lifes-a-beach

When I retire (again and for good) my goal is for us to spend 6 months or so in a fully furnished condo on a beach somewhere, then move to the next place.  Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, the list goes on.  Probably catch an occasional 5 or 7 night cruise here and there but no way would I commit to three years of anything except to my wife.  

14 minutes ago, Jenny in TX said:

We were just in Freeport 2 weeks ago.  We booked a private excursion and it was wonderful!  The water in the Bahamas is beautiful.  If you like the beach get a cab to a beach and hang out for the day.  Our excursion took us to Lucaya National Park and then we spent the day at Banana Bay.  There was a restaurant for food and drinks right on the beach.  The food and drinks were so good.  If we go again I will just spend the entire day there.

Thanks for your review.  If you don't mind, could you share the private excursion company information?  We'll be there in August and just want to go to a nice beach with food, drinks and a clean restroom.

Thanks

https://thehill.com/homenews/3896298-giant-seaweed-blob-twice-the-width-of-the-us-takes-aim-at-florida/

Of course, we'll be on an 8 night to Florida in August.

Reasonable price and quality.

https://www.snorkel-mart.com

my daughter and I both have prescription lenses from them and they are very well done.

What you are describing was before our time but there is still a zip line tower on the Island Beach Club side.  Buccanos pretty small compared to Paradise Beach or the like.  La Monica looks pretty good.  May have to try them.  Wife is heading out again mid-April with a friend.  They return the same day that she and I depart so she will be down there twice in April.  

My wife and I were there last Tuesday.  The cab is $16 each way.  It's a 15 or or minute drive, depending on traffic.  Keep in mind that they don't open until 10AM Mexico time.  If you don't want to eat breakfast on the ship, leave early and try El Coctelito between Calle 10 and 12.  It was very good and we didn't have any trouble getting a cab when we were done.  When you get to Buccanos you'll pay $20 per person entry but that is credited to your food/drinks bill when you settle up.  Kenny will be there to take your money and will give you a small ticket to present when you pay.  Don't lose it.  The ambiance is much different than the beach clubs south of the pier.  There was no music at all and lots of families that didn't come from cruise ships.  Also lots of older adult ex-pats who were eating their lunch there and probably didn't care for the man made beach or pool.  Food is very good and not the bar food we had become accustomed to.  This time we got the Bucannos guacamole (again) and it was great.  We split the chicken sandwich which was OK but too much bread.  My daughter got a plate of nachos that was huge, plenty for two, and quite good.  Her bf got calamari and said it was good.  Be warned that the fish may not be white fish like we gringos may be expecting.  Last trip my friend got the fish and chips and the fish was the dark variety.  Since this is not a true beach the water is very clear and there were hundreds of fish all around us.  If you like to snorkel, this is a great place.  We don't drink alcohol so I can't comment on the quality of those, but their smoothies were very good.  When you get ready to leave Kenny will happily call you a cab.  It took like 10 minutes. 

Be sure to walk around the grounds a little.  It's a very nice place and the restrooms meet even my wife's expectations.  There is a photography studio on site as well.  We love this place and drinks and food for my wife and I amounted to like an additional $15 including tip. 

Edit to say, go to Google Maps and look at the pictures.  You can read the reviews too but many of those are for the nighttime restaurant.  The pictures are very representative of what to expect.

We were there a week ago today. I definitely recommend the filet medium rare or rare. Don’t know about the wheat pasta but the waiter did ask about dietary restrictions or allergies. Even without pasta there’s lots to eat. 

This one is all we need.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BHVKPC3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Also have an Anker USB block for charging phones and iPads.  

The beach here has eroded significantly since the start of COVID. I read somewhere that the shut down of importation of sand to places like this and the Cayman Islands was a major cause of the erosion.  No idea if that’s true but the reality sure is.  We ported in Costa Maya Tuesday this week and, for the first time ever, decided to stay on the ship.  There were 4 ships there and three had been there since morning.  Our arrival was 12:30 and the area would have been very busy.  So we went to the Solarium pool and enjoyed a relatively quiet day.  To be clear, we love Crazy Lobster.  The food is amazing and reasonably priced.  The staff is friendly and attentive. Prices are reasonable.  But the crowds have gotten so big that it’s just not worth it to us.  YMMV

Finally remembered to pass this on.  The Lamanai trip my son took was good.  Their words were that it would be easy to turn an ankle and there was lots of walking but otherwise it was good.  They didn’t encounter mosquitos at all.  

In January the one shop you can still cut through is some sort of food place that sells snacks. Don’t recall the name of the place. 

We have a short 5 day that we also leave on 2/25 but my son will be back next Saturday so I should have some recent experience to share with you.  

I use a step counter on my watch also and find that it's sometimes not very accurate.  I've done a lot of mountain hiking and climbing and have a pretty good grasp of what a 5 mile hike is.  I would say it's not over about 4 miles.  That said, if you have moderate to serious mobility issues, this might not be for you.  The walk from where the boat drops you off to the ruins is through the jungle on a trail that, at least when we went, was a little uneven.  Then when you reach the ruins you're in the sun and the ruins are huge to walk around among.  There's plenty of time to stop and drink some water though.  I never felt rushed and I climbed the face of a couple of the temples, which I understand is off limits now, and probably rightly so.  You be the judge, but if you get around well and can pace yourselves, it's definitely worth the sweat.  And in case you haven't seen this suggestion, bring Deep Woods Off wipes.  The spray just goes everywhere.  The wipes are the way to go.

Edit:  If you're not going as soon as next week, my son and his girl are and I'll report back how it went.  I'll also ask him for a step count. 

It’s just under 45 miles from the port to Hobby.  Assuming you carry your bags off early, you’ll be off the ship by 8:30.  9:00 at the latest.  Again, assuming your transportation is waiting for you, you should be at the Hobby terminal by 10.  Hobby is a very small airport and easy to get around in.  An 11:30 flight should be no problem.  My daughter flies in and out of Hobby pretty regularly and much prefers it to Bush.  We live north of Houston in the Conroe area and are usually home unpacking by 10:30.  And that’s including a shuttle to the parking we prefer.  

Have only been to Lamanai.  Both bus and boat.  One of the best excursions we have taken.  Definitely go with the ship.  

19 hours ago, mitsugirly said:

I really hope they continue to run. I just had my 3rd leg surgery and (fingers crossed) I will be able to walk good by the time we come, but if not...that could pose a problem for me. Yikes!

Wishing you a speedy recovery. It was running in January and there was a bazillion people on the pier.  Been a while since we had seen it. 

We ported here on Allure on January 12th, a Thursday.  There were 3 other ships there, a German ship called Mein Shiff 1, MSC Meraviglla and, I think one of the medium sized Carnival ships.  The German one and MSC both looked as big as Allure or bigger.  The malecon was absolutely packed with people and KL was too.  So crowded that service, which is usually very good, was overtaxed and almost nonexistent. It was the least fun half day we ever spent in Majahual.  And by half day, we left at like 1:00 it was so crowded.  Moral of the story, Majahual doesn’t have the capacity for that many people and never will.  We’ll be there again in a couple of weeks and will wait and see what the people count is before going there again.  Damn I miss the old days of Blue Key when there was a beach, clear water and not another person in sight.  Sadly, those days may be gone for good.  

Easily?  No.  It's a hike.  Or should I say, a continuation of the hike.  First, the pier is VERY LONG.  Then you have to weave around in the port area to get to the parking lot.  And if you don't know the only cut through it's even longer.  Then the walk along the road starts.  It's a big nope for us and we don't have mobility issues.   

Welcome to the forum Sandie.  Except for gambling, everything you would want to purchase on the ship would be charged to your onboard account via use of your room key/card.  The card will be provided to you when you check in at the terminal. It’s a fairly easy process during which you will need your passport and possibly other documents depending on where your cruise is going.  Take cash to use in your ports of call and, as has been suggested, take your room card and a photo ID with you when you disembark.  You’ll need them to get back to and onto the ship.  Some people use a lanyard to carry their room cards in both on the ship and off.  I don’t, but I believe the casino will give you one on most ships.  But carry is wherever you’re most comfortable.  While onboard lock everything else in the room safe.  Enjoy your trip!

We have 4 booked already this year and looking at 2 more in 2024.  In fact, we leave Tuesday.  My wife went on 10 in 2022 and I got 5 in. (Yeah, she's retired and I'm not)  I don't see us slowing down. 

You should consider calling a local travel agent that does cruises.  My experience has been that our TA will know exactly what is out there that meets our criteria, particularly a last minute deal.  As has been said, Google can help since there are reviews of just about every business.  

As Biker mentioned, go here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/89-cayman-islands/

For sure, stingray city is worth it.  But you’ll get lots of ideas from the Cayman threads.

Here’s a link to Buccanos that shows their hours and cost.  Since it’s $20, I’m reasonably sure the hours are current.

https://www.buccanos.com/en/activities

Oh, and that’s Cozumel time, not ship time.  That might get you an extra hour.

It was me who respectfully disagreed with the post that has now been removed.  

Buccanos opens at 10 so if you’re off the ship early it’s still an option.  They did go up to a $20 pp minimum f&b.  You pay the $20pp upon entry and it goes toward your bill.  We’re headed there is a couple of weeks.   There’s not much else left that isn’t AI and anything in a beach close to the port definitely lacks the azul water you refer to.  We used to love Paradise Beach but don’t bother trying to go there now since it’s always full of AI customers.  Maybe someone else will know a hidden gem.