Picture Review of SUNSHINE and Western Caribbean Ports of Call

[mpcaruth]

Roatan:

 

We had reserved a private tour with Rony’s Tours, a small family run business. Again, I had heavily researched Rony’s Tours on both Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor prior to booking. They had really good reviews, and I was especially interested in a private tour so that we could visit the Greenfield Children’s Home in Sandy Bay in Roatan. The cost for the tour was only $100 total for the 4 of us (did not include entry fees or meals). We had our instructions to meet the tour guide outside of the port area. We got off the ship as soon as they released the guests and quickly proceeded on our 15 minute trek to the tour guide. The trek had a significant hill and stairs and may difficult for some, however; we were told that taxi’s were available to escort those who needed it.

 

We were among the first cruise passengers to arrive at the tour area, and our guide was surprised to see us so soon. He said he has to sometimes wait up to 2 hours for his guests to arrive. Not with us, I want to maximize my time on this beautiful little island. I can lolly gag on the ship that evening. Our tour guide was Arnold, Rony’s nephew. He was great: nice, polite, and very informative. He works as an accountant on the weekends and a tour guide during the week. The tour vehicle was a newer model minivan, and the AC worked great (If you have ever been on a tour in the Caribbean and the AC not work well, you know why I specifically mentioned this).

 

Our first stop, the orphanage: Greenfield Children’s Home. We had contacted the facility prior to the cruise to make sure we could stop by. The Home is actually funded by Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries run out of North Carolina. They provide donations, set up child sponsorships, and organize working mission trips. As I had stated earlier my daughter had collected homemade friendship bracelets and necklaces from both her Girl Scout Troop and the CC/FB cruise group. She also had monetary donations to give to the school.

 

We arrived at the Home and were immediately greated by the most adorable little girl, Sindy. She stayed by my side most of the visit.

 

 

We all sat down and watched a 10-minute video of the home detailing it's accomplishments and mission. Then we interacted with the children and my daughter handed out the goodies. The kids were so excited and so friendly.

 

 

 

 

 

[mpcaruth]

ROATAN CONTINUED:

 

 

After we had spent some time with the children, we took a tour of the facility. They are in the process of adding classrooms to their so, so that they can serve additional under-privileged local children to the school.

 

 

 

 

 

See the beautiful sea? This is the view from the front of the Home.

 

 

The lady in red is a volunteer teacher from the US, and is just starting her year of volunteering.

 

[mpcaruth]

ROATAN CONTINUED:

 

More photos from the Greenfield Children's Home. They actually have a dentistry room at the Home; donated by a US dentist who visits 2-3 times per year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See little Sindy in the background? She is always smiling and laughing.

 

 

And here's our group picture! The small little boy beside me is Emanuel and he is only 3. He was dropped off at the front door when he was only 2 weeks old. He was such a sweet and inquisitive child. WOW! What a great experience, and so glad that I could share it with my own two children. I want to teach them the value of service to others, compassion, and gratitude.

 

[mpcaruth]

ROATAN CONTINUED:

 

We head out to tour some of the island before hitting West Bay.

 

West End Village is a neat shopping area. It is quaint and vibrant, and I do not have any pictures that truly do it justice. Please note, we had not seen all the sea grass in our last visit to this side of the island. Arnold informed us that the sea grass washes up to shore in December-early February (I think). We were here previously in early march and the beaches were clear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those interested: A water taxi is available to take you back and forth from West Bay (the main beach area that include Tabyana Beach, Bananarama, etc)

 

[mpcaruth]

ROATAN CONTINUED:

 

 

 

More West End Village

 

 

 

 

Next up is West Bay Beach!

 

We had been to West Bay years before and bought a day pass at the Mayan Princess resort. Wow, that was an amazing experience! This time, we knew the ropes and just wanted Arnold to take us to a free access point on the beach.

 

We entered the beach at Bananarama's and then turned left and went down to the end of the beach in front of the Infinity Bay resort. For a few hours, we were fine with not having lounge chairs.

 

Arnold is leading the way through the Bananarama entrance:

 

 

Along our walk down the beach:

 

 

 

Our spot (the sea grass was only about a 2-foot wide strip here, and really not an issue).

 

 

[mpcaruth]

ROATAN CONTINUED:

 

West Bay Beach

 

What is West Bay Beach best known for? ....near shore snorkeling! And since I am not one to sit still for very long, I immediately put on my snorkeling gear and head out. We have our own snorkeling gear and bring it with us on cruises for a couple of reasons: 1) beats paying $80 for the four of us each day, 2) it's nice to have your own mouth piece, 3) it can be convenient and save time rather than trekking up and down the beach to find a rental place.

 

View from the water looking back at our spot (my kids are in the yellow vests - yes, I make them wear one, so I don't have to worry and can relax while snorkeling).

 

 

My daughter would probably kill me if she knew I posted this, but it provides a good view of the beach area and the Infinity resort.

 

 

And off we go!

 

 

 

 

 

[mpcaruth]

ROATAN CONTINUED:

 

West Bay Beach

 

 

 

 

 

Be careful while snorkeling here and stay in the "paths" of open coral. The coral can suddenly get shallow in some areas. My son brushed the bottom of his foot pretty hard and got cut.

 

 

 

Can you spot the European? It's like underwater Where's Waldo.

 

 

 

 

There is a wall drop-off here at West Bay, but I did not have the time to explore, since we were only at the beach for 2 hours. But here is a great thread discussing the best snorkeling spots on West Bay. I hope to come back and try it out another time.

 

"Quizzing Experienced Snorkelers" http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1469343

Edited February 21, 2015 by mpcaruth

[mpcaruth]

ROATAN CONTINUED:

 

We leave the beach and tour a little more of the island.

 

 

The Sunshine's whale tail can be spotted:

 

 

This little island is May Key. We went here in 2014 and absolutely LOVED IT! Check out my Norwegian Jewel review for details.

 

 

I like to take photos of the locals, their homes and stores. Arnold also took us to his neighborhood, but my camera was on the wrong settings and they are all fuzzy. (Darn 40's hit me and my eyes don't focus as well).

 

 

 

[mpcaruth]

ROATAN CONTINUED:

 

 

I love seeing children playing!

 

 

 

I saw so many young people playing on their cell phones. Arnold estimated that 80% of the people on the island have smart phones. Another interesting tidbit is their water supply. The have a piped, disinfected water system in the towns, but the water has high levels of salt from saltwater intrusion into the groundwater. So, everyone must purchase bottled water for drinking. Just about every little store had big blue water bottles for sale.

 

We told Arnold we wanted to eat where the locals ate, and that is exactly what we did. This small restaurant had free wifi, and it appears the locals are really into it (and so was my daughter). The place was simple, rustic (almost shack-like). But it was clean and the food was good.

 

 

 

My daughter snagged my camera while I went to the ladies room (coke and conch salad):

[lharry]

I can't seem to find your review of Mr. Sanchos in Cozumel. We are considering it for our upcoming cruise.

 

And I'm loving your review of the Sunshine! We will be on her in June. Thanks for taking the time to do it!

[mpcaruth]

ROATAN CONTINUED:

 

We arrive back to the port, Mahogany Bay, about 30 minutes before final boarding. The port was empty!!! It seems everyone was done with this beautiful island and ready to get back on the ship. Not us, we are typically first off and last on. We decided to explore Mahogany Bay.

 

 

 

 

Zoomed in view of Norwegian's Coxen Hole port, and my favorite little island, Maya Key.

 

[mpcaruth]

ROATAN FINAL:

 

 

We took took this Nature Trail and found out that it is actually a shaded short cut to the beach area. The entrance to the trail is located behind the large white restroom before the "Mahogany Bay" overhead entrance sign.

 

 

 

 

 

Nice seating area along the trail:

 

 

 

 

And that ends another amazing port day!!!

[mpcaruth]

I can't seem to find your review of Mr. Sanchos in Cozumel. We are considering it for our upcoming cruise.

 

And I'm loving your review of the Sunshine! We will be on her in June. Thanks for taking the time to do it!

 

Thanks!

 

My Mr. Sanchos review begins at post #16: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=41398192&highlight=sancho#post41398192

Edited February 21, 2015 by mpcaruth

[mpcaruth]

Thank you everyone for your compliments!!! I am glad my review is helpful.

 

And especially thank you for your patience with my speed of (or lack there of) completing the review. I want to try and include everything, and this takes time. It took me over 2 hours just to organize and type up my Roatan review.

Edited February 21, 2015 by mpcaruth

[drvrswife]

Love your detail and pictures. My husband won't go, so my adult daughter and I are planning our first cruise. Is a 7 day cruise too long for a first cruise?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pbmsmile]

Thanks for the wonderful report! :D

[SweetPea0517]

What are you using for your underwater pictures?

[mpcaruth]

What are you using for your underwater pictures?

 

I used a Compact 20x zoom Panasonic Lumix (DMC-ZD19) point and shoot inside of a waterproof Aquapac bag. Most of photos were taken with the Panasonic, and I occasionally lugged out the bulky Canon Rebel DSLR.

[mpcaruth]

FUNTIMES:

 

For your browsing and planning enjoyment!

 

Saturday - Welcome Aboard: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_oyujRZr-k4N1lfNDl0alFmR2s/edit?usp=drive_web

 

Sunday - First Sea Day: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_oyujRZr-k4TjRRNGk3MWtoSTg/edit?usp=drive_web

 

Monday - Cozumel: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_oyujRZr-k4MFV5Rk1wMW5YY0k/edit

 

Tuesday - Roatan: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_oyujRZr-k4VUZ4elc5ZFJaNEk/edit?usp=drive_web

 

Wednesday - Belize: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_oyujRZr-k4bjU2ZlFMNmNFZ28/edit?usp=drive_web

 

Thursday - Costa Maya: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_oyujRZr-k4eWVKRXZMS3laaTg/edit?usp=drive_web

 

Friday - Last Sea Day: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_oyujRZr-k4SjlsTDd5a1hlbGs/edit?usp=drive_web

 

Saturday - sorry, all you get is debarkation papers!

[mpcaruth]

DELETED...oops!

Edited February 21, 2015 by mpcaruth

[CookiePie]

What an amazing review! We are very excited about sailing the same cruise in April!

[Princess_K]

Roatan:

 

We had reserved a private tour with Rony’s Tours, a small family run business. Again, I had heavily researched Rony’s Tours on both Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor prior to booking. They had really good reviews, and I was especially interested in a private tour so that we could visit the Greenfield Children’s Home in Sandy Bay in Roatan. The cost for the tour was only $100 total for the 4 of us (did not include entry fees or meals). We had our instructions to meet the tour guide outside of the port area. We got off the ship as soon as they released the guests and quickly proceeded on our 15 minute trek to the tour guide. The trek had a significant hill and stairs and may difficult for some, however; we were told that taxi’s were available to escort those who needed it.

 

We were among the first cruise passengers to arrive at the tour area, and our guide was surprised to see us so soon. He said he has to sometimes wait up to 2 hours for his guests to arrive. Not with us, I want to maximize my time on this beautiful little island. I can lolly gag on the ship that evening. Our tour guide was Arnold, Rony’s nephew. He was great: nice, polite, and very informative. He works as an accountant on the weekends and a tour guide during the week. The tour vehicle was a newer model minivan, and the AC worked great (If you have ever been on a tour in the Caribbean and the AC not work well, you know why I specifically mentioned this).

 

Our first stop, the orphanage: Greenfield Children’s Home. We had contacted the facility prior to the cruise to make sure we could stop by. The Home is actually funded by Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries run out of North Carolina. They provide donations, set up child sponsorships, and organize working mission trips. As I had stated earlier my daughter had collected homemade friendship bracelets and necklaces from both her Girl Scout Troop and the CC/FB cruise group. She also had monetary donations to give to the school.

 

We arrived at the Home and were immediately greated by the most adorable little girl, Sindy. She stayed by my side most of the visit.

 

 

We all sat down and watched a 10-minute video of the home detailing it's accomplishments and mission. Then we interacted with the children and my daughter handed out the goodies. The kids were so excited and so friendly.

 

 

 

 

 

I think it is awesome that you have raised your daughter to where she thinks of others even heading out on vacation! Kudos to her!

[mpcaruth]

BELIZE:

 

<<<I will warn you, I have over 80 picture to share of Belize>>>

 

We have been to Belize before and have gone cave tubing and an excursion to Altun Ha and the Wallace River boat ride. This year, I really wanted to see Caye Caulker! A small fishing village on a limestone/coral island 20 miles off shore of Belize City and one mile from the Belize barrier reef. The island has a population of less than 1400 and transportation consists of golf carts and bikes. Sounds like paradise to me!

 

So, I research Cruise Critic’s Belize Board for ideas on non-Carnival excursions to Caye Caulker. One member numerously bad mouthed a particular tour. I am always cautious of highly negative reviews, and especially when they go out of their way to post it on numerous threads stating, “do not take this excursion”. I checked Trip Advisor and was encouraged to give them a try, so I booked with Coral Breeze for their Shark/Ray Alley Snorkeling and Caye Caulker Exploration. This tour was awesome, and we have absolutely no regrets!

 

One thing I was disappointed in the tour was the fact that it did not begin until 11:00 ship time (10:00 Belize time). Our ship arrived at 8:00, and it just seemed like we were missing out of an hour of fun. This port is a tender port. Well, since our tour was later in the morning and we had FTTF, we didn’t have that mad rush in the morning, typical of our port days. The FTTF instructions were to meet next to Guess Services in the Lobby. The FTTF group, even at 9:45 was more than 50 people. I heard them call 2 other non-FTTF boarding groups BEFORE us while we were waiting. Finally after waiting more than 25 minutes with our FTTF passes, we boarded the tender. (Still unimpressed with FTTF.)

 

As soon as we exited the port terminal, we were greeted by our tour operator. After about 5 minutes, he escorted our small group a few blocks away to the pier. Our lunch order was taken, and snorkeling equipment was distributed.

 

 

 

And off we go on our 45 minute ride to Caye Caulker:

 

 

 

 

 

[mpcaruth]

BELIZE CONTINUED:

 

About 1/2 way through the ride we stopped at the mangroves for a little nature lesson. They also handed out bags, yes bags, of water to drink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I seriously fantasize about living here:

 

 

We arrived at the Caye Caulker pier and stayed long enough to drop a few folks off (those that were not going to Shark/Ray Alley) and to take a rest room break.

 

 

 

[mpcaruth]

BELIZE CONTINUED:

 

 

Back on the tour boat we headed to a snorkeling spot. It is my understanding that the Carnival excursion does not include this snorkeling, and only goes to the Shark/Ray Alley spot. I could be wrong, though.

 

We suited up with our snorkeling gear, which included the mandatory life vest. At first I was a little irritated to have to use a life vest as opposed to a snorkeling vest, but it turn out better. We opened the vest around our waist and floated away.

 

 

 

 

 

Our tour guide diving down to show us the beginning of new coral formation: