Cruise to Mexico

Over the weekend, we went on a cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. The name of our ship was the Carnival Paradise. After a 1 hour flight to Los Angeles, we attempted to grab a shuttle to take us to the dock. We had to run all the way down the parking lot because of the "No Parking" signs. Finally, we took 2 shuttles to the dock. Unfortunately, Our driver didn't know exactly where to go... and neither did we! In the end we arived with the other six families. We got on board the vessel, but we still had about 5 hours to explore before the ship left. The ship had ten decks(3-12), and eight of them had cabins. We were on deck 5. I'll start from the bottom. Deck 3 was the disembarkation deck and decks 4-6 were all cabins. The rest was all restaurants and entertainment(along with som cabins on the sides). Deck 8 had a tiny arcade and a huge theater which was also on deck 9. This deck had bars, restaurants, a casino, etc. Deck 10 had the Paris restaurant, where we ate lunch and breakfast, and a swimming pool with a water slide. Deck 11 had pingpong tables, and deck 12 had a jogging track. First we had lunch, and then we played cards until the cruise left. We were interrupted by a evacuation drill. Then there was a party when the cruise left. Finally, we played a little more and slept. The next day, we were at Ensenada! We got off the ship and took a couple of buses to see the blowhole. Before reaching the actual waterspout, we walked through a Mexican flea market. The blowhole was amazing. It was like a geyser; pressure built up, and then water shot, at most, a hundred feet in the air. Once it flew high enough that it hit me on the way down. Among other things, mom bought two colorful dresses for $25.00(total). When we got back on the ship, the security was as tight as an airport! First we went through a metal check in Ensenada, and then again upon boarding the ship. Sunday was a sea day. We went swimming, but Saachi recoiled upon entering the water. We hadn't realized that it would be salt water. Content to stay in the jacuzzi, Saachi commenced with giving everyone a bubble head. At night, we played tag all over the ship, and then played cards and talked until it was time to sleep. On Monday, we left the ship, and travelled home. Now then... about the food. Breakfast at Paris consisted of fruit, pancakes, hashbrowns, and cereal. Lunch was different everyday, one day even being Indian cuisine. That tasted delicious! Luckily, there was a salad bar everyday, so I had a salad for every single lunch and dinner. Destiny Restaurant, where we ate dinner, was... not very vegitarian-friendly. Fortunately, there was always one thing that was meat free. Also, in the Paris Restaurant, there were three ice cream dispensers. You know, the ones with vanilla, mix, and chocolate? Due to the availability of ice cream on this vessel, I think I had about 10 ice cream cones during the cruise. However, thanks to the elevator tag, I gained no weight whatsoever. I think it's safe to say that this was a wonderful trip.