Emerald 5 day W. Caribbean 11/2-7

[2fercruzin]

We got off our lovely Lady Emerald yesterday morning after a quick 5 dayer out of FLL. This was our 18th Princess cruise and we, as usual had in interior cabin, this time on Dolphin deck, aft.

 

Embarkation was a breeze and we were in our room before noon. DH purchased a soda card prior to boarding and his cruise card has it's sticker on it and his tumbler was on the desk in our cabin upon arrival. Unpacked our carry- ons and then went out to the Trident Grill for a hamburger lunch - yum. Muster drill was a little late but we sailed off into the sunset on time.

 

We went up to Skywalkers for drinks & hors d'oeuvres at 5pm. We liked the 'new to us' list of drinks that you can pick from each day instead of the old style of one special drink per day. The drinks are still $5 each.

 

Horizon Court was our choice for dinner as our travel buddies went to the Crown Grill as a benefit of their suite and we weren't up to that much food. HC food was wonderful - hot, varied and service was prompt and friendly.

 

2nd night was formal night and we skipped that to enjoy an UBD on our friend's aft suite balcony. That was our first time and wow, is it incredible. We were greeted by our waiter with a tray of canapes and our pre-selected cocktails. The photographer came and took several pictures of the 4 of us toasting the occasion with a beautiful sunset behind us. Then came the blue crab in puff pastry appetizer, the field of green salad with goat cheese, then steak & lobster with a bottle of French champagne, and for dessert a Norman Love chocolate masterpiece with another plate of chocolate cookies/candies/covered strawberries. How anyone eats all that I really can't say! The dinner lasts about 2 hours and if you haven't tried it, please don't hesitate!

 

There were plenty of activities planned, the chair hogs were out at the pool and the casino was tight (but that didn't stop me). ;) Lee Childers was our CD and after 3 cruises with him, he has become a member of our family and we loved seeing him again.

 

There were 2 stops on this cruise: Mahahual (Costa Maya) and Cozumel. We did an independent tour in Mahahual, the Chacchoben Extreme Tour which took us for a short walk through the rain forest to Mayan ruins, then a bus ride to a lagoon where we were served drinks (both alcohol & non-alcohol), fajitas, rice & beans. After lunch we could swim, kayak, sunbathe or wander the area for about an hour and a half. We both enjoyed our day. Unfortunately Cozumel was rained out for our planned beach day so, after canceling our excursion we wandered the town picking up our usual magnet & destination mug as well as a lovely Mayan wall hanging.

 

Of course we each bought 2 more FCC's and I've already been online and dreaming.

 

Disembarkation was fast and easy. We picked to Walk Off and were given the 9:30am slot. There must have been Custom's troubles because we didn't get off until 10:30am, but our flight out of FLL wasn't until 12:30pm so there was no problems with the later walk off. A quick $13 taxi ride and we were at the airport.

 

We only have one complaint for this whole cruise --- it was way too short. This is our second time on the Emerald and we'd sail her again in a heartbeat. Now we just have to wait until next September for our first time on the Coral to the Panama Canal . . . come on September! :)

[cruisequeen4ever]

Thank you for sharing! We are happily boarding the Emerald right after her drydock. What were the drink options at the Suite/Elite event? Last summer, it was still just 1 daily drink.

[2fercruzin]

Thank you for sharing! We are happily boarding the Emerald right after her drydock. What were the drink options at the Suite/Elite event? Last summer, it was still just 1 daily drink.

 

I believe the standards . . . El Mejor margarita; Chairman of the Board; Mojito; House Port; Breeza Marina; Japanese Slipper & Cosmopolitan. It was nice to be able to pick from all of them at the $5 price every night.

 

I didn't mention that they are still running the buy one get one for $1 twice a day -- once in the late afternoon and then again at 10/11pm.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Hi Randy and Patti! I hope you remember us, Nina and Norman. You were so kind to us on our first Mexican Riviera cruise!

 

A few cruises later... I hope you have been well.

[cruisequeen4ever]

That's cool they let you choose between all of them now! We'll be more likely to go now.

[Pam in CA]

We went up to Skywalkers for drinks & hors d'oeuvres at 5pm. We liked the 'new to us' list of drinks that you can pick from each day instead of the old style of one special drink per day. The drinks are still $5 each.

Glad to hear they made it official. I've been able to have a Brezza Marina or Chairman of the Board regardless of which night the drink was on every cruise I've taken for the last several years.

[2fercruzin]

Hi Randy and Patti! I hope you remember us, Nina and Norman. You were so kind to us on our first Mexican Riviera cruise!

 

A few cruises later... I hope you have been well.

 

Hi Nina, of course we remember you, we had a wonderful time together. Remember, I tried my best to talk Norm into going to Alaska with us but he only wanted warm weather routes. Lol, now that you've been to Alaska I think he's ok with packing a coat -- no? ;)

 

Good to hear from you, our best to you both.

[ssawjo]

2fercruzin: Mahahual (Costa Maya) and Cozumel. We did an independent tour in Mahahual, the Chacchoben Extreme Tour which took us for a short walk through the rain forest to Mayan ruins, then a bus ride to a lagoon where we were served drinks (both alcohol & non-alcohol), fajitas, rice & beans. After lunch we could swim, kayak, sunbathe or wander the area for about an hour and a half.

 

2fercruzin: Hello, I was wondering if you could provide the name or website of the independent tour for Mahahual? We will be there in January on the CB and there is only ship excursions that I could find. Thank you.

 

Bill

[2fercruzin]

2fercruzin: Mahahual (Costa Maya) and Cozumel. We did an independent tour in Mahahual, the Chacchoben Extreme Tour which took us for a short walk through the rain forest to Mayan ruins, then a bus ride to a lagoon where we were served drinks (both alcohol & non-alcohol), fajitas, rice & beans. After lunch we could swim, kayak, sunbathe or wander the area for about an hour and a half.

 

2fercruzin: Hello, I was wondering if you could provide the name or website of the independent tour for Mahahual? We will be there in January on the CB and there is only ship excursions that I could find. Thank you.

 

Bill

 

Hi Bill,

 

The Native Choice Costa Maya Excursions at http://www.thenativechoice.com.

 

There are a couple variations and with or without the lagoon & lunch. We took the Chacchoben Extreme Tour. The people there are so friendly and our guide, Erick was the best. He's of Mayan descendant and was very informative; we even got a quick Mayan language lesson. Once you're off the ship it's a quick 10-15 minute walk to their office or you could catch a taxi, but it's a nice stroll.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Hi Nina, of course we remember you, we had a wonderful time together. Remember, I tried my best to talk Norm into going to Alaska with us but he only wanted warm weather routes. Lol, now that you've been to Alaska I think he's ok with packing a coat -- no? ;)

 

Good to hear from you, our best to you both.[/color][/b][/size][/font]

 

Ahhh, Alaska! Norman was really angry when I booked that cruise! :D

 

He wound up really loving it... We're hoping to go back in 2016. However, we're really hoping to do the 14 day cruise on HAL as the itinerary is so much better, but it's really expensive. But, we would really be able to see a lot more of Alaska.

 

I hope all's well with you and hopefully we'll meet on another ship!

[ssawjo]

Hi Bill,

 

The Native Choice Costa Maya Excursions at http://www.thenativechoice.com.

 

There are a couple variations and with or without the lagoon & lunch. We took the Chacchoben Extreme Tour. The people there are so friendly and our guide, Erick was the best. He's of Mayan descendant and was very informative; we even got a quick Mayan language lesson. Once you're off the ship it's a quick 10-15 minute walk to their office or you could catch a taxi, but it's a nice stroll.

 

Randy, thanks for the information and I will be checking them out.

 

Bill

[cbreit]

Were other passengers able to get off earlier? We've got a 10:50 am flight and I'm going to stress about it for the next 5 weeks...

[Bimmer09]

Glad to hear you got to experience the amazing Ultimate Balcony Dinner!

And on an aft suite balcony. Nice!

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Norris

[Working 2 Cruise]

Were other passengers able to get off earlier? We've got a 10:50 am flight and I'm going to stress about it for the next 5 weeks...

 

I would change that flight if I were you... If there's no traffic, only one ship in port, no inspections and there's no lack of custom agents, you'll probably make it. If any of the above doesn't happen, you'll probably miss your flight.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Were other passengers able to get off earlier? We've got a 10:50 am flight and I'm going to stress about it for the next 5 weeks...

 

No. They had the express walk off, so they were among the first to disembark! If nothing else, have a backup plan. Oh yes, one more thing... security lines at the airport.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Working 2 Cruise

[lax19]

Were other passengers able to get off earlier? We've got a 10:50 am flight and I'm going to stress about it for the next 5 weeks...

 

My experience from disembarkation from the Emerald Saturday the 7th.

We left our stateroom at 8:15 - Deck 11 (Baja) with our luggage. No problem getting an elevator or walking off the ship (just went with the flow). Once in the terminal, we skipped the line for the elevator and took the escalator down. The line for Customs and Immigration was short (I think three people ahead of us). Waited about ten minutes for a cab and we were at the airport at 9:15. (we had to wait an hour before we could check our bags for our 12:15 flight). No line for SWA check in. Again skipped the elevator and took the stairs down to security. Security went quickly (about 15 minutes). We were at our gate at about 10:45. There were three ships in port (one was the Oasis) as well as the end of the boat show.

[2fercruzin]

Were other passengers able to get off earlier? We've got a 10:50 am flight and I'm going to stress about it for the next 5 weeks...

 

Please don't stress, vacations are for relaxation.

 

We could have had an Express Walkoff as early as 7:15am but didn't want to get off that early. If you don't need help with your bags and can manage the gangway completely by yourself, you can get the earlier Walk Off. Once we were off the ship (5 minutes after we got the go-ahead to disembark) we were through Customs in another 5-10 minutes, grabbed the taxi and it was about a 15 minute ride to the airport. We made it to the gate by 11am.

[BigJohnL]

A couple of unusual things happened the final night adding a bit of variety to the typical cruise.

 

Around 6:30pm, the aft starboard thrusters started chugging away at full speed. My cabin was right above them so it was hard to miss the noise and vibration they were making. I couldn't help but wonder why they were going at all out in the middle of the sea. I went down to deck 7 and when I stepped out on the promenade deck there were already a bunch of people looking over the railing and wondering what was happening. A few minutes later, the captain came on the PA and announced that some passengers had reported us passing a small boat that appeared to be just drifting. He said we were turning around to go look for it. That explained the thrusters. Sure enough, a few minutes later we came alongside a small boat. Actually, it looked like a large rubber raft with a small engine in the back. A ship spotlight was shined on the boat and there was no movement or other evidence of anyone on board. So, we just shoved the boat out of the way with the forward thrusters and resumed our trip back home. I never heard where that boat came from. Hopefully, it just somehow fell off a large yacht and never had anyone on it.

 

Then around 10:00pm, the captain came on the PA again, this time to announce that there was to be a helicopter evacuation of a passenger who apparently had a medical emergency and had to be evacuated to a local hospital (we were just off the Florida Keys at the time). The evacuation apparently went according to plan and around 10:30 the captain ordered the Air Crew (or something to that effect) to stand down, and that the helicopter evacuation was completed. During the evacuation, passengers were ordered off all open decks and balconies.

 

Interesting way to end an otherwise normal cruise.

 

Edited to add: Actually, there was another unplanned evacuation. This time a local ambulance pulled up to the ship's gangplank just before we were to leave Costa Maya and did an emergency medical evacuation of a male passenger. A female passenger (I assume his wife) came off the ship with him and someone from the ship's staff helped bring what looked like a bunch of their luggage off the ship and into the ambulance with them.

 

I hope both passengers who were evacuated are doing well.

Edited November 9, 2015 by BigJohnL
more info

[2fercruzin]

 

Edited to add: Actually, there was another unplanned evacuation. This time a local ambulance pulled up to the ship's gangplank just before we were to leave Costa Maya and did an emergency medical evacuation of a male passenger. A female passenger (I assume his wife) came off the ship with him and someone from the ship's staff helped bring what looked like a bunch of their luggage off the ship and into the ambulance with them.

 

I hope both passengers who were evacuated are doing well.

 

Yes, we did have a rather different last evening didn't we? I missed the local ambulance evacuation in Costa Maya though. Healing wishes are sent to all involved.

[cbreit]

wow, interesting final night - hope everyone is ok! So glad to hear all the positives about the Emerald - We've decided to check on staying an extra night and changing our flight - don't like worrying!! :)

[2fercruzin]

wow, interesting final night - hope everyone is ok! So glad to hear all the positives about the Emerald - We've decided to check on staying an extra night and changing our flight - don't like worrying!! :)

 

Glad to hear you're rethinking your flight. Being stressed is not a good way to end a great cruise. Happy sailing. :)

[Working 2 Cruise]

:D

wow, interesting final night - hope everyone is ok! So glad to hear all the positives about the Emerald - We've decided to check on staying an extra night and changing our flight - don't like worrying!! :)

 

Very wise decision!

[Cancun01]

Yes, we did have a rather different last evening didn't we? I missed the local ambulance evacuation in Costa Maya though. Healing wishes are sent to all involved.

 

There were actually 2 ambulance evacuations in Costa Maya...the first one was in the morning after the (approximately 6am) wake up call we all had in all staterooms requesting the medical response team to report. Plus when we docked in FLL on Saturday morning (I couldn't believe my eyes after the night before) there were several emergency first responder vehicles beside the ship; a gentleman was taken off and I saw a person whom I presume to be a wife being helped into the front of one of the vehicles. Let's hope everyone recovers!

[dsawyer]

I was on the same cruise. While it was very nice, there was a distinct lack of bands and music around the ship. There use to always be different bands playing every evening in the Explorers lounge and I never saw or heard any on this cruise. That was always a lively wing of the ship but not anymore unless it was after I went to bed. No pianist in the Adagio as I use to really enjoy that lounge in the past.

 

Other things absent were the Pub lunch and EZ Check. It was a 5 day cruise and I guess much of the entertainment was cut back.

 

I still enjoyed the cruise but wish some of my favorite activities had not been cut.

[dsawyer]

There were actually 2 ambulance evacuations in Costa Maya...the first one was in the morning after the (approximately 6am) wake up call we all had in all staterooms requesting the medical response team to report. Plus when we docked in FLL on Saturday morning (I couldn't believe my eyes after the night before) there were several emergency first responder vehicles beside the ship; a gentleman was taken off and I saw a person whom I presume to be a wife being helped into the front of one of the vehicles. Let's hope everyone recovers!

 

Is that what that announcement was about? That announcement from the bridge woke me up out of a dead sleep and I couldnt quite make it out as I was a little groggy.

 

Wow! There really were a lot of medical emergencies on that cruise.