Mina Starsiak Hawk Opens Up About Her Stressful Family Cruise Adventure

When Mina Starsiak Hawk returned home from her family cruise, she couldn’t wait to spill the tea about the trip that was anything but smooth sailing. In a candid conversation on her "Mina AF" podcast episode on Wednesday, September 20, the star of Good Bones shared the highs and lows of her vacation with husband Steve Hawk and their two kids, Jack and Charlotte.

“I survived my first-ever family cruise last week,” Mina joked during the episode. “Let me tell you, it was a whirlwind. I’m feeling like a stressed-out mess because this cruise wasn’t exactly the relaxing getaway my husband and I had hoped for. It was a first-time experience for us, so we learned a lot along the way. Definitely a learning curve!”

Travel Chaos Before the Cruise Even Began

Mina, who lives in Indianapolis, and her family had a long journey ahead of them just to get to the cruise departure point in Charleston, North Carolina. But their adventure started off with a bang—or rather, a cancellation. Their initial flight got called off at the last minute, leaving Mina scrambling to book a new one with a different airline. She documented the whole stressful ordeal on her Instagram Stories on September 11, giving her followers a front-row seat to the chaos.

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“It felt like everything that could possibly go wrong, did,” Mina recounted. “We were running around like crazy trying to figure out our next move. It was a real-life episode of ‘Airport Madness.’”

Beating the Clock to Board the Boat

Despite the odds, Mina and Steve managed to land in Charleston just a half-hour before the boat was set to leave. Instead of throwing in the towel, they decided to make a mad dash for it. Thankfully, the cruise staff was incredibly understanding of their hectic day and let them board right at 3 p.m., just in the nick of time.

“The staff was amazing,” Mina praised. “They could have easily said, ‘Sorry, you missed your chance,’ but they understood our situation and bent the rules for us. That made all the difference.”

The Ups and Downs of Life on the High Seas

While Mina and her family enjoyed the breathtaking ocean views and beach days during the cruise’s stops, the accommodations left something to be desired. Staying in such a cramped space with two young kids proved to be a challenge.

“It was absolutely brutal,” Mina confessed. “Keeping two little ones entertained in such a tiny room was a recipe for disaster. And honestly, this particular boat wasn’t really designed with families in mind. It was a struggle, but we made it work.”

This cruise came just a month after Mina announced that season 8 of Good Bones would be the show’s swan song. On an August 7 podcast episode, she shared the bittersweet news with her fans.

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“Today, I wrapped up filming my last few pickups for Good Bones. Not season 8, but Good Bones as a whole. So yeah, it’s official—we’ve officially wrapped up the series,” Mina revealed. “It’s time for me to shake things up and explore new opportunities.”

At the time, Mina also opened up about her strained relationship with her mom, Karen E. Laine, and her brothers. During the filming of the first episode of season 8, tensions boiled over into a heated argument during demolition.

“I remember thinking, ‘I wonder if anyone will notice the tension,’” Mina admitted in a September interview with People. “But of course, they won’t because that’s not why people tune in to watch Good Bones. They want to see us renovate houses, not argue about family drama.”