PrincessArlena'sDad

Back to sea day. Upon our return from the fitness center and freshening up, we went up to Pixels to start going through pictures. On all our previous cruises (including the one on the Horizon), it was not difficult to pick out the handful of pictures we wanted to buy. We didn’t know this: when you pre-buy a package, they will hold all your photos in a folder for you, If you do not have a package, they will not hold your photos in a folder for you. You will have to find them all over again the next time you go. We had pre-purchased the package of 5 photos, but hadn’t looked at the photos yet. If we knew they would hold them for us, we would have. It took a very long time to go through all the photos to find ours. At 5 pm we had to take a break to do the Camp Ocean family scavenger hunt (and were glad they could put all the photos in a folder for us).

Sure. We can make a list. I think we’ll schedule interviews for after Christmas though. It’ll save a lot of money during the holidays!

She said, “Sure!” Maybe we’ll be on the same cruise one day.

Next time we will try to stop for coffee and beignets!

Yes it was. We would absolutely do it again, also.

Then it was was time for lunch. Last day of the cruise appetite! I bet you all thought I would have another Pig Patty from Guys. Nope. I opted for the meatball sub from the deli. With cole slaw. And cake. Got to have cake. Chocolate windmill, to be precise. Time to hit the gym! I used the elliptical again, and I thought my wife would use the machine next to me. Nope. She abandoned me for a treadmill. Karma got her though. For some reason she can’t explain, she kept on bumping the STOP button, turning the treadmill off. She never did this before, and, as you’ve realized, she’s been there quite often. And, yet, she bumped against that STOP button over and over again. It was quite humorous. I guess, though, it’s a good thing the STOP button is sensitive, for safety. Two Playlist dancers were there, also, including the one that ran the dance class. He recognized us and said, “Hi!” I think my wife is going to kill me now. She’s driving in traffic now so that I can write this review. But the battery is about to die. And the charger is in the back where no one can reach. Again. Oh well, see you all later!

Instead of family games on lido, we played Scatterbrained in the Lobby. Scatterbrained is Scatergories without Carnival paying the royalties. Our 11 year old was in Camp Ocean, and the grandparents didn’t feel like playing. My wife, 14 year old, and I played. He created five teams of about 10. This was a blast. Our team were the troublemakers. We gave the fun squad host such a hard time, arguing everything! When the game ended, we were in fourth place, but the top three were tied. We had been going back and forth with two of the top teams, so we all got up and joined the third team to help them! They wound up in 2nd.

Ok, back to sea day. We didn’t want to sleep in too much, and managed to check in to brunch by 9am. This was the the slowest service of the week, and the server was a bit scatterbrained. I carved out with the 12 hour French toast (I liked it the other day), and rewarded myself for carbing out with the banana cream pie. After brunch we did the 70s dance class. This was a lot of fun. They used Disco Inferno (could they get more stereotypical?) After sitting at a long brunch (and huge) it really felt good to move around. Next up was family games on Lido. We went up there and decided we’d rather stay in ac. It’s a funny thing. We walked around in at Alton Ha and the heat didn’t bother us. On the previous cruise we walked around Curaçao, and the heat didn’t bother us. And, a few days prior, we played mini golf just fine. It’s just, sometimes, the heat on Lido, specifically, is very irritating.

We are back from lunch. You’ll have to read on to find out where! My wife volunteered to continue driving so that I could write more here. Thank you! (She’ll be reading this later.) I almost forgot about something! And it’s news breaking! After listening to music in the lobby for a bit we went to see “One Night Only.” According to Johnny, this is a “new initiative” by Carnival, and will be rolling out fleet wide. “One Night Only” is a concert in the main show lounge featuring the ship’s rock band. He said it would be replacing something, but didn’t say what it would be replacing. The only thing I could think of that was missing from the schedule for the week was Quest. We had been listening to them all week, and so we enjoyed this show as well. They are really talented, and it was nice to seem them go all out for a performance in a way that they could never do in the lobby. That said, it was somewhat repetitive, despite the show being a unique set list.

I had my sail and sign card, just not my photo ID. They were checking both coming back to the ship. We each were holding our own sail and sign card for the guard to see us carrying, and my wife was holding everyone’s photo ID (except mine), which she gave to the guard in a stack.

After dinner we went to the family comedy. We got to the Ebony Lounge 15 minutes to showtime, and were lucky to get seats. We did not get seats together, though; we had to separate into three gorups. I can’t remember her name (Thea something), but she was very funny. Her act was complaining about kids today, and singled out a 14 year old girl in the front row, who took it very well. It was also PG-13, not PG. After the show we changed into casual attire, and sat in the lobby listening to music. We tried to get into the adult comedy, but the show was at capacity a half hour before show time. Instead my wife and I enjoyed the aft hot tub. Sorry, whirlpool. Theres a very good reason why they are not called hot tubs. It was a beautiful night, and we had the hot tub (sorry, whirlpool) to ourselves. We thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. Looking back, it turned out to be fortuitous that the Ebony Lounge was full. Next up is our last sea day. We are just a few miles from stopping for lunch. I don’t know who’s taking the next shift. If my wife continues driving, I’ll continue after lunch. If I’m driving, it might be awhile before I continue.

We left the cabin around 5:15 to get pictures taken before dinner. In all of our pre-Covid cruise, the line for pictures on formal night was long at each and every backdrop. That night, though, we never had more than 1 family in front of us. They were able to do all different poses and groupings. Dinner was lobster and prime rib. I had a rather meaty lobster, but my prime rib was slightly undercooked. They mixed up my wife and 14 year old’s lobster plates (they have different allergies - he could eat hers, but she can’t eat his). Of courre my son had eaten his lobster before my wife noticed (she was stil busy with her appetizer)j. Our server’s solution was to give my son the lobster they originally gave to my wife, and got a new one for her. For eating his mother’s lobster, my son got rewarded with an extra lobster (along with his prime rib). No third entree charge.

My wife took our 14 year old and daughter to look around the “village” (and collect charms) while I took the youngest and oldest for lunch. Pig Patty! After lunch, my wife used the gym (she met us on Lido - this wasn’t a plot hole!) and I went with the kid on the water slides, and then spent some time in the pool and hot tub. We then went back to the cabin to rest get ready for formal night. My wife worked n her duo lingo, and then handed the internet off to me to work on this review, but that is when the internet stopped working (of course).

There were no stragglers coming back on board. The ride back was about a half hour, and they went fast. My guess is that they did not take a direct route back. More margaritas, more soda, and more water was available. They then walked around with the pictures they took, already printed. Included were pictures taken at the beach. Pictures were $60 for all of the pictures of us, cash only. We got them. Our stack was about a dozen photos. Some groups had more, some less. All packages were $60 cash. Then the dance party started. Dancing on deck of a catamaran moving at top speed is FUN! Included was the Cupid Shuffle, Macarena, and others. No Alley Cat! Our 14 year old requested the Chicken Dance. They would have, but we were approaching the dock by this time. Everyone had to have a seat while docking. Arrival time was supposed to be 12:30. We were off the catamaran between 12:25 and 12:30. Prompt!

Maybe it depends on how crowded it is? I’m pretty sure the people I saw walking outside the window were guests, but I’m not sure. This was on the way back to the ship, when it was rather crowded inside. We were happy to use the ac in both directions.

It’s a private beach owned by Fury. They are located just south of Playa Mia (I could see their inflatables). I saw four Fury catamarans, and that made up the entire group on the beach. Not crowded would be a vast understatement. I’ve seen more people on the beaches of NY in January. We had almost an hour and a half. I wish it was longer. The bar had margaritas, soda, and water - included and unlimited. More than enough lounge chairs and umbrellas. Restrooms were next to the bar (convenient!). I didn’t see showers, but we had to walk into the thigh deep water to get back onto the catamaran anyway. The sand was grainy, but walkable without shoes, They had really fun inflatables to climb on, including slides and a trampoline. Not as elaborate as Playa Mia, but lots of fun, and more than enough. They also had paddle boards and kayaks - also included. Life vests are required (and included) for the boats and optional for the inflatables. I climbed the inflatables (a 7 year old boy was sitting on top motivating everyone - “You can do it!” And “Don’t give up!” And “Almost there!” And my favorite “If you give up I’m going to come down there and push you into the water!”). I also tried the paddle board, but 10 minutes into it they called our catamaran number for boarding. They have staggered arrivals and departures, which helps to keep the number of people there at once rather low.

The ride to the snorkeling site was pleasant and rather short. They distributed snorkel gear (life jacket, mask, and tube - no fins) and had us sign our lives away. Our 14 year old had a nice surprise - his friend from Circle C was on the excursion with us! We arrived at the snorkel site and opened the bottom of the boat. It’s a great set up for those with some mobility issues that would like to do off shore snorkeling; the catamaran has a staircase that descends into the water. The bottom step is two feet into the water, and it’s an easy step into the warm water. The snorkeling is very nice. We saw los of fish, and some interesting coral formations. Nothing like we saw at de Palm Island last month, but we were very happy with what we saw. One of the guides had a giant floating white ball they we were all supposed to follow. They wanted us to stay in a group to make it easier for them to help anyone in need. They did have us go with the current, so it wasn’t hard to stay together. Our 11 year old isn’t a very strong swimmer, so I held his hand the whole time (I could easily swim with one arm), and my wife watched the other two kids. The grandparents stayed on the catamaran watching us. Our 14 year old’s Circle C friend joined our group, also. They took photos of us while snorkeling, both underwater and from the catamaran. We snorkeled for about a half hour, The catamaran followed us at a safe distance; we didn’t have to backtrack at all to get back on. Getting back on was a breeze, thanks to the stairs. They collected the life vests and masks, and the tubes were ours to keep. The music was turned on, as were the faucets. Margaritas, soda, and water were all included, and unlimited. Twenty minutes later we arrived at the beach. The stairs were lowered; the bottom step was on the sand in thigh deep water. Again, very easy for those with some mobility issues.

Cozumel. Our ticket for Fury Catamaran said to meet at the end of the pier at 8:30. The Hub app said guests ashore at 8:15. The old folk walk slowly. It’s a long walk - even if we sent them on the bike carriage things that I’m sure have a name but I don’t know what it is. We were ready to go at 8am in case we we let out early, and it worked. Johnny released us from the ship at 7:57. We sent grandpa on ahead on a bike (grandma chose to walk). We met up, walked through the duty free shop, and saw our sign just across from the exit. It is not obvious, but you can avoid the duty free store; there’s a path just to the left that bypasses it. This could be useful if the store is packed, and you are in a hurry. At this moment the store was empty, and it has GREAT ac. Definitely worth going in there for AC before the long walk back up the pier to the ship. The guy holding the sign directed us to the catamaran. It could not be closer to the duty free store. It was docked just next to it. We boarded the ship, had a seat in the shade, and waited for everyone else to arrive. Everyone has to be seated while departing, so i you take this excursion, and want a seat in the shade, get there early. There’s enough room in the shade for about 3/4 of the guests. At 8:30 promptly they started untying the boat, and we were off! DON”T BE LATE!

After the show we relaxed in the lobby, listening to music, until it was time for bed. I tried working on this review before turning in - but no internet. I should note that the internet worked fine for my wife whenever she wanted to do something. However, whenever I switched to my device, or borrowed hers, it would stop working. The ship’s wifi liked her. It didn’t like me.

We freshened up and went up to Lido for a snack (can you call a Guy’s burger a snack?). Then went to the cabin to rest before dinner. I spent the time working on this, but you wouldn’t have known it as the internet was out. After dinner we discovered that he Playlist cast member’s claim that Eric Rock was the best show of the week was absolutely correct. The cast puts every bit of energy they can into every moment of the show, They show is divided into four sections, each themed to a classical element (air, fire, earth, and water).

The hour long ride back to port was very quiet. Everyone was quietly looking out the windows at the beautiful landscapes. They dropped us off at he port as far from the tender as possible to make sure we walked past as many stores as possible. We stopped at the restrooms the chocolate shop (free samples! - I had the mocha chocolate - yummy!), went into Diamonds International for the free pendant (my wife collects them), and then on to the tender. We all had our IDs. I was so proud of us! The current must have been against us as it took over a half hour to get back. As we approached the Glory, I collected sunglasses, and this is when we discovered my 14 year old didn’t have his regular glasses! Upon questioning him, we discovered he had them at Diamonds International, and must have put them down while putting on his sunglasses prior to leaving the store. The plan was for me to take the old folk and other two kids to lunch, and my wife would have the pleasure of beating our 14 year old while tendering back to Belize City. However, the previous tender was the last one guests were allowed to take back - it was getting too close to last call. Instead, we beat him back at the cabin. We went to guest services, and they called the port agent to see if he could find his glasses. If he found them, he would have sent them back on the last tender. He couldn’t find them, but we appreciated the effort that was made. He needed new glasses anyway; his old ones were bent out of shape and a year old - I already planned on taking him to the eye Dr. this week anyway for a new prescription. He’s had to squint ever since.

OK, after I wrote that, I kept notes instead of writing everything out. And, looking back, it seems I didn’t put in much detail about the included lunch, either. They took us to a private resort type place nearby to Altman Ha for lunch. We walked by a basketball court and pool to get to a pavilion near a pond. It was a very nice location, and not too hot either. Very pleasant. The food was OK. They had cole slaw, rice, and chicken (that’s it) serviced buffet style, with a server. You could go back for seconds, thirds, or whatever. We had just over a half hour to eat, which was plenty of time. They did charge for drinks. $3 for beer, $2 for soda, and $1 for bottles of water. As we were leaving, my 14 year old said how beautiful it was, and my wife commented on how a lot of Americans buy property in Belize, and asked something like, “wouldn’t you want to live here?” To which he responded, “Yes.” Then, a young girl (20 something), who heard their conversation, came over, put her arm around his shoulder and said, “He could come live with me.” I’ve never seen him blush so much!

The following was typed the following evening, after our return from Belize: It is very hard to stay up to date when the internet has been terrible. Not just slow. Non existant. And the chat has been worthless. We stopped even trying. Belize. We booked the Altan Ha Mayan ruins. We chose this because seeing Mayan ruins was a bucket list item for my wife, and this tour was listed as “easy.” The other Mayan tours were listed as “moderate.” We would like to do them in the future, but with the old folk on this cruise with us, “easy” it was. Our ticket called for us to meet in the Amber Palace at 8:30, along with several other tours. The 8:30 tours were called all together, but Altan Ha was held up to go last. As a result, half of the Altan Ha group got on the 8:30 tender, but the other half or had to wait for the next tender. There were about 10 people in front of us on Deck 0 when the line stopped and the tender left. We had to stand there waiting until the next tender docked with the ship. The crew member helping direct traffic is in the Playlist cast. She encouraged us all to come to see Epic Rock, and promised it was the best show of the cruise. No spoiler here. You’ll have to read on to see if she was right. We finally board our tender, and it was a long wait for it to finish boarding. First one were the remaining Altan Ha tour group, and then the 8:45 tours filled up most of the tender. It is a LONG ride to Belize City. Almost a half hour. Once we arrived, we looked back and you could see the Glory sitting on the horizon. I think they said it was over five miles away. Upon docking we had to walk from terminal 1 to terminal 2, where the bus was waiting for us. The bus boarded quickly, and off we went. The bus was a very comfortable charter bus, with good ac, working seatbelts, and a bathroom in the back (number 1 only). It is an hour ride to the ruins. On the way the tour guide told us about Belize and Belize City,. She seemed very nice, and obviously knew a lot about her city and country. However, between her accent and very soft voice, I missed about a quarter of what she said, despite her having a microphone on the bus. When we arrived at Altan Ha we were given time to use the restrooms, and were split up into groups of 12. Each group had their own tour guide from the Altan Ha site. As we walk back to where the ruins are, the guide told us about the local trees were were passing, and gave us a sample of All Spice leaves to crumple and sniff (but don’t eat them!) There are four pyramids sour of arranged in a square. We were told which three we would be able to climb, if we chose. The guide took us to the first pyramid, told us about it, and sent us up (the grand parents waited while my wife, kids, and I made the climb). The climbing is not difficult, as long as you are somewhat athletic. I would say if you could make it from deck 1 to Lido via the stairs you could make climb the pyramids. Upon our return, the guide walked around to what I thought he said was going to be the third pyramid. He told us about it, and before sending us on our way, he told us that when we came back down, we should head back to the gift shop before heading back to the bus by 12:30. Wait, what? What about the third pyramid? He responded, “Just two.” I looked at my watch, and realized that we were only going to be there an hour and fifteen minutes. Missing that first tender cost us 15 minutes. I know we weren’t mistaken about the number of pyramids, as we had seen Carnival people on that third pyramid earlier. We went up the pyramid he directed us to. When we came back down, it was only 12:10. We had plenty of time to climb the third pyramid, and did so on our own. We got back down at 12:20. Just enough time to walk through the gift shop area, though we didn’t have time to look closely enough to see if we wanted to buy anything. From what I saw, I don’t think we would have made any purchases, but who knows. We did have time to stop for the free samples of wine. I liked the blackberry wine, but not the cashew wine. My wife liked the cashew wine a lot. She liked the blackberry also, but not as much. She considered buying a bottle of the cashew wine, but decided against it. We then walked across the parking lot to the bus, and were on board at 12:27. There was only one other person who hadn’t boarded yet, and he got there at 12:31. I would say that , as a group, we did a very good job getting back on time. Lunch It was frustrating that Carnival oversold the 8:30 tours. While the Altan Ha tour, specifically, was not oversold (and I’m sure the other individual tours weren’t oversold, either), they need to make sure that there is room on the tender for all the tours that are supposed to depart at the same time. I also didn’t like that the tour guide cut the tour short to make sure we had shopping time. He should have given us the option of going with him to the third pyramid, or going on our own to the gift shop.

This was written after dinner on our Mahgany Bay Day: I usually don’t order pasta, but the other daily selections didn’t really appeal to me. I must say, though, that I enjoyed the linguini and sausage much more than I usually like pasta. There wasn’t much going on the ship last night. Playlist had the night off, as did the comedians. We listened to music for a bit, and then called it a night.

Sorry for the delay in I getting back to this review. The wo-if completely stopped working in our cabin every time I sat down to write. It was getting to the point where I thought the ship was out to get me. It would connect, and I’d load the page, and then it would disconnect and I couldn’t get it back. We disembarked yesterday and I took the early shift driving. I was going to work on this while she drove, but I had no charge left, and the charging cable was packed! This morning, my wife is taking the early shift driving. I wrote a bunch down, and I’ll copy and paste it in here, and I also took notes. So, be prepared for all the rest!