I'm the youngest in a family of six. But now we are three of her. My younger brother Mike and my younger brother Mike. My sister, Erin. And me. Following the unexpected death of our mother last year, we decided the best way to honor her mother was to stay connected. Supporting our elderly parents over the past few years has put a strain on our relationship, but now that the head of the family is gone, we realize how easy it is to grow apart. Ta.
One evening, as my wife and I prepared to serve Mother, I told them about my recent press trip on Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady cruise to the Caribbean. Ta. I told everyone I liked that it was adults only, had a boutique hotel feel, and that the price included almost everything. I loved the drinking and room service of the day, the dance party, the live music, the edgy show, and the iridescent churros.
Virgin Voyages reminded me how to have fun, I told them. “When are we going?” asked my sister-in-law Karen. At that point, we all pulled out our phones to look for the date and ended up on the first anniversary of our mother's death.
Featuring Vicki Winters, travel advisor for Bucket List Travelers, an affiliate of Fora Travel. Winters understood the mission of three cabins, six adults traveling together for the first time, as a way to bond and honor her mother.
But six months later, Virgin Voyages had to cancel its sailings. Having just learned the lesson that tomorrow is not guaranteed, they backed a two-day pregame in Miami and opted for a five-day replacement game in the same time frame. Winters rebooked our reservation, made sure all of the promised credits were in place, secured us adjoining cabins, and added a bottle of bubbly to greet us in each cabin.
The day before departure, we were excited when we noticed that our status on the app had changed to Rockstars (the VIP category for “sailors” who book suites) (just to be clear, the cabins were It remained the same). This was an unexpected extension of kindness. By the Virgin Media Relations team, with whom I have a working relationship. And when the Lyft whisked us to our private entrance, we felt like rock stars as we passed through security with coveted black bracelets wrapped around our wrists instead of the standard red. Did.
We started by enjoying lunch and drinks on the dock, a spacious outdoor lounge at the stern of the ship, scrolling through the daily schedule on the app and securing reservations for classes, shows, and activities. I secured a spot in his 80s-themed exercise class, VHS Workout, while others opted for bungee classes, private quiet time, and spa appointments.
/The-writer%27s-avocado-toast-at-the-Sip-Plate-Snap-a.jpg?n=9125&tr=w-500%2Cfo-auto "My avocado toast during the")
My avocado toast during the “Bite, Plate, Snap” activity in the ship's test kitchen.Photo credit: Provided by Megan Padilla
But when my sister suggested I join her food styling and photography class, Sip, Plate, Snap, and everyone, including my brother and brother-in-law, said, “Sign up,” I almost fell off my chair. became.
The Sail Away Party started with a relaxed atmosphere at the Rockstar exclusive Richard's Rooftop. But we were drawn to the energy of the dance party on the pool deck as the Scarlet Lady glided across the Channel against the backdrop of the glittering Miami skyline at sunset.
The metaphor of a ship being thrown off and leaving the world behind was one that stuck with me. At sea, I hoped to make new memories outside of the clearly defined boundaries of lifelong family roles. I felt like I was off to a good start when I saw his brother posing for a photo with a drag queen.
The next day, late at night, we met at the Social Club for Salty Trivia. According to Virgin, it “caters to the weird, eccentric and nerdy among us.” While the question was certainly aimed at our demographic, I was shocked at my brother's savant-like knowledge of his 70's and his 80's pop culture, and asked others about him. I have to admit that I wondered what I could learn from it. When handing in the answer sheet with the team name written at the top, my sister wrote “Carol's Children” to celebrate their victory. I felt lucky to be on that team.
We then headed to the Test Kitchen, one of Scarlet Lady's six specialty restaurants, for a “Bite, Plate, Snap” class. So our host, Ryan, gave us tips for using structure, color, and shine while keeping our flutes full of sparkling rosé. Create visually appealing plates that look delicious and look great in photos.
We felt like kids participating in an art project while creating our avocado toast masterpiece. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun. We made new friends and even got to take some skills home (my sister just posted a photo of our breakfast with a note saying “Steve practicing the plating skills he learned at VV” sent a text message).
Richard's rooftop server and ambassador Mariana are the writers who helped make this trip even more special for the Padilla family.Photo credit: Provided by Megan Padilla
We anchored our daily ritual on Richard's rooftop, using the round sofa in the starboard corner as our happy hour hangout, reuniting daily over free-flowing Moet Champagne. Our attentive server, Mariana, remembered someone not drinking and filling their glasses with non-alcoholic bubbly.
Mariana's kindness and warmth won us over immediately and we were very happy when she accepted our invitation to dinner. Mom was interested in everyone's stories and told us that there was always room for one more person at the table.
At dinner, we all leaned in and listened to Mariana talk about her family in Brazil and life on a cruise ship while we passed around a family-style charcuterie board and ate plates of extra virgin homemade pasta. I burst out laughing. Virgin Her Voyages voyages include all the signature dishes, so it was fun to “host” a fancy dinner that no one had to pay for.
In Cozumel, I cashed in a Christmas gift from my sister who booked me an intimate (soulful) 3-hour cooking experience at Josefina's Cooking con Alma to learn about Yucatan cuisine. We met Josefina's son Geronimo at the municipal market, bought some ingredients, and then took a taxi together to Josefina's house to cook and eat.
/The-writer%27s-sister-with-the-members-of-the-Happen.jpg?n=4757&tr=w-500%2Cfo-auto "The writer's sister and a member of the Happenings cast.")
The writer's sister and a member of the Happenings cast.Photo credit: Provided by Megan Padilla
The bright, tidy, and cheerful front room, complete with a stove, sink, and a celebratory table for eight, transported Mike, Erin, and me back to Grandma Abigail's house. Our paternal grandparents were Mexican, and almost all of our memories of our visits center around our grandmother's cooking and (too) long meals around the dining table with many Spanish-speaking relatives. Masu.
Once we were seated, Geronimo took his place at the head of the table and began teaching, preparing, and cooking a dozen small courses. We learned how to safely remove the thorns from the skin of nopal pads and enjoyed them in salads with grapefruit, papaya, and tagine seasoning. The butterfly shrimp was made into a ceviche and served over thin slices of crunchy jicama.
Geronimo heated a clay platter over two burners, melted the butter until it bubbled, then gently tossed in the marinated sea bream to cook. It was served on freshly baked tortillas with avocado, pickled red onions, and salsa. It was a fun feast and none of us had to do the dishes.
We set off in high spirits and Mike said this was the best shore excursion of his 10 cruises. I think what he really meant was how special it was to be with his sisters and reconnect with our heritage.
Our day in Cozumel ended with Virgin's explosive party, Scarlet Nights. Half of us went to bed (although I think Mike slipped into the casino), but Erin, Steve, and I went into the pool first and danced with our arms up on the shallow ledge, giving everyone a kick. They were also making splashes.
Our mom, whom we called Big Red, would be right there, too. She dances at midnight on the Scarlet Lady.
