I went on a joint 60th birthday cruise for me and 12 of my friends. It was surprisingly affordable and so much fun.

• I went on my first cruise with 12 friends from high school so we could celebrate our 60th birthdays.
• We had a great time exploring the ship, sharing meals together, and partaking in onboard activities.
• We skipped a lot of add-ons and the cruise was surprisingly affordable at under $800 a person.

I'd never cruised before — but when 12 of my friends from high school hatched a plan to celebrate our 60th birthdays on a four-night Royal Caribbean cruise , I immediately said yes.

Our group of 13 b ooked a four-night cruise on the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas from Los Angeles to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico.

I didn't realize how fun, affordable, and meaningful it would be.

We had a blast on the ship

The Navigator of the Seas has a shopping promenade, a main dining room , a buffet, a café, specialty restaurants, an ice-skating rink, a showroom, a piano lounge, swimming pools, a gym, a spa, and so much more.

Given all that was offered, it's hard to imagine anyone not having fun on the ship , but my friends and I had an especially fabulous time because we were together.

We ate, drank, laughed, swam, and talked, on repeat, for four days.

We danced until dawn — or at least until nearly midnight — in the nightclub. We belted every word to every song during '80s Night on the Promenade.

We cheered on our friends who competed in contests and pickleball tournaments, celebrated with a friend who won big at the casino, and so much more.

Each evening, we played cards in the Schooner Bar while a talented pianist and singer took requests all night.

We even received a visit from the ship's captain after we sent a note asking if he'd meet us during formal night. I'm not often tongue-tied, but I'd never met anyone who was responsible for steering a ship the size of a Las Vegas hotel before.

I don't think I managed a single coherent sentence — but he was kind and gracious, and I now understand why captains are so often called "dashing" in Jane Austen novels.

Even better, the trip was surprisingly affordable

I thought all the fun we had would cost a lot, but I was wrong. Turns out a cruise can be quite affordable — as long as one is savvy.

We split double rooms with balconies and the trip cost about $793 per person, including taxes, fees, and port expenses.

I didn't feel any need (or even desire) to pay extra to eat at a specialty restaurant because all of the meals in the main dining room were so good.

We saved money on photo packages by using a tripod, asking other people on the ship to snap our pictures, and taking selfies. We didn't pay extra to book excursions and instead had fun exploring our two ports in small groups.

In Catalina, we walked along the promenade like we were teens again. In Ensenada, we went shopping, buying affordable souvenirs that will always remind us of our time together.

We're already planning our next cruise

Of course, the best part of the trip was our time together, which made it so meaningful. Our friendship, which was already special, strengthened, deepened, and grew.

I'm happy to say that we're already planning our next cruise five years from now.

We'll be 65, and I imagine we'll still be best friends, rocking our swimsuits, schmoozing with the captain, dancing at '80s Night, and once again, having the time of our lives.