Throw Back Thursday: Let's Go Sailing

Carnival Cruise - Ensenada, Mexico

Around this time last year, I went on my first cruise. And now I'm obsessed! I've always loved vacations, to the point that I spent most (if not all) of my free time helping anyone I could have the vacation of their dreams. This time around, I was taking the vacation. 

My Beautiful Mom and our comp breakfast

I was SO busy living it up on the ship that I totally forgot to take pictures of all the super amazing things going on. There was ALWAYS something going on. We didn't have a single bored moment, or even any downtime if we didn't want it. We took complete and total advantage of all the free food. I was pregnant at the time, so I was ALWAYS hungry lol. The ship had me covered. There was a burger bar, a buffet-style arrangement, pizza, and every night there was a fancy dinner setup.

There were live shows, like 2 different nightclubs, there was a karaoke night, live music all over the place. It was just amazing! We saw a show called "Divas" and it was legit Vegas level entertainment at NO extra cost. There was a Casino, Bars all over the place, even a Kids Zone. It was just flat out amazing. The only things you had to pay extra for were Soda, bottles of water, specialty food, and booze. 

My Mom and I with the cast of Divas

While straight kicking it on the ship while sailing through the ocean was dope enough, we cruised over to Baja California's  Ensenada, Mexico. We opted to go on a guided tour instead of exploring the city ourselves or staying on the ship. We went to visit the city's historical cultural center and then the Buffadora (blowhole) and shopping strip. To say everything I saw was beautiful is a wild understatement. I was in complete awe of everything, and wanted to buy EVERYTHING! Most items we saw for sale were handcrafted and the artistry was mind-blowing. 

Here are some shots of the Cultural Center we visited. It was SO dope hearing about how the city came to be and getting a chance to explore the center. Full heart eye emoji.

Everything about this building is just SO beautiful. I felt like I was walking through one of those old movies my grandpa watches.

 

This is just a wee bit of the items that were for sale (shout out to the Las Vegas Raiders). I wanted to buy EVERYTHING, and everything was reasonably priced. Everyone who was there selling items was SUPER nice too. Everyone was happy to have a conversation and share a story. I loved it so much.

Possibly the birthplace of the Margarita

 

We went right around the day of the dead "Dia de Los Muertos" and they had a beautiful alter setup. I never fully understood this tradition, but now that I get it a little more I think it's one that I'm going to start adapting into our families lives now. It makes so much sense to honor our families and friends that we have "lost" and to welcome them back into our lives on this special day.

Our next stop was the Buffadora! The view from here was lovely, and shopping was a full-on experience! There were so many shops, and all of them wanted your attention. We ended up walking away with a bunch of stuff!! If you ever make it here, feel free to haggle on the price. It's like a swap meet out here.

Somewhere along the way, we found a spot where you could kick it with some cubs. I DIED!! They had two different sections where you could kick it with REALLY small baby cats, or this one where you could play a little more with some that were a bit older. This was a rescue center where they take in the younger cats until they get too big for the center, they then get transferred over to a wildlife habitat.

I was completely head over heels with this black jaguar they had. I am allergic to cats and spend most of my time ducking and dodging them at every opportunity but I couldn't be happier getting to cuddle with this little guy...even though he could have taken my face off at any moment. 

We went back to the ship after this and headed back home. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done and I can NOT wait to go back! My only issue was I had a mixture of morning sickness and motion sickness. I took some Dramamine that left me a bit drowsy but able to pull through. 

Have you ever been on a cruise? What is your best cruise tip?! Share it in the comments below!

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<3 - Nikki