Our group of 13 booked a four-day cruise on the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas from Los Angeles to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico.
I didn’t realize how much fun it would be, how affordable and meaningful it would be.
We had a great time on the ship
Navigator of the Seas features a shopping promenade, main dining room, buffet, café, specialty restaurants, ice skating rink, exhibition room, piano lounge, swimming pools, gym, spa and much more.
Given everything that was offered, it is hard to imagine anyone notWe had a lot of fun on the ship, but my friends and I had an especially great time because we were together.
For four days we ate, drank, laughed, swam and talked, over and over again.
We danced until dawn—or at least until nearly midnight—at the nightclub. At 80s night on the boardwalk, we belted out every word of every song.
We cheered on our friends as they competed in contests and pickleball tournaments, celebrated with a friend who won big at the casino, and much more.
Every evening we played cards at the Schooner Bar while a talented pianist and singer took card requests all night long.
We even got a visit from the ship’s captain after we sent him a message asking if he would meet us on the night of the party. I’m not often speechless, but I’d never met anyone in charge of navigating a ship the size of a Las Vegas hotel.
I don’t think I managed a single coherent sentence – but he was friendly and courteous, and now I understand why captains in Jane Austen’s novels are so often described as “dashing”.
Even better: The trip was surprisingly cheap
I thought all the fun we had would cost a lot, but I was wrong. It turns out that a cruise can be quite affordable – as long as you’re smart about it.
We shared a double room with a balcony and the trip cost about $793 per person, including taxes, fees and port costs.
I had no need or desire to pay extra to eat at a specialty restaurant because all the dishes in the main dining room were so good.
We saved money on photo packages by using a tripod, asking other people on the ship to take photos of us, and taking selfies. We didn’t book any additional excursions and instead had fun exploring our two ports in small groups.
In Catalina we strolled along the boardwalk like we were teenagers again. In Ensenada we went shopping and bought cheap souvenirs that will always remind us of our time together.
We are already planning our next cruise
The best part of the trip was, of course, the time we spent together, which gave it so much meaning. Our friendship, which was already special, was strengthened, deepened and grew.
We’re turning 65 and I imagine we’ll still be best friends, wearing cool clothes in our swimsuits, chatting with the captain, dancing at 80’s night and once again having the time of our lives.
