Five Friends, One Ship, Zero Regrets: Our First Girls' Trip Cruise

I'm going to be honest—when Sarah first suggested a girls' trip cruise, I was skeptical. Me, Jessica, Amanda, and Brittany had been friends since college, and while we loved each other fiercely, we'd never actually traveled together. What if we got sick of each other in close quarters? What if the ship rocked and we all got seasick? What if we were too old for the party scene but too young for the shuffleboard crowd? But then Sarah sent that email with the Viking Sea itinerary, and something just clicked. Seven days. Mediterranean. No kids. No work emergencies. We were doing this. When we finally boarded the Viking Sea in Barcelona on a perfect June morning, I wasn't prepared for how intimate the ship would feel. I think that's the thing about Viking Ocean Cruises that nobody really tells you—these ships are smaller and more refined than the massive mega-ships I'd imagined. The Viking Sea carries about 930 passengers, which sounds like a lot until you're actually on board and realize you can walk the entire promenade without feeling like you're in Times Square. There's a quiet elegance to it that I found myself appreciating immediately. Our cabin was a Junior Suite on Deck 8, and…