mdin

Debarkation was delayed a bit due to a backup in the birth certificate line. Our zone was called around 10:15 and we made our way off. It was a non-stop walk from the ship to the baggage claim. The passport line uses facial recognition and moves fast. The birth certificate line was very long however. I heard it was over an hour wait. Definitely bring your passport if you have it.

The last day of our cruise was a sea day. We ordered bellinis from Bar Della Rosa the first two sea days, and did it again on the final one. We attempted to try any food locations that we hadn't done so yet. In this case, my wife grabbed lunch from Bonsai Sushi (and Sake Sangria's) and I got an andouilli po-boy from Emeril's (also another round of beignets). My wife enjoyed her ramen dish. I loved the po-boy! You really do need more time on the ship to try everything. We were able to sneak in pizza one night and a couple of meats from Guy's BBQ on the last sea day. Unfortunately, we weren't able to try Blue Iguana's, or have breakfast from Big Chicken. Never got around to trying any of the panini's or the grab and go at JavaBlue. We skipped the marketplace buffet altogether, never got to Guy's Smokehouse for food, and also skipped on Rudi's and Cucina. So many options, so little time. That evening we packed up and set our suitcases out in the hallway to be picked up. We decided to check-in with Chibang again, this time the wait was only 10 minutes. We passed on having cocktails this time and ordered from the other half of the menu. My wife ordered the chicken spring rolls and lettuce wraps and I got the braised pork belly and lettuce wraps as well. I wasn't a big fan of the pork belly, but the lettuce wraps were very good. We both ordered the beef and broccoli for our main, very delicious. Unlike the previous visit, the restaurant was not busy at all. No situation in the kitchen this time. The food came out quickly, although for some reason all our dishes came out at once. Maybe because it was the last night and they were trying to get us out quick. Service was, as usual, excellent.

Day 6, Cozumel Our final port day brought us to Cozumel. Easiest ship I've been on for getting on and off of on port days. We walked right off, never a delay. The Cozumel port was busy that day with 4 ships in port. Navigating our way out of this port was much easier than the previous. We purchased passes to Mr. Sanchos prior to sailing. Finding a taxi was easy, and it was $17 each way to get to our destination, about 15 minutes away. After arriving we, checked in at the desk. They require an ID of the person who booked the reservations. Once we were all set, we were assigned a staff worker who brought us to his area on the beach. The loungers were right on the waters edge. Behind them were shaded tables and chairs. The location was very nice, with clean, warm water. Fortunately the seaweed seems to not be an issue there, at least on that day. It was all inclusive, so we started our morning off with some drinks. We had a few throughout the day, but they felt watered down. Not strong at all. That wasn't great, but I get they probably don't want guests getting hammered and sick or going out for a swim or something. The food was disappointing. I didn't expect the best lunch ever, but it was very plain tasting and basic. Nobody is going there for the food, that's for sure lol. That said, the service was decent and we ended up enjoying our day, meeting some nice people from another ship that was in port as well. Fun looking inflatable park on the water was available to all. Grabbing a taxi was simple. They line up right outside of the establishment. I will probably consider trying something different if I'm ever in Cozumel again, but Mr. Sanchos was an OK way to spend the day.

Teppanyaki for dinner. We made sure to book it months in advance since we missed out on it on Horizon. Wow! What a fun experience! They are on top of things by checking for allergies and diet restrictions. In the meantime we ordered some Sake Sangria's (twice). The chef was very fun and puts on a great show between singing songs and interacting with the entire table. With an impressive menu and skilled chef, this was the best meal I've ever had on a cruise. As much as I enjoyed Emeril's, this topped it. I went with filet mignon, my wife went with chicken as our main protein, and we both loved it. If you have the means and appetite, I highly recommend trying it.

You're correct, that whole region is being effected by it. I would still recommend Maya Chan.

It was rough at Costa Maya last week. The smell can be overwhelming. It was irritating my wife's throat. They try to clean it up, but it's tough to keep up with.

Day 5, Costa Maya Just like in Roatan, it was a quick and easy process existing the ship. This port was harder to navigate through though. Clearly trying to stop any easy escapes lol. Despite being large, it was very congested, more so on our return to the port. It took us about 20 minutes to make our way to the customs gates and exit the port. We made reservations with Maya Chan and met them at their meeting point outside the port. The reservations included transportation. Before leaving, the employee notified everyone that they have a severe seaweed issue. They do their best to remove it from their property, however the smell can be very strong. At that point, they gave us the option to opt out if we'd like. We decided to still go. It was a 30 minute drive on an extremely bumpy road along the coastline to get there. Part of the fun. Upon arriving though, you are greeted by the owner and staff as they walk you into their beautiful beach resort. As far as being pampered, this place does an amazing job. They treated us like royalty. Everyone was friendly, checking in on us an appropriate amount of times. Just amazing service. A staff member took us to our own personal space that included four chairs, two tables, hammock, and a beach bed. Umbrella, cabana, and palm trees provided plenty of shade. Super soft sand and unlimited drinks. We were basically in paradise. The only negative, and it's a big one, is the seaweed issue. They had workers clearing the water all day, but it's a never ending battle. The water was just never tempting enough for us to go in. Seaweed was basically everywhere. Unfortunately their neighboring property was overflowing with it. This caused the bad smell they warned us about. It can be overwhelming, especially if someone is sensitive to it. They provide kayaks, paddle boards, and paddle boats for guests to enjoy. We spent the day in our own little area and enjoyed a day of relaxation in paradise (seaweed monster aside). Sampled almost every drink from their menu. Lunch was served during a 2 hour window. Without a doubt, the best tacos I've ever had. Offerings were beef, pork, chicken, and fish. With sides of rice, beans, and salsas. Everything was amazing and cooked right on the spot. Despite the circumstances, Maya Chan does a wonderful job. Great hosts, friendly staff and owners. They really take care of their guests. Hopefully the situation with the seaweed is resolved someday for them. They scheduled us a return to port, getting us back in a timely manner.

Emeril's Bistro for dinner and easily some of the best food we've had on a cruise. Simply order at the counter, choose a table and they bring the food out to you. For the price you pay, the dishes are well served and delicious. On this occasion we ordered boudin sausage balls, red beans and rice, and the gumbo. Added a couple glasses of white wine as well. As a treat, we got beignets and the doberge cake. Both very good, but the beignets were something else. Those were had several more times throughout the week.

Day 4, Roatan Our first port of call was Roatan. We were thinking of doing an excursion but read a lot of positive reviews about Mahogany Bay. We ended up taking advantage of the free beach and spent our day there. The ship gangway was open by 8am. We made our way down to deck 3 and it was a quick exit off of the ship. We didn't encounter any lines or anything. The port area is big with the same store fronts you see at other ports plus local vendors. Very clean and easy to navigate through. There is chairlift that will take you to the beach for a fee, however we opted to take the walking path. It's well maintained, with plenty of shade and plants and flowers. There's a couple observation spots along the way that gives views of the ship and a chance for a nice photo. It's about a 10 minute walk to reach the beach. They have plenty of free loungers for everyone, plus some half shells available for a fee as well. We ended with loungers under the palm trees. Perfect. We were the only ship in Mahogany Bay, so the beach was only half full at most. The beach was excellent with mostly clear, warm blue water . There is a decline getting into the water, as well as an immediate drop off where it gets fairly deep. If you swim out about 10-15 feet though there is a sand bank and the water is only about 4.5 feet deep. We spent a good part of day in the water swimming around and enjoying some cocktails. Food and drinks were available at the bar/restaurant that is on the beach. They have a big pavillion with lots of tables and chairs available. We bought the insulated 20oz souvenir sport bottles and had several drinks throughout the day. The drinks were $13 each, and decent. Maybe not as strong as the ones on the ship, but I could sense the booze in it. Our go to was the Hurricane. As for food, they were cooking jerked chicken. The smell alone sold me on it. Tasted even better however. I believe it was $12.95 for a plate of chicken, rice, and yuca. Well worth it! Unfortunately I dug in before my wife could grab any pics of it lol. We finished our day at port by walking around the shops before boarding. On board, we had after port hamburgers from Guy's. This was our only visit, but they continue to make some good burgers here. This spot is a deck above Lido and much bigger now. Line was long, but moved quick. Fries don't appear to be handcut anymore.

Seaday brunch on day 3 (Palm). Plenty to choose from, but we both went huevos ranchero. Again, simply check in on the hub, less than 10 minutes for table. Top notch service. We were very satisfied all around. After drinking, lounging, street eating, drinking, hot tubbing during the day, we hit up Chibang for dinner. Checked-in at 8 and there was a 40-50 minute wait. It was accurate. At 8:50 our table was ready. I like the concept of the restaurant with a mix of Chinese and Mexican flavors. The red decor looked nice. Started off with the Red Dragon for drinks. Those came quickly, but it was about 45 minutes between ordering our food and the apps coming out. The waiter apologized for the wait and said there was a situation in the kitchen causing a delay. No idea what it was. I told the waiter no reason to apologize, these things happen. That lead to a second round of Red Dragon's. Despite the long wait, we enjoyed the dishes here. We went all Mexican on this visit. Enjoying queso fundido, nachos, and carnitas to start. They ran out of tortillas for the carnitas, but no big deal. Main course was steak ranchero and we wrapped it up with tres leches cake and chocolate c-bang. I had read some mixed reviews about the food, but I found it to be very good. Once again, the staff was amazing. Great addition at no extra charge.

We had YTD and only ate in the MDR (Palm Restaurant) once, on the first formal night. For the second time on a cruise, I didn't bring a suit. Instead, I went button down and dress pants. Less formal, but still formal enough I feel. Some guests were dressed to the nines and that was nice to see. Unlike Horizon last year, where the staff was clearly overwhelmed and didn't provide great service, this MDR staff was amazing. We checked in via the hub around 8, and the table was ready in 10 minutes. Very friendly waitstaff. Orders were correct and came out in a timely manner. Unexpected, but we both ended up enjoying filet mignon for the second night in a row. The cut was not on the level of the 555 cut, but still pretty good. I went with the Indian pumpkin soup and stuffed mushrooms for the app. Wife went mushrooms and crab cake. All delicious.

Summer's Landing had a great view from the aft. The infinity pool was nice, however it was crowded most of the time, as was the rest of Summer's Landing. We were never able to get chairs there, but on the last day we were able to sit on the bench that wraps around the pool. Ordered a couple of funships and made friends with our seat neighbors. Bonus, no Bluetooth speakers lol. That may have not always been the case, but at least it didn't occur during our time there (or anywhere else outside of Serenity). There's also hot tubs, both port and starboard side, and the Wateringhole Bar. Tides pool on deck 16 aft is similar to other aft pools on Carnival ships. Not much time spent in this area, but did notice lots of kids in the hot tubs. Some still in diapers. Chairs were usually taken, but seating seemed readily available on deck 17 overlooking the tides pool.

We had Havana on Horizon last year and loved it. It wasn't as appealing to get it on Mardi Gras, especially with Serenity offering 2 hot tubs and a pool. We figured it would make up for it. This maybe wasn't the best decision we made. Serenity is huge! Lots of space inside this one. It stretches from the forward deck 18 to just short of the Lido. Tons of loungers of all kinds port side, starboard side, and forward. Our best bet at finding a lounger during the peak hours was here. No chance at a shady spot, but in the sun we always found something available. In the center is a decent size pool with seating all the way around with a connecting lounge area that is shaded. Plenty of regular chairs and tables here, all shaded. Good spot eat something and stay cool. The bar is in this area too, as well as a salad buffet. Didn't try any food, but got several drinks from the bar. As usual, the bartenders were great. During the day the bar was busy with long lines. The pool itself was extremely crowded and noisy from 11am to 5pm on sea days. Unfortunately, there were always guests playing music on their personal speakers. They didn't receive the no Bluetooth speaker memo Carnival sent out prior to this sailing I guess. The staff didn't put an end to it either. To be fair, we never complained to anyone about it, although we thought about saying something to guest services. This wasn't exclusive to only the pool, but throughout all of Serenity. People assuming everyone wants to listen to their playlist 🤷‍♂️. Serenity usually has a serene vibe with soothing background music, but that vibe didn't exist until late afternoon, early evening (even had the pool to ourselves sometimes at that point). Between people noise from the pool and personal speakers, it was serving as a second Lido really. Not the quiet escape I was expecting.

Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll be writing a review on Serenity next, but yes, it was very crowded as well.

On sea days we would be up by 8am and at the SportSquare track. This track is much more narrow than those on the Vista class. It would start to get congested after 9am. Sharing deck 18 aft with the sport court, Waterworks, and Bolt meant it was a popular area for adults and children. When not walking on the track, we did enjoy the mini golf, waterpark slides, corn hole, and billiards. I also had to ride the Bolt, and that was money well wasted! It feels much faster than it looks, and no line for it when I went. Ended up not doing the ropes course, but that was very popular too. Lido was extremely crowded during the day. The pool and hot tubs were overflowing with adults and kids. We never attempted to lounge there, but chairs seemed to be hard to come by. Decks 17 and 18 have some loungers and chairs over looking Lido, and I did see the occasional lounger available. Not sure if the staff were enforcing any time limits on the chairs. The pool was a good size, and they used that space for daytime entertainment and of course the Dive-in movies at night.

We capped off the night with a trip to the French Quarter, specifically to Brass Magnolia and The Fortune Teller. Brass Magnolia has a beautiful decor with an awesome jazz band. We sat there over an hour listening to them play as we each tried a cocktail from the bar. Not very busy here, which seemed to be the theme here all week. A cool, low key spot. I went with the Hurricane while the wife sipped on the Praline Truffle. Neither were a favorite for us, but drinkable nonetheless. On the other side of Brass Magnolia was The Fortune Teller. This place has that dark magic type vibe, which Carnival was shooting for and hit. This became our favorite bar on the ship, which is usually reserved for Alchemy. The bartenders were great, the people hanging out there were fun, and the drinks were on point. The bar was often busy, but there were always seating available either at the bar, high tops, or lounge. We stopped here almost nightly and tried several drinks off of the menu. I won't mention all of them, but my favorite was The Third Eye, while my wife loved The Bog Juice. Speaking of Alchemy, this has been a favorite of ours on other ships. However, it was so busy and rocking nightly that we often skipped it and went to The Fortune Teller instead. On the last night we did finally get over to it. We cashed in our "free drink" credit (up to $11) and got a couple of our favorite cocktails. Still as good as I remember.

We made reservations for Fahrenheit 555 for the first night back before the price increase. Even though it was 8:30pm, I expected it to be busy, but it was actually very empty. I maybe saw 3 or 4 other parties having dinner there. Needless to say, the service was excellent having to tend less tables. We took advantage of the 50% off wine bottle. We both ordered the filet mignon with mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms on the side. Wife got the risotto and I went braised pork belly for our apps. Everything was very good. Service here was much better than last year on the Horizon. Only issue is I ended up with a baked potato instead of the mashed, but no biggy, I like both. Still worth the price of admission. Oh, and the cheesecake was decent.

Sorry, I didn't get the internet on this trip.

Definitely worth it! I should mention the line moves fast, even when it was long.

Definitely worth it! I should mention the line moves fast, even when it was long.

Red Frogs Tiki Bar was where we got our first drinks. We kept with our tradition of starting our vacation with funships. We were pleased to see they were making them from scratch, which we prefer over the pre-made batch. We tried a few other cocktails from here over the week. We enjoyed all them except for a drink called the Zombie. I decided to order something else after a couple sips. When I went to pay though, the bartender said no charge because she saw I barely touched the Zombie. Very cool of her. The tiki bar did get pretty busy during the day, but I never had to wait more than 10 minutes to be served. Getting a seat at the bar was almost impossible, but seats with tables right next to it were attainable each time I wanted to sit at RF. Our first bites came from Street Eats. My wife and I split all three the first day. I can't remember what was served, however they were all delicious. We made a habit of checking it out almost every day (missed 1 day). This was an awesome addition. Great little dishes that change everyday. Another great new addition was Big Chicken. After reading reviews, we had BIG expectations for this place, and it did not disappoint! Over the week we only hit up twice, but so satisfying each time. Would love if Carnival expanded this one to every ship if they could. So good, didn't have time to grab a pic for this one lol

Before reviewing our initial drinks and food, I'll get the stateroom out of the way. On this sailing, we had an interior stateroom, on deck 14, mid-ship. The location worked out well. Centralized and not too far from anything in particular. A bit of climb from 3 to 14, but nothing we couldn't handle. The room itself is what we typically expect, however it was noticeably smaller than the interior staterooms on Horizon. The space between the wall and the mattress on either side was tight. The bathroom too was smaller, although the glass door was a nice upgrade. That said, the room was comfortable and served it's purpose. It also provided ample closet space. We met our room steward, I Ketut, almost immediately after entering our room. He offered either morning or evening service (morning for us). He was very friendly and readily available if we needed anything. Our room was always taken care of in a timely manner. No complaints.

Embarkation We used the 10:15am hotel shuttle ($8 per person) to get us over to the port. We had a 10:30am check-in and we were walking into the terminal at 10:30 on the dot. Checking in was a breeze and we quickly made it to the waiting area. They were somewhat delayed and only started the boarding process around 10:45. That went smooth however and by 11:15 give or take we were on the ship. Our first stop was our Muster Station in Chibang which lasted a total of 30 seconds. Hopefully Carnival keeps this setup. It's convenient. Next stop, drink time!

We had a table out on the deck.

Pre-cruise We live in Connecticut and flew out the day before on an early morning flight from Hartford to Orlando. First time flying JetBlue and had a positive experience. After arriving and getting our luggage, we used an Uber XL to get us to our hotel, Country Inn and Suites, on Cape Canaveral. That was about $83, not including tip. Check-in was at 3pm, but the hotel allowed us to check-in at noon for a $20 fee. Nice hotel and amenities, close to everything, and friendly staff. We would definitely stay there again. We used Friday to bounce around Cape Canaveral. First, we grabbed lunch and drinks at Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar. Decent food, good drinks, good service, and a great view of the aft of Independence of the Seas. Afterwards, we checked out Cocoa Beach. Enjoyed our time there. We wrapped up the first day by getting dinner at Preacher Bar. Good food, drinks, and service there as well.