From Long Beach, CA to Ensanada, Mexico

I just got back from a 3 day cruise that went from Long Beach, CA to Ensanada, Mexico and it was a blast. I went with a good friend of mine, Natalie. We drove up to Long Beach on New Year's Day and stayed the night at the Hilton and ate dinner on the haunted Queen Mary Ship/hotel/resturaunt. The next day we borded our cruise ship (Carnival Paradise) and off into the ocean we went. On the 3rd we were able to get off and explore Mexico for a few hours; in which I got lost and saw a really poor portion of the city. We returned to Long Beach and drove home on January 5th. I am proud to say I did not get sea sick although when we first took off and started moving the rocking of the ship almost got to me. One weird feeling that I experienced was after I got off the ship and was home I still felt like I was on the boat and it was rocking. That made me more sick than the actual rocking when I was on the ship. However, I am glad to say that I no longer feel the rocking of the boat!

This was my first cruise and I was definately impressed with everything overall: the service, the deck, the food, the entertainment, the gym, the casino & night life, and the people.

Service: The staff was great and always available, the room was cleaned twice a day and cute little towel animals were left on the bed each day.

Deck: Hot Tubs, Swimming Pool, Bar, Slide, Beautiful Ocean View, Mini Golf, Fresh Air.

Food: The best of the best! Shrimp, Lobster, Chicken, Fish, Fresh Fruits & Veggies, 24 hour availability.

Entertainment: Each night there were mini vegas/broadway like shows about 1 hour long and they were very entertaining. Lots of talent! Also, there was a comedy show each night which had me laughing histerically. Throughout the ship there were many different live performers that sang, too.

Gym: Day Spa, Sauna, Steam Room, Cardio, Free Weights, Machines, Seminars, Training, Group Classes.

Casino & Night Life: The casino was open all night and a great way to spend time and meet people. The clubs were a blast with a DJ and great music. Dancing was wonderful and the people were all friendly.

People: It was not only the entire staff on the ship that made my cruise amazing, but also the other people traveling too. Everyone was very friendly and open for conversation. I met a lot of really great people and that was really cool.

My time was definately well spent and it was worth every penny! I think that a 3 day cruise is the perfect length for your fist time as you do not know what to expect and it gives you long enough to enjoy your time without feeling like you were way unprepaired for the trip. I would love to take another cruise to somewhere tropical one day.