So, over Thanksgiving break, I was supposed to be on the Norwegian Jade, a 10-day cruise in the Caribbean. My family was going and another family was going with us. Everyone was super excited. Being the cruise queen that I am, I was ready to get my first 10-day cruise under my belt. Not to mention that the school semester has been killing me and 10 days without a care in the world was a dream come true.

The cruise started off good. Typical first few days. We were getting used to the ship, trying new things, and trying to gain our sea-legs. Yes, there was some choppy water. Yes, I tried some food I didn't like. Yes, there could have been better service from the staff at some points. But, there was nothing too big to complain about. I was relaxed and settling in for a long 10 days.

Day 3 we arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We go walk around the island. We had an amazing lunch and some drinks. The weather was breezy and it was a great day. That night, as my family and I sit on the back deck waiting to watch the ship pull off from the dock, the captain comes on the intercom. The Captain's message was the last thing anyone wants to hear. Our ship had a mechanical issue and would not be able to continue the cruise. Norwegian was going to find us flights and fly us all back to Miami by Tuesday. Everyone was in shock. My mom even thought that the captain was joking.

Sadly for us, this was not a joke. Our vacation had just done a 180. The whole ship was in a panic. "Do we have to get off the boat right now? When will our flight be? will we get our money back? What is wrong with the ship? Are we safe?" Here are the answers we got at first. "The ship is safe to be on right now. Passengers will be staying on board until a flight is arranged for them. Passengers will also receive a full refund for this cruise and a voucher for another cruise."

This all happened Sunday night. On Monday it was a waiting game. Everyone chilled out and relaxed as much as they could, but every two hours they would call cabin numbers that were booked on flights and had to be ready to leave the ship in 30 mins. Our stateroom number was never called. Tuesday, the same thing began again. By Tuesday at 4 pm, we still hadn't been called. But then they told us all to exit the ship. We were bused to a convention center where they fed us and then, when it was time, bused us again to our plane. They had gotten us charter flights. We sat on a bus on the tarmac for an hour before we boarded the plane and then another hour on the plane before we took off. Once we arrived in Miami, we were put up in a hotel and then Wednesday morning my family and I drove back home.

Here is my take on this whole situation. Yes, this sucks, we didn't get the vacation we wanted. BUT, we weren't stranded in the middle of the ocean or on an island with a tiny airport. We were fed and safe and able to relax by the pool for the day and a half that we were stuck. We got a refund and more money to cruise, so basically, we got a free mini cruise and another cruise in the future. At times it was stressful because we didn't know all the information, however, it was clear that Norwegian was doing the best they could in the situation and that's all anyone can ask.

This is definitely a story I can tell in the future!