Going on a cruise is something I never thought I’d do. I’m usually more of a road-trip or fly-to-a-big-city kind of girl. But recently our family had the opportunity to experience our very first sailing adventure thanks to Carnival. After it’s all said and done, I must admit – sailing away on a cruise is something that I think everyone should do at least once in their life. I thought I knew what it would be like, but until you experience it, there’s no way to fully know. There’s something so cool about being on a huge ship, sailing through the middle of the ocean, and ending up in another country. You’re relaxed, but still with a destination – and someone else is doing all the work (while you sit back and drink a piña colada).

We boarded the Carnival Liberty in Galveston, Texas for a five day cruise to Cozumel and Progresso. Knowing nothing about the cruising lifestyle, I did my fair share of research ahead of time and I was really glad that I did. I’ll be sharing our trip across a couple of posts, as I feel like we fit five different vacations into just one trip and I have a million photos to prove it!

Carnival upgraded us to their VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) status, which I must say – certainly has its perks. We were able to bypass the line to board the ship, which made check-in a breeze. If you ever have the option of adding this on – DO IT! There were perks of the VIFP program throughout the entire trip, like not having to eat dinner at a set time and priority debarking as well.

Once we got onboard, we found our room which was surprisingly comfortable. We had our own private balcony, which certainly added to the comfort. Looking out onto the ongoing ocean is more beautiful than I expected (why don’t pictures ever do anything justice?), so it was a nice escape from the crowds around the ship. The beds were surprisingly roomy and and comfy, and Iris ended up loving her little spot.

After getting settled, we set off to explore the ship – and to grab a drink. It’s hard to realize just how big a cruise-liner is until you step on board. There were some things that we didn’t even discover until our very last day. So even though there were a few thousand people floating along with us, there were plenty of other places to go to escape the crowds. I’m excited to share the ins and outs of our days, and the tips we learned along the way. Till then, here are a few photos from our first exploration of the ship. Walking around on that first evening was so fun – everyone was so happy. As they should be, it was just the start of a big adventure.