As the saying goes, “There’s no time like the present.”  That’s one of the main reasons why I decided to go on a cruise to Mexico sooner than later. Taking my first cruise to a warm-weathered spot like the Caribbean has been on my “bucket list” for some time now.

Another factor that prompted me to book a cruise this Spring with my children was that my oldest son Gil was receiving his medical degree in May. This trip would be a great way to commemorate his big achievement!  In June, Gil was also going to be moving away from home in Indianapolis to Washington D.C. He would be starting a four-year anesthesia residency, where his free time would be at a minimum, to say the least, for a doctor in training!  The cruise had to be now or when?

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I needed to plan it around both of my sons’ free time, which was a bit of a challenge itself.  You see, Gil was completing a science rotation in April at NASA in Houston, Texas. Meanwhile, his brother Andrew was finishing up his college finals at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana the last week of that month. How could I best and affordably coordinate all of us living in different locations to spend a week together at sea?

Add to the fact that before I make any major life decision, especially one that costs a little more money than I typically spend on a vacation, I need to do a lot of research to find the best deal.  Thank goodness for the internet and for several friends, who have been on these types of cruises before.  I learned about the good, the bad and the ugly about what to expect on a cruise ship!

I was not deterred, despite hearing horror stories of sea sickness and other possible cruise stomach flu outbreaks! My friends hadn’t been affected so why should we? Ok, so I packed bottled water for us to drink, just in case!

Fortunately, I was able to find a Royal Caribbean Mexican cruise that fit my budget and our schedules that departed from Galveston, Texas.  On April 29, Andy and I flew from Indianapolis to Houston and picked up Gil there to start Mom’s “bucket-list” adventure and Gil’s celebration!  We took an Uber to the ship and let the fun begin!

Our vacation of a lifetime had lots of sunshine, warm temperatures, smooth sailing, great food, and a variety of activities to do throughout the trip.  Who could ask for anything more?

My sons and I agree that our best memories were the times when we docked and got off the ship at Cozumel one day and Yucatan the next day.  At these Mexican destinations, we explored historical Mayan ruins, spent the day on the beach swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, and visited a local tequila farm, where we took part in an array of free, flavored tequila tastings!

Did I mention that both my boys are of legal age to drink alcohol?  Andrew just turned 21 in March. We took advantage of that fact just a few times – wink, wink!

When I reflect on the special bonding and the shared enjoyable experiences we had together, I would not have waited so long to check this trip off my bucket list.  Lesson learned, as I’m already planning our next adventure sooner instead of later!