It has been so much fun sharing bits of our Carnival cruise with you over the last few months. It was definitely a trip we will always remember, and one we hope to take again soon. We enjoyed our cruise so much that we have just a few more bits of wisdom to share with you all, so here are 5 things we learned about our family on our Carnival cruise.
1. We should say yes more.
Yes, let’s have some ice cream BEFORE dinner. Yes, you can swim in the pool for another half hour. Yes, let’s go on an adventure together. Yes, go ahead and cover your father in sand.
So much of the fun of our cruise came from living free of the rules and the schedules of daily living. We don’t have to say yes all the time, but we should say it more.
2. We have another reason to love living in Texas.
Oh sure, you Californians and Floridians may be a short drive from some family vacation fun, but we can get to Galveston from Dallas in less than 5 hours, and be on a Carnival cruise by sunset.
3. Cabin life helped us organize our home life.
We bought an over-the-door pocket organizer for our cruise, based on the recommendations of many seasoned Carnival cruise goers. It was wonderful for storing everything from sunscreen to medications, all out of the way but easy to access.
When we got home and unpacked, Scott hung it inside a downstairs closet, mostly because he didn’t know where I wanted to store it. It’s stayed there, and we now keep diapers, wipes, brushes, sunscreen, lotions, and more in it. It’s our out-the-door organizer, because it holds all those last minute things we need to get out the door.
4. Food should be less stressful.
We were adventurous with our meals on our cruise when we wanted to be… (like this Green Eggs & Ham breakfast)…
But we also let the kids eat chicken nuggets most nights because we valued conversation and peace over negotiations and bribery. They had plenty of fruit, and minimal sugary drinks while on board. We controlled what we could and encouraged them to try bites of what we were having, but we mostly chose not to pick food battles with them on this trip.
It’s been nice to carry that philosophy home with us. I’m tired of dinner being a battle. If we have to have make-your-own-tacos night twice a week, so be it. The kids are much more pleasant on taco night.
5. We look good on formal night.
Right?
You know that picture earned framed-on-the-wall status. And I’m really looking forward to adding more cruise photos to our collection over the years.
Our Carnival cruise was a WONDERFUL experience, y’all, especially with kids. It will be exciting to see all three of them experience it the next time we go. Pretty sure there WILL be a next time.
This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind.
