I recently got back from a family cruise to Cozumel and Costa Maya. It was certainly a way to kick off the new year by relaxing, eating, exploring, blowing money I probably shouldn't be blowing, and enjoying the fun events on board. My family is obsessed with cruises through Carnival. After all, they do make a great vacation, whether you want a quick one that is spur of the moment, or a long one to see all of the destinations.
Our ship was called the Dream. We left out of New Orleans, spent a day at sea, arrived in Costa Maya, then to Cozumel (both in Mexico), had a rough sea day, and arrived back in the states. I was very excited to go on this trip, but not so excited about leaving my new boyfriend at home. At least there was wifi on board to help keep in touch...but at a cost.
There was so much to do on board. I went to comedy shows and musicals. I did a little bit of shopping on board, also. The best thing about shopping on the ship (and in the ports) is that everything is tax and duty free, and there are sometimes really good deals. The downside is that it can still be pricey.
There was a lot of free food on the ship. I already love to eat as it is, but I ate even more. Thank God for stairs. Instead of waiting forever to catch the elevator, I'd take the stairs. At least I got my goal in for steps on this vacation, despite all of the indulgence! I even did a lot of walking in the ports. Another benefit of cruising to Mexico is that the drinking age is 18...so I could buy my own alcoholic beverages legally. This was another way that I indulged. I bought a beverage at each port. Don't worry, I drank wisely and didn't embarrass myself. I drank poolside with my family in Costa Maya while we watched the bartender walk around and give people at the swim up bar several shots. We watched some kids play with the dolphins in their dolphin habitat. That brought back memories of me doing the same thing in Cozumel for my senior trip. We didn't book any excursions for this cruise because we had a good friend of my mom's joining us for her first cruise, so we didn't want to feel rushed.
In Cozumel, it was cool to see the Christmas decorations still up. There was a manger scene, and the figures were life sized. The Christmas tree had ornaments shaped like some sort of island fruit. We made a stop in Margaritaville for lunch. I had fish and chips, along with a Blue Pirate. Eating lunch felt like we were attending a party, because people were up and dancing to the music. I bought my first pair of Tanzanite earrings while in port. I was very excited because I've always wanted a pair. Then, we did a taxi ride of the island so that my mom's friend could see everything.
Everything was great until our last sea day. We were sailing through a cold front, so it was very rocky and cold. I did get sea sick, but so did a lot of other people. Despite this, I enjoyed myself. I was glad to be on solid land, but sad to return to reality. But that's okay, there is always next time.