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Sunburns, Drownings and Other Tales From the Sea - Legend 9/4/11

vamartha

By vamartha,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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momof3cruisers

momof3cruisers

Posted
Posted

I am curious. You said there were big waves and it was stormy your day on Roatan but your pictures look like you had amazing weather. Is your camera THAT good? ;) I just wish you could have gotten your snorkeling in.

 

My sister has told me about that area in GC where you went snorkeling. Is it a place where there are just stone steps down to the water though? That is all that DH and I found and we were worried about me being able to get back out with the bit of waves and slipperiness of the stone steps. (I don't have very good balance.)

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nova50073

nova50073

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DH however will tell you a different story about his snorkeling experience! He isn’t a confident swimmer and he snorkels with a snorkeling vest. We haven’t yet invested in one for him but I bet there is one in his future! We rented him a vest and headed out to the reef. I am “little Miss Beeline” to the reef and usually he is right behind me but this time he kept lagging behind and wouldn’t really follow me out over the deeper part of the reef at all. I finally caught up to him headed back to the diving center. Turns out his snorkel vest had a leak at the seam and he felt like he was going to drown out there as he would keep blowing into the vest and it just wouldn’t hold air! The attendant swapped out his vest and promptly put it in the trash!

My Dear wife has left a little bit of the story out of this report.

I swim like a rock, so yes I rented the vest. We start out to the reef and all is well, and it keeps getting deeper and deeper, and I don't like water that is over my head. We get out to the reef, and this is the deepest water I have ever been in, deep enough for divers to be under us. About this time I feel my life vest and it seems strangely flat, when it should be blown up. I know that it is leaking, but Martha is on a mission, so I am going to stay with her over the DEEP water, that is till I see a barracuda that looks bigger than me.

That's it folks, this old boy has had enough, its one thing to be sinking, but quite another to get eaten, Martha told me not to watch shark week on TV before we got went on the cruise.

I turn around and start to swim back the the dive center, which is about 100 yards away, but looks like a mile to me. I stay calm, swim slow and get about 1/2 way in when something grabs my fin, I jump and look around , it is Martha, we pop up and she says, where you going. I am bobbing, taking on water and spitting it back out, She says take my picture,I think, well I'm a little busy right now, trying to keep from drowning !

I say , I can't right now, bob,gulp spit, my life vest has, bob,gulp spit, has a leak in it, bob,gulp spit, She says , do you want me to blow in it.

Bob,gulp spit,

Well now, how is THAT, going to keep it from leaking down, does she have a can of fix-a-flat with her I don't know about ?

 

All I want to do is go in and get a new vest, and I will be right back.

 

I can see she does not want to swim in, So, I blow the vest up, I know it is a slow leak, so we swim back to the DEEP water, because I really don't want her to waste any time following me in, cause she is really getting into this DEEP water fish thing.

We swim in about 30 mins later, and the dive center guy takes a knife and cuts up the leaking life vest, I rent some bigger fins, then we go back out again after a little rest.

I did see the barracuda again, but he was down deep, in a cave in the reef, a long way from me,and looked really cool.

 

Moral of the story, go ahead and take the picture, while you are sinking into the abyss, let go of the camera and the floating wrist strap will bring it to the surface, and the DW WILL have her picture.

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WestTxCruiser

WestTxCruiser

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My Dear wife has left a little bit of the story out of this report.

I swim like a rock, so yes I rented the vest. We start out to the reef and all is well, and it keeps getting deeper and deeper, and I don't like water that is over my head. We get out to the reef, and this is the deepest water I have ever been in, deep enough for divers to be under us. About this time I feel my life vest and it seems strangely flat, when it should be blown up. I know that it is leaking, but Martha is on a mission, so I am going to stay with her over the DEEP water, that is till I see a barracuda that looks bigger than me.

That's it folks, this old boy has had enough, its one thing to be sinking, but quite another to get eaten, Martha told me not to watch shark week on TV before we got went on the cruise.

I turn around and start to swim back the the dive center, which is about 100 yards away, but looks like a mile to me. I stay calm, swim slow and get about 1/2 way in when something grabs my fin, I jump and look around , it is Martha, we pop up and she says, where you going. I am bobbing, taking on water and spitting it back out, She says take my picture,I think, well I'm a little busy right now, trying to keep from drowning !

I say , I can't right now, bob,gulp spit, my life vest has, bob,gulp spit, has a leak in it, bob,gulp spit, She says , do you want me to blow in it.

Bob,gulp spit,

Well now, how is THAT, going to keep it from leaking down, does she have a can of fix-a-flat with her I don't know about ?

 

All I want to do is go in and get a new vest, and I will be right back.

 

I can see she does not want to swim in, So, I blow the vest up, I know it is a slow leak, so we swim back to the DEEP water, because I really don't want her to waste any time following me in, cause she is really getting into this DEEP water fish thing.

We swim in about 30 mins later, and the dive center guy takes a knife and cuts up the leaking life vest, I rent some bigger fins, then we go back out again after a little rest.

I did see the barracuda again, but he was down deep, in a cave in the reef, a long way from me,and looked really cool.

 

Moral of the story, go ahead and take the picture, while you are sinking into the abyss, let go of the camera and the floating wrist strap will bring it to the surface, and the DW WILL have her picture.

As my husband always says about stories....there's her side, his side and what really happened.:rolleyes::p

That is hilarious and I would so be in the same spot as you, bob, gulp and spit.....not a good swimmer.

Sounds like ya'll had a great vacation!!

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MagSeven1413

MagSeven1413

Posted
Posted

I have a tip for anyone with a smart phone and that is the Shipmate app. It is FREE and would have been worth paying for (app developers out there – don’t get any ideas!)! We put our phones on Airplane mode soon after sail away and never took them off until we were back in port. But the Shipmate app works fine with no internet access and has the best map of the ship.

What cellular service do you use? The Shipmate app is not free on the ATT Iphone.....already checked that out. :(

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Clearwater Great Review Rare

Clearwater

Posted
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We hurried off the ship (not many others were getting off in that rain, we heard comments later from other passengers talking about watching the fools leave in the rain – LOL) and went to catch a taxi over the hill to Victor Boddens representatives for $2 each! So worth it in the rain!

 

Quick question on this...

 

Were the cabs there also offering island tours, etc... ?

Are there plenty of cabs to take people over the hill?

 

I ask because my grandmother is almost 90 and will not be able to walk up that hill. Neither will my mom most likely because of a medical condition.

 

Last time we were in Roatan, we were at the old pier and you got off the boat and met everyone right there. I have been SO nervous for them and wondering what they are going to do?!!

 

If they just want to hire a driver and aren't prebooking, will one of these cabs suffice you think?

 

Thanks!

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vamartha

vamartha

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Quick question on this...

 

Were the cabs there also offering island tours, etc... ?

Are there plenty of cabs to take people over the hill?

 

Thanks!

 

I have to be honest - I don't know. I'm sure someone who knows better will chime in. We didn't take time to ask any questions of these taxi drivers it was raining so hard! I knew that I could catch a ride with them over the hill but I picked up this information from CC. But I can tell you this - to guarantee that your Mother and Grandmother have a great tour book the day for them with Victor Bodden. There are so many positive reviews here, on Trip Advisor and elsewhere that I know they will have a wonderful day once they get over that hill. And I have to admit we were planning to take the $2 taxi ride rain or shine!

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rhcpchika1

rhcpchika1

Posted
Posted

Loved the review! Sunset pics are gorgeous. We sail in April; cannot come soon enough!! Looks like you guys had some pretty crummy weather, but you definitely made the best of it!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us- and in a timely complete manner! :)

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clearwatergirl

clearwatergirl

Posted
Posted
We hurried off the ship (not many others were getting off in that rain, we heard comments later from other passengers talking about watching the fools leave in the rain – LOL) and went to catch a taxi over the hill to Victor Boddens representatives for $2 each! So worth it in the rain!

 

Quick question on this...

 

Were the cabs there also offering island tours, etc... ?

Are there plenty of cabs to take people over the hill?

 

I ask because my grandmother is almost 90 and will not be able to walk up that hill. Neither will my mom most likely because of a medical condition.

 

Last time we were in Roatan, we were at the old pier and you got off the boat and met everyone right there. I have been SO nervous for them and wondering what they are going to do?!!

 

If they just want to hire a driver and aren't prebooking, will one of these cabs suffice you think?

 

Thanks!

 

HI!

 

To the best of my knowledge, the "local" cab drivers are not allowed to enter the port area. The only vehichles allowed are those for customers who booked excursions through a cruise line. I'm not even sure if you take a local cab, if they're allowed to drop you off inside the port area.

 

Thus, the hill is a pain for those whose mobility is limited. I've heard Victor bodden is one of the better independent vendors but we've always booked our excursions in Belize and Roatan through the ship due to the locations.

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vamartha

vamartha

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The "locals" such as Victor Bodden's guides can drop you off at the port but they can't pick you up there. I guess Carnival feels that since your tour is over they want you back into the port ASAP to see if they can get the last of your Roatan dollars as you head back to the ship.

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vamartha

vamartha

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These pics are of Mahogany Bay. I'm not saying it isn't pretty - heck, it's beautiful - it just isn't real. If you choose to go here you will have a great day on a beautiful, stunning beach.

 

I guess as an example I can use Disney World. You can go to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (or the Everglades or Yellowstone or Denali National Park) and see nature at its best - or you can go to Disney World and see what Walt Disney and his team did a fabulous job creating. One is Fantasyland and one is the Real World. I've been to both and I like both equally - well, nope I don't - I'd rather go to the National Park but I've been to Disney World about a dozen times too! That is just MY opinion and I stand by all the remarks I have made about Mahogany Bay.

 

Now, let me show you how beautiful it really is! I took all of these from the ship as we were pulling out.

 

P1010050-M.jpg

 

P1010051-M.jpg

 

P1010052-M.jpg

 

P1010060-M.jpg

 

P1010061-M.jpg

 

P1010062-M.jpg

 

 

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kew1031

kew1031

Posted
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My Dear wife has left a little bit of the story out of this report.

I swim like a rock, so yes I rented the vest. We start out to the reef and all is well, and it keeps getting deeper and deeper, and I don't like water that is over my head. We get out to the reef, and this is the deepest water I have ever been in, deep enough for divers to be under us. About this time I feel my life vest and it seems strangely flat, when it should be blown up. I know that it is leaking, but Martha is on a mission, so I am going to stay with her over the DEEP water, that is till I see a barracuda that looks bigger than me.

That's it folks, this old boy has had enough, its one thing to be sinking, but quite another to get eaten, Martha told me not to watch shark week on TV before we got went on the cruise.

I turn around and start to swim back the the dive center, which is about 100 yards away, but looks like a mile to me. I stay calm, swim slow and get about 1/2 way in when something grabs my fin, I jump and look around , it is Martha, we pop up and she says, where you going. I am bobbing, taking on water and spitting it back out, She says take my picture,I think, well I'm a little busy right now, trying to keep from drowning !

I say , I can't right now, bob,gulp spit, my life vest has, bob,gulp spit, has a leak in it, bob,gulp spit, She says , do you want me to blow in it.

Bob,gulp spit,

Well now, how is THAT, going to keep it from leaking down, does she have a can of fix-a-flat with her I don't know about ?

 

All I want to do is go in and get a new vest, and I will be right back.

 

I can see she does not want to swim in, So, I blow the vest up, I know it is a slow leak, so we swim back to the DEEP water, because I really don't want her to waste any time following me in, cause she is really getting into this DEEP water fish thing.

We swim in about 30 mins later, and the dive center guy takes a knife and cuts up the leaking life vest, I rent some bigger fins, then we go back out again after a little rest.

I did see the barracuda again, but he was down deep, in a cave in the reef, a long way from me,and looked really cool.

 

Moral of the story, go ahead and take the picture, while you are sinking into the abyss, let go of the camera and the floating wrist strap will bring it to the surface, and the DW WILL have her picture.

 

because, although I carry plenty of "buoyancy" well distributed all over, I am not a strong swimmer, and water over my head scares the crap out of me. I LOVE Martha's underwater pics and wish I could take some myself, but I am too chicken to try it.

I salute your bravery in the face of danger.

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metalmynx

metalmynx

Posted
Posted

This review was the best! I just got off the Inspiration, which went to a few of the same ports, and I love snorkeling but didn't have a camera so very much appreciated the fish pics!

 

I'm dying at "Towel Vagina".. we got one of these too and could not figure out what it was supposed to be - but we did think it looked just like a towel vagina!

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vamartha

vamartha

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I am curious. You said there were big waves and it was stormy your day on Roatan but your pictures look like you had amazing weather. Is your camera THAT good? ;) I just wish you could have gotten your snorkeling in.

 

My sister has told me about that area in GC where you went snorkeling. Is it a place where there are just stone steps down to the water though? That is all that DH and I found and we were worried about me being able to get back out with the bit of waves and slipperiness of the stone steps. (I don't have very good balance.)

 

Our arrival in Mahogany Bay Roatan was at 8am in the pouring, driving rain. Winds strong enough to turn my umbrella inside out more than once (I bet somebody on the ship took pics of that crazy couple with the Coca-Cola umbrella fighting the rain and wind - I know I would have taken pics of them if it hadn't been me holding onto that umbrella!!).

 

By 10am the sun had broken through and it turned out to be a beautiful day! But the weather had turned the sea pretty rough - we got to West Bay and I was so disappointed that I didnt' even take my camera out. Most of the pics that I posted are from a sheltered cove at West End but this pic shows what it looked like just outside of that cove. The snorkeler shown in this pic is the one who told DH that being in the water was like being in a washing machine!

P1000797-M.jpg

 

 

Here are a few pics that don't show the beautiful day!

 

P1000729-M.jpg

 

P1000730-M.jpg

 

P1000714-M.jpg

 

And guess what was at my house when I got home from the cruise? The newest copy of Caribbean Magazine with the 5 best shore snorkel sites in the Caribbean. Guess what number 4 was? Yep, you guessed it - West Bay Beach Roatan. Talk about salt in the wound! I think I'm gonna have to plan a repeat trip to West Bay Beach. When I win the lottery! :D

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