At this point in my life, I have attended several wonderful bachelorette parties, including:
- A long weekend in Fort Lauderdale
- A 4-day stint in Las Vegas
- Two separate parties in Siesta Key
And to be honest, my favorite was mine. I am 100% biased – a bachelorette party is obviously the most fun when you’re the bachelorette in question – but in May 2017, my close friends and I took a cruise out of Tampa to Cozumel for my bachelorette, and it was everything I could have asked for. Here are the two main reasons why I would recommend a cruise to anyone:
- It’s surprisingly affordable.
I was 23 during my bachelorette party, and the majority of my friends were in their early- to mid-20s. We didn’t have a ton of disposable income to play with and plan a really elaborate trip; fortunately, we didn’t need to. Our 4-night Carnival cruise out of Tampa cost about $450 per person, and it included:
- Our transportation to and from Cozumel
- Our lodging for four nights, with three girls per room
- All of our meals
- Entertainment throughout the trip
We did spend some additional money at the port to get to and from the beach (as well as Señor Frog’s), but as a whole, it was a very cost effective trip, especially since all but one attendee was able to drive to the cruise port in Tampa.
Cruise lines frequently run specials that could include a reduced rate for multiple people in a room, or perks like a free drink package, so you can save even more if you purchase at the right time!
- There’s something for everyone.
The ladies who attended my bachelorette party are some of my closest friends, but let’s be honest – it can be a lot to spend that much time hanging out with anyone, even if you do love them. After a few days, you’re likely to butt heads on activities or want to go off and do your own thing. Fortunately, a cruise allows you to do that.
We had agreed that we would all eat dinner together, but other than that, everyone was free to go off on their own while we were on the boat. We frequently broke into smaller groups, or even singles, to grab food or lounge on the deck. If someone wanted to take a nap or catch up on Netflix in the room, they could. One attendee even bought the wifi package so she could crank out some classwork.
Having time apart made the activities we spent together much more fun, and we weren’t at each other’s throats by the end of the trip – even if we all were a little hungover at debarkation.
And bonus: when you’re all on a cruise ship, you can’t (easily) lose anyone. It is very like they’re in their room, by the pool or at the bar.
There are a lot of things I would consider changing if I could do them over again, but my bachelorette party on the Carnival Paradise is not one of them. If you’re planning your bachelorette, I would highly recommend looking at cruise options.