Mitsugirly BREAKAWAYs for a summer cruise: Review/Pictorial

[mitsugirly]

UPDATE ON MY LEG....

 

Scroll past this section if you don't want to see the gory.

 

I had my follow-up appointment this morning.

 

They removed the dressing...to reveal this ugly looking leg now...

 

 

The right side of my leg...plate with screws to stabilize the bone so that the bone that is broken higher up on my leg will heal and also I had ligament damage down that side and the plate would help the ligament stay in place and heal as well.

 

The white spot is from the blood draining down my leg and pooling on my heel. It has been bothering me and very numb...but not your "fell asleep" type of numb, more like the feeling your feet gets when they've been in wet shoes for awhile and wrinkled up and turned white type of numb. Now it all makes sense to me why it was feeling this way.

 

 

 

On the left side of my leg is another plate and screws to repair the ankle and fractures on that side. There was also extensive ligament damage for the ligament that runs up between the tib and fib and they had to screw through the bones to stabilize them together.

 

 

 

As you can see I have a fracture blister. This can happen over areas of a break where there is very little subcutaneous tissue between the bone and skin.

 

The black mark on my leg is where the break was protruding right under my skin (from the previous pictures when I first did it). The doctor said he was shocked that it was not an open fracture and sometimes you get these broken skin area's where the bone is sitting just under the surface of the skin but for some reason it did not break the skin...but might as well have done it. He said the deadening of skin at that area is normal under these circumstances.

 

 

 

 

 

Xray of my new internals I'm sporting...

 

 

 

 

 

This is the xray and the red lines are where the ligaments were torn and mangled. The one ligament goes up between the tib and fib in the middle, therefore the screws(2 of them) were placed (longways in the picture) to stabilize that area for the ligaments to heal and stay put.

 

The line on the right side of the picture was another ligament that was torn and mangled out of place and they used a plate and this U shaped plate holder to pull the ligament to where it supposed to be at and hold in place (you can see the little curve at the bottom on the right with a screw into the bone and it goes up the tibia. This was the area that my ankle was "chopped" in previous xrays.

 

 

 

 

 

Now in 4 months, I will require another surgery to remove the 2 screws in the middle, holding the tib and fib together and stabilizing the ligament down the middle of them and also remove the plate on the fibula.

 

As for now, I am in a cast for the next week to continue to allow for healing.

 

 

 

 

They had such a variety of cast colors and I picked: purple, pink or orange out of all of them. I allowed Sakari to decide which one out of those 3 colors. She decided on.....

 

 

 

 

 

So I'm now the owner of a bright neon pink can-see-you-a-mile-away cast announcing to the world I made an idiot mistake. Thanks Sakari for that notification to everyone that comes in contact with me. LOL

 

 

 

 

 

This cast will stay on until next week and then it will be removed and the stitches taken out. I believe he said a walking boot after that...but of course no walking involved with the walking boot...for at least 2 months for now.

 

 

 

[Krisco]

Ah Kim, feel so bad for you.  Thanks for sharing I love to see that. Same thing happened to me 5 years ago.  X-rays look the same as does the carnage!  I was walking over a chain draped over a driveway entry and did same thing. Right foot got over, but left foot got caught.  I am leery about even walking over a nylon rope now!  Hang in there.  This is the worst part.  Once you get a boot it feels so much better but I cried a lot taking sponge baths until I could get it wet. Invest or borrow a shower seat. That was the best.  Taking the screws out was just an outpatient procedure so not bad.  As for your question on metal detectors, not sure if airport will set them off, but I also have an artificial hip and that sets off in airport but that and ankle hardware do NOT set off sensors on cruise terminal or getting back on the ship so you should be good there.  

I got a little shower basket zip tied to the handles of my scooter and it helped carry things around.  I was back to work but have an office job in a few days and zipped around but I could drive as it was my left ankle.  It's a long time healing and it stinks.  Hang in there.

[jbhcw]

All I can say is Oh My...Oh My...you certainly did a number on your ankle/leg....I am an  info person so thanks for the details....interesting to read and pictures are eye opening...medicine can do so much these days!!  But you have a lot of healing to do am sure you're up to it....and.....love the cast color...healing thoughts and prayers going out to you.

[mitsugirly]

DAY 5: COSTA MAYA, MEXICO   8-5PM

 

We've been here many times and was looking for something new to do. At first I booked an excursion going to Blue Lagoon. It looked like such a beautiful place and had kayaking and so on. It's also called 7 color lagoon because of the various beautiful colors you will find there. However, I decided to let Sakari pick what she wanted to do. After all, it's all about the kids and their enjoyment while on vacation and I want her to have wonderful memories to look back on when I'm gone.

 

So, she decided she wanted to go to Maya Lost Maya Kingdom right there close to the port...the water park they built a few years ago. Since she has turned into this daredevil lately, she wanted to go for the zip lines and water slides. She promised that she would "do them all". Yea...we'll see about that once she see's just how big and tall they are in person. It's pretty expensive there but hey...whatever makes her happy and has a memorable time I guess.

 

I booked the excursion using NCL. It's the same price as if you pay at the doors so I figured why not. The cost is $99 per adult and $89 for a child. So, a total of $287 worth of fun was thrown out of my pocket for the day. Since it was so close to the port, I knew we would have very little time lost in getting there and back from the port (unlike the Blue Lagoon, which was over an hour drive each way). So, we'd at least get to make the most of our time there and get our monies worth...even if it involved her chickening out and just using it as a pool and lazy river day. Now for some reason when I booked with NCL, the total cost ended up being $267.20. Loving a discount, even if it's only $19.80.

 

 

We scoured the internet looking at pictures and videos of the place (and their official website) and the more I looked, the more I was glad we booked this place. It looked really cool and I knew we were going to have a good time. As the months went by, it was all Sakari could talk about. She asked every day on the cruise "is this the day we get to go to the water park and zip lining?" Well...the day was finally here that I could tell her "YES!"

 

I know a lot of people on these boards don't like the place because it's not your "true authentic" idea of visiting a port and what Costa Maya is like. It's a commercialized place and not the "real deal". But, that's ok. It's our vacation and it's what would make our daughter happy, then I'm going to do it. We've been to plenty of places in Costa Maya including Blue Kay several times (my favorite but has been changing over the years), Nohoch Kay (which I honestly didn't care for even though many enjoy it here on the boards), Maya Chan (popular with the boards and the food and place is amazing...but I don't care for the brown murky looking water) and Almaplena (gorgeous beach and water but didn't care for the food we had). To me, the Malecon is the Malecon no matter where you go...and I honestly don't care for the Malecon other than Blue Kay and I feel that it has run it's course with us now. So....off to do something new and exciting...even if it's commercialized. 🙂

 

[mitsugirly]

Even though there wasn't really a "set time" to get up and get there, we got up as early as we could and hit the breakfast line.

 

 

 

 

Pulling into port...

 

 

 

 

 

We were in port with Liberty OTS and Carnival Breeze (my favorite of Carnival but Horizon is too). It would be the first time we have ever been in port with other ships (that I can remember, but I may be wrong) and we got the closest parking spot this time around too. Woo hoo! LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The port at Costa Maya is a beautiful port. They have done so many changes since we first start going there and the entire port has been revamped several years ago. I just love this port and the decor. It's probably my favorite as far as the way it looks.

 

This was new since last time...it would be cool if they did that all the way down the pier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beach at the port. Everyone is always asking about it and I've never really taken a good look at it. I know it's not much and very little space for anyone and it's also not a "beach" exactly nor can you go into the water. But here's a picture of the area (I have more on the way back to port that day).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now this port is very aggravating when it comes to trying to get out of it. You used to just walk down, in front of the buildings, all the way to the end and go out. Now you are twisting and turning and it goes back and forth and along the waterfront and every building in the port before being able to get out. I hate it. They really want you to go by everything and buy "stuff". You have every person asking you to come in and buy things and every restaurant trying to guide you in to be seated to eat. I just kept saying "Do you realize we all just ate breakfast?????" Geesh!

 

 

But we finally made it out...

 

[LeesaB]

Oh yay!  We're planning on going here next spring break.  We were staring at the giant mountain while on board the ship waiting to leave on our last cruise to Costa Maya  and once I realized what it was I pointed at it and said "THAT'S what we're doing next time."  The kids are going to have a blast.

[mitsugirly]

Outside of the port is a turn around area for taxi's/shuttles and so on.

 

It didn't seem like the shuttles were running yet (was $3 pp to use but I'm not sure if that's still the same or not) but our tickets said that included transportation (using this shuttle I'm sure) but it wasn't until 9:45am. I wasn't about to wait that long to get there. That meant an arrival time of around 10am. No thank you.

 

 

So my plans were to just walk there. We've done it before and it's a fairly easy walk...only it was very hot and humid out.

 

 

 

 

 

If you cross over, into the middle of the street, you'll find a sidewalk to walk on. There's several places that are covered and will keep you out of the sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you get to the end of the street, you will see this...

 

 

 

 

 

Traffic goes around this and heads off either right or left. Once we got there, I looked around like...Hmmm, where do we go now? It's different when you are on the ship and can see the park towering over everything, but on land, I thought you would still see it and you couldn't so I wasn't sure.

 

We stopped to ask a local and he pointed ------>  So right we went down the street. I figured that way but it was just too hot to be guessing at that point.

 

This is what you see when you look right....can't see the towering zip lines or water slides.

 

 

 

 

 

Walking along the street...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

We have arrived...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course as soon as we arrived, a huge bus of people pulled up and jumped out (we are talking huge bus like a Greyhound) and that stuck us close to the end. We waited out in the hot sun and waited and waited. We seen some people with Royal Caribbean tickets and assumed that's who got off the bus. They started having us fill out the waiver form while we stood in line. Then they started taking people from BEHIND us around and into the line right by the windows where you check in. Um...ok.

 

Then before long, another bus pulls up (smaller) and I assume that might have been the NCL bus or Carnival. I did see a few people with NCL tickets, but they were a totally different color than ours and I have no idea what the difference was. I also seen them pull some people up in line and when I turned around and looked behind us, there was no longer a line and we were last. Now wait a minute. I flagged down a worker and showed her we already had tickets and didn't need to buy any. She said we were in the right line and everyone had to check in at the ticket office for wrist bands. Grrr

 

 

Finally we got checked in and entered the park. I know it seemed like forever when we were standing in the sun and heat, but honestly it was probably maybe a 15 minute wait. We just happened to be the ones stuck behind a family of 13...go figure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iguana's were everywhere...I guess this was their park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

Well this is an interesting flower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the pools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

We decided not to stop at the first pool and head on back. It wasn't very crowded yet...thank goodness.

 

 

There are several pools in the back and we decided we wanted to be back that way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found a row of chairs with no one in that section yet. We decided this is where we would claim our stake for the day.

 

 

 

 

 

Later in the day people around us would come and go but it never felt too crowded for some reason. Maybe they were all off doing the water park and zip lining.

 

 

 

 

 

This was our view from the chairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Suna]

Oh wow ... that foot! 

[mitsugirly]

It took less than 30 minutes for Sakari to start jumping up and down wanting to head to the zip lines. I had already jumped in the pool to cool down from the walk here and standing in line. So, since I had cooled down, I figured why not. More and more people would be coming in and we might as well start now before it got crowded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We headed to the pyramid and knew that had to be the place to go for all the fun since everything seemed to be protruding out of every orifice of it from above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside this place was really cool and so many things to see. It was just really neat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lazy river comes inside this huge pyramid as well.

 

 

 

 

 

There were so many things to do...different water slides, different paths to go on the zip lines. We knew we wanted to start with the zip lines and then had to decide which zip line to do first. We decided to go all out and just started with the highest and longest. I mean why not? It was time to test Sakari and see if she was really a "big girl now" that had conquered her fears. 😄

 

 

 

Now they did say that if you want to do them all, you could do one and go right back up and do the rest. No need to wait in line again. They said it's best to do it that way and get it out of the way.

 

 

They also have a roller coaster zip line...interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now the GREAT NEWS....you take an elevator up!!! No worrying about having to walk flights and flights of stairs. They had 2 elevators and you push the button to what floor you want off at depending on the slide or zip line. I thought that was pretty cool.

 

Now if you are zip lining, you are fitted for your equipment and it is put on prior to getting on the elevator.

 

If you are doing the water park, the mats and everything needed for the ones that require you go down on a mat are upstairs and you pick them up before getting on the water ride.

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

So let the fun begin....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now just a few things...

 

The "rules" that are posted everywhere say no camera's allowed and to lock things up in the lockers while riding. However, the hubby...is a rule breaker, and he said "it'll be alright, we are taking it". They seen us with the camera and didn't say a word. So, it's my understanding that it has to have a way to be secured. Mine is secured with a strap that WILL NOT come off. So, I guess that's allowed. The workers made comments about if we lost it, they were retrieve it and keep it and they needed a new camera anyhow. LOL

 

Another thing is...I was all excited about taking an elevator up to start the zip lines, however...I would find that with each zip line, you are walking a winding circular staircase back up at each platform. LOL I got my workout that day for sure!

 

 

Next, they made us go tandem with Sakari on several of the zip lines. I'm not sure why. They seem to think she would be too light and not make it to the end. I believe she's almost, if not, 100 pounds now. There's probably lighter and shorter adults than her. Do they tandem with others if that's the case? But, she didn't put up too much of a fight about it. Eventually she got to go on her own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great view from above...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

So here we are.... 8 years later....

 

From 3 years old on her first zip line in the rain forest of Belize

 

 

 

To 11 years old in Costa Maya and concurring her fears of doing it again.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh that staircase....whew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No hands!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

So here is a compiled video of our zip lining. It's about 7 minutes long and has various clips of us on different zip lines. Toward the end, you'll see how you end the zip line....in water. It's a lot of fun. But they take the lines and pull you up....then down and BAM, you get soaked. At the very end of the video is the "roller coaster" zip line. It's pretty cool and I hadn't even heard of this until now. It also ends in the water. The only thing is....you get turned around at the landing in the water, then dipped, which makes your bottoms come down for us girls.  😲    Also, at the very end of the roller coaster "dunk" in the water, my fish eye decided to pop off in the water. The worker retrieved it for me and nothing was harmed thank goodness.

 

 

 

 

[SenatorsFan]

Wow, you really did a good job on your leg and ankle! 😲 I have one lovely 7-inch scar from my ankle up the centre of my leg. I did set off metal detectors in airports at first and had to step aside for the wand, but I never set anything off on a ship. I used to just point at the scar before I even stepped through. Now I don't set anything off and my doc said it's because tissue has grown around the plate and screws. Yes, I still have all my hardware.

I can't believe how grown up Sakari looks in that beautiful dress. And, thanks for the reminder of how cute she was at age 3!

Heather

[mitsugirly]

After completing that first round of zip lines, I decided that I had had enough of it. I told Sakari and daddy if they wanted to continue they could, but I was going to sit the rest out. I was tired from climbing and just wanted to get in the pool and relax a bit. The zip lines really did take a lot of time to complete. My guess is maybe 1 - 1 1/2 hours to do all of them in the longest zip line and the roller coaster. I'm not sure how long the other was but I knew at this point, I didn't want to dedicate another hour long to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's one other thing I want to mention...we ran all over this place with bare feet. There are walkways everywhere, some are hot and you needed to get off into the sand or dip your feet into water along the way, but the texture of the walkways seem to bother my feet throughout the day. By the end of the day, the bottom of my feet were hurting and felt funny...almost like you are walking on stones or rough pavement all day...and my feet felt like they were going to end up with blisters. The only time that I have ever had this "feeling" is when swimming in a pool that is concrete all day and they feel like they will blister up. Now mind you, I have grown up running barefooted as a child...I can walk or run on gravel with no issues. I do not have a tender foot. My feet are not even ticklish. But this place bothered me...which is strange for me.

 

After returning home (and still to this day) the bottom of my feet are peeling. They don't hurt or anything...they are just peeling...just like my arms and back. LOL I didn't get a chance to use the pumice stone on them to remove most of the dead skin after returning because of my accident. You talk about some itchy feet (foot) in my cast now. Sigh!

 

So, my offerings of suggestion to you...if you have water shoes, wear them. LOL If not, you've been warned.

 

Back at our prime pool location we had our server bringing us drinks over and over. It was SO GOOD and ice cold. During the day, they got a little warmer so he would bring cups with ice. He kept us going all day long and was great.

 

Daddy decided to go somewhere and for the life of me I don't remember where, but Sakari and I took off to the lazy river because lazy is exactly what I needed at this point.

 

When we entered, they let us know it was about a 20 minute ride. Ahhhh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just love lazy rivers and this one was nicely landscaped and had different things to look at. There were iguanas baking in the sun all around too. They had props here and there, places that shot out water, waterfalls you go under, bubbles under your bottom and so on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then there were the ropes hanging. Oh how Sakari loved these things. She'd stop herself and start swinging around until she'd be going in a circle real fast and then let go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

A waterfall going into the pyramid....save the eyelashes....aaaaahhhhhhh. There was no going around it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An unsuspected water spout that shoots out at you as you are going by...

 

 

Perfect shot!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm hearing some type of tribal music...I'm starting to get worried...oh no

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why am I hearing the roar of a very big kitty now? I'm scared....Sakari....save me!

 

 

 

 

 

Oh mom...it's just a jaguar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Zippeedee]

I love all your photos and clear descriptions. No one ever shows you the looooong walk out of the port area!

 

You mentioned you are Platinum on NCL. That discount for your tickets was the 10% platinum discount. Every little bit helps!  

 

Just a couple of things from your post about all the changes on the Breakaway. Margaritaville is still open for breakfast without a charge. It is just a smaller buffet but much less crowded.  Ice and towel animals are "by request" now. Every ship seems to be a little bit different in what they are enforcing from what I've read.  Stewards seem to be told to be "out of view". I didn't meet my steward on the Getaway this year until the sixth day of a ten day cruise! She did a great job but I just never saw her.

 

Can't wait to read about the rest of your trip. I hope you are healing well (despite how it looks!)

[mitsugirly]

There's an area that splits off, you go right or left...I went right and Sakari's water took her left. Oops. I guess I had the more "interesting route" according to Sakari.

 

 

 

 

We met back up in the middle...

 

 

 

She was just having the time of her life. I knew from all the smiles I was getting that day that we had made the absolute best choice to come here during port day in Costa Maya.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All good things must come to an end....and the "ride" was over. We had a blast and it was relaxing.

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Here's a short (less than a minute) video of our lazy river time...

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Ok, laying down for a little bit. My leg is swelling despite having it elevated while I sit here. I'll return in a little bit. 

 

I hope you are enjoying our day in Costa Maya as much as we did....well, I know that's not possible but still. 😄

[MamatoJack]

Just now, mitsugirly said:

Ok, laying down for a little bit. My leg is swelling despite having it elevated while I sit here. I'll return in a little bit. 

 

I hope you are enjoying our day in Costa Maya as much as we did....well, I know that's not possible but still. 😄

 

It looks exactly like something my son would love to do. Though I suspect he'd have a hard time with the ziplines (he's 4'9" but barely 70 lbs still) and I'm more of a waterslide person I think 🙂 

 

Hope you leg feels better soon. 

[dcipjr]

Kim, only you would write a review of breaking your leg in addition to the cruise review—that, ladies and gentlemen, is serious commitment to CruiseCritic!

 

Thanks for coming back and writing a new NCL review! It has certainly been a while—it's unbelievable how grown-up Sakari is. I remember her as being really little.

 

I found your experience on the Breakaway interesting; last time we were on her (2017), we noticed that the staff seemed a bit more run-down than usual. We since were on the Escape and the Gem, and didn't encounter that at all. Maybe it's just the Breakaway? Strange...

 

I was wondering—you guys have been cruising with Sakari since she was pretty little, and if memory serves you typically cruise in inside cabins. How did you handle early bedtimes when she was young? Our daughter will be 2 in October, and has been on 2 cruises already, but we've always wound up springing for the bigger cabin, all the while wondering how we would fare in a small inside cabin. Maybe Sakari had a late bedtime?

[LuCruise]

1 hour ago, mitsugirly said:

So here we are.... 8 years later....

 

From 3 years old on her first zip line in the rain forest of Belize

 

 

 

To 11 years old in Costa Maya and concurring her fears of doing it again.

 

 

 

 

 

So I don't usually quote pictures, but the above is awesome!  Look how Sakari has grown!  And OMG, so cute in the first one.  What a brave little girl! 

 

Loving your review as always.  We went to Aqua Adventure Park as well in Costa Maya back in March.  We only did the waterpark part, but looks like you had a blast on the zipline.  Wonderful pictures.  The Lazy River there is pretty cool isn't it?  It's like you're really in a jungle river.  

 

Thanks again for taking us along on your trip.  

Rest up...hope that foot is healing.  Seems to still be quite painful for you (no wonder with that awful break).  May each day be better than the previous.