Just got off New Years Cruise...Spirit out of New Orleans

[2bamboo]

Hi everyone! We just returned from the Spirit yesterday. Had a blast!!! I too am just starting to process the whole experience because it goes by intensely and very fast.

I can attest to the fun in the child care area because our cabin was just below the ball area and the kids definitely!!! played in it:eek:. Sounded like elephants during the day, but was blissfully quiet at night.

We traveled with 4 teenagers and had a slightly different agenda. We wanted to get out of the tourist areas as quickly as possible and experience something different.

In COSTA MAYA we grabbed a Taxi and traveled through the Real Mexico to a small little hotel/restaurant called Maya Luna. I will do a complete review on them latter, but am happy to answer any questions until then. This is an authentic little spot that took just the 6 of us on a private guided snorkel tour in a little boat, then fed us a DELICIOUS home cooked lunch as we sat in our beach chairs, drank our beers and played in the sand.

In GUATEMALA we took the Ak'Tenamit/Livingston tour, in the rain, and it was still breathtakingly beautiful and a very special experience. Would have liked more time to shop in Livingston but did manage to grab a woven bag.

In BELIZE we went to Altun Ha then down the old Belize River where we saw monkeys, iguanas, alligators (or was it a crocodile...I keep forgetting) and a manatee. We also saw someone get pick-pocketed on the docks, so beware!

In COZUMEL we took the ferry over to Playa del Carmen and picked up a private van to Tulum. Would love to answer any questions about this also because it was a wonderful tour. We had our own driver for a very reasonable price and could set our own pace and decide where to go.

Absolutely LOVED the ship and believe we have been spoiled by the Spirit and her beautiful lay out, open spaces and ambiance.

We didn't want to leave and I feel betrayed that she sailed off again without us. Can't wait to go back....but first I need to unpack.

[joteacher]

Thomarvin,

From what we noticed on the Spirit the week of Dec 21-28, 2008, it received all new carpet and reupholstered chairs in all of the public rooms including the Galaxy of the Stars Observation and Stardust Theater. This was very much needed from what we saw cruising her last Dec 07.

 

We enjoyed the following:

 

Costa Maya – relaxing day at private beach, good food, drinks and private scuba diving at Hotel Maya Luna.

 

Santo Tomas De Castilla, Guatemala – tour of Rio Dulce Canyon/Livingston with Happy Fish. Great way to see a lot of how the actual local people live. The tour was long in time (kind of got boring). The town of Livingston was the highlight. Wait to book this tour in the port because they only charged us $35 p/p. Also Do Not Miss the ship sendoff at this port! The locals sing, dance and line-up the cars during this time. We have been too many ports and have never seen such a wonderful thing.

 

Belize City – unfortunately we were in Belize on Christmas day and most places were closed so we regrettably took the NCL shore excursion called Shark Ray Alley & Ambergris Caye. Without getting into details, this was the WORST SHORE EXCURSION we have ever taken. Let’s say, the 3 boats that attempted to take us on this excursion broke down…

 

Cozumel – rented a minivan and spent the morning at Palancar Beach Club and snorkeled at Columbia Shallows & Palancar Reef. Enjoyed a few magrarita’s and chips & salsa here also. Then it was off to Coconut’s for another round or two of margrarit’s, chips & salsa. Made it back in one piece to return rental car and make our way back on the cruise ship.

 

Kevin

Kevin,

 

Is the private beach in Costa Maya a ship excursion or through someone else? Is the hotel at the beach, or is that something separate? We would like to do that, but don't know who to go through. Any info would be a big help. Thanks.

-Joanne

[lookingtorelax]

We loved the variety of activities we did with the kids. They got to do a little of everything. I wouldn't change the activities if I had to do it over again.

 

Tubing: I don't recommend who we used: Action Boys. It wasn't the owner that took us, like i was led to believe and the guide had not done our tour for a long time. He also did not know or did not want to reveal the status of the zip line which had been shut down for ALL tours, cruise or or not. He was very nice and energetic but I know other people used other guides and some even had helmets in the cave, which was nice. these groups were more organized and prepared.

 

Waterfalls: we did it with the cruise. Guatemala is poor. I didn't talk to anyone that went without the cruise, but I know people did because there were guides there at the port. I even saw people that rode rental bikes up to the falls. I DO NOT recommend this. It seemed miserable. They were walking bikes through the mud. If I were to go again, having been there now, I would just take a taxi from the port up to the falls. Once you are at the falls there is an admission charge. It's a compound with only 1-2 families as vendors there. so, no locals can get in there. You are safe. They have guides there that are mandatory to take with you, even if you have a cruise guide. All this is included with your cruise booked excursion. We did give the local guide girl at the falls a tip. Santo Tomas is a poor area...

 

In Cozumel we finished the submarine early and instead of taking their offered (included in tour price) taxi back to port we went the other direction to Paradise Beach. It was crowded but the Margaritas, Salsa, Guacamole and Ceviche were AWESOME. For $10 a person, you can use the water trampolines, kayaks, snorkel gear and giant "iceburg" climber/water slide thing. We got the $10/band for each kid and we hung out on the chairs and umbrellas and enjoyed the food and drink. A great way to end a run of busy excursions!!

Thank you so much for the details and explanations. I really appreciate you taking time to answer each question. I am glad to hear that you had fun. I don't think there will be any problems having fun. My goal is to leave WI, leave work, and just enjoy myself for a week. There are also 50 others in our group who can help with the fun. Have a great new year. Thank you again!

[2bamboo]

Hey Kevin...was that you on the beach with us at Maya Luna? My husbands name is also Kevin. Too bad we were all too busy hanging out and relaxing to strike up a conversation.

I was a little apprehensive heading out on my own when I was basically in charge of a group of 6. So, I booked the excursion through Costa Maya Tours....Google them....and ask for Otto. Tell them Robin sent you.....or Kevin (grin). All we had to do was walk outside of the Cruise Ship Village a couple of blocks to catch an independent taxi and ask to go to Maya Luna ($15 each way). We payed our driver a little extra to stop at Majahaul on the way back to the ship so that we could shop for a few minutes while he waited. The ride itself was an experience, through parts of town that the ship excursions try to avoid. Maya Luna is authentic Mexico and the food was FABULOUS! My only disappointment was the water, which is colored red by the nearby river outlet. Nothing wrong with the water, it's all natural, just not what I was expecting. BUT, take a snorkel or scuba tour to the off shore reef and all is well. Because our Dolphin Swim, through the ship, was canceled we had more time in the day than we first expected. Norwegian did not notify us of the cancellation until we were on the ship, so I called Otto and he re-arranged everything for me...no worries!! We felt well taken care of. A great way to start the cruise.

[Leafpeeper]

How did you like the ship? Bostonians are thrilled a ship with lots of balconies is coming to do the Bermuda cruises on the Spirit.

[beachbooles]

How did you like the ship? Bostonians are thrilled a ship with lots of balconies is coming to do the Bermuda cruises on the Spirit.

 

It was great. It never felt crowded except for Raffles, the buffet, on arrival day and at the busiest breakfast time/port days. Oh, the gym was packed on the first sea day, then it eased up. We had an inside cabin because the balcony cabins only fit 3, according to NCL. So, we would have had to get TWO balcony/adjoining cabins to accommodate the 4 of us. not worth the doubling of the price for us. However, our location was great...10th deck, right near the stairs so very easy to get around the ship.

 

The decor was odd, asian at times but them sort of greek/roman at the pool area. a mix and match, to me, but still pleasant. Lots of seating around the promenade and inside public spaces too. I'm not very good at describing the public spaces very well. With two kids, I didn't have time to just hang and read. I did enjoy Maharini's night club a lot. Very South Beach like in there.

[mactrio]

Thanks for all of the info. :)

[cwiggi1]

I too am just off the spirit. Had a great time.

 

Food - ok. got tired. Cagneys best then le bistro then main dining rooms. Dont go to the shogun restaurant.

 

Costa Maya - In response to an earlier post, i believe hotel maya luna is owned by a dutch couple? (not so "real mexico" in my opinion). We took a cab to Mahual and went to Capitan Mono's - sat on the beach all day.

 

Guatemala - waterfall - fun but wouldnt go back to guatamala (i am more of a beach person).

 

Belize - shark ray alley amerbris caye. Nice trip but overpriced.

 

Cozumel - paradise beach. great day.

[ohio_cruiser]

joteacher,

Yes, Hotel Maya Luna is a what I call on a private beach because it is located 3 miles south of Mahahual (a total of 6 miles south of the cruise ship pier). Very little else is located around it. You would need to make your own arrangements because this is not a ship excursion. You can easily do this by emailing any questions you may have regarding this place in paradise. There WEB site is http://www.hotelmayaluna.com/ . In the WEB site there an email link for additional questions. You need to make reservations to come to their beach because they limit the number of people to 15 people. You will be pampered with great Mexican hospitality! We also went scuba diving from here using their onsite dive master. If you find a Titanium – blue face fossil watch in the water, please send it back to me…

 

2bamboo,

We were at Maya Luna the week before you (Dec. 23rd). Wasn’t this place fun and relaxing? I am looking into just spending several nights at this hotel and just do nothing (except scuba dive, eat, drink...). Maybe soon.

 

beachbooles,

Glad your kids enjoyed the "Kids Crew" because my daughter has been working as a counselor there for 4 weeks and will be back home this Sunday, Jan 11.

As beachbooles stated, the Spirit has an odd décor of Asian art mixed in. This is because it was originally built to serve the Asian market as a gambling ship. Also – from what I was told, the number 4 was considered bad luck. This is why you don’t find any cabins with the number 4 in them (except deck 4, where all cabins start with 4).

 

Kevin

[HappyChick]

We are also just off the Spirit (New Year's Eve cruise). We had a great time. I did love the Asian decor on the ship, but also found the Greco/Roman and other things that were mixed in. It was a little confusing!

 

Food was better than I expected, but I didn't care for the buffet. Went to Cagney's and enjoyed it. The Kahlua creme brulee was excellent!

 

Costa Maya: we were also @Maya Luna (we had the 2 small boys). We had been there on a previous cruise. I cannot say enough about this wonderful place. The hospitality of Carolein and her staff is excellent. They make you feel so comfortable. The food is incredible (we had ceviche, guacamole, stuffed pineapples, fajitas, and my boys loved the quesadillas). Excellent drinks. And the price is very reasonable. This place is so relaxing!

 

Guatamala: my least favorite stop. Maybe b/c it was raining/cloudy most of the day. We went to Amatique Bay. My boys (ages 2 and 5) LOVED the kids pool there (pirate ship, water slides) and had an absolute blast. The grounds and pool area are nice, but the beach is disappointing. The food (served buffet style for a set price, but you can also order from the menu and pay extra) was just OK. Oh...the flan was good.

 

Belize: we went to Bannister Island. I love this place, although it can get a little crowded. Food is pretty good...the BBQ "spicy chicken" w/rice and beans is great. We kayaked and swam.

 

Cozumel: we went to Nachi Cocum. Loved this place. They limit how many people they take per day and have an all-inclusive drink and food policy. This was a wonderful day. We'll definitely go back. We had guacamole (good, but not near as good as Maya Luna), ceviche, quesadillas, fajitas. All good.

 

I'm happy to answer any questions!

[2bamboo]

"authentic" is a relative term. How about, more authentic than the Costa Maya port village?

The owners might not have been "Mexican" but did you chat with them? Their story of survival after the hurricane and their determination to re-build and stay in the country they love is inspiring, no matter the nationality. The Mexican work ethic is so much greater than most of the US work force that, in my book, they earned the term authentic.

[nizurc]

Beachbooles, you mentioned a toga party on the Spirit. Any suggestions what we should pack to wear for "that" party?

 

Thanks.

[newmexicoNita]

It was great. It never felt crowded except for Raffles, the buffet, on arrival day and at the busiest breakfast time/port days. Oh, the gym was packed on the first sea day, then it eased up. We had an inside cabin because the balcony cabins only fit 3, according to NCL. So, we would have had to get TWO balcony/adjoining cabins to accommodate the 4 of us. not worth the doubling of the price for us. However, our location was great...10th deck, right near the stairs so very easy to get around the ship.

 

The decor was odd, asian at times but them sort of greek/roman at the pool area. a mix and match, to me, but still pleasant. Lots of seating around the promenade and inside public spaces too. I'm not very good at describing the public spaces very well. With two kids, I didn't have time to just hang and read. I did enjoy Maharini's night club a lot. Very South Beach like in there.

one thing we liked is just what you mentioned: it never seemed crowded even though, it was sold out when we sailed last month. The very last monring Raffles was packed, we chosse to eat in the dining room..

 

Nita

[cwiggi1]

I thought the toga party was just for teenagers but could be mistaken. Every person I saw with a toga on looked to be about 16-18.

[maryn680]

Kevin,

 

Is the private beach in Costa Maya a ship excursion or through someone else? Is the hotel at the beach, or is that something separate? We would like to do that, but don't know who to go through. Any info would be a big help. Thanks.

-Joanne

 

Check out Maya Palms in Costa Maya, it's a private resort about 20 minutes away. They have a web site. We love it there.

[breezy10]

Las Escobas: We got lucky it had poured rain in guatemala the same morning of our hike. There were about 12 cruise people in the falls. They rotate the groups so it's only your group at a time. 12 in the water but many out just watching or wading in the shallow water. Maybe 40 of us total? Note: on this hike I personally saw two people fall HARD. They slipped down some steps that go into the river. My son slipped once because he was moving too fast. (age 6) He recovered and ended up swimming too. I later heard about a lady that was REALLY scratching and bruised from another group. So, i guess one could get hurt on any of these treks.

 

We loved our trip and I hope you do too!

 

Great info! May I ask how you booked the Las Escobas? Through cruise line or private company?

 

We are leaving this Sunday! Yay! It's our honeymoon and my first cruise ever. I can't wait, but I'm a bit nervous about getting motion sickness since I get it in the car, boats, and airplanes! I'll be packing the Bonine/dramamine for sure.

 

The waterfall looks fun, can you give me more details? We are 40 and 46 years old and it good shape. (note I didn't say great shape!!:p)

[joteacher]

Kevin and Maryn680,

 

Thanks to both of you for the beach/resort info. Both places look great--now I just have to decide which one to visit. If I find your watch, I'll let you know and send it back.

 

Joanne

[ohio_cruiser]

Kevin and Maryn680,

 

Thanks to both of you for the beach/resort info. Both places look great--now I just have to decide which one to visit. If I find your watch, I'll let you know and send it back.

 

Joanne

 

Thanks Joanne, I'll be sitting down next to my mailbox in the snow and 19 degree Fahrenheit temperatures waiting. BURRR...

 

Have a great time wherever you go!

 

Kevin

[PokerDave]

Great info! May I ask how you booked the Las Escobas? Through cruise line or private company?

 

We are leaving this Sunday! Yay! It's our honeymoon and my first cruise ever. I can't wait, but I'm a bit nervous about getting motion sickness since I get it in the car, boats, and airplanes! I'll be packing the Bonine/dramamine for sure.

 

The waterfall looks fun, can you give me more details? We are 40 and 46 years old and it good shape. (note I didn't say great shape!!:p)

 

I think I would recommend getting the patches from your doctor rather than just bonine/dramamine. A Honeymoon would be a terrible thing to waste! My wife does the patches since she is quite prone, and I do not, but have had to get what the ship gives you a couple of times. There are bound to be a hundred threads out there that discuss the pros/cons...

[Sally Forth]

 

Belize City – unfortunately we were in Belize on Christmas day and most places were closed so we regrettably took the NCL shore excursion called Shark Ray Alley & Ambergris Caye. Without getting into details, this was the WORST SHORE EXCURSION we have ever taken. Let’s say, the 3 boats that attempted to take us on this excursion broke down…

 

 

We were on the same cruise, and wondered what the mutiny at the excursion desk was all about. Did you end up getting a full refund?

 

It used to be that NCL had a crew member (not from Excursions staff, just a crew member) on every excursion. That way, if there was a problem, they could be a liaison for the passengers.

 

Viv

[breezy10]

Thank you so much Poker Dave! I was pondering that, but literally everyone has told me.."oh, you wont have any problems on a cruise ship". BUT, I get very sick on airplanes and have used the patch once, before it was taken off the market-then put back on the market and it did indeed work.

 

I appreciate your help with this very much.

[PokerDave]

Thank you so much Poker Dave! I was pondering that, but literally everyone has told me.."oh, you wont have any problems on a cruise ship". BUT, I get very sick on airplanes and have used the patch once, before it was taken off the market-then put back on the market and it did indeed work.

 

I appreciate your help with this very much.

 

Hmmm, didn't realize they had been removed and come back. We've been on 4 cruises and she has always used them. They are called transdermal Scop I think... with a long vowel symbol over the O, so pronounced Scope I guess...

 

They may say not to drink, but we drink like fish and she's never had an issue...

 

We'll have our Rum Runners packed up in March!

[beachbooles]

Beachbooles, you mentioned a toga party on the Spirit. Any suggestions what we should pack to wear for "that" party?

 

Thanks.

 

They provided the sheets to wrap you in as you came in the door!

[beachbooles]

Great info! May I ask how you booked the Las Escobas? Through cruise line or private company?

 

We are leaving this Sunday! Yay! It's our honeymoon and my first cruise ever. I can't wait, but I'm a bit nervous about getting motion sickness since I get it in the car, boats, and airplanes! I'll be packing the Bonine/dramamine for sure.

 

The waterfall looks fun, can you give me more details? We are 40 and 46 years old and it good shape. (note I didn't say great shape!!:p)

 

sorry for late reply..busy back in real life! You'll be fine on the hike, just be careful with slippery rocks at teh falls. Move slowly!

we went with the cruise. I think you can take a taxi and be just fine.

[robomom]

In COSTA MAYA we grabbed a Taxi and traveled through the Real Mexico to a small little hotel/restaurant called Maya Luna. I will do a complete review on them latter, but am happy to answer any questions until then. This is an authentic little spot that took just the 6 of us on a private guided snorkel tour in a little boat, then fed us a DELICIOUS home cooked lunch as we sat in our beach chairs, drank our beers and played in the sand.

 

We went to ML in September from a Carnival cruise. You can rent golf carts at the port, which is what we did, and drove down to the hotel. It was very peaceful and we were the only ones there that day! We didn't do the lunch but had several cold cervazas and chips and salsa. I took one of the kayaks to the reef to snorkel. It was windy that day and the water was pretty stirred up. I have done better reef snorkeling, but the beach was very nice and laid back. We'd do it again.