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

Courtesy of Kelly Dwyer

• 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...