After basically not leaving our province for four years (for obvious reasons), we finally took a proper family vacation during spring break back in March. This was my son’s first flight (he did really well both ways!) and the first cruise for both of our kids. We opted for the five-night Mexican Riviera itinerary aboard the Carnival Miracle. It set sail from Long Beach, California with ports of call in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico.

Traveling with kids is certainly a lot different from traveling as a couple. That’s part of the reason why we opted for a cruise, though even we didn’t expect we’d be back on a cruise ship so soon after, well, the last four years. It turned out to be a good decision, as the children loved the kids’ clubs, the nightly shows, the buffet, and all the rest of us. We just might be a cruise family.

A Haunting Stay on the Queen Mary in Long Beach

It would’ve been too rushed to fly down to Los Angeles on embarkation day, so we flew in the day before. Considering possible flight delays and the uncertainty of Los Angeles traffic between LAX and the cruise terminal in Long Beach, we didn’t want to take any chances. Conveniently, the Queen Mary is literally next door to the Carnival terminal, so that’s where we decided to stay the night before our cruise. We only learned after booking that the Queen Mary is one of the most haunted places in America. Go figure.

All the Food on the Carnival Miracle Cruiseship

It’s been 11 years since we last sailed with Carnival, so my memory is a little fuzzy. At the time, we cruised the Caribbean aboard the Carnival Victory, which was updated and renamed the Carnival Radiance in 2021. From what I remember, I thought the food was just okay.

Our dining experience aboard the Carnival Miracle in 2024 was also similarly passable (or our food snobbery has moved up a few notches in the past decade). The kids loved it, though. The BlueIguana Cantina for tacos and burritos was better than Guy’s Burger Joint. The serving staff in the main dining room for dinner was exceptional.

Horseback Riding on the Beach and Nightly Karaoke

Comparatively speaking, the Carnival Miracle is one of the smallest (and oldest) ships in the fleet. The swimming pools were hardly big enough for any actual “swimming,” for instance. That said, I think it made for a perfectly manageable trip that had everything on board that we needed. Coming into port at Cabo San Lucas felt different than last time, and we didn’t actually spend much time exploring the port areas in Cabo or Ensenada.

Horseback riding on the beach near Cabo was a definite highlight — also a first for my older daughter. She also enjoyed playing bingo, watching the nightly shows, and participating in the nightly karaoke. The Camp Ocean kids’ clubs were also included, giving both kids a chance to play and interact with their seafaring peers.

Taking the Time to Disconnect and Unwind

All my life, I’ve always felt compelled to get the most out of it. The FOMO is strong, because I don’t want to regret missing out on something I could have done. For this cruise to the Mexican Riviera, I tried to resist that narrative and simply take the time to enjoy myself. When both kids were checked into Camp Ocean, I found a quiet place to read. When she was enjoying the kids’ water slide, I sat on deck and, well, read a book. The cruise life is about slowing down and smelling the buffet, right? Or something like that.

A Charming Carnival Miracle Cruise Experience

The cruise itself cost just under $3,700 Canadian for three adults and two children in two staterooms. The daily gratuity came to around $550. Then, we had to pay for flights down to Los Angeles, park and fly at YVR, the one night’s stay at Queen Mary, the shuttle service between LAX and the Long Beach cruise terminal, the horseback riding excursion, alcohol purchases, and other miscellaneous expenses. It’s not exactly a cheap vacation, but international family travel never is.

Instead of new year’s resolutions or explicit goals, I returned to guiding words for 2024. Of the three sets of words, two of them are “quiet mind” and “small joys.” I feel like (relatively) simple cruise vacations like this one we took on the Carnival Miracle align with those objectives. I took the opportunity to quiet my mind and appreciate the small joys of ocean views and second desserts.

Because as much as we need to know our past and plan for the future, we must also remember to live in the present. And sometimes that means just going with the flow and riding the wave.