It seems nearly impossible to sum up the past seven days of my summer. My mother, known as Vaca Debs, planned a cruise for our entire family several months ago. She has been counting down on our family texting serve. The excitement had been building and we were ready to be altogether once again. Only a few hours after I arrived home from work weekend, we loaded all thirteen people and countless bags of luggage into the bus. We sipped on cold mimosas on the ride to the Galveston port and knew this would be an unforgettable week. This was just the start of the Engle family cruise and our mini family reunion. Cousins, uncles, aunts, and many more were present and ready to set sail. In our nautical attire, we made our way through the boarding process and dragged our loaded beverage wagon the entire way. The entire gang finally made it onto the ship and it was pure craziness. There were people everywhere on the boat—4,000 to be more exact. We escaped to the Red Frog Pub which quickly turned into the Engle’s favorite place on the ship. Jason ordered our first “Fish Bowl” to set sail and we were finally off for seven days at sea on the Carnival Magic. Our days were jam packed with plenty of sun and lots of fun. They had scheduled activities non-stop from morning until late into the night. We played Bingo, pool games, and plenty of trivia. We slid down the colorful waterslides and watched entertaining shows every single night in the Showtime Theatre. They had mini-golf courses, ropes courses, a basketball court, a track, an outdoor and indoor gym, and so much more. There was a soft serve ice cream machine, a twenty-four hour buffet, and a dining room that offered full course meals. The choices were limitless—when it came to food and activities. My family booked two cabins for all six of us. The parent’s room was complete with an ocean view balcony and plenty of space. However, the kid’s room was an inside cabin with two bunk beds and our luggage took up all of the floor space. Not to mention there was not a clock nor a window, so we had zero concept of the time. Although it was a tight fit, we always have the best time in the kid’s room. Jason usually moons us—which isn’t pleasant. At the end of the day, we have pillow talk and make-fun of each other like we are children. Some things will never change. The first two days on the ship were days at sea. We had an absolute blast with each other and the entertainment staff kept us busy, but on Wednesday we arrived in Jamaica. This island was expected to be the least amount of fun, but ended up being our very favorite day of the trip. We took a taxi over to the Hilton all-inclusive resort on the island and it was breathtaking—complete with a lazy river, volleyball courts, pools, parasails, kayaks, water slides, fresh food, and plenty of unlimited alcohol. My Dad gave me a twelve year old wristband and that quickly became the joke of the day. According to that band, I wasn’t even old enough to go into the teen club. They found it ridiculously hilarious—I found it awfully embarrassing. We took pictures in the ocean, ate vacation French Fries, and drank a lot of free cocktails. The following day, we arrived to the Cayman Islands. We loaded up in yet another taxi and hopped onto a boat to swim with the sting rays. Grand Cayman provided us with crystal clear ocean water and an unforgettable experience. Shannon and Jason were equally petrified of these creatures. Shannon screamed the entire time and Jason opted to throw me at the sting ray as his self-defense. They were not scary by any means. We ended up with the cutest pictures with the sting rays and even kissed them for seven years of good luck. I’ll never forget the memories made in the Cayman Islands. The last island we visited was Cozumel, Mexico. This was a very low-key day spent at the Carlos and Charlie’s Beach. I got my hair braided for the sweet love of Fish Camp. It will be perfect for the weirdness of camp, but it is awfully embarrassing. Everything inside of me wanted to take them out, but I am sticking it out for Camp Duke. Emma and Allie, my cousins, got their hair done as well. The only difference was they could actually pull off the braids and beads look. That night, all of the Engle’s wore white shirts and denim bottoms for family pictures. Of course our family photo shoot would be when my hair is braided. The last day was spent at sea and it was a day of much needed relaxation. There was an event called Groove For St. Jude—which is where Carnival raises money for the children at St. Jude’s Hospital. I bought a shirt and couldn’t have been more excited to be a part of it. Shannon and Jason both won a “Ship on a Stick” award and there was even a flash mob. It was a really fun day of doing whatever you want at sea. Each night on the boat was filled with infinitely more food than we could ever need, countless hours of entertainment, and tasty cocktails. The comedians and illusionist were my favorite. My favorite memory was skipping the lobster dinner and loudly chanting for pizza on the pool deck. It was an incredible week spent with a great group of people. I am beyond thankful that Vaca Debs planned for all of us to be united at sea for seven days. There was something for everybody on the cruise ship; although, at times it seemed difficult to please the entire group. The countdown was well worth it and our week on the Carnival Magic was unforgettable. Our family decided that we prefer all-inclusive resorts over a week on the sea, but at the end of the day... it doesn’t matter where we vacation as long as we’re together. We’re loud, active, and sometimes too much to handle. My family is precious and filled with lots of love. Carnival Cruisin’ with the Engle’s was a complete success and I wouldn’t trade this week for the world.
