Skip to main content

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!

Comment - Share - Subscribe

<3 - Nikki

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Crystals I Love: Hematite

My crystal collection is small, but it is mighty! Most pieces have been gifted to me, but a very select few I went out and searched for myself. Hematite is one of the stones that I ALWAYS have to have at least one piece of. Right now I'm rocking a Hematite bracelet that was gifted to me. I usually like a piece that has been made into a ring that I will wear on my thumb, but this bracelet has been around for the long haul. USES Hematite is a dark color stone, I usually see it dark gray or black, that is used for grounding, removing and blocking negative energy. It's like the crystal Dikembe Mutombo. I like it because of the way the energy feels, and what I like to call it's "Not Today!!" powers. To me, the vibes are smooth and earthy. This crystal helps me feel more connected and rooted in the moment. HOW IT WORKS FOR ME I am an emotionally driven person. That makes me super sensitive to other peoples feelings, so someone else's bad mood wi...

The Women Of Las Vegas: With Love Reiki from Sheila

Meet Sheila Sclafani-Cook As a Usui/Holy Fire® III, Karuna Reiki®Master, and a Seraphim Blueprint practitioner, Sheila Sclafani-Cook is a local treasure. Her path through Spirituality has connected her with Spirit and she is guided to support others on the healing path through meditations, classes, Reiki sessions or bringing others to the way of Reiki by teaching Reiki to them. With Love Reiki and Healing was founded to create a place where people can come to allow their soul to breathe. Through this time of Social Distancing, I've been getting my much-needed meditations and Reiki healing from her Youtube channel where we can all tune in at no charge and get regularly updated Reiki distance healing. I first met Sheila through one of my Mom's meditations at Enchanted Forest, and when I was going through a really confusing time in my life I went to her to get a Reiki session. To say it was amazing is an understatement! It was exactly what I needed to get m...

Locals I Love: Bougie Girl Vegas

Welcome back to the second edition of the Locals I Love series! This week I am telling you all about one of my new favorite brands to keep up with and adorn myself with, the Wallet Friendly Luxury of Bougie Girl Vegas . Bougie Girl Vegas is an online accessory boutique that I came across while looking for a local place to get my jewelry from instead of always shopping overseas for a discount, or going into a mass retailer that doesn't actually care about me and the look I'd like to portray with their jewelry. As soon as I saw her inventory, I knew this brand was one I was definitely down to rock with. I ordered this tacos necklace so fast yall! It didn't even take a second thought, and I've been here for the brand ever since. For me, it matters so much more what the person who runs the business is about than anything else, and just recently I got the opportunity to meet the beautiful young woman who runs the business. Cortney is a Las Vegas local t...

Vegas Bound: Halloween Week 2019

I love every reason to let my inner spook out, so the ENTIRE month of October is an all-out celebration for me! If you're here, you must be getting ready to spend your Halloween in Las Vegas and I could NOT be more excited for you. Whether you are a Las Vegas Local, or here for the weekend, Las Vegas is one of the most amazing places in the world for entertainment, and to take a nice relaxing (or turnt) vacation. As much as Vegas has the reputation to be an Adults only trip, we have tons of spooktacular events for the whole family to enjoy. If you are heading to Las Vegas to celebrate Halloween, check out the hotel rooms available from my team. We can get rates up to 30% lower than nationally advertised rates all year round, even on national holidays. And when you book with me, you get the option of having me personally help you plan out your vacation specifics and help to manage any last-minute emergencies. A few tips if you are coming through for the costume contests. V...

Sphynx: For The Girl On The Go

This year's Travel Goods Association 's Travel Goods Show '19 has introduced me to so many of my current favorite products! Today, we are talking about the Sphynx razor that you can use for hair removal ANYWHERE! Living in the desert makes shorts, sundresses, tank tops, surprise photo shoots and pool days a part of everyday life. Unfortunately, running around chasing a 1-year-old and taking care of everyone's vacations makes hair removal one of the last things on my to-do list! Lucky for me, I received a goodie bag from the Travel Goods Association at this year's Travel Goods Show that gave me my latest secret weapon! The Sphynx Portable Razor ! I keep this beauty in my bag at all times and it has already saved me from having to miss out on a pool day and the embarrassment of missing a spot trying to rush when wearing one of my favorite dresses. Here's how it works. This little beauty here has everything you need for a shave - a small squirt bottle ...

Beauty Moment: What's In My Makeup Bag

This is a new one for me, but as a state titleholder in the Beauty world, it's about time I get sharing what's going on in my makeup bag. I always love seeing these posts on Youtube and in the Blog-sphere and I got a whole new kit that I've been loving so I figured now is the perfect time to share my first Makeup Bag spill. This cute bag I probably got from Ipsy and has been holding some of my new additions. PRIMER: I kind of consider primer as part of my skincare prep routine, but it's in my makeup bag so here we go! I always jump between primers but right now, my go-to is Smashbox The Original Photo Finish Smooth & Blur.   CONCEALER: When I start slipping on my self-care, my skin is the FIRST thing to tell everyone how stressed out I am! Because of that, I've been stockpiling an arsenal of concealer to keep my skin issues on the low. It Cosmetics has the perfect shade to blend with my skin tone in their Bye Bye Under Eye full coverage anti-a...

I'M BACK!! 2021 - VEGAS - TWITCH - AND BEYOND

  Hello everyone and WELCOME BACK to the Nikki On Vegas Blog! I am SO happy to be back and have so much to update you on!  I have been away for a LONG WHILE and wanted to come back with an update on all things NikkiOnVegas. Last time I was here we were talking about my Disney+, Netflix, and Hulu favorites, What's going on in Vegas, and how the death of George Floyd and resulting Black Lives Matter protests, national response and more was affecting me personally. So let's dig right back in on all that plus what I've been up to since the last time we spoke... VEGAS: We've definitely been on a wild ride. As a city built on tourism, we had a HARD time with the shutdown and now trying to re-build...but good news Vegas lovers - All signs point to a rapidly returning Vegas! It's definitely different now, as we've got to do our part to keep everyone safe but it is still VERY Vegas. Social Distancing and masks are very much enforced and minimized capacity has been strict...

Kid Friendly Vegas: Kangamoo

I have a one-year-old! Life is BANANAS! To celebrate my young King's first birthday, we took him to Kangamoo indoor playground. Here's how it went. This place is HUGE. I was shook once I walked in and tried to find the bathroom through what felt like miles of padded kid-wonderland. I didn't do too much exploring of the big kid area, and I made it a point not to go when they were having a special event but according to their facebook page, this place is lit! Every Thursday 4:30-5:30 they have a character come by and play around with the kids (perfect photo op), Wednesday is arts and crafts day 10AM-12, Balloon Animals and face paint every Friday 2-4, and Musical Story Time on Tuesday 10AM-12. All other times Mon - Fri 9am-7pm and Sat-Sun 9AM-5PM is open play time. Now, back to my nugget. I think he had a BLAST! This was his first time playing outside of our home and having so many options for new things to touch. It was ADORABLE. His attention span is one thing ...

2019 BET Awards: Black Excellence On The Blue Carpet

Every year I get so caught up in the show I don't tweet, I don't Facebook, nothing I'm just sitting glued to my TV gushing over every moment! This year was NO different, but I did catch some exciting tweets during the commercial breaks! Here are my favorite looks from the Blue Carpet at this years BET Awards show from Los Angeles. Megan Thee Stallion gave me Aaliyah queen of the damned vibes and I am here for it forever, thank you PERIODT. Embed from Getty Images Meagan Good looks so timeless in this red blazer dress, and ya'll know I love braids! This entire look fits her so perfectly on the Blue Carpet. Embed from Getty Images Every single one of the Migos. The drip, the suits...they win. It's over. Embed from Getty Images Ciara just can not go wrong. Her shoulders are reaching for the sky and I'm there. Embed from Getty Images I could NOT be happier to see BlameitonKway on the BET Blue Carpet! I think he is KILLING this fashionable casual sty...

Now Streaming: 'Legacies' on Netflix Seasons 1 and 2

I love a good supernatural drama series. I was all in on the 'Vampire Diaries' for a while, and when the 'Originals' came in with what felt like a more "grown-up" storyline from the beginning, I was instantly HOOKED! It had everything I needed in a supernatural drama, but when that ended I was left in a show hole. How do you even follow up on that epic storyline, but thank the bright minds at CW they made it happen with 'Legacies'. With 'Legacies', we are tuning in to the life of Hope Mikaelson after the loss of her parents at The Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted ran by Alaric Saltzman who is firmly seated in our hearts from 'Vampire Diaries'. Alaric is the headmaster of the Salvatore School and is looking after his twin daughters who are the last living members of the Gemini Coven. This is exactly the drama series I needed to check into during this quarantine. The Salvatore School is home to the witch, werewolf and vampire ...