My husband and I spent Thanksgiving on a cruise ship with friends for about $1,300 a person. We'd do it again for other holidays.

• I spent Thanksgiving on a trip: An eight-day Carnival Cruise with my husband and 12 of our friends. • We got to celebrate my husband's birthday and my friends' wedding anniversary. • The holiday meal wasn't great, but we loved the rest of our experience on the ship.

After a year of payments, coordination with a group, and plenty of YouTube videos for first-time cruisers, my husband and I finally set sail with 12 of our friends.

Recently, we booked an eight-day Carnival cruise over the Thanksgiving holiday to celebrate our friends Tai and Darien's wedding anniversary. My husband's birthday also coincided with the trip, so we were happy to agree to the celebratory cruise.

After coordinating our excursions, activities, and outfits for months, here's how it went.

My husband and I spe