To the Mexican Riviera and Back.  Sun, Beach, Pool, Food and a lot more.

Our Mexican Riviera Cruise started on 12/17/2022 and ended on 12/24/2022, with all, except for 4 people, back in their own beds for Christmas eve.

The planning of this cruise started in January of 2022 and went throughout the year.   There were 33 people in our group, with Grandma being the oldest and Milo the youngest.  We started in Long Beach, CA, then were at sea for two days before arriving at Puerto Vallarta.  We then set sail for Mazatlan and finally landed in Cabo San Lucas.  Then another day at sea and back to Long Beach.

There were a few hiccups along the way in preparation for the cruise.   First, not everyone wanted to get the covid vaccination.  So there was a lot of concern that not all would be able to go, until Carnaval changed the rules and did not require vaccinations or testing for covid.   Of the 33 going, only 5 of us had ever been on a cruise before and so there were concerns of sea sickness and just the fact that we would be on a big ship out on the vast ocean.  I did my best to calm all the fears and in the end we all boarded the ship and headed south.

The last hurdle, which seemed almost impossible at the time, was that we found out that for those that did not have a passport, needed both a DL and birth certificate.  For those without a Drivers License, a birth certificate would work and we had that handled.  When doing the research, I was told that if you had a DL you did not need the birth certificate.  As Beca’s family was loading, they were told that Beca and Justin could not get on without the birth certificate.  So we had to do a mad last minute dash to round up all the birth certificates for those that had DLs.  This was done by parents and friends, who were close to home and when found, these documents had to be text to us, since we were already at the ship or enroute.  By the Grace of a loving God, we were able to get all the documents text to our phones and all were allowed to board.

It took a day or two for everyone to figure out what the cruise was all about, but once that was done, everyone got into their groove and I believe had a great time.  The sports park was a big hit.  The water slides, splash pad, and hot tubes were also heavily frequented.  But mostly, the 80 degree weather and just lying by the pool was great fun.

And, the food that was eaten by the 33 participants was a big win.  There were hamburgers, fries, tacos, burritos, pizzas, dinners each night (which included a surf (lobster) and turf (steak) night).  If all that wasn’t enough, there was the buffet, which always had a variety of food to choose from.  I believe we all went to bed each night with our tummies full.

There was a lot of ice cream cones eaten during those 7 days.  I enjoyed watching Milo sucking down one of those ice cream cones.  It seemed that every time I saw the kids, one or more had an ice cream cone in hand, except Justus, and he had a basketball.

At the basketball court they had basketball shootouts,  a dodgeball and a volleyball tournament.  I believe we had participants in all these varied activities.  We had shows, music, a Christmas program, build a bear and Dr. Seuss fun.

But, for me, it was the family time and watching my children and their families interact and enjoy themselves that made this such a great trip.

The following 13 photos are what I used to create a 2023 Calendar for each family, so that we can enjoy the cruise throughout the coming year.  Each picture has a theme, family or activity.  The collage of photos will give you an idea of all that happened during these 7 days.  (click on each picture to enlarge, then if you would like, click again to get the full size).