It doesn’t take long to turn a sleepy little fishing village into a full-blown tourism hub, and no place knows that more than Mahahual, Mexico. To put this place into perspective, they didn’t even get electricity until the early 2000s. Unheard of, right? Well, as soon as the cruise ship port was built, this place was willing and able to welcome thousands of guests per day to fall in love with Mahahual as much as I did. And it's not as hard to say as it looks.

The cruise port itself is officially titled Costa Maya—it’s about a ten minute drive south into the fishing village of Mahahual, which is refreshingly small when you’re coming off of a gargantuan cruise ship. I felt immediately like I was being welcomed into someone’s hometown. Our guide was from Mexico City, but had been living in Mahahual for quite some time, and his love of the town made me love it even more.

I’m not much of an underwater swimmer, so the shore excursion my friend Michele and I chose was kayaking in clear-bottom boats, allowing you to see and watch everything you’re paddling over. It sounded to me like the next best thing to snorkeling, which I’ve always been a little wary to try. As soon as we stepped in the boats, Michele and I were screeching—no joke—with pure delight. It was fascinating to see the sea life below us, and the first thing we paddled over happened to be a sunken sailing ship. I was so dazzled that I could hardly believe Mahahual is a real place—it is truly a hidden gem. Michele and I absolutely loved our Moana moment as we guided our boats toward the reef. There was so much beautiful coral and so many tropical fish to gaze at that we were the last two in our group back to shore. We couldn’t resist paddling back and forth for just one more look.

Although we stayed near shore, anyone who has been kayaking will tell you it’s quite an arm workout. We were very ready for fresh fruit and cervezas afterward! I love Princess’ organized shore excursions for taking into consideration that we would need some relaxation time after an hour-long workout. The beach club was wondrously quiet, perfectly situated along the beach and in the sunlight that for a full two or three hours, I had zero complaints. The watermelon was fresh, the Pacifico was cold, and the views were outstanding.

Costa Maya had quite a different feel than any other cruise port I’ve been to. I will say it has to be one of the more recently developed ones—it was just reopened in 2009 after hurricanes devastated the town in 2007. Thankfully, it was unharmed by the recent hurricanes this fall and is in tip-top shape to welcome visitors, like dozens of other Caribbean destinations. The people at Costa Maya are so warm, and excited to share their stories and culture. Our tour guide Jose is one amigo I’ll never forget!

The photogenic port is perfectly clean and tidy, with lots to look at without even heading into town. There is beach access and pool access, drinks and restaurants galore and tons of souvenir shopping. You could spend the whole day there if you didn’t feel like venturing out. It felt a little like a Mexican theme park: some of the most exotic and exciting bits of the country rounded up for you to enjoy in one place. Personally, I recommend getting out and exploring. There is so much more to a country than what it offers tourists at face value—and Mahahual is a wonderful welcome to the beautiful country of Mexico.

Thank you to Princess Cruises for sponsoring this post.

After a long day flying from Seattle to Miami, Florida, there is nothing like finally stepping aboard your home for the week. In my case last month, that was the Crown Princess for a 5-day sailing through the stunning western Caribbean. After weeks of anticipating the trip, discovering my stateroom with a view—champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries waiting—was one of the highlights of the trip. Once you're settled in, it's always exciting to explore a ship and see what awaits you on the journey. Princess offers the best restaurants, musicians, drinks and activities...the list goes on. I've rounded up 9 of my favorite things that make the Princess experience unique and unforgettable. Nothing but adventure awaits!

1. Balcony sunrises

When I agreed to go on my first cruise, I’ll admit that I accepted hesitantly. A large part of my fear was the open ocean—I couldn’t imagine looking out and seeing nothing but the waves and the horizon. I expected to feel completely isolated. As it happened, the ocean view became one of the things I miss most when I’m back on shore.  I mostly felt awe and wonder. There’s nothing like waking up to a haze of pink in your stateroom, stepping out and enjoying that first cup of coffee watching the sun come up.

2. The Love Boat

Princess has many special qualities that make it stand out from other cruise lines, but my favorite is this: The Love Boat. The delightfully charming, whimsical, and entertaining show from the 1970s was set on none other than the Pacific Princess, and featured a dynamic cast of characters like Captain Stebing, first officer Gopher, cruise director Julie, the Doc, bartender Isaac, and more. I had never seen the show until I sailed with Princess and found several episodes on demand in my stateroom, and now I’m addicted—catching new episodes is one of the things I look forward to most when I go cruising! It casts such a peachy, romantic glow on cruise ship life and makes you appreciate the ship you’re on that much more.

3. Breakfast in bed

Every night, I hang my breakfast order on the door and use the room service knock as my wake-up call the next morning. I’ve done it enough times now that my order is sealed in my memory—coffee with cream; croissants with butter, apricot, & strawberry jam; a yogurt (the peach flavor is always a treat); supremed orange slices; and orange juice. Delivery is exceptionally punctual and the tray is quickly dropped off for you to enjoy at your leisure, usually in the comfort of your fluffy white bed.

4. Clear-Bottom Kayaking

Princess offers so many shore excursions for days in port that it can be hard to narrow it down, but the newest one I tried on this cruise was my number one favorite so far. Michele and I went kayaking off a remote beach in Mahajual, Mexico, in boats that had clear plastic on the bottom so you could see right what you were paddling over. We saw dozens of stunning coral varieties, schools of tropical fish (Dory included!), and even a sunken sailboat. We were among the youngest of the group, and it was pretty obvious because we couldn’t keep from squealing and hollering with excitement about each new encounter. We finished off our day with some fresh fruit, Pacifico, and a few lazy hours on the beach.

5. Wine Blending Class

It’s no secret that there are dozens of things to do on cruise ships—there’s something to please everyone. This time around, we met sommelier Carmen in one of the cocktail lounges for a special wine blending experience. I’m familiar with wine tastings and wine pairings, but blending was a new one for me. We were sat in front of four varieties of red wines along with a beaker and two mixing glasses, and basically told to go to town after a tutorial. It felt pretty special to create a special “Chelsea” blend out of a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and a touch of a malbec.

6. The Sanctuary

“Adults only” are two of the sweetest words a twenty-something can hear on a cruise, so it’s only natural that my favorite spot on the Crown Princess is The Sanctuary. It costs to reserve a lounge chair, but as soon as you arrive you can see what you’re paying for. There’s a delicious special food menu including my favorite, the Princess smoothie, and the lounge chairs are luxuriously padded taking the comfort level up a notch. I recommend booking a morning toward the end of your itinerary when you’re ready for peace, quiet, and rest & relaxation.

7. Dessert

Saying that the food on a Princess cruise is “good” would be an understatement. It’s not uncommon to overeat at every meal, which is why taking the stairs instead of the elevators comes in handy (unless you need to be rolled out of the dining room). While there are tons of exciting and adventurous things to eat, there are also classic comfort foods like fettuccine Alfredo, divine seafood, and of course the iconic crème brulee. Dessert is one of the most overwhelming things for me to order, just because I want one of everything. There’s the espresso brulee at Sabatini’s Italian, the s’mores dessert at Crown Grill, tiramisu, crème brulee, divine sorbets…the list goes on and on. And don’t even get me started on the pastries and treats at the International Café.

8. Thai Coconut Massage

Coconut is so popular these days that half the time, you just want to slather it all over your body—well, now you can, thanks to the best massage Princess offers at the Lotus Spa in my opinion. On both warm-weather and cold-weather destinations it’s easy to end up with dry skin due to bitter cold or saltwater and chlorine, so the best way to counter that is a full-body coconut rubdown—hydration goals. All of the spa treatments come highly recommended, but I’ve always been such a tense, knotted, stressed-out person that I can’t say no to an hour of deep-tissue.

9. Chef’s Table

Although the Captain’s Table was the dining event not to be missed back in the days of The Love Boat, the Chef’s Table is the most exclusive and extravagant meal to enjoy these days. Not to mention, Princess was the cruise line that originally debuted the Chef's Table experience—talk about a cut above. A seven-course experience prefaced by a tour of the galley, specialty appetizers and Nicolas Feuillatte champagne introduced by the Maitre’d and Chef himself—it is a huge production, and a huge honor to attend. We walked away with a cookbook full of Princess Cruises favorites, a red rose, and photo with the chef—not to mention extremely full bellies and very, very satisfied tastebuds.

On and off the ship, Princess knows how to show their guests a good time. On our 5-day cruise at the beginning of November, I was amazed to see so much of the Caribbean in tip-top shape so soon after all of the hurricanes. Dozens of ports are open and ready to welcome tourists, as you'll see in more of my upcoming posts! Whether you're an adventurer, foodie, an exercise junkie, a dance fanatic, a wine expert, a theatre enthusiast, a card shark, or even just someone looking for some peace and quiet at sea, this list is just the beginning of what you'll find sets Princess apart on your next ocean sailing!

Thank you to Princess Cruises for sponsoring this post.

It’s been a full month since I left behind life on the Regal Princess, and I can say with much conviction that I miss it. I had mixed expectations going into the trip—mostly fear of the great wide open—but everything changed once I stepped on board. In today’s post, I’m going to take you step by step on every turn of our trip, from the excitement of embarkation to the homesickness I felt for our little stateroom the moment we checked out.

Since cruising had never been on my personal radar until Princess Cruises invited me to experience their eastern Caribbean 7-day itinerary, I realized I had never thought about what it would take to get on a cruise ship. If you’re as curious as I am, you want as much information as possible before you commit yourself to a new adventure (as such, this post is not for experienced cruisers…you may find the details a bit of a yawn). However, as soon as we drove up to the port, I felt a flash of coastal familiarity. Growing up in Seattle, I’m no stranger to ports and docks and big ocean rigs lined up along the coastline. My dad has always been a seaman. However, I’d never seen anything as big as the Regal Princess anchored in a marina before. Standing next to it, you feel like less than a peanut shell. It’s unfathomably large. My first thought was along the lines of how-in-the-world-do-you-get-an-airplane-in-the-air…how could this thing possibly float?

Our shuttle dropped us off around the corner from the customs entrance, which was actually kind of a cluster. We filled out medical forms before finding a desk agent to check us in, but from there we were given key cards and a map of the 19-deck ship and sent to walk the plank. (Fine, it was more of a gangway, straight into what felt like a little cubby door in the side of the ship.)

Embarkation day is madness. We had to wait a thousand years for an elevator because my mom and I are nice people and let the forty-five million old people that were on the ship go first. That was one thing I was expecting on board—most of the cruisers were retired and experts at life on board. However, we felt right at home when we made it to our stateroom.

I could write a whole chapter of a book on what it feels like to stand on the balcony and look out over the endless blue of the Atlantic. What I thought was going to be the most frightening element of my trip ended up being my favorite. I loved watching the wake flutter along the back of the ship. I wondered how many sea creatures were chilling out below the surface and might be aware of our passing. I wondered at how many knots we were traveling (usually about 18, according to Captain Perrin) or how far away the nearest ship might be sailing (we actually passed quite a few cruise ships that were in clear view and almost within earshot).

The ship moved more than I anticipated. We learned towards the end of the voyage that there were a few uncommon factors in play, one of them being a day and a half we were traveling at full speed to deliver a passenger to emergency medical services at Turks and Caicos! The speed caused a substantial amount of rocking, but it tended not to bother me. There were days I felt it more than others, but it was not much more than a moment of dizziness. I felt it most when I was off the ship in my own bed on land. My body was so used to the waves that it didn’t stop feeling them for two days following. Sounds miserable, but I loved it. It was comforting and helped with the homesickness I was feeling for the Regal Princess.

Our quarters were modern and tidy and roomier than we expected. There are several variations of staterooms onboard, from inside rooms to balcony suites, and we were assigned something in the middle. It was nice to have the desk space for jewelry and accessory storage, but I would say that’s something of a luxury if you’re trying to stay within a certain budget. I’d be down to experience a room with just a porthole, but coming off of this balcony experience, I highly recommend going with a room that will let you escape into fresh air whenever your heart desires.

The food was exactly what I expected. Princess flies in five-star chefs from all over the world to design their menus and prepare meals for all passengers. You can eat as much as you want while you sit there—it’s all paid for with your trip—and it’s always worth saying yes to dessert. As a vegetarian, I experienced several different pasta or vegetable dishes (all divine), but between the espresso brûlée and salted caramel mousse, my sweet-tooth was more than satisfied. On formal dining nights, there isn’t as much pressure to dress up as I expected there to be, so for me, I just put on my favorite black dress and enjoyed looking at everyone else’s getups. A ton of the ladies and gents go all out, and seeing all of the glitz and glamour is almost like a window into the past of how snazzy cruises used to be.

If I were writing a book on Princess Cruises, I would dedicate another chapter just to talk about the crew. I’ve never met people more excited about pleasing their passengers. Every crew member I met went above whatever I could have expected, whether it was learning my name after the first time they saw me and making a point to say hi throughout the week or helping my mom and I through time-consuming questions about how to best spend our days ashore in port. Their staff is from all corners of the world, from Japan and Romania to Australia and Wales, and let’s be honest, half of the men look like male models in their uniforms.

And, because I'm writing this post on behalf of Princess, you might be thinking the staff gave us special treatment on board…and that’s a no. The Princess PR team exclusively coordinated the trip, and there are so many staff members on board (over 1,500) that there’s no way our steward or anyone else on board could have known we would be writing about them in the following months. We did get a few phenomenal perks, like a Chef’s Table Lumiere evening dinner, fresh flowers and champagne delivered to our rooms, and a tour of the bridge (we even met the legendary Captain Edward Perrin!), but all through the lovely Sara, Princess’s PR maven. That’s how stellar the ship’s staff is, and the reason that I miss all of them so.

You may also be thinking I’m remembering this all with a rose-tinted lens, but I’ve been writing this post since I stepped on board through a series of notes on my iPhone. My 7-day stay on board the Regal Princess was a trip I’ll never forget, especially since I got to spend it with truelane’s number one fan: my mom. If you have any questions about cruising, leave them here in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them or tap my connections at Princess to help!

Thanks to Princess Cruises for sponsoring this post!