RocketSci73

The Kakaw cocoa shop & museum in Costa Maya

The chocolate here is very good, some of the best I have had from the Caribbean. No, it is not made on site. The staff here is helpful and friendly, and welcomes that you freely try samples of all the products that you wish. My personal favorite is the mole chocolate (pronounced moe-lay), which has all kinds of spices mixed in, but is not peppery hot. Prices are a bit high for all items, as you would expect in such a tourist trap as Costa Maya. The store is located around to the back left side of the Costa Maya shopping complex, as you come from the cruise dock, and along the way to the tour buses.

If you purchase a significant amount of chocolate or other products (about $10-20) and inquire politely, they will usually wave you on into the museum free of charge. If I were not buying anything, I would value the museum admission at around $3 (three dollars), and no more.

The museum is rather small, about 15-30 minutes worth. It briefly exhibits the history & discovery of chocolate. It shows in what environment and process chocolate is grown and made. But the best part is that it is cool, out of the sun, and air conditioned! You can stay as long as you like, and photos are welcome. It's one of the many side things to do while in Costa Maya.

I hope this information helps.

Mrs H - as a newbie to cruising, can I beg, borrow or steal a copy of your packing list please

Sure! Here you go.

What to bring on your cruise vacation

This is a starter list to cover the essentials, and you will probably want to bring much more. I have attempted to sort these for ease of packing, and continue to try and improve this list with each trip. Let me know of comments or suggestions to this list. This list assumes you are travelling with Norwegian Cruise Line during winter, but can be used for other cruises as well.

In your main suitcase:

Clothing for a typical weeklong trip: shirts, pants, socks, shoes, underwear, etc.

Party costumes (optional) NCL is famous for their "white hot/glow" party

Swimsuit, bathrobe, sunscreen, sandals

Sun hat, sunglasses, fanny pack, insect repellent

Maps and travel guides of destinations

Jacket / raincoat, perhaps umbrella

Winter coat, gloves (for when you return home, brrrr)

In your carry-on bag, be sure to bring:

Extra change of clothes

Toiletry kit: toothbrush & paste, soap, shampoo, brush/comb, deodorant, razor, etc.

Medicines: prescriptions, sleep pills, seasickness, allergies, pains, etc.

Camera and plenty of batteries, phone and charger

Pens for filling in travel forms, small roll of tape

Airline and cruise ticket reservations, photo ID, and passport (might use wallet for these)

Snacks, cash for souvenirs / taxi fares / meals while in transit

Tablet / books to read while in transit, travel guides are good

Jacket, earplugs, and blindfold, to make the transit restful

Optional things to bring:

small flashlight (so you don’t stumble in a dark cabin rocking about)

board games, deck of cards, ping-pong paddles and balls

formal outfits such as tux or dress

checkbook to reserve next cruise

Tips:

Tag all bags with your name and return contact / shipping info.

Also tag your bags with the cruise cabin labels before you leave home.

Leave room in your luggage for souvenirs to bring back.

Check that your camera is set to the correct date.

Have fun!

Sorry, Star is not even close to a Jewel class ship.

Star / Dawn have No forward observation lounge and nor Aft. Great outdoor's type seating.:(

I noticed that when I sailed on the Dawn this year. I really like having the Observation Lounge.

So what do you like about the Jewel class ships? What do you miss about them on NCL?

I miss the Jewel class ships (they rarely ever dock in Miami anymore)

Most important I miss being on any cruise :loudcry:

I just checked the NCL website, and the Jade is docking in Miami now. The Star too; it's essentially a Jewel class ship.

What do you like about the Jewel class ships? I believe I prefer the Sun class ships. They are easier to find your way around, and don't seem as crowded to me. A private reply to this subject would be ok, as I don't want to start any arguments here in the forum.

I agree; I miss being on a cruise, and am looking forward to my next one. I tell all my friends: I spend one week per year on a cruise, and the rest of the year saving up and dreaming for it.

First of all, I am very thankful that NCL has this feature, a question & answer session with the senior officers, open to all guests on the ship. It is always very educational, a great exchange of information. For example, I did not know that NCL uses a Staff Captain who is just as qualified as the actual Captain. I find that very reassuring.

Sometimes an issue comes up that affects most of the guests on the cruise, such as stormy weather or delayed sailing. I am glad the senior officers have an opportunity to explain their perspective of the situation, as not all guests may understand what occurred.

And I am pleased to find that many of them have great personalities, and even make great jokes in their responses, all with having a diverse upbringing from another country. It helps us all relate together, and like these folks, rather than treating them as obscure folks to be raised up on a pedestal.

It's unfortunate that it is bound to happen, to have someone whine about their unique situation. The senior officers forum should be used for questions that affect the whole ship. The right questions should go to the right people. It often starts with a visit to the Guest Relations desk, who can point to the right contact in that case.

Put me down as another vote for Pedro Serra! He is funny, entertaining, organized, and keeps things moving. As others have pointed out, he definitely has that emcee personality, and is genuine and loves his work. I hope I get to cruise with him again, but he's been around a while, and might be retired or in another position. He's a keeper.

He was assistant cruise director on the Norwegian Sea in March 2002, and he was cruise director on one of my cruises a few year later, might have been the Dream in 2004 or Sun in 2007.

Someone mentioned Denny Anderson. I seem to remember him (maybe on the Majesty circa 2005). He did an overall good job, though I can't remember anything in particular.

Another I remember is Matt Baker, better known as the "Wiki Wiki Wah" fellow, because he says that anytime he does not know exactly what to say next. I found this habit a bit annoying, and he seemed to hog the microphone a lot.

I'm sure I've had Julie at some point, on one or two cruises. I might be remembering the right woman, maybe not. She was rather tall & slender, dressed & acted rather formally, was a native speaker of English, but certainly not American. (Maybe she was from New Zealand?) She seemed a bit uptight for my liking, from what I remember. Is that Julie?

On my most recent cruise, the Dawn in March 2017, we had Gio. He was pretty good, somewhat better than most I've had. He kept things fun, seemed genuine, a good leader, and did not hog the microphone.

I am of the opinion that a cruise director does not have to be memorable or unique to do a good job. I've had so many cruises that most of them blur together. But overall NCL has done a good job. As long as they don't bark at me over the loudspeakers about every art auction, bingo game, or other fund-raising activity going on throughout the day, then I'm happy.

I usually head straight to my cabin, unpack my luggage, and take a nap. After a day of travel and rushing through airports to get to the cruise, it's great to have finally arrived on vacation, and have no one tell you what to do, and take a breather. Then I get alarmed by the lifeboat drill!

After the muster drill, I head to the nearest café, grab a snack and a window, and watch the ship sail away from the port. I try to avoid the rowdy drunken crowds by the pool deck. After that, I start exploring the ship, and find out what fun I can immerse myself into!

I can usually feel the ship rocking back and forth for a couple of days after a cruise. And if I take a train back home (like when using the New Orleans port), that throws another motion into the same mix. My co-workers all look at me funny, until I explain.

I have found that the salty sea air helps to kill off and clear up respiratory infections. And the salty wind and sea spray on deck helps me to truly feel alive! Perhaps it's also the excitement of a cruise that helps to stave off infections.

The worst illness I got on a cruise was the last night of the cruise, when I got food poisoning from what was some undercooked eggs or chicken, I think. I was shaky and weak going through the airport all next day on the way back home. But I made it.

I agree with others in that I almost never take a chance consuming the native food/drink while in cruise ports, and have never had a problem as a result.

In 2003, I sailed on the SS Norway, about a month after she had a major noro-virus outbreak in the news headlines. We had no significant problems, but if you looked carefully you could see the crew cleaning and hosing everything down. Kudos to NCL!

This is a great topic. I'm glad someone brought it up.

As for me, I love all manner of vacation preparation. It's a part of the excitement of a vacation, and helps get me through the drab winter weather until my cruise. Like many folks, I edit a list on my computer, so I don't miss anything.

For me, the biggest challenge is finishing my laundry before vacation, so I can have it all ready a day or two before departure. I start lining things up to go in the suitcase about a week before, including travel forms and luggage cabin tags. I then pack my suitcase the night before. I also take advantage of the laundry special on my cruises, so I can come home with clean clothes, and not have to do laundry when unpacking. Having to do such a chore immediately after is a real bummer to me. For this reason, I also try to clean my house the week before (as if expecting company). That way, I will be welcomed home to a fresh, clean house when I return home.

Unpacking, I have mixed emotions. It is a reminder that the vacation is over, and time to go back into the real world. But often, I reserve my next cruise onboard, so I have that to look forward to, and begin planning all over as well. I also look over all the souvenirs and photos I got while on vacation, and those memories carry me forth.

I prefer to use cash, but if you don't that's ok too. I carry only the amount I expect to use that day when visiting an island, and leave the rest locked in my room safe. I usually allocate about $100-US per day. Most businesses and vendors in the Caribbean accept (and even love) US dollars, especially those that frequently deal with cruise passengers.

Paying for shore excursions online ahead of time is a great idea, but not always available. Companies that have a website for online transactions will charge more than those that keep it simple and have lower operating costs. Plus, they still want tips in cash.

In using cash, I use several hiding places on my body. I also carry a "teaser wallet." This is a small wallet that holds a small amount of cash, and some expired/fake ID cards & credit cards. This way, no one knows how much money I am truly carrying, so they will not demand higher prices, or demand my wallet. If I get robbed in a foreign country (which has never happened, thankfully) I can toss the wallet away in one direction, and run to safety in the other direction, without loosing much. I keep my real wallet and passport in my front pants pocket, which is more difficult for others to get to. Yes, I secretly carry my actual passport identity with me, just in case something bad does happen in a foreign location. I keep a copy of it in my room safe.

Carry lots of smaller US bills, such as fives and ones. Don't count on businesses being able to break larger bills in your own native currency. It's also great for tipping just the right amount. In using smaller bills, if I get change in the local currency (which often happens), I can either keep the change as a unique souvenir, or use it to purchase a small souvenir, and not worry about loosing much money in either case.

I hope these tips help.

Two folks on NCL that I really miss:

Rudi Macaggi, acrobat, juggler, comedian and entertainer. He was sometimes called the King of Variety, as he could do it all! I especially like his catch phrase "I like-a you!" spoken with a slight Italian/Spanish accent. It made the whole audience feel good. I saw him perform on several NCL cruises around 2004-2008 timeframe. I think his time on NCL led to even greater success.

Another that I miss was NCL cruise director Pedro, I believe Pedro Serra might have been his full name. He was assistant cruise director on the Norwegian Sea in 2002, and cruise director of the Norwegian Dream in 2004. He did a great job, keeping everyone happy and entertained.

I have seen many great workers at NCL come and go over the ages, but these are two that I miss, ones that really stick out in my mind. Does anyone else remember these? And I wonder where they are now? I hope and believe that they are doing well!

I have never been to Honduras before, but my friend who is planning on going with me, her husband is from there, and she "thought" she might like to visit there.

If you have visited Roatan, Honduras within the past year, would you mind giving me your pros/cons

I visited Roatan on the NCL Dawn earlier this year, March 2017. This was my 3rd time visiting the island, and I have had mixed experiences here. It has come a long way, but still has a lot of development to go, and has lots of potential if done right. Roatan is an isolated island, and not representative of Honduras as a whole. The Garifuna / African slave heritage is the dominant culture on the island. You may like that, but I did not.

Good things: I love the mountains and jungles of this island. They are great to explore. Prices for most things are reasonable. There are lots of handicrafts to shop for here, and lots of tropical wildlife to see up close. It is authentic, and not an artificially planned cruise tourist destination.

Bad things: Poverty is everywhere, and everyone you encounter is rude and begging for tips & money! Giving them a one-time hand out will not help these folks. Corruption appears to be the way of life for these folks, like Haiti. The island is very primitive, which can also be good. But when you are looking for a restroom or restaurant, it's not so good. The native cuisine is still a bit of a mystery to me. There is no sit-down restaurant near the NCL Coxen Hole dock. I don't know about the Carnival dock. Each has their own shopping complex built up near the cruise dock, but as you walk a few blocks from the dock, it can get scary.

I'll be visiting there this coming March too, aboard the NCL Getaway.

If you like taking pictures, a bus tour or nature park visit might be a good excursion choice.

Feel free to ask questions. I'll be glad to help!

At Harvest Caye, was NCL offering water taxi service to mainland Belize?

Short answer: The water taxi is only for those people on shore excursions to the mainland.

Longer answer: Earlier this year, I was on the NCL Dawn, and took the Mayan Ruins & Spice Farm tour. It was one of the best tours I have taken, and my complete review is listed under NCL Dawn, March 2017. My tour ticket had us meet at the ferry terminal in the back left corner of Harvest Cay. There is a small shaded waiting area there where folks are grouped together and wait for their excursion. At the proper time, each group boards a ferry boat, and in half an hour goes to another small ferry terminal near Independence, Belize. At that terminal we were loaded onto buses for each of our tours. Within half an hour bus ride we were at the Mayan Ruins of Nim Li Punit, which I enjoyed very much, and describe as a part of my review. At the ferry port town of Independence, there is not much at all, just a bunch of poverty stricken shacks, and no options presented of where you can go. There's no taxis, no independent tour operators offering things, no souvenir sellers, no handicrafts, nothing. So there's really no reason to go to the mainland from Harvest Cay, if it's not part of an excursion.

I have a few ideas.

When you get off the ship, there will be a large 2 story shopping complex to the right, with a round circular staircase going up the middle. Inside, there is lots of shopping! And at pretty good prices. You can spend quite some time there.

On the 2nd floor of the complex, near the center, there are three old men playing away on a marimba. These three guys have loyally been there at the cruise dock since it opened. Their music is mesmerizing! I could listen to them for hours. Not sure if they sell music albums, but they should.

Another thing you could do is buy a local treat at one of the snack stands, and sit at their nearby wooden tables, while reading, taking in the crowds, and scenery, and the exotic drumming dancers right there by the cruise port.

Another fun cheap thing to do is watch the zipliners scream in excitement as they travel over the open water by the cruise ship dock bay.

I'm cruising on the Getaway this coming March. This will be a new ship for me, but I have been many times to all the ports that she visits. Harvest Cay Belize will be just what you are looking for, a place where you can read and relax, and not have to spend too much money if you don't want to.

The Mayan ruins of Chacchoben is probably the one you want. The ruins are located about an hour from the cruise port, which will leave some time after to lounge around. Most cruise lines also offer the Chacchoben ruin tour combined with a buffet lunch and private beach break, which sounds like just what you are asking for. The ruins at Kohunlich or Dzibeche are too far away to combine with a beach visit, but might leave some time for souvenir shopping in the Costa Maya port.

One independent place I hear recommended in these forums for beach massage is the Tropicante, one of several restaurant/bar/resorts on the beach near Costa Maya. I have not been there myself. Your tour guide might can drop you off near there at the end of the tour. Here is their website.

http://www.sandalsandskis.com/tropicante.html

I hope this helps.

I did exactly this on my last cruise earlier this year, and recommend doing it.

Earlier this year, on the Norwegian Dawn, March 2017, our ship docked at Harvest Cay, and I took the excursion to Mayan Ruins of Nim Li Punit and Spice Farm. You can read my review about it posted under NCL Dawn reviews for March 2017. This was one of the best tours I have taken, and I highly recommend that!

Here's how it all works. The Norwegian ship docks at Harvest Cay, and folks walk off the vessel along a long covered boardwalk onto the island. In the back left corner of the island, there is a small boat dock marina, for those going on tours to the mainland. There is also a shaded waiting area. Folks then load up onto ferry boats at their assigned tour times, and reach the mainland dock about half an hour later, near the town of Independence, Belize. From there, they are loaded onto buses, which take them on their tours. This is how you get to see the real Belize. Yes, these tours are regularly offered through NCL. About one quarter to one third of the Harvest Cay tours go to the mainland, and most such tours allow an hour or two to browse around Harvest Cay too. I'll be happy to tell you more.

Harvest Cay is a nice destination, but an artificial tourist trap, custom made for cruise guests. To me, it all resembles a theme park or amusement park. It has everything one thinks of in a tropical island resort: beaches, snorkeling, cabanas, buffet lunch, several bars, palm trees, boats, water sports, and such. There's also a small nature park, and a light-house with zip lines, and a small village of brightly colored souvenir shops selling local made crafts. Most of it is included in the cruise fare. Any additional charges can be paid with your room key account, so you can easily loose track of how much money you have spent.

My next cruise is on the Norwegian Getaway, March 2018, which will stop at the same ports. For Harvest Cay, I am most interested in the Mayan shaman tour. I forget what it is called, but some kind of "Mayan Cultural Medicine Trail." It looks interesting, because it's a walk through the jungle with a traditional Mayan medicinal healer, who teaches us then shows us how to make traditional medicine remedies from the native plants. I just love scientific and cultural education wherever I go. This tour is on the mainland, but leaves from Harvest Cay.

We miss not being on another one quick enough!!!!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I'll second that emotion. I miss not being on an NCL cruise soon enough. These next three months are going to drag by so slowly, in anticipation of this wonderful vacation.

Ah yes, the NCL Latitudes member luggage tags. When I would receive my packet of cruise reservation documents in the mail about a month before the cruise, it would include these. You would punch them out of the plastic backing, then write your name, room, ship, sail date, and such on them with permanent marker and attach them to your luggage. Thanks for bringing back such fond memories.

Remember these ... over 10 years ago. Just found them in the drawer.

 

on AT&T 4G, T-Mo/Project Fi or WiFi via Blu R1HD w Tapatalk, VPN secured.

Schoifmom said:

> If you are staying at the Hilton Riverside, the walk isn't bad. You can go through the mall.

I second that strategy, and did that on my last cruise.

There are elevators & escalators in the mall, which is a great help with your luggage. The best route through the River Walk Mall is to head to the food court (up to the 3rd level), then take the elevators in the food court straight down to the Julia Street cruise terminal (directly beneath on the 1st level). Then just hand your luggage over to the porters there, and enjoy your vacation!

I find it helpful to drop off my luggage early with the porters, then enjoy the mall until boarding time. It's a great place to get lunch and souvenirs, and you can enjoy yourself instead of fighting the crowds to board the ship. There's plenty to do within walking distance. The boarding crowd thins out around 2:00PM.

For my upcoming cruise in March, FLL airport to YVE Hotel downtown, my travel agent reserved transport through Super Shuttle. Fee was about $50 one way including taxes, for a shared shuttle van. They had a wide variety of pickup times available.

Nclgetawaymenhoney said:

> I miss the midnight buffet they had in the main dining room with all the fancy deserts

> and center pieces with the ice sculptures

Yes! I miss that too. It was called the "midnight chocaholics buffet," and it was wonderful. I have not seen that promoted lately. But I am grateful that NCL has plenty of late night food options. The 24 hour Irish pub, located near the main atrium, is another of their great ideas. I was just reading on another thread that many ships shut down all their food options around 9:00PM. Bummer for them.

Another thing I miss is the poolside BBQ. Every afternoon, the crew would set up charcoal kettle cookers on deck near the pool, and cook hot dogs, burgers, and chicken for guests right on the spot. Meanwhile, a Caribbean band would set the party going. Good times.

I miss the Observation Lounge on some ships.

I love being able to sit high up on the front of the ship, in air conditioned comfort, and see where we are going, especially as we approach the next port, myself full of excitement. The TV channel with the bridge camera view is a poor substitute, but better than getting salty wind blown in your face or nothing at all. My most recent cruise was on the Norwegian Dawn, March 2017. It did not have an observation lounge, but instead had several "owner's suites" in that place, to generate extra revenue. This was the ship that pre-dated the Haven penthouse idea.

I also miss having ship layouts that are easy to navigate.

My favorite ship is the Norwegian Sun, because she has a straightforward layout, that is easy to get around. In a good ship layout, every deck should have one / two main corridors that extend all the way from the front to rear of the ship, and stairways & elevators that go from the bottom to the top. This "grid" design may seem boring, but it works really well! I am glad to see that the newer NCL ships are using this design more. On the Dawn, I was constantly confronted with the same frustrating issue of you can't get there from here. I see this flaw in reviews and designs of the whole "gemstone" series of ships, 2001-2007 time frame. I think that is a design holdover from when Star Cruises of Malaysia took over control of NCL, and based all ships on the Norwegian Spirit (then SuperStar Leo) layout. I think they may have finally learned their lesson.

On this most recent cruise, I was pleased to see that NCL still did just about everything right. Service was good, food was good, and I did not feel crowded or herded. The "nickel & dime" upselling advertisements for extras were a bit toned down from what I remember on previous voyages, which was definitely an improvement. Overall, I am glad to see that NCL is striving to improve, and they remain my cruise line of choice.

Oh, and I miss baked Alaska in the main dining room, but I can live without that.

In Cozumel the bar that I usually hear about for the adult party crowd is Carlos & Charlie's. I visited it once. Inside it's a typical rave: dark, glowing neon lights, strobes, loud thumping music, lots of beer & liquor, dance floor / mosh pit, lots of bodies bumping together, you get the idea. It's located about 2 blocks from the Punta Langosta Mall Pier, which is where most of the cruise ships dock.

I have some other ideas, if you're not interested in that.

johnritt said:

> Just got back. We had a great cruise. Loved the Port. Parking was easy and was $20 per day in advance. We lined up to board the first time, thought the line was too long so went back to the mall which took about 1 minute, bought some sunglasses and had a slushy drink on the deck of the mall while waiting for the line to lear out.. Can't do that in Miami.

That is one thing I love about the New Orleans cruise port!

Regarding Miami, I have heard rumors that Miami has created some kind of outdoor market near the cruise terminal buildings, in an attempt to copy this successful aspect of the New Orleans terminal. Has anyone heard of this? Or know which Miami discussion threads might be best to ask about this?

ofhs93, thanks for an honest review.

I have heard many complaints about the Breakaway, and many positives about her identical sister the Getaway.

I suggest you post your message as a cruise review, in addition to being a message in this thread. More folks could benefit from reporting your experience!