Ecstasy Review, 9/3/11-9/8/11

[Meyer2]

Okay, so after dinner, we stopped by the cabin for a quick minute to put the camera up & enjoy the balcony for a few minutes. (We LOVE looking out from the balcony) We then headed to the Starlite lounge for the Family Punchliner Comedy Show with comedian Cee Jay. Our table mates, Eunice & Susanne & Elisia & Roxanne ended up joining & sitting with us for the show. We all agreed that we thought he was funny & enjoyed the show.

 

After the show, we went by the Internet Cafe to check in with the family through the Carnival.com website & then to the Photo Gallery to look at our pictures. Then it was time for the Extreme Country Show. I had many great reviews & that is was a show not to miss. I totally agree!!! Just wonderful & the CD Steve C. does an awesome job with the fiddle. So glad we didn't miss this show.

 

After the show, we headed back to the cabin, changed & then put a few things together for our Progreso excursion the next morning. Then it was time for wine & treats. :D The treats had been delivered to the cabin earlier in the day, as a gift to Grammie from my kids. We finally went to bed close to 1 a.m.

 

 

A few sunset pictures:

 

 

 

And we are getting so close to Progreso:

 

[Meyer2]

Monday, 9/5/11, Labor Day, Progreso

 

We woke up at 6:40 with the alarm, (Small, battery, travel clock) expecting to be up in time to watch us come into port. Turns out, we were already docked & we had turned & were docked on the port side.

 

Our view:

 

 

 

 

 

Room service was there right about 7 with our cereal & danishes. After we ate, we dressed & headed down to Deck 3 about 8:00. Our excursion was to start at 8:30. We were off the ship pretty quick & checked in with the tour guides for our excursion. Discover the Yucatan & Mayan Ruins, booked through Carnival.

 

Pictures from the pier & shop area:

 

 

[Meyer2]

More pictures from the pier area:

 

 

 

 

 

 

After checking in, we had a few minutes for pictures & we walked around like 2 shops for a few minutes. We were ready to go right at 8:30. We headed out towards the Coach buses, with a/c which was nice. Here's a view looking back towards the ship from the parking lot area.

 

[cruisenanny]

Hey! Glad your back cuz you know I love your review:D

[Meyer2]

Our tour guides were Luis (Our main guide), or as he said, we could call him King Luie or Hans Solo & Nash, which he said we could call her Princess Lea (sp?). He was hilarious & was a wonderful guide as was Nash. Couldn't have asked for better tour guides IMO!!! Once we were all loaded on the bus, we headed down the long pier to head towards the Xcambo ruins for our 1st stop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luis had told us that all of us were to have no stress & to enjoy the trip & that him & Nash would handle all of our stress & worries for us.

[Meyer2]

Hey! Glad your back cuz you know I love your review:D

 

Thank-you Debbie! :D

[Meyer2]

Our view from the bus at the end pier:

 

 

 

 

 

Just along the way:

 

 

And pink flamingo's. We kept seeing them in several places. The story behind them is so neat, but I don't want to tell all about it so I don't spoil anything for those that might be taking a tour that explains it all.

 

[Meyer2]

Almost to the Xcambo ruins. The roads were extremely narrow, I'd look out the window & couldn't even see the road. :eek: Luis kept saying to trust them, they new what they were doing. LOL!

 

Sorry this picture is kind of blurry, but I was trying to show how the trees were right there at the side of the bus.

 

 

Then we stopped for a minute to look at this section of ruins & to let someone pass. They had to go around us through the grass area.

 

 

 

 

Pulling up to Xcambo

 

[Meyer2]

At the ruins, our tour guide Luis on the right & then another guide that was there to take pictures, help, etc. We didn't think to take bug spray & there were mosquitos, but they had spray for all of us that they passed around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Meyer2]

Ruins Cont.

 

 

 

These next two are some of the original stucco.

 

 

 

 

[vanislandcruisers]

Enjoyed your Review!!!...Thanks for sharing

[JoAnn&Mike]

Your review is probably one of the best ones I have ever read!! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for us...and I know it had to take you quite a bit of time. So worth it though!!! Again...thank you!:o

[Meyer2]

Enjoyed your Review!!!...Thanks for sharing

 

Your welcome! It's my pleasure.

 

Your review is probably one of the best ones I have ever read!! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for us...and I know it had to take you quite a bit of time. So worth it though!!! Again...thank you!:o

 

Aww, Thanks so much. I enjoy doing the review, helps to relive it some & I know it can be fun for others to read & see. :)

[Meyer2]

Our next stop was the Church of Santa Ana (Hope I said & spelled it right). This Church is beautiful & just amazing! The pictures don't do it justice at all.

 

 

 

 

 

There were 4 children there (Sorry I can't remember what they were called, Mystials????.) They did a dance for us, the older girl did the entire dance with a full bottle of water on her head. They were all so sweet.

 

 

[Meyer2]

Going into the Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Meyer2]

 

Outside the Church, across the street.

 

 

Some pictures from inside the bus, along the ride to the next stop, a Mayan Cemetery.

 

 

 

 

At our next stop, the cemetery, there were these trees with huge pea pods.

 

[Meyer2]

Getting to the Mayan Cemetery.

 

 

Entrance.

 

 

Okay, I must say, my mom was totally fine with going to walk & look around at the cemetery, me on the other hand, I wasn't so sure. I decided to take a look & figured I could always come back out & wait on her to finish. I'm so glad I did go & look around. It was really interesting & I'm happy I didn't miss it.

 

 

 

 

[Meyer2]

 

 

 

 

 

[Meyer2]

After the cemetery, we were off to an All Inclusive Resort for an included lunch & non-alcoholic drinks. There was a pool & a beach area, which we didn't make it over there before leaving. This resort is beautiful!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the AI, we ran into 2 of our table mates & found out that Carnival also offers an excursion to just the AI for the day which is what they had done & they really enjoyed it. Said the beach was beautiful & a wonderful place to hang out.

[Meyer2]

After we had a little bit to eat, we then started heading back up front. We were to meet at 1:00 for the bus. Saw an iguana with part of his tail missing.

 

 

We were all on the bus & leaving at 1:15. On the way back to the ship, Luis kept us entertained for sure! He was the best!!! Some pictures from on our way back.

 

 

 

 

We were back at the pier at 2:00 & needed to be back on the ship by 2:30. So we had time to stop into a few of the shops & pick up a few small things & headed back to get on board which was very easy, no wait. We didn't purchase any alcohol here, so we didn't have to stop to turn anything in. We just took the stairs & headed up to our cabin to drop everything off & then went back over to the atrium bar to get a Diet Coke & to the internet cafe to check in.

[Meyer2]

We went back to the cabin a few minutes before 4:00 for sail away. So beautiful out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Meyer2]

Time for the pilot boat to come pick up the Pilot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LambKnuckles]

What a wonderful day in Progreso!!!!

 

Thank you for taking us along!!! I've never done that tour and I love the cemetery photos... those remind me of a crowded New Orleans cemetery!!!

 

The Xcambo ruins look great!! It appears they let you climb those! In Chitzen Itza (I can't spell that...) you can't climb the pyramid anymore!!!

 

What a delightful review so far... I've been enjoying it!!!

[Meyer2]

What a wonderful day in Progreso!!!!

 

Thank you for taking us along!!! I've never done that tour and I love the cemetery photos... those remind me of a crowded New Orleans cemetery!!!

 

The Xcambo ruins look great!! It appears they let you climb those! In Chitzen Itza (I can't spell that...) you can't climb the pyramid anymore!!!

 

What a delightful review so far... I've been enjoying it!!!

 

Thanks Lambie! I love your review too, as always! The tour was wonderful & I think it's totally worth it!

[dotshub]

 

 

 

At our next stop, the cemetery, there were these trees with huge pea pods.

 

 

The tree with the large pods looks like a poinciana tree. They are just beautiful when the flowers are in full bloom.