Our unBELIZEable, MAGICal Cruise (and one "Dude, you are SO busted!" moment)

[LibratPDX]

So I looked for your sunburn remedy and am having a hard time finding it in the US. Where do you usually but it from? Online, duty free, department store? Thanks for the help!

 

I found it on eBay but it's from the UK

[SenatorsFan]

I found it on eBay but it's from the UK

 

I see it on Amazon and available for shipping to Canada and the U.S..

Heather

[teknoge3k]

Good review, we just did this itinerary in May on the Magic. Had a blast!

[LuckyStar]

We got Blue Bell here in Colorado now. I'm originally from Texas so I, too, am over the moon. They even invented a flavor for us: Rocky Mountain Road and it is divine.

[SRQbeachgirl]

So I looked for your sunburn remedy and am having a hard time finding it in the US. Where do you usually but it from? Online, duty free, department store? Thanks for the help!

 

We get it on Amazon and it comes from Europe. We used to get it from a department store in Dallas, but haven't seen it anywhere except online in years.

[SRQbeachgirl]

Roatan

 

So, remember when I listed our “initial” plans for shore excursions? Well, Roatan was one of those that didn’t turn out as expected. We were booked on the Dolphin Swim and Snorkel excursion through Carnival, which involved an opportunity to snorkel with a pod of dolphin at Anthony Key Resort. We were supposed to leave at 11:30am.

 

I got up early and enjoyed a beautiful morning as we pulled into Roatan. It was fascinating to watch as the ship was backed in to the dock area. The Breeze was already in port and we ended up docked stern-to-bow with her. Then I woke up DH and DS and we went to breakfast in the Lido Café while most passengers were rushing to get off the ship. After a leisurely breakfast, we went back to the cabin. Unfortunately, there was a letter in our mailbox informing us that our excursion had been canceled. It seems one of the dolphins in the pod had prematurely delivered a baby dolphin that morning and the staff was working to ensure the health and safety of the newest pod member. We were offered the ability to do a dolphin encounter, where we could do the basic dolphin interaction, but we had really only been interested in the snorkeling opportunity. We were a little disappointed, but babies come when they're good and ready and don't care what everyone's plans are (been there, done that!).

 

I went down to the shore excursion desk to arrange our refund, which was applied to our OBC. I also went ahead and arranged for a snorkeling excursion for the next day in Costa Maya. We hadn’t planned anything originally for that port, but since our Roatan excursion was canceled we decided we wanted to add an excursion.

 

Once that was done, I went back to the cabin and we decided to go wander around the Mahogany Bay port area. It was miserably hot and humid,so we basically spent our time going from one air-conditioned shop to the next without spending much time outside. I bought a pair of Reef flip flops for a ridiculously low price, which came in handy because I was getting a blister from the ones I had brought on the cruise. We eventually got tired of shopping and went back to the ship for a late lunch.

 

I have to take a moment to mention the cakes in the Lido Café. Not only are they gorgeous, but YUM! They had a chocolate cake that was so good I had to stop myself from diving face-first into it.

 

After lunch (and a second helping of the chocolate cake) we went back to the cabin, where we briefly thought about changing into swimsuits and going over to the beach area. One look out of the windows at the massive crowd over at the beach cured us of that idea. We still changed into our swimsuits, but we went up to the blessedly-empty spa, instead. After all that cake, I’m surprised I didn’t start snoring after spending a few minutes on the thermal lounger. After the loungers we tried the saunas, but I could only stay in there a few minutes. We spent quite a while in the T-Pool, until I was pretty sure my arms and legs had turned the consistency of jello.

 

We finally went back to the cabin, took showers, and then I grabbed my book (I was on my second book of the cruise by now) and headed out to the balcony. As I was sitting there reading, something caught my eye and I looked down to the water, where sea turtles were swimming around! I called DH and DS out to the balcony and we spent about an hour watching the turtles swim around in the clear water between the ship pier and the shoreline.

 

Later we went to dinner in the MDR, where escargot was on the menu. I love escargot! It didn’t disappoint and I had two orders of it.

 

We spent the evening walking around, listening to music, and making our obligatory evening stop for soft serve. Then we went back to the cabin, where I did some more reading and DH and DS watched something on tv before we turned in for the night. Our excursion was leaving early the next morning, so we turned in about midnight.

 

Next stop, Costa Maya.

 

[KarimaJ]

We don’t have Blue Bell in MA. I’ll have to try it next time I’m traveling [emoji16]

 

 

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[CruiseMomTX]

We get it on Amazon and it comes from Europe. We used to get it from a department store in Dallas, but haven't seen it anywhere except online in years.

 

Thanks! I saw it on Amazon but never sure if its the real product but now I know it is.

[Hogladyrider]

Loving your review!

 

Roatan - we love that Carnival developed Mahogany Bay. We bypass all the shops and walk right to the beach. We head all the way to the end of the beach near the dock. At the end of the dock there is great snorkeling.

 

When there is only one ship in port there are plenty of people on the beach so I can't imagine how crowded the beach is with two ships in port - too crowded for our tastes, we also would stay on board and enjoy a relatively empty ship!

 

Same thing happens in Grand Turk, with more than one ship in port the beach is way too crowded.

 

Looking forward to reading more of your review!

[robertlanajean]

Surprised I haven't seen a Whataburger mention with the Texas favorites.

[jmcancruise]

Thank you so much for your review. We sail in just 25 short days so I really am needing my cruise fix.

[Silent Penguin]

I'm really enjoying your account of your cruise. Personally, I'm indifferent to Blue Bell ice cream, although our friends who moved up here from Texas think it's the greatest thing, but ice cream preference is a subjective thing. You certainly didn't fail us with the "busted dude" story. Holy crap! What **** heads. I'm glad they were caught. Funny, in our family, we have both a bold whistle-blower (of whom I am proud) and one on whom the whistle has been blown. I hope you're right about those fools getting kicked off the ship and, since I am the eternal optimist, I also hope that they learned their lesson.

[SRQbeachgirl]

Costa Maya

 

You may remember that we hadn’t initially planned to do anexcursion in Costa Maya, but we decided to book one after our Roatan excursionwas canceled. We chose the Catamaran Sail, Snorkel & Beach Excursion, sinceit left early and got back in plenty of time for us to wander around the port aftersnorkeling.

 

We got up early and…okay, let me rephrase that. I got upearly and sat on the balcony as we pulled into port. Then I got DH up and weboth had to cajole, beg, threaten, drag DS out of bed. Such is life with a19-year old. :rolleyes:

 

We got ready, grabbed our snorkel gear and headed out to getsomething for breakfast. We walked out to the pool area and saw that the Lidodeck had been invaded overnight by towel animals. They were everywhere. Therewere towel people. Towel bears. Towel pigs. Towel elephants. Towel dogs. Towelalligators. Towel swans. Towel monkeys. Towel hippos. There was a towel personor towel animal in every single chair or lounger on the Lido deck. It was atowel-tastic extravaganza!

 

After taking pictures of the towel explosion, we hurried toget breakfast since we were now running really late. We ate quickly and made itout to the pier and then walked…and walked…and walked…that pier is long! Wecould see a tram at the far end, but it didn’t seem to be running.

 

We finally made it into the port area and were directed to aline for our excursion. After a few minutes, they led us out to a coach buswhich then took us through the town of Mahahual. The guide pointed out a beachhotel where we would have the opportunity to spend time after snorkeling if wewanted, though the sight of a guy hauling seaweed from the beach in a wheelbarrowwas a good indication that it might not be the best idea. The bus took us to a smallpier where the catamaran was docked. We got off the bus and were hit with a nauseatingwave of seaweed and dead fish smell.

 

Fortunately, once we boarded the boat and got away fromshore, the smell went away. The snorkeling was pretty good, though not as goodas we’d had in Belize. We did see some rays and a couple of lobster, but thewater was a little murky and I kept getting tangled up in floating seaweed.

 

When we were done snorkeling, the guides offered us theoption of going back to port or going to the beach hotel. We chose the port. Wewere put in taxis that were lined up waiting for us and a few minutes later wewere back at Costa Maya. We walked around the shops for a while, then headedback to the ship for lunch. Fortunately, the pier tram was running and we wereable to ride back.

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the spa thermal suiteand reading on our balcony. We went to dinner in the main MDR, listened to somemusic, and walked around the Promenade deck to watch a beautiful sunset. Later, DH and DS watched a movie on thecabin TV and I sat on the balcony and read, then we made a pizza and soft serverun around midnight.

 

Next, our last day at sea. :loudcry:

[Mizchief224]

Loving your review. Did you notice that the ship was slower than normal? I read somewhere that 2 of the engines were down at one point. I didn't know if they had fixed them or not. We sail on her in October.

[SRQbeachgirl]

Loving your review. Did you notice that the ship was slower than normal? I read somewhere that 2 of the engines were down at one point. I didn't know if they had fixed them or not. We sail on her in October.

 

We didn't notice it being slow and actually commented a couple of times that we were making really good time when we looked at our progress on the map.