This was hands down one of the best trips I’ve ever been on, partly because I checked off so many bucket list items, but also because it was so much fun from start to finish! Last November, I went on a Caribbean cruise with my dad, his girlfriend Judy, and Brit, and then spent two days at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure with Leah, immersing ourselves in the phenomenal Wizarding World of Harry Potter sections of the parks. Here’s how it all went down!

Although I will be introducing this trip as one whole trip – since it was – I will recap after the cruise and after the Harry Potter parks separately.

This trip was a crazy whirlwind of an adventure, and certain aspects of it were multiple years in the making.

I had wanted to try a full cruise since I first dabbled in cruising back in 2011, and I finally had the opportunity to do so in 2015.

My dad lives incredibly close to the Ft. Lauderdale cruise port, so he and Judy tend to be frequent cruisers. Brit had never been down to meet my dad or see my old stomping grounds, so we arranged a visit that would encompass both time at my dad’s house and a 6 day cruise!

After the cruise, Brit returned home to Ottawa, and my cousin Leah – who had flown down a few days earlier – and I rented a car and took a road trip to Orlando to visit the Harry Potter parks.

This entire vacation was important to me, in more ways than one. The cruise was something I had been wanting to try for years – spoiler alert: I loved it – and the fact that it was a trip with my bestie, my dad, and Judy – who I adore – made it even better.

On the Harry Potter end of the spectrum – I’m a long-time fan, and this trip is one that Leah I had been attempting to go on for 8 years. Yes, you read that correctly – 8 years. Did it live up to the image I had built in my head? Spoiler alert: the parks exceeded all my wildest expectations.

This crazy trip was an amazing adventure, and I can’t wait to reminisce as I share it with you!