Ten years, countless memories, and one unforgettable week at sea

Some vacations are about checking destinations off a bucket list, while others are about spending uninterrupted time with the people you love most. This year’s cruise somehow managed to be both. It marked our 10th annual cruise with the Cousino's, and after an incredibly busy spring and the whirlwind start to summer, seven days in the Caribbean was exactly what we all needed. The funny thing is that when we originally booked this itinerary, none of us were especially excited about another trip to Mexico. We had visited some of these ports before and wondered if this cruise would feel repetitive. By the end of the week, though, we all agreed it had become one of our favorite cruises in the past several years.

Our vacation actually started before we ever stepped onto the ship. We drove straight from Olivia’s swim meet in Denison after spending the afternoon hanging out with Bryan and Steph, headed to Cleveland, and flew to Miami that evening. We stayed at the same hotel as the Cousino's, making it feel like vacation officially began the night before embarkation. The next morning, everything went perfectly. We boarded the ship before noon, drinks in hand, and immediately settled into vacation mode. It is amazing how quickly the stress of everyday life disappears when you know your only responsibility for the next week is deciding whether to head to the pool, grab another drink, or find something good to eat.

One unexpected highlight of the trip was our balcony cabin. I don’t know if I can ever go back to an interior room after this experience. I loved sitting outside in the mornings with the ocean stretching endlessly in every direction or relaxing there after dinner while watching the sunset. Before we left, Steph handed me The Women by Kristin Hannah and insisted I needed to read it. She was absolutely right. Somehow I managed to finish all 500 pages by Wednesday, and it instantly became one of my favorite books. Between reading on the balcony, relaxing by the pool, squeezing in workouts at the gym, enjoying afternoons at the bar, and singing along most nights at the dueling pianos, life onboard quickly settled into the perfect vacation routine.

Our first port was Cozumel, where Jeremy and I decided to do something a little different from the Cousino's and booked an ATV adventure. The excursion started with snorkeling while I was perfectly content soaking up the sunshine on the beach afterward as Jeremy explored underwater. Then it was time to climb onto the ATVs, and they ended up being even more fun than I expected. My favorite part was flying through the water crossings, getting splashed from every direction as we raced along the trails. Afterward, we enjoyed a tequila tasting, learned more about the distilling process, and finished the excursion with a delicious Mexican lunch before heading back to the ship. It was the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation.

As much fun as Cozumel was, Roatán easily became the highlight of the cruise. We visited an animal sanctuary where we learned about conservation efforts protecting sloths, monkeys, and scarlet macaws, and getting to hold the sloths was every bit as incredible as we imagined. The funniest part of the day, however, involved Jeremy and one particularly opinionated monkey. For whatever reason, that monkey wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. After repeatedly making it obvious that Jeremy was not welcome, the guides finally laughed and asked him to step outside the enclosure. We have definitely not let him forget that moment. After leaving the sanctuary, we visited a chocolate factory where we sampled some of the best chocolate we’ve ever had. It was so good that we came home with an entire box. We followed that with a rum factory tour complete with rum cakes and tastings before finishing the afternoon relaxing at beautiful West Bay Beach. The crystal-clear water, soft white sand, and laid-back atmosphere made it easy to understand why so many people call it one of the prettiest beaches in the Caribbean.

Harvest Caye in Belize reminded us why we enjoyed this stop so much the first time we visited. The beaches are absolutely beautiful, but honestly, my favorite part was simply spending the afternoon floating around the pools without a care in the world. Sometimes you don’t need an elaborate excursion to have an amazing day. There is something incredibly refreshing about slowing down, enjoying the sunshine, and appreciating that you have absolutely nowhere else you need to be.

The biggest surprise of the entire cruise came during our excursion to Bacalar’s famous Seven Color Lagoon in Costa Maya. We must not have read the excursion description very carefully because we had no idea a boat ride was included. That unexpected addition ended up making the entire experience. We cruised across water displaying every imaginable shade of blue while the crew kept everyone’s drinks full—including plenty of tequila. They anchored in the lagoon and gave us nearly an hour to swim in warm, crystal-clear water that was only about waist deep. It honestly felt magical. Just when we thought the day couldn’t get any better, they took us to a local restaurant where we enjoyed some outstanding fajitas before returning to the ship. It was one of those excursions that exceeded every expectation we had and became one of our favorite experiences of the entire vacation.

The days at sea ended up being just as memorable as the ports themselves. We enjoyed endless sunshine, plenty of pool time, relaxing afternoons, great conversations, and nights filled with music and laughter at the dueling pianos. Those slower days reminded me that some of the best parts of cruising aren’t necessarily the destinations but the opportunity to disconnect from normal life and simply enjoy being together. There were no schedules to keep, no practices to attend, no emails to answer, and no deadlines waiting for us. It was seven straight days of simply enjoying the moment.

Even our trip home gave us one last memorable story. On our flight back from Miami, condensation built up inside the airplane so heavily that it literally looked like fog had filled the cabin. It was so thick we couldn’t even see the flight attendant during the safety demonstration. None of us had ever experienced anything like it, and it was the perfect ending to a week that seemed to provide one unique memory after another.

Looking back, this cruise reminded us that sometimes the vacations you aren’t expecting much from end up becoming your favorites. Between the incredible excursions, beautiful beaches, relaxing sea days, balcony sunsets, countless laughs with the Cousino's, and simply pressing pause on everyday life for a week, this trip gave us exactly what we needed. After ten years of cruising together, we’ve accumulated countless memories, but this one will definitely rank near the top. Now the only problem is waiting until it’s time to start planning cruise number eleven.