So it wasn't my thing...

I was on a bad date two weeks ago.  It started to go south, when the guy asked me what I was planning to do for the Thanksgiving holiday, and I told him that my best friend and I were taking a 3 day cruise to Ensenada.   Now, although, he had never actually been on a cruise, he felt obliged to inform me that my plans sounded like "hell" and in his mind, being on a cruise ship was the equivalent of being stuck in prison.  AWESOME!

Good news, since I thought that guy was a moron, I stopped listening to him early on, and continued to look forward to my 3 day voyage at sea.  Cynthia and I took off from Long Beach, the Friday after Thanksgiving.  The line to check in and get on the ship took forever, but once we made it onboard, we were set and good to go.

We unpacked in our tiny, tiny room (it totally felt like summer camp!) and headed to the buffet (the first of many).  Once the boat took off, we got dolled up and headed to the dining room, for yet another meal!   Cruise ships are mostly about eating carb-loaded, bland food and drinking overpriced, watered down alcoholic beverages, with strangers I wouldn't normally associate with.  I suppose one gets what they pay for (and in our case it was a $200/3-day cruise), but who are these Thomas Kinkade-loving folk?  And where do they come from?  As much as I love playing anthropologist and studying the local cultures, I have to say, cruise ship people are not my kind of people.  And after 5 hours, I was bored, stir-crazy, and ready to get off the boat!  But I had 2 and a half more days ahead of me.

Then the rocking started.  We hit turbulent waters and I swear, over half of the ship's population suddenly got overwhelmed with seasickness, as the Carnival Paradise wreaked of vomit.  Mental note: next time don't forget candles!

We finally landed in Ensenada, Mexico...only to find cold, pouring rain!  So we settled in at Hussong's Cantina (birthplace of the Margarita) a former favorite watering hole for Hollywood starlets visiting Baja (Marilyn Monroe was known to frequent the bar.)

Back on the boat, with one more day to go.  Our last day was considered a "fun day at sea"... I read my book on deck, under layers of towels and blankets (it was so cold!), drank hot chocolate, and once again hit the bland buffet.  By the time the ship docked at 7 AM Monday morning, Cynthia and I were packed and practically the first people off the boat.

As un-fun as the experience was, I'm glad I can say I tried it and I know without a doubt that Carnival Cruises are not for me.  But there are plenty of other people who love them and think they are the bee's knees.  And unlike the awful man who took me to drinks before the cruise, I would never discourage anyone from giving it a try.

$200
3 days at sea
All-You-Can-Eat Bland food buffets
Who knows it may be your best weekend ever!