Fun fact about my wife, in case you didn’t already know: She is #9 out of 10 kids in her family.

All having been born and raised near Sacramento, California, they are now mostly scattered across the country as adults; as far out as Alaska and Hawaii. Last year, the oldest of the siblings, John, announced that for his upcoming 60th birthday, he was inviting all his siblings and their families to join him on a Norwegian cruise from Boston to Nova Scotia to Bermuda, in celebration.

I had never been on a cruise before and certainly had some reservations, but I didn’t want to miss out on a family reunion. Not only did we sign up for the cruise, but we even asked John how he would feel if my parents also joined along. His response: “The more the merrier!”

My preconceived idea was that I was simply going along with this whole thing as a passive passenger; ultimately serving as nothing more than a guardian and chaperone for our kids, as my wife caught up with her side of the family.

Plot twist: By the 2nd day of the cruise I realized, “Oh, I love this so much I could live on a cruise ship for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy.”

It is such a unique experience to be 15 stories high in the middle of the ocean, with nothing but water on all sides as far as you can see in all directions. Being on an airplane can’t replicate that, nor can being at the beach.

I felt perfectly detached from all distractions and concerns of ordinary life. It was as if God was saying, “Here ya go… just enjoy this view and this time with your family.”

Each morning I would wake up a little before 6 AM and head over to the weight room at the gym for an hour, before making my way over to have breakfast; looking off the back of the ship. I loved starting off every day that way.

From there, I would meet up with the group so we could discuss which events were happening that day on the cruise, which included stand-up comedians, dualing pianists, dance shows, and musical groups including a live performance of the entire Fleetwood Mac Rumors album.

Plus, there were dance parties, crafts, trivia games… and even a “Mr. Sexy Legs” contest that I may or may not have entered…

And of course, yes, there were the times where we actually got off the ship. It marked the first time either of our kids officially left the United States: to both Nova Scotia, Canada as well as Bermuda.

I must mention the amazing customer service culture on our Norwegian cruise ship, The Breakaway. It is a noticeable part of what makes the cruise enjoyable and smooth. On the last day of the cruise, I actually hugged the guy who cleaned our cabin each day, Adi. He was so warm, kind, and helpful.

The most important part about our cruise was that it definitely served its ultimate purpose: to provide an exciting environment for the extended family to spend quality time together.

For me personally, it was a vacation that actually felt like a vacation. I never would have guessed that I’m a “cruise guy”… but I’m ready to go back!