OCD Planner's ~ EXPLORER ~ 5 Night Pictorial Review 1/4/15

[melk71]

We were on this sailing as well and I am really enjoying your review! Especially looking forward to the all access tour as that was something my husband commented on that he would like to do.

 

We also enjoyed Coco Cay, we thought it was lovely and the kids loved it. Had heard about a medical emergency, hopefully the poor girl was okay.

[Island_Chica]

Thanks so much for your photos! We'll be on Explorer in a few weeks (booked a last minute sailing for our family of 4) for a 5 night, but we stop in Nassau instead of CoCoCay (boo). It's good to see the ship - we did Mariner waaaay back in 2005 when she was still in Port Canaveral, and we've since been on Freedom and Indy. I think Explorer will feel a bit small compared to Freedom class, but will probably result in more relaxation for us.

[MMOMOM]

Thanks so much for your photos! We'll be on Explorer in a few weeks (booked a last minute sailing for our family of 4) for a 5 night, but we stop in Nassau instead of CoCoCay (boo). It's good to see the ship - we did Mariner waaaay back in 2005 when she was still in Port Canaveral, and we've since been on Freedom and Indy. I think Explorer will feel a bit small compared to Freedom class, but will probably result in more relaxation for us.

 

I think you'll have a great time! We did! You may feel like it's smaller ... it is! I noticed it as well. We hadn't been on a Voyager Class since 2010 and the Explorer in 2005! She's still a great ship! We'd been on the Freedom and our last RCCI cruise was on the Oasis, so we definitely 'noticed' it, but it was great! Happy sailing! :)

[scooter90]

Do you know if there is a separate breakfast and lunch area in the MDR or other restaurant for Suites?

 

If you are in a Grand Suite or above, Portofino's is open in the morning for breakfast (in lieu of going to the dining room). On embarking you can also sit in Portofino's (after getting your lunch in the Windjammer) and they will serve you drinks (soda, water, etc.).

 

We found Portofino's great for breakfasts (cooked to order) and a great way to start the day. You can also order off the dining room menu and have it delivered to your cabin (during the time the dining room is open). We've ordered breakfast and dinner and it worked quite well. Have a great time on your cruise.

[ace1zoe2]

We were on this sailing as well and I am really enjoying your review! Especially looking forward to the all access tour as that was something my husband commented on that he would like to do.

 

We also enjoyed Coco Cay, we thought it was lovely and the kids loved it. Had heard about a medical emergency, hopefully the poor girl was okay.

 

Thanks melk for taking time to comment.

 

We've always wanted to do the All Access Tour as well but were reluctant to spend the money. On our last cruise in November we had $550 OBC and ended up cashing our $400 in the casino so I figured we might as well use it to book the tour.

 

It was a 3.5 hour tour, walking or standing the entire time. You cover a lot of the ship and it was interesting.

 

Cindy

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

Thanks so much for your photos! We'll be on Explorer in a few weeks (booked a last minute sailing for our family of 4) for a 5 night, but we stop in Nassau instead of CoCoCay (boo). It's good to see the ship - we did Mariner waaaay back in 2005 when she was still in Port Canaveral, and we've since been on Freedom and Indy. I think Explorer will feel a bit small compared to Freedom class, but will probably result in more relaxation for us.

 

Island_Chica,

 

You will have a great time! Voyager class is the largest we've been on but when we go back down to Radiance class we notice the difference without the Promenade.

 

I've never been to Nassau and would love to go at least once. Maybe if we sail out of Florida again sometime it will be a port stop.

 

 

Cindy

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

If you are in a Grand Suite or above, Portofino's is open in the morning for breakfast (in lieu of going to the dining room). On embarking you can also sit in Portofino's (after getting your lunch in the Windjammer) and they will serve you drinks (soda, water, etc.).

 

We found Portofino's great for breakfasts (cooked to order) and a great way to start the day. You can also order off the dining room menu and have it delivered to your cabin (during the time the dining room is open). We've ordered breakfast and dinner and it worked quite well. Have a great time on your cruise.

 

Thanks Scooter for taking time to answer this question. Having never sailed in a suite, I did not know the answer.

 

Cindy

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

We exited the ship and walked up the pier, through security where a dog was sniffing out (I was thinking drugs) FOOD. They were making folks open their bags and throw away fresh fruit and food items that had brought from the ship. The reason for this is so that no insects or diseased are introduced into their country that could harm their economy or health.

 

We walked through the port area and past all the long lines of people waiting for RCI excursions to gather and leave. We headed through the terminal, out the front door and down the sidewalk to the street. We crossed the street and met in front of Marti Sports which is just across the road from the International Terminal building. We paid our balance and met our guide Francisco. Francisco was 26 years old and born and raised in Cozumel. He previously worked in a resort in Cozumel and had only been working for this company for a few weeks. He was very nice and eager to please. Originally I had wanted to go to San Gervasio to the ruins but that was an additional $10pp and would eat up a lot of our time so we opted out of that.

 

Our first stop was in a remote area that we would have never seen on our own. I'm not even sure that it has a name but it was a small lake that was made from a meteor hitting the earth. It is home to crocodiles, although we didn't see any. There are also underwater caves that divers come to and swim under the land portion to the water on the other side.

 

 

 

As we drove along the ocean we saw this submarine which is used for guided tours.

 

 

Our first "real" stop was at a beach club called Uvas. I forgot to mention in my description of our tour that you have the opportunity to snorkel during the tour and the equipment is included in the price of the tour. This is the beach where that takes place.

 

 

This beach is also used by several of the vendors for private tours. We saw buses and mini-buses as well as jeep tours and buggy tours all stopping while we were here. There is a bar area, hammocks, chairs, umbrellas, massages on the beach, a few gift shops and music going on. It would be a fun place to hang out for an hour or so on the tour or all afternoon if you had no where else to be.

 

The beach area:

 

 

There were also clear kayak tours ($) but I'm not sure if they were available to rent from the beach club or if they were part of an organized tour. There really was no "beach" as in sand, to speak of. It was pretty rocky so if you plan to snorkel here you might want to bring water shoes.

 

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

We probably spent around 30 minutes here just looking around and taking in the shaded areas.

 

 

 

 

The next area that we drove through was the area that was first occupied in Cozumel. It was interesting to see.

 

 

I learned that there are two different types of coconut trees here. One produce yellow coconuts and the other one produces green.

 

 

This was a large tree and although it had no leaves on it anywhere it was covered in these beautiful blooms.

 

 

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[irishgal432]

Thanks Scooter for taking time to answer this question. Having never sailed in a suite, I did not know the answer.

 

Cindy

 

 

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Thanks for the info. We will be boarding late around 1:30 and I was afraid the Windjammer would be crazy, so it will be nice to be able to go into Portofinos.

[ace1zoe2]

The fruit on this tree is used locally to make gum.

 

 

We continued south to Punta Sur which is the southernmost point in Mexico. After stopping for our driver to pay our entrance fee we continued to the Columbia Lagoon which is home to all types of water foul and over 200 crocodile... although we didn't see any ourselves, Francisco assured us that they are there.

 

 

 

 

We parked on the side of the dirt road and entered the lagoon area by crossing a long wooden bridge where we spent 20 minutes or so trying to spot a crocodile without success. We did however see these needle-nosed fish in the clear water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited January 15, 2015 by ace1zoe2

[ace1zoe2]

At the end of the long bridge there is an observation tower which you can climb to get a better view of the area.

 

 

 

 

If you take a close look near the center of the next picture you will see a pink "bird" just above the tree-line. That was a flamingo!

 

 

Below are examples of different types of coral found in the area.

 

 

The shoreline was back across the dirt road. I zoomed in on this picture from the observation tower. The coastline is very rocky and the surf was rough.

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

Further south on the tip of Punta Sur is the Celerain Lighthouse which you can climb to get a fantastic view of the area.

 

 

As we left the lagoon area we were treated to these Mayan ruins/remains. Francisco said that this was their communication system back in the day. They would build a fire inside and sent smoke signals out through the stack to the approaching boats or tribes. I've also read that this was an early "storm detection system" in which when the wind blows through it would make horn sounds like blowing through a Conch shell. The more severe the storm and higher the winds the louder the warning.

 

 

We continued down the dirt road to the point where the Faro Celerain lighthouse was located.

 

 

We parked the Jeep and stepped outside to find this little fellow:

 

 

We walked around to the other side towards the lighthouse and ran into this guy:

 

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

Did any of you ever see the Adam Sandler movie, Mr. Deeds? Remember the butler that worked for Deeds that was never seen or heard but anytime he needed him he was there and he would say "sneaky-sneaky"... that is exactly how Francisco was.

 

No matter where we stopped, as soon as we got out of the Jeep, he left us alone. If we looked for him we would see him otherwise we never knew that he was around. We would explore, walk around, look, take pictures and when we started back towards the Jeep he would be right there with us! It was that way all day long.

 

We headed up the 133 steps to the top of the lighthouse, and after stopping to catch our breath a couple times were rewarding with some great views.

 

 

Once you reach the top you are literally next to the light and you must bend down and go out the opening which is about waste high. Then you have to go back in the same way that you came out.

 

 

In this next picture you can get a view from the top of the lighthouse. On the left is the lagoon area and on the right is the ocean.

 

 

And this is another Mayan ruin that is right next to the lighthouse:

 

 

This is the small market area that is set up on the edge of the low forest area just outside the lighthouse:

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

This part of the beach was pretty sandy but the surf was pretty rough. The sand was really deep and soft.

 

 

 

Then we each had to have our picture made at the "southern-most" spot in Mexico so that we could prove that we'd "been there, done that".

 

 

Some of the local vegetation:

 

 

There were iguanas everywhere of all sizes:

 

 

Next to the lighthouse there was a small Maritime museum but we did not take the time to go through it.

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

A close up of the Mayan ruins just across the path from from the lighthouse:

 

 

Just behind the museum was this covered area with swings and hammocks:

 

 

And then there is a path that winds through a visual display of how Tequila is made from the agave plant.

 

 

 

This small hut was to the side:

 

 

I peered inside to find the Nativity scene:

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

 

I continued down the path to the water. It was gorgeous!

 

 

 

After about 30 minutes we lode back up in the Jeep an headed down the coastline again. We passed the blow-hole area which we saw but didn't stop to take pictures. We did stop at another area and I got out and took a few pictures. Hubby stayed in this time as he had been feeling under the weather for a couple of days. After I got out on the beach I could see people climbing his large formation which had a Mexico flag planted in the top. Everyone was taking selfies with the flag & the ocean in the background. I would have liked one with hubby... maybe next time.

 

 

 

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

Our next stop was for lunch at the La Palapa de San Martin which is road side restaurant and bar. Francisco promised us they had the best chicken fajitas on the island. Lunch was included in our tour costs. Drinks were not. I was REALLY wanting a sangria but they didn't serve sangria. Second choice was a frozen pina colada but they had no frozen drinks either. Later Francisco explained that most of the smaller places on this side of the island don't have electricity and that is why there are not frozen drinks... no blenders.

 

 

 

The view from the open air deck. The ocean was literally across the road.

 

 

After lunch (which was some of the best chicken fajitas we've ever had) we walked across the street and out on to the sand and surf.

 

 

 

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

Francisco told me after lunch that he had somewhere else that he wanted to take me for a great view and to get my Sangria! We traveled on down the coastline to another huge bar at the top of hill on the edge of the water called Coconuts.

 

 

 

 

 

This is what a $9USD Sangria looks like. It wasn't even that great unfortunately. Maybe because on our most recent cruise was in Italy/France/Spain and we were on the hunt for the best Sangria... they were so much better there and SO much cheaper!

 

 

There were even two resident parrots on site.

 

 

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Edited January 16, 2015 by ace1zoe2

[melk71]

Wow, those are really beautiful pictures. So interesting to see the other side of the island, it looks really pretty and undisturbed. I didn't realize they didn't have electricity.

 

When you say you were at the southernmost point in Mexico, did you mean in Cozumel?

 

It looks like you got a really nice tour from Francisco!

[ace1zoe2]

We probably had about an hour left of our tour but hubby was feeling worse (cough & cold) so we decided to head back to the ship. We took a drive down the main drag on the way back to the port area. This nautical-themed tree was still up in town.

 

 

The rest of these pics were taken from our balcony of the port area and of Vision of the Seas & Carnival Sensation heading out ahead of us.

 

 

 

 

The pilot boat headed out to meet Vision to pick up the pilot who was onboard.

 

 

Two ships passing in the night...

 

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

Wow, those are really beautiful pictures. So interesting to see the other side of the island, it looks really pretty and undisturbed. I didn't realize they didn't have electricity.

 

When you say you were at the southernmost point in Mexico, did you mean in Cozumel?

 

It looks like you got a really nice tour from Francisco!

 

Yes, sorry, you are correct. I meant southernmost point in Cozumel. Thanks for setting me straight on that. Trying to keep everything straight in my head a week after it happened is not working out to well for me :)

 

 

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[ace1zoe2]

That's it for our day in Cozumel. We had a pretty relaxed evening just having dinner and then turned in early so hubby could get some rest. Up tomorrow is our behind the scenes "All Access Tour". Hopefully I can get this report finished before the weekend is over.

 

Thanks for sticking with me until the end :)

Cindy

 

 

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[irishgal432]

The Jeep tour looked great. I think we will do it. Did you tell your guide where you wanted to go or did he have it pre planned for you?

[ace1zoe2]

The Jeep tour looked great. I think we will do it. Did you tell your guide where you wanted to go or did he have it pre planned for you?

 

 

Irishgal,

 

I told him where we wanted to go. There is a list of options on their website or you could just tell them you want to hit all the highlights. However that includes stuff like the shopping areas & tequila tour (which you may be interested in but we were not).

 

If you get some place that doesn't interest you just tell them you're ready to go on. It's your day to do whatever you want to do!

 

Cindy

 

 

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