CHACONZONE

I’ve been on several cruises.

My first was a 7-Day Mexican Riviera Cruise to celebrate my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary back in the early ’90s. It included stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo, San Lucas.

That vacation remains one of the best times I’ve ever had. Having every member of our family on board the ship (with the exception of my youngest cousin, who was an infant at the time) made the trip one for the ages.

A lot has changed on cruises since then. But I’ll get back to that in a moment.

When I think back to my family’s maiden voyage, so many memories reemerge: drinking, dancing, laughter, love, great food, and mass (yes, we even went to church in Vallarta).

During that trip I spent most of my time with my cousin Guillermo, whom I affectionately call “Bill.” He and I had a blast! I’m pretty sure we’re still burning off some of the liquor we consumed that week.

In fact, after a night of partying with a couple of Columbians from Huntington Beach, Bill and I made our way back to our respective cabins at about 2a.m., and I still remember my dad sitting bolt upright to ask where I had been all night. I was like, “Uh, Dad, I’m on a ship.” By Day Two, I think he realized that he had overreacted. My uncle Mike, an attorney at the time, helped ease the waters by telling my dad to “let the boys enjoy themselves.”

The dinners were especially fun. So many laughs with cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. Our waiter during that trip was awesome. I still remember his name: Neville. I think he had the eye for one of my aunts, but what happens at sea, stays at sea.

Before we were married, my future bride and I went on a 4-day cruise with her parents, siblings — and their significant others — in 2001. She and I went on a 7-day cruise a year later for our honeymoon, and two more times after that with our kids.

All of those cruises were pretty good.

Unfortunately, a lot has changed since then. The food served during the day is fairly bland; and the midnight buffets, which used to be presented with ice sculptures and pizzazz, have really cooled.

Midnight movies are still around, albeit, the nights on this last trip were a bit chilly. Black Panther was featured on our last cruise; this time they showed: Inside Out, Minecraft, Mask, Thunderbolts, Gladiator II, and The Fall Guy.

Still, no Titanic.

I’ve always looked forward to the dinners, but even those have become meh. An alternative is reserving a table at one of the restaurants; includes an upcharge, of course.

I like getting to know our personal waiters, so we opted to eat in the dining room only. Moreover, I like talking to the people seated with us. On this trip we met a couple of nice people from Fresno, one of whom will be working this school year at my alma mater: Branham High School.

If you’ve never been on a cruise, it’s worth booking. You’ll love the staff, games, and amenities.

I think we’re kind of cruised-out for a while, so who knows where we’ll end up next summer?