Live from the Breakaway March 17-31, 2024

[justhappy]

On the ground floor are various shops, take the escalator upstairs to the store 

 

 

[luvcruzing]

To reach the Mega Store, you would cross the street and turn right.

Edited March 26 by luvcruzing

[ceilidh1]

The Midnight Library is one of my favourite books. In fact, anything by Matt Haig is fabulous. He writes kid books too. Any they are equally as awesome.

[YVRteacher]

Yes, I made sure my library has all his books!

[YVRteacher]

Week 2 Day 3

Costa Maya

 

Due to powerful wind likely named Mariah we were late arriving in Costa Maya today. Captain Ashutosh kept us updated throughout the morning and it didn’t end up being a big deal at all. If there is anyone on this cruise who is reading and you had a private shore excursion please let us know how that went for you. 

 

Once again we enjoyed a lovely, lingering breakfast in O’Sheehan’s. We shared the pancakes and they are delicious with a hint of vanilla. Best pancakes on NCL! Today’s breakfast beverage was a round of pineapple mimosas. Oh, those were good!! I need more pineapple mimosas in my life. I think I may also need more morning drinking. The fruit plates have also been excellent and I appreciate the addition of berries. I love berries!

 

After breakfast we did some deck laps and snapped some photos of the wake

 

I wanted to watch the docking procedure.

So we did.  

It took about an hour from the time we approached the pier to the time we were ready to throw ropes. You know when kids are learning to skip count and you give them a number line so they draw in the jumps when they’re counting by 2s, 5s and 10s? That what docking was like today. We crept in, made a little forward progress, moved outward and forward and just repeated until we were dockside. Waves were buffeting the ship as the Azipods and bow thrusters were working full tilt. I was struck by the different shades of turquoise.

 

When I went to the port side some potbellied man in a beer tshirt tried mansplaining how ships work to me. It was such ridiculous commentary that I didn’t acknowledge or respond. 

He then said, “do you speak English?????” which earned him quite a lecture from me in my best teacher voice about treating others with respect. I don’t think he’ll be starting any more conversations about bow thrusters this week.

 

My Vancouver friends had an excursion to the Mayan ruins and I met @fstuff1 to explore the port, visit the aviary and walk into town. We couldn’t do the glass bottom boat tour due to high winds. 

 

The Norwegian Jade is the only other ship in Costa Maya today. 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

Here is what caught my eye at the vast port complex in Costa Maya today.

 

The shore excursion order form had a note about seaweed in Costa Maya. Yes, it’s abundant.

 

 

As you reach the end of the pier this stunning mural greets you. If you’re lucky pelicans will be using the mural as a launching point.

 

 

 

 

We missed the exciting part of the show, but I did see the upside down instrument playing. Flasher Malden would have liked that!!

 

 

I walked up these stairs for no reason. Then I had to walk back down.

 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

Flamingos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

More bird photos will be posted tomorrow. It’s 12:54am and I need to go to bed.

[justhappy]

13 hours ago, luvcruzing said:

To reach the Mega Store, you would cross the street and turn right.

This is true, but my directions were from the point of view that you were already across the street, as we were made to go across and through the port shopping area, before getting back to the street itself. Leaving the port shopping area we were made to go through it’s to your left if you’re facing the pier. Of course it could be different now. That’s why I included the map and satellite photo.

When you go @YVRteacher, be sure to visit the produce section, even if you can’t bring them back on the ship, I loved browsing the variety of fruits.

Edited March 27 by justhappy

[YVRteacher]

Oh, I will! Like you, I love the produce section. I love grocery stores in general.

[YVRteacher]

Just popping in to say that this may be my favourite cruise ever. Yesterday and today were terrific port days and our onboard experience was terrific as well.

 

I’m behind in writing because I’ve just been having so much fun.

 

I had a feeling when I boarded the Breakaway that good times were ahead. I was wrong. It was great times! This B2B has almost completely restored my faith in NCL and my love of cruising with them.

[YVRteacher]

Aviary photos from Costa Maya

[YVRteacher]

More bird photos

 

Please excuse the blurry photos and lack of identification. I am not a birdologist.

[YVRteacher]

To access the bird huts, you walk across rope bridges that are above the pools, shops, fish pedicure stations and dolphin encounter. The overhead walkways are the perfect vantage point for photos.

 

This is @fstuff1 on the swaying bridge. 
 

 

 

 

Pools for cruise ship passengers. There were two ships in and the pools were packed. There are a couple of bathrooms in the port area. There were zero lines for bathrooms. Time to infer…

 

 

 

Fish pedicure. I read that these are unsanitary.

 

Pelican time. Pelican viewing is free and is not part of the avian encounter.

 

 

View from the overhead shade hut

 

 

 

Dolphin encounter

 

 

Palm fronds from on high

Coconuts

 

 

[vacation44]

6 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Just popping in to say that this may be my favourite cruise ever.

Wow........that says a lot with all of your cruise experience!

[gzmtlock]

Love, love, love all the bird photos - thanks for sharing!  So glad for you that you're having such a great time!!

[bkrickles1]

7 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Just popping in to say that this may be my favourite cruise ever. Yesterday and today were terrific port days and our onboard experience was terrific as well.

 

I’m behind in writing because I’ve just been having so much fun.

 

I had a feeling when I boarded the Breakaway that good times were ahead. I was wrong. It was great times! This B2B has almost completely restored my faith in NCL and my love of cruising with them.

This is awesome to hear with 22 days until my Getaway sailing!

 

I guess the "great demise of NCL" is slightly exaggerated!!!!

Have a great finish to your sailing!!

[www3traveler]

Hi,

I hope the rest of your cruise goes well.

How did your Officers' Dinner go?

Before I forget, I pray that you have an uneventful journey home.

I also pray that your Jewel adventure goes well.

 

BIG BIG BIG BIG HUG

Love and prayers always

 

Mandy

[ceilidh1]

Just popping in to say that it’s only your best cruise because you haven’t yet sailed with me…

 

Happy to hear it’s going well!!! Fingers crossed I will be saying the same on Sunday!

[YVRteacher]

Costa Maya continued

 

After the aviary @fstuff1 wanted to walk into town and I wanted to look in the shops in the port areas.

 

 

 

 

We compromised by doing a little browsing then walked into town

 

 

then browsed some more. Neither of us bought anything but we both tripped walking on the uneven, dusty (albeit tree-lined and shady) stone meridian.

 

 

I wanted to buy some big bags of candies/treats for my staff and students but just couldn’t find anything other than ***** and that just wouldn’t do. We aren’t allowed to hand out medication to kids.

 

When I returned to the Breakaway I applied another coat of sunscreen before hitting the Garden Cafe, a bar

and a deck chair. It was make your own sandwich day so I did. Many people stopped me to talk about how good that sandwich looked. 

 

Cake. I had cake!

I needed to shower off the sunscreen and the stickiness from such a hot day then met all the friends for dinner and drinks at Wasabi. I used one Latitudes voucher for 4 people and we each selected 2 items. Cruise ship math: 

4x2=8 excellent items.

 

 

My night was made when Howl at the Moon did a Broadway extravaganza. Jen and Elisa (I have been spelling her name incorrectly) belted out show tunes from Chicago, Wicked and Rent.

 

Then Kyle came back from his break and threatened to do Annie.

 

So this cruise has quite a different feel than last’s weeks cruise. Breakaway capacity is 4500. We are at 4800. People are here to drink and drink they do. There were 4 people in Howl at the Moon last night that had (no exaggeration) 20 drinks each in two hours. They didn’t ruin the show for us, but they did impact the quality of our evening standing in front of everyone (big, big guy) blocking the view, talking to the musicians, and just overall being obnoxious and trying to conduct the show. I wished security would have taken them out.  It was an example of the beverage package and humanity gone wrong. 
 

We all loved Costa Maya, loved dinner at Wasabi, loved our ship time and loved the musicians at Howl at the Moon.

Another fantastic day on the Breakaway.

[YVRteacher]

17 hours ago, bkrickles1 said:

This is awesome to hear with 22 days until my Getaway sailing!

 

I guess the "great demise of NCL" is slightly exaggerated!!!!

Have a great finish to your sailing!!

That is such a great comment!

 

This cruise absolutely represents the NCL I love so much. They are doing things right on the Breakaway.

[YVRteacher]

5 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

Just popping in to say that it’s only your best cruise because you haven’t yet sailed with me…

 

Happy to hear it’s going well!!! Fingers crossed I will be saying the same on Sunday!

How many days until we cruise together?? It can’t come soon enough!

[YVRteacher]

Cruise Critic asterisked out my word! It wasn’t even a bad word. The word is for those little blue pills people (not me!) buy in Mexico.

[YVRteacher]

This is the overview of the entertainment line up 

[YVRteacher]

The large laundry bags are back. Cue the hallelujah chorus.

 

I added the latitudes coupon for scale. All the clothes I packed for the whole cruise could have fit in this ginormous bag.

 

 

I feel slightly deprived of an NCL cruise tradition: the hunting for and the removing of the laundry tags!

 

I put my laundry in last Saturday and wrote on the bag that I was back to back and staying in the same cabin so there was no need to rush. My laundry was returned before dinner that same day with no little sticky tags. 

Another load of laundry goes in tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates. Life does not get much more exciting than following someone else’s laundry exploits.