Mitsugirly's extensive back to belly sun & sky review

Wow! Those are impressive drawings for a child of such tender age!

 

(I couldn't begin to draw that well)

I agree she is quite talented for sure.

Enjoying your review as I have enjoyed the others. I also went to Playa Mia in Cozumel due to you. It was very enjoyable so thanks!

I don't post much but I also have to tell you that your pictures are beautiful and the one's you bought are terrible in comparison, maybe you should become a ship photographer :)

Sakari is so sweet. Can't wait for the rest and the adventures with the whole family on the next week's cruise.

Congrats on finishing the nursing program.

Thanks for sharing as you do.

I love reading your reviews and seeing your excursion pictures. I have been learning a lot!

Those birds you saw were cormorants...

I love your daughter's art - it reminds me of my daughter's when she was about the same age. She started around four, like Sakari - her favorite subjects were dogs and Disney princesses, lol. I still remind her crying that the infamous Crayola box o'64 didn't have the right "mermaid green" for Ariel (I'm now convinced she's one of those people who can see more than the normal amount of colors - I thought the Crayola aqua was perfectly adequate - ha!).

Anyway, your comment about people pushing art school prompted me to post - we got the same thing all the time. My daughter never wanted to go. Get Sakari good tools, maybe some books if she wants, and then let her be - she'll keep at it and she'll keep getting better. When she's older - maybe high school - then she might want to pursue some classes.

My daughter ended up taking a few art classes through high school and college, but she majored in English - she now works as a technical artist and sells her other work on commission :) (and she loves to cruise, too, lol).

Wow! Those are impressive drawings for a child of such tender age!

 

(I couldn't begin to draw that well)

Thanks so much for the compliment. :)

I agree she is quite talented for sure.

 

Enjoying your review as I have enjoyed the others. I also went to Playa Mia in Cozumel due to you. It was very enjoyable so thanks!

 

I don't post much but I also have to tell you that your pictures are beautiful and the one's you bought are terrible in comparison, maybe you should become a ship photographer :)

 

Sakari is so sweet. Can't wait for the rest and the adventures with the whole family on the next week's cruise.

 

Congrats on finishing the nursing program.

 

Thanks for sharing as you do.

Thanks and I'm glad you enjoyed Playa Mia. Was it a busy day there? I have heard that it can get busy with a lot of ships in port, but we were lucky and didn't experience a busy day.

I always hate the pictures that the ship photographer takes. There's always some eyes shut, they have you standing facing the sun-so squinty eyes, someone not looking...it's always something. I know have NOT purchased a lot of them because of those reasons. If they only understood that they could probably make a lot more money if they took the time to make sure the pics didn't catch eyes closed or at least took 2 pictures...just in case.

Thanks for the congrats on nursing. It was a long hard road, but I finally made it. I actually started my first nursing job "officially" today.

:)

I love reading your reviews and seeing your excursion pictures. I have been learning a lot!

 

 

Those birds you saw were cormorants...

Thanks and I'm glad I could help you out some.

Oh yes, cormorants, that's what the tour guide said. I couldn't remember because I had never heard of them before. Thanks for the info. :)

I love your daughter's art - it reminds me of my daughter's when she was about the same age. She started around four, like Sakari - her favorite subjects were dogs and Disney princesses, lol. I still remind her crying that the infamous Crayola box o'64 didn't have the right "mermaid green" for Ariel (I'm now convinced she's one of those people who can see more than the normal amount of colors - I thought the Crayola aqua was perfectly adequate - ha!).

 

Anyway, your comment about people pushing art school prompted me to post - we got the same thing all the time. My daughter never wanted to go. Get Sakari good tools, maybe some books if she wants, and then let her be - she'll keep at it and she'll keep getting better. When she's older - maybe high school - then she might want to pursue some classes.

 

My daughter ended up taking a few art classes through high school and college, but she majored in English - she now works as a technical artist and sells her other work on commission :) (and she loves to cruise, too, lol).

Oh my gosh, that's hilarious about the crayons and Princess color. (Well, I'm sure it wasn't to her at the time).

I have never really ask her if she wanted to go. I'm almost sure that if I mentioned anything like that...she would start begging to go. LOL

Do you mind me asking what kind of tools and books are you referring to? I use to buy her drawing books, but at the rate she uses them up, they were getting a little too expensive. So, we have went back to regular paper, printer paper, and she even uses boxes. LOL She has an easle with chalk and the other side dry erase and also one of those hand held boards that you draw and then slide it over and it erases it.

She's also one that would rather have crafts instead of toys. For Christmas and her birthday, I only buy things she can make...light catchers, cement art stepping stones, and so on. This Christmas I managed to find a cute little wooden bird house that you build and paint and I just know she's going to love it. :D

I'm reading this at work between feedings and diaper changes (7p -7a NICU Nurse).

Traveling vicariously. My next cruise is 11/21/15 on the NCL Escape.

Kim, congrats on passing boards and getting your RN position !!

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Your daughter has a lot of potential, and she has done some really neat art for a child her age. Keep it up, let her explore whatever she can get her hands on. See if you have any ceramic or glass blowing classes near you which cater to children. I'm an artist and blow glass as a hobby, the kids really get excited about what they can make out of glass. They always start out with the basics (paperweights)

I leave in about a week. I am so so so excited to have the dailies and the kid club schedule. Thank you!! So no princess or super hero night with the 6yo group?

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I'm reading this at work between feedings and diaper changes (7p -7a NICU Nurse).

 

Traveling vicariously. My next cruise is 11/21/15 on the NCL Escape.

 

Kim, congrats on passing boards and getting your RN position !!

 

 

Sent from my iPad Air using Forums

Thanks for joining in and thanks so much for the congrats. :)

Your daughter has a lot of potential, and she has done some really neat art for a child her age. Keep it up, let her explore whatever she can get her hands on. See if you have any ceramic or glass blowing classes near you which cater to children. I'm an artist and blow glass as a hobby, the kids really get excited about what they can make out of glass. They always start out with the basics (paperweights)

Glass blowing sounds like something she would absolutely love. I did buy her a pottery wheel for Christmas last year and she tried it out, but it didn't work the best and she (and my 20 year old son) gave up on it. (Walmart special I'm sure). It just didn't have the power to turn it while your hands were on it. :( I don't even know where to start to search for a glass blowing class? Any direction?

I leave in about a week. I am so so so excited to have the dailies and the kid club schedule. Thank you!! So no princess or super hero night with the 6yo group?

 

 

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I don't believe they have ever had a super hero night? If they have, I must have missed it or they replaced with the Mission Impossible night? I'm not really sure.

They had:

1) Hollywood

2) Survivor

3) Pirates

4) Wacky Tacky (dress up in crazy clothes/socks/outfits

5) PJ party

Now that I think about it...this is the first time she has been to any of the kids clubs and not had a princess night. Hmmm weird.

I forgot to show our "mini" towel animal from last night...a cute little turtle. (I have to admit, I love the mini towel animals. They are just so cute).

Up next is our day in Costa Maya, Mexico

I thought I would add a map that they gave us of the Costa Maya port. I know that a common question on here is how to get out of the compound and where is the taxi station located. This will help show where to walk to if you are not catching the shuttle bus or on a private excursion.

If you need to actually walk down the street to the taxi stand outside of the compound, here's where you'll find it.

So today would be like any other day. I sat my alarm for 7am and I woke up at 6:55am before it went off. I really don't know what's gotten into me on this cruise.

We showered and headed upstairs for our normal breakfast at Moderno and it was yummy.

We heard them make the announcements that they were waiting on the port authority to clean us, then we never heard another announcement. I swear this is the first ship on NCL that I don't recall hearing very many announcements when it was time to go ashore.

So, about 8:15am, I figured we should be able to go ashore and headed down.

Like all ports, we had our wonderful pictures taken by the awesome, very professional, takes great pictures so you'll buy them NCL photographers and then headed on our way to the exit of the compound.

There she is in all her beauty. At least she looks pretty darn big from down here!

The people movers were already sprung into action and picking up passengers for the long haul to the port. Darnit, we just missed this one.

Looking over at Cha Cha beach and wondering if there would be anyone sneaking in today and becoming a part of the "hole in the wall" gang.

A glance over at the compound

I always wondered how they got these long people movers turned around without running the hoards of people over. This would answer my question...they detach it from one end, drive around to the other side and reattach and go.

These guys are always here for pictures each time we've been here. If my daughter would have been with us (my oldest-Kendra), I knew we would have been stopping again.

A few pictures along the way...even though I have a million of these shots already...I guess she might have grown a few inches in between each stop???

We made it outside the port and purchased our shuttle/bus tickets at the stand. Just like before $3 for adults and $2 for children. Only this time we would actually get to take the open aired trolley shuttle. We have never been on it before. Woo hoo. Exciting. (This means I would be able to get pictures along the way with no glass glare...only blur from moving. Hey only 1 bad thing is better than 2 right?)

Great review as usual. I can't wait to hear about the "furries". If it is what I think it is, hilarious and a little "ewww" that they were hugging children. I'll patiently wait for you to tell us. :D:D

They had different "styles"

We were first on the shuttle and I picked the front seat. hee hee. I figured that would give me even a better chance a good pictures.

It was such a beautiful sunny day. I just absolutely love the colors of this port. Bright and colorful.

For those of you that have to walk to the taxi stand outside the port, I know I have explained the "route" and the "walkway" several times on these boards, but never really had pictures to accompany my descriptions. This time I managed to get pictures as we drove by.

The pedestrian sidewalk is actually located in the MIDDLE of the street. It's a pretty wide are that you walk down and has greenery and landscaped nicely. They also have areas to sit under a trellis if you want.

This is at the end of the road (see my map) and where you catch the taxis. They use to have the curb painted yellow where it begins, but I don't remember seeing that now. Also, I noticed that there wasn't a lot of taxis sitting there, but instead sitting closer. I wonder if people complained because of the walk?

Going around the corner.

I didn't manage to get a good shot of the boat they have on the corner...darnit

Anyone notice the for sale sign? I think I might have to contact them. They have nurses in Costa Maya right???

YAY finally caught up so I better subscribe to not miss whats new!

Thanks for another AH-MAZING review. I have never sailed NCL and not sure when if I will but I can't miss one of your reviews. I'm still so bummed that CCL did not treat you right in the Camp part. We have had nothing but great camp experiences but I know if you wont hold it against them if you ever take another chance.

Thanks again for all the time you put into this for us your loyal readers!!

So on to the fun part of the day. I'm going to stop and tell you a little about picking this place.

We have been to Costa Maya a few times before. The first time in 2011, we went to Maya Chan as suggested on these boards. It was a very lovely place, good hospitality, AWESOME food and a relaxing day. However, the ONLY thing I didn't like about it was the water. Everyone knows I love that crystal clear BLUE water. While I don't mind some sea grass, there's just too much here for my enjoyment.

Next trip, in 2012, I was determined to find SOME PLACE in Costa Maya that HAD to have that postcard picture perfect blue water. I located Almaplena and have directed people there from here since. It's exactly that! Heavenly looking and a great place to go. The only drawback is that it's a little further than Maya Chan, but still easy to get to (20 minutes from the port).

Our next trip, I wanted to try something different (as I usually do) and started combing the boards for information. A lot of people were suggesting places along the Malecon..mainly Nohoch Kay. So, we decided to give it a try. I have to say it did not impress me AT ALL. We didn't really like the water...it was so shallow you couldn't swim or canoe. It had tons of sea grass, which gave off the brownish color to it. The service was ok, the food was ok, but we did not get the warm welcoming from the owner as others have stated on here did. There was also people trying to sell you items all day, which others had stated wouldn't happen. It just wasn't "our" thing. To me, it's just a bunch of little food places, lined up and down the beach, and not very "private" and it definitely doesn't give off the AI experience to me.

So here we are in 2014 and I'm ready to either go back to Almaplena...or find a different similar place. I knew this was going to be a HUGE task and knew that I would probably have to go pretty far out to locate it. I looked on TA and found a few places of interest. However, when I contacted people about them, they wasn't too positive about their experience or how to get there on your own.

I turned to my trusty google earth companion. I tell ya, I use this thing more and more each time. I am always researching and I have to see for myself what the surrounding areas look like before going. Google Earth allows you to get pretty close in and gives you a great idea of the area.

So what I did, I pulled up the Malecon. I determined what area of the Malecon (according to earth) looked as if it didn't have any seaweed directly in front of it. Then I pulled down onto the beach and "walked" up and down the beach looking at my surroundings...AND THERE IS WAS!!! At the end of the beach and over by the lighthouse...a beautiful PRIVATE looking soft sand beach with crystal blue water and very little seaweed and what looked like a generally nice and HUGE area/beach. I KNEW I HAD TO GO HERE!!!

The place was called Blue Bay. I started researching online, on TA and every place I could find something. I have to admit, there wasn't much out there. The website they had was really crappy, but I emailed them...no response. I contacted them using the web...no response. I posted on their site...no response. Ugh!!! Then some fine people on here told me to contact the people next door to there. Then I found out that Koox Hotels had acquired this place (which led me to believe they must have been having some financial difficulty and there were a few bad reviews coming in from a long time ago...about the rooms, not the beach).

When Koox contacted me back, they stated that they are no longer in affiliation with Blue Bay, but they would be happy if I spent the day with them (which is not what I was looking for).

I had given up hope and was sad. I had decided I was just going to have to book Almaplena again (or at that point I was reconsidering Maya Chan).

Then a few weeks prior to leaving for our cruise, I did another search. I don't know...something just told me to give it one more shot.

The place had changed their name to BLUE KAY and they had a new website!!! WOO HOO. I contacted them again and got an immediate response. YES! They offered day passes to cruisers and I knew I was going there now!!!

They gave me the following information:

Yes we offer a day pass that includes all day kayaks, bicycles and snorkel equipment for one person, plus our beach club installations, for $250 pesos.

If you need something else just ask me and I’ll response you asap.

I’ll wait for you in our paradise soon.

Thanks a lot for all.

Best regards,

So around $20 pp wasn't too bad for a place I knew I really wanted to check out. However, it wasn't an AI and I knew we would have to purchase food & drinks.

I inquired about those prices as well. This time it took 4 days without a response and me emailing them again asking if they received my email and they responded immediately that time.

Sorry for the late responds, we have chaises, chairs, palapas umbrellas, showers, bathrooms, hammocks, and 200 meters of beach front.

Yes, we accept US Dollars, and the exchange rate chafe but now we are taking the dollars at 12.50.

Soda 25 pesos, Beer 30 pesos , National Drinks, Cocktails and frozen drinks 50 Pesos and food fajitas, fish dishes from 100 - 150 pesos, the most expensive would be lobster at around 300 pesos ( 1 pesos per gram)

We would be happy to help with more information, please fell free to contact us at (phone number and facebook info).

Ok, so no problem. It all sound great and just what I was wanting. I was excited that they not only had a website now, but they had a facebook as well. Time for some serious stalking and running it through my head a few more times, deciding "this is it" and just going with my gut feeling and hoping for the best.

For $20 a person, plus adding up what we thought we might spend on drinks and food (we'd go lightly that day since it would cost), I figured it's still cheaper than an AI at around $65 or whatever they charge now depending on where you go.

So...that's how we ended up with this place...thank you GOOGLE EARTH!!! :D

So obviously I had walked the beach several times on google earth and I had also walked the streets. I knew the surroundings and where we needed to go. I just didn't know when or how we tell the driver, who happens to be in the truck ahead of us, when we needed to get out.

We came up on the lighthouse and I started seeing the signs that read "Blue Kay" along the road.

Then I noticed the driver pulling into Senior Frogs...which I knew was right next door. Whew, at least we wouldn't have to walk far.

Everyone started getting out of the people mover and a guy came running out of Senior Frogs to greet them and give them directions on the place. We kept walking. I was just waiting for them to say something to us, but they didn't. They did have a confused look on their face though.

Along the "back" way to Blue Kay, there were critters to greet us.

Once we arrived to Blue Kay, we went in a big hut that looked like a customer service/check in area.

I figured I would at least stop here to get directions for paying for the day pass. We were greeted by a lady at the deck and I inquired about the day pass. She told me that I would need to talk to the guy out at the beach hut by the canoe/bike rental and pointed us in the right direction out the other side of the building and told us to find "Nino".

We were walking across the malecon, headed toward the beach area...

We were stopped by the waiter (who didn't realize we were going to be staying there today) and he gave us a speech about how we could spend the day there, free of charge and enjoy their beautiful beach, palapas and food. He kept going on and on (like any other vendors in the ports) to try to get us to stay there. I wasn't listening very well at that point because I was still stuck on the "for free" part he said in the beginning of his speech.

I clarified...."free????" He said yes, just buy food and drinks (I think he might have said $20) and my reply was "well absolutely, we were planning on doing that anyhow" and I knew we would probably be spending more than that now!

He pointed toward the beach and palapas and told us to sit anywhere we wanted.

We found our spot. The perfect spot between the malecon and the beach.

I looked over at the pretty water and immediately snapped a picture with my ipad. I knew this was going to be a great day already and I couldn't wait to show it to the kids back home...who wouldn't be joining us until the following week...ha ha, your loss. I'll have a drink for you!

I was very impressed so far and couldn't wait to get a drink in my hand. It was morning, so I tried to keep my wits about me and ordered a soda while I continued to take in my beautiful surroundings.

Of course Sakari had dropped her things, took off her shorts, put on her goggles and ran for the water. (That girl would live in the ocean if she could. I think she's a mermaid).

"Get back here young lady, I need a picture first!"

About this time the lady from the front desk noticed us and started heading our way. Oh gosh, I just knew I was about to have "words" with her since she knew that we knew about paying for a day pass, but yet I had just been told the beach was free. I was determined to stand my ground on this one.

About the same time this "Nino" guy came over as well. She ask about us purchasing the day pass and I informed her that we were just told the beach was free as long as you buy food and drinks. She replied "yes, but not the canoes, bikes and snorkeling equipment, that's the day pass." Pshhh, who needs that? I wouldn't have used it anyhow and I have my own equipment. I'm saving $60!!! She said "So you no need day pass?" Nope! Then all was good.

Time to check out the beach a little. I walked out to where Sakari was already swimming. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!!!!

Not sure what part of Ohio you are from but a quick google of Ohio glass blowing came up with about dozen places hopefully one is near you. I will warn you working with glass is not cheap. I currently pay $80.00 an hour for studio time the place I go. I think a 4 hour beginners glass is about $150. I'm sure someone around you has student classes and rates

The sand was powdery soft and awesome. The water was crystal blue and clear. I knew I had found that paradise.

I ran back to where my husband was sitting and told him I was going down the beach to explore...I'll be back. This is GORGEOUS.

There was our beautiful Sun waiting for us after we were done here.

Just look at that gorgeous water!

Another good thing was there wasn't very many people here either. Plus, the place is really big and plenty of beach area along with palapas and chairs...plenty enough room for more had there been more people here.

After making it to the end of the beach area (well at least as far as I wanted to go that time around), I walked back along the grassy area/grounds to explore a little.

They had these big signs along the beach area, each was different. When we were at the end, I decided to have Sakari pose at one and take her picture. I was obviously in such awe of my surroundings, while patting myself on the back for finding such an awesome place that I totally didn't notice what was painted on this one that I happened to take with my child in the picture. LMAO!!! Oops.

Plenty of lush greenery everywhere.

They had nice sandy walkways leading to different areas.

Looking across the street at where people stay in cabins here. (I will explore that area later).

They had several weird things made out of...well, weird things. LOL