 7 day cruise that departed from Galveston. Our stops included Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica. Our children were SO excited and this was our first real family vacation that didn’t include going to a relatives house!

From the amazing food, to the incredible service, to all the awesome activities that kept us busy every day both on the boat and off … We literally booked our next cruise while we were still cruising!

Cozumel

Our time in Cozumel consisted of riding dune buggies through town, enjoying authentic Mexican food and hanging out on the beautiful beaches of Cozumel. It was truly breathtaking to have lush greenery on one side of us and the beautiful beach on the other side. Picturesque. There were so many moments on the trip when I just stood in awe of how beautiful our surroundings were.

Grand Cayman

After a wild day in Cozumel (it was so fun but we were so tired!), we decided to have a chill beach day in Grand Cayman. We booked all our excursions through the cruise line, so that made it really easy. Jason and the boys played football on the beach, we enjoyed delicious local foods and some yummy rum drinks. We had never been to Grand Cayman before, and we would definitely go back!

Jamaica Mon

Jamaica was by far my favorite stop. The people. The culture. The food. The beach. The drinks. Gah! I could go on and on! It was AMAZING! We selected an all-inclusive resort stop for our time in Falmouth and it truly exceeded my expectations. Imagine the most beautiful beach you’ve ever seen, paired with a buffet of delicious Jamaican food and unlimited beverages … y’all I was in heaven. It was so gorgeous! Jason (my husband) has been looking at properties in Jamaica ever since we got back. That’s how cool it was! #obsessed #takemeBACK!

On The Boat

Our time on the boat completely exceeded my expectations as well. I’m not sure how I thought that I would feel bored or trapped, because the boat is huge and there was just so much to do! If we weren’t swimming in the beautiful pools, or sliding down the water slides, we were playing putt-putt, watching Broadway caliber shows in the theater, eating gourmet meals, playing in the arcade, enjoying parades and character breakfasts with characters from Disney’s Madagascar (full costume … it was magical), checking out the casino … ah that’s not even the half of it! There was just so much!

We had such a great time! If you’re thinking about going on a cruise, do it! I would definitely recommend it! There’s a little something for everyone, at every age. Parents … You can even have alone time if you take your kiddos to the kid’s club! We did this a couple times .. The boys LOVED it … I wanted them with me though so it’s totally your preference!

Have you guys cruised before? What’s your favorite cruise line?

Thanks so much for stopping by the page! I’ll be sharing a few tips in tricks in my next post that helped us as first time cruisers! Love you guys!

XO