Carnival Legend "Oceans & Islands Club" Review - 06/01/08 (with pics)

[CaribbeanKim]

Day 1 - (Sunday) June 1st, 2008

 

We decided to surprise my sister, “Sailin’ Suite-y” (who was also going on this cruise with her husband) and drive down to Tampa a little early. Originally, we planned to drive straight through and just use their room to tidy up before heading to the Port together. By getting there early and getting a room, this would allow us plenty of time to get up and get dressed the next morning, plus have a decent breakfast before having to head to the Port. We stayed at the Days Inn on Adamo Dr., which is only about 10 minutes away from the Port. The Hotel was very nicely laid out and the room was large and clean - it was a great deal at less than $80 for 2 double beds for 4, and I would recommend this hotel if all you want is a place to sleep for the night before boarding the ship. We were able to park directly outside our room and there was a sliding glass door that made going in & out very easy.

 

We left for the Port at 10:30 and were there by 10:45. It was easy to get there, since all we had to do was turn right out of the hotel and go straight for about 7 miles until the road turned into Channelside Dr. We unloaded our luggage at the Port and then waited at Gate B until the men came back from parking our vehicles at the parking garage across the street. Parking at the garage is $84...or you can elect to use Valet Parking for $100. I had a case of bottled water that I was taking with us and they won’t allow it as checked baggage unless it’s inside a piece of luggage, so we had to carry it on…my DS (Matt) got the honors! Once the guys came back from parking, we proceeded inside the Terminal.

 

After showing our passports and Fun Passes, we entered the building and went up an escalator to start the Registration process. Keep your Passports/ID’s out because you will have to show them several times throughout the Embarkation process! This is when we met our first ”Oceans & Islands Club members - “TangleWeb” (Dave & Tammy). When you get off the escalator, you are directed to the lines that are forming in the Registration area. We were VIP members, so we were directed to a separate area where there were only 2 other families ahead of us. Our registration only took a few minutes for her to look up & confirm our booking, issue our S&S cards and put a special stamp on our Fun Passes. We were told to go directly to another line (instead of waiting for a group number to be called) and were checked for Passports/ID’s (again) and our S&S cards. This is when we had our photos taken for our cards and our first official photo of the cruise. We were actually onboard the ship by 11:45.

 

Even though the staterooms were not supposed to be accessible to passengers yet (as they were still being cleaned), we were allowed to go there to drop off our (heavy) case of water and our carry-on bags. If you have ever had a balcony stateroom on a Carnival ship, you already know what to expect…as they are all alike. There was a large luggage pad laid across the bed to protect the comforter, 2 bathrobes hanging in one of the 3 closets (along with plenty of additional hangers for our use), drawers in the vanity for your other items (including a hair-dryer in the top drawer that actually worked pretty well), and shelves in the bathroom for all your toiletries…including a little “goodie basket” filled with razors, toothpaste, etc.

 

We decided that I would go ahead and visit the Purser’s Desk while my DH (”Hawk”) and the kids started to explore the ship, and then meet back up on the Lido Deck at the Unicorn Bar at the aft of the ship. The line at the Purser’s Desk was pretty full, but it moved quickly…and in no time at all, I had put cash down on our account and requested the divider to be taken down between our connecting cabins. This is where I saw GARUTHIE and her group, but we never got the chance to formally introduce ourselves to each other. I was up on the Lido Deck staked out at a table in front of the Unicorn Bar enjoying my first frozen foo-foo drink by 12:45. We had an informal Meet & Greet Party scheduled for 1-3pm, and I got to meet some other members of our Roll Call for the first time.

 

 

(View from the Lido Deck of the Tampa skyline)

 

After several drinks and photos, we decided to go back to our cabins around 3pm and see if any of our luggage had been delivered to our cabins. Everything was there with the exception of the largest piece of luggage, which was everything DH and I brought except what went in our wardrobe (and our booze)!! Our stateroom was completely cleaned and ready for us by that time, and I didn’t notice any offensive smells or see any questionable stains. Our cabins were connecting - so we had a door that lead directly to the kid’s cabin without having to go out into the hall. We met our Cabin Steward (Aldo) and he was really nice, and I could tell immediately that we were going to get along just fine! I told him that I had already requested that the divider be removed between our staterooms and he assured me that it would be done by noon the next day. He also unlocked our mini-frig for us. I started unpacking the bags that had already made it to our cabins, then went out on our balcony to take a few photos. They have recently replaced the old style of plastic chairs & tables with newer fabric chairs that are much more comfortable, and I really liked them.

 

By now, it was time for the Muster Drill. We were instructed to proceed to our Muster Station with our life vests IN HAND (you don’t have to wear them anymore)!! The Drill only took about half the time it usually takes - I guess everyone must have been listening and cooperating, because it was a very smooth operation. Shortly after the Drill was completed, we were shoving off from the port and slowly making our way out to the Gulf. We went up on the upper decks (10 & 11) to take more pictures, and then back to the cabin to relax on the balcony for a little while.

 

 

(View from our Balcony while at Port in Tampa)

 

We have decided to eat at the buffet the first night, as we have First Seating at 6pm and didn’t want to miss sailing under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. We made it to the bridge around 6:15. Make sure you have your camera ready. It is a massive structure and very impressive to view from our vantage point indeed! It truly appeared that the funnel of the ship only cleared the bridge by inches, but it actually had a few feet of clearance.

 

 

(The Sunshine Skyway Bridge)

 

We had already sampled a few things from the buffet earlier in the day and the Asian seafood medley over rice was delicious - but they didn’t have it on the line at dinner. I had the glazed Alaskan Salmon and it was very good. (I wish I had thought to take pictures of the various dishes - I guess I’ll just have to take another cruise!) After dinner, I went back to the cabin to see if our last bag had ever made it and it had, so I unpacked it and then met everyone back up on the Lido Deck, where my DD had been taking her first sunset photos of this cruise. She is a “photo nut” and has a great eye for creative shots.

 

 

(Our first sunset)

 

We spent the next couple of hours walking around the upper decks and at the (aft) Unicorn Bar, then finally returned to our staterooms for a little TV and a good night‘s sleep. Poor DH was floored when I checked our S&S account through the wonders of “FunVision TV”…between the 4 of us, we had already consumed around $80 in drinks (but that included the Fountain FunCard that I purchased at the Lobby Bar for DD). Thank goodness we brought some Rum and Canadian Club with us!

 

 

(My DS with his last Smuggler's Punch of the day!)

 

“Smuggler’s Punch” Recipe

1 - Special of the Day glass (empty)

Ice

Fill half-way with Rum

Top off with Fruit Punch (or Passion-Guava) from one of the fountains on the Lido Deck

YUM

[snc421]

Smuggler's Punch! Haha! That's awesome!

[AMaria1288]

Great review so far!!! Keep it coming, you're getting me even MORE excited for my upcoming cruise!

[Clearwater]

More!!! More!! More!!!! We leave next Sunday the 22nd and I can't wait!!! I want to read it all before I leave :)

[BettyPC]

Great review and photos! I am looking forward to reading your entire review:D

[kjunea]

My favorite drink of the day... Smuggler's Punch!!

[CaribbeanKim]

Day 2 - (Monday) June 2, 2008

 

Today is our first “Day at Sea”! (We are some of the luckiest people on the Earth!!) We all had a wonderful sleep last night…well, except for me perhaps. Even though Carnival ships have some of the most comfortable bedding on the market, I guess I was just too excited about cruising still. I got up in the middle of the night and went out and sat on the balcony for awhile just to watch the stars and enjoy the peaceful solitude.

 

We all read our Carnival Capers that were laid out on the beds last night and decided to “go with the flow” today, and just do whatever our hearts desired without a set schedule … Ahhh, this is the life!! After getting the kids up, they decided not to go with us to breakfast - so we dressed and went up to Deck 9 (the Lido Deck) for our first breakfast buffet. On our way through the mid-deck pool area, we saw 2 water spouts - one on each side of the ship! Geez, I wish I had my camera on me!! I hoped that maybe the kids were on the balcony and saw them in time to get a few pictures, but they didn’t.

 

I had the scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, and a pastry with some coffee (which was pretty good for a buffet). You will also find all sorts of fruits, oatmeal, grits, sausage, cereals, and an omelet station on the buffet every morning…as well as assorted milks & juices. I’m not usually much of a breakfast eater, and I could already tell that I would probably gain a few pounds on this cruise!!

 

The Lido Buffet is divided into 2 sections (mid and aft), and each has their own line (that moves fairly quickly). If one line seemed long, you could just go to the other one though. On the Legend, I noticed that each line was identical. This was okay for breakfast, but I really missed the variety of selections that I had grown accustomed to on other ships when it was time for lunch or dinner.

 

We found a secluded table for 2 next to the windows and enjoyed a nice leisurely breakfast, then went back to the cabin to see what the kids were up to (after stopping by the Unicorn Bar for our first DOD). They had been watching TV and were ready to get out of the cabin finally. Andi decided to hang out with her hubby (Lloyd) for awhile today, so Katelynn (my DD) and I took off to explore the ship a little. We looked for our photos in the Photo Gallery and window-shopped along the Promenade Deck for awhile. She loves art and really wanted to go by the Art Gallery just to see what all they had in it.

 

 

(A view from the hallway in to the Art Gallery)

 

By now, it was getting close to lunchtime, so we made our way up to try to find the guys up on the Lido Deck. It wasn’t hard to find them…if they aren’t in the cabin (or on the balcony) you could always find them at the buffet or Unicorn Bar!! We all had lunch together and then went back to our cabins for a little while. I confess, I have been addicted to “All My Children” since the mid-70’s and really wanted to watch the show today if I could just manage to figure out what time it would be on!! The TV’s all have satellite out of Denver, so it didn’t take me long to figure out that my 1 o’clock show was going to be on at 3pm instead. That was perfect timing as far as I was concerned. Tonight is the Captain’s Party followed by the first Formal Night, so I would have to be in the cabin and starting to get ready anyway!

 

Thank Goodness Carnival has relaxed their Dress Code!! Men no longer are expected to wear tux’s or suits and ties…it is perfectly acceptable to just wear a nice dress shirt with trousers and a tie instead now. Even still, my husband absolutely hates to get dressed up! By the time I had finished steaming all the wrinkles out of everyone’s clothes while listening to him b***h & moan…I was starting to get in a mood myself!! Well, to make a long story short…we all got ready in time and met Andi & Lloyd at the elevator to go down to the Captain’s Party together.

 

I’m sorry, but in my opinion…it was a huge waste of time and effort. When we arrived, there weren’t very many other people there yet. We found some nice seats and were immediately greeted by waiters with trays of drinks and appetizers. There were only a few drink selections available, and I think they were made from mixes (Yuk) … and the only appetizer that was any good was the meatballs. I’ve been to many Captain’s Parties and this one was by far the worst. We stayed for about 20 minutes and then decided we had had enough. Since it was still too early to go to dinner, we just strolled along the shops on Rodeo Drive (the Promenade Deck) until it was time to head to the Truffles Dining Room.

 

We had Table #311, which was a table for six right next to a huge window that looked out over the ocean. Our waiter Phillip (from the Phillipines) and his assistant, Mel quickly introduced themselves after seating us and placing our napkins in our laps for us. (You will soon realize that you don’t have to do anything for yourself on this ship!) After placing our dinner orders, another waiter came by to take drink orders and Mel had a basket of breads for us to choose from. I had the Prime Rib, which was pretty good - and Katelynn had a steak. The guys all had lobsters, and after polishing off the first ones - ordered a second helping. (The lobster tails are quite small, so most men will want to order 2.) When our dinner was done, Phillip surprised us when he asked about our combined Birthday & Anniversaries - and brought little cakes with candles to the table! Of course we also ordered the Chocolate Melting Cakes…and YES, they are as good as everyone says!

 

 

(Sorry - this is a quick copy I made from the one the photographer did onboard)

 

Now that dinner was finished, we all headed back to our cabins to get out of our “monkey suits” and get into something more comfortable. Katelynn just wanted to hang out in the cabin and watch TV - and the guys were already talking about the Lido Deck again…so I headed to the Casino for a little while. Andi and I had already been there earlier in the day (and I was up by $5), so I wanted to give them the chance to earn it back. lol As with most casinos…I wound up walking out with nothing in my pockets again tonight!

 

I met Hawk back up on the Lido Deck (where else?) and we decided to just go back to the cabin and order room service tonight. Matt had already gone back to his cabin to check on Katelynn…so once we got in the stateroom, we called Room Service. In less than 15 minutes there was a soft knock on the door and our food was there! From that point on, Room Service became a nightly tradition…..chocolate cake, Ham & Cheese sandwiches, grilled PB&J sandwiches, and chocolate milks! (Matt couldn’t get over his grilled PB&J and thinks I should start doing them that way too!)

 

By now, it’s almost 11pm and we’re all either buzzed on all the booze, satisfied with a full stomach…or both! Tomorrow is our first port - Grand Cayman! We all wanted to get a good night’s sleep so we could be up early for breakfast before catching a tender to the island. I stayed up long enough to get everything packed in our beach tote and laid out for the next day, and then I was out like a light!

[Payd]

Really enjoying your review so far. Awaiting the next installment.

 

Payd:)

[mumofsons]

By any chance do you have a picture of the ajoining room's door opened. We leave in three weeks and for the first time the kids have a room of their own. I am curious how well we will be able to keep an eye on them and them on us :D !

[TheCruisingBrewers]

Keep them coming Kim!

 

28 days for me! And counting...............

 

Nancy

[deuceybean]

Awesome review so far, getting me so anxious for 8/24!

[cjkumbaya]

Please keep it coming, we're going to be on the Legend in November and really enjoy hearing other cruiser's views about the ship. Thanks!:D

[BettyPC]

Great review so far! Thanks for sharing

[CaribbeanKim]

Thanks everyone...I appreciate the kind words! :D

 

Since today is Father's Day, we are enjoying a day around the pool and grilling. I will try to have Day 3 (Grand Cayman) posted tonight...I may even try to get Day 4 (Cozumel) done also, but it will probably be late.

 

PS: The Legend would just now be sailing as I am typing this! The PCD (Post Cruise Depression) has really hit us hard, and I keep catching myself thinking "Just about this time, I'd be heading up to the Unicorn". ;)

[mom2girls]

Caribbean Kim: We just got back from our Legend cruise. I'm very much looking forward to reading your review. (I haven't read any of yours yet, but I wanted to post to make sure I get the e-mails of the new posts.) I plan on doing a review after I get the pictures downloaded.

[CaribbeanKim]

Caribbean Kim: We just got back from our Legend cruise. I'm very much looking forward to reading your review. (I haven't read any of yours yet, but I wanted to post to make sure I get the e-mails of the new posts.) I plan on doing a review after I get the pictures downloaded.

********************************************************

Oh....I know what you must be going through right now! Writing and reading other cruiser's reviews does seem to help relieve a little of the PCD though. ;)

 

Please post a link to your review whenever you have a chance to write it. We would all like to share your experience with you and compare notes! I know you probably had a wonderful time, and I can't wait to hear all about it! :D

[CaribbeanKim]

By any chance do you have a picture of the ajoining room's door opened. We leave in three weeks and for the first time the kids have a room of their own. I am curious how well we will be able to keep an eye on them and them on us :D !

********************************************************

Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of the cabin doors. If you have a connecting balcony cabin (a cabin with a door to connect them without having to go across the hall), the door to the other cabin is directly across from your bed - so you will easily be able to keep an eye on the kids. My kids are 23 and 16, and we would just pull the door closed when it was time to go to sleep, but other than that...the door remained open between the 2 cabins. It was a great arrangement because we had the balcony divider removed and that gave us a double-length balcony!

 

If you have adjoining cabins (cabins that are next to each other or across the hall), you won't be able to keep as close of an eye on them, but it IS do-able. I would suggest (depending on the age and level of resposibility your children have) setting up guidelines for the kids to adhere to. Set a curfew for them to be in at night, have regular check-in's scheduled, take post-it's so they can leave you a note (and vice versa). You can also make room to room calls, simply by dialing their cabin number on any of the public phones or from the phone in your cabin.

[CaribbeanKim]

Day 3 - (Tuesday) June 3, 2008

 

The Legend arrived at Grand Cayman on schedule at 7am and made anchor in the harbor. This is a “tender port”, which means that you don’t pull up at a pier to disembark… instead you ride boats (called tenders) to and from the ship. The waters were nice and calm, and the tenders were already lined up waiting to start taking passengers ashore. There were no other ships in Grand Cayman today, but there was a very nice yacht sitting off the port side of the ship, as well as excursion boats and some pirate-style ships.

 

 

(Some day........hey, I can dream can't I??)

 

We have been to Grand Cayman before, so already know that this is not the island to go to for shopping…unless you have something unique in mind. There are more banks and financial institutions on this little island nation per square foot than any other country in the world! If you are interested in buying jewelry, t-shirts and the like…you are much better off if you wait until you go to one of the other islands. The exchange rate in Grand Cayman is approx one Cayman dollar equals $1.80USD. We had already decided before we ever even left home that we were going to avoid shopping as much as possible anyway. If you do find yourself needing to purchase something (such as sodas, lotions, toiletries, fast food, etc.) there are several stores that are easily accessible, and any taxi will be glad to take you there though.

 

Our ship leaves port at 4pm this afternoon, and we had already decided to go to the World Famous 7 Mile Beach on our own…so we knew we had plenty of time. We decided to take our time and get a good breakfast before catching a tender…this would also allow the lines for tendering to die down a little before we got there hopefully. After eating at the Lido Buffet, we went back to the cabin and got our beach tote, towels and snorkel gear bags - then made our way down to the “A” Deck to board a tender. The line wasn’t very long at all and it moved quickly. Soon, we were on a tender and on our way to the port in George Town, Grand Cayman.

 

This is truly amazing! You know how your mom always told you that it’s a small world? Once we were seated on the tender, we started talking to the man next to us (who was traveling with his wife, their son & his family) and found out that the son lives right around the corner from us!! We actually live within about 1.5 mile from each other!

 

 

(On a tender to the island. That's our neighbor in the background!)

 

Once we were all ashore, we found a taxi to take us to 7 Mile Beach for $4pp and he took us to the same stretch of beach that we were taken to the last time we were in Grand Cayman…the Royal Palms. This is a very nice area that has a Bar & Grill, clean restrooms & changing area, outdoor showers, and chair & umbrella rentals for $5 each. You can also rent motorized water sport activities from this location (such as jet skiis, parasailing, and the Glass Bottom Boat tours). We found a nice section of beach very close to the Bar & Grill and showers and settled in for the day. The water was cool and refreshing…and very clear. This isn’t a great area for snorkeling, but it’s okay for the novice…and my kids had a good time.

 

 

(The sign that greets you at the Royal Palms on 7 Mile Beach)

 

It’s funny how you manage to always run into the same people everywhere you seem to go when you are on a cruise. We met a really nice lady on the Lido Deck before we ever even sailed out of Tampa…and she and her brother were at the beach also. The brother (Jerry) and his wife were originally supposed to go on this cruise, but she had surgery just before the cruise, so she called Jerry’s sister (Debbie) and got her to go with Jerry instead. We had a nice time talking to them, but after a little while - they went and sat up at the Bar area under the shade of a huge umbrella. We had a great time just walking up & down the beach collecting shells and surf-worn glass, and taking several more dips in the ocean before it was finally time to leave.

 

Oh, another thing…take (and use) sunscreen! I was born and raised the majority of my life in Florida - so I am pretty used to the sun’s effects…but, do you think my kids would listen to me? I made sure that everyone put on the sunblock before we ever even got off the ship, and tried to persuade them to reapply every hour while we were at the beach … but of course they didn’t listen to Mom. They just didn’t seem to realize that even though it was the same sun that they see every day in Georgia…they were a lot closer to the equator, and the sun’s strength is much more intensified!

 

We got there around 9am and planned to leave around 2pm - so this would give us plenty of time to get back to the ship before it was time to leave port, but decided to leave around 1pm instead since the kids were already showing signs of getting too much sun all on one day. I surely didn’t want them to get sun-burned and not be able to enjoy all the other excursions we had planned for the rest of the week!

 

 

(A view of the Legend before catching a tender to go back onboard)

 

Once we got back to the ship, we all had time to get showers and dressed before the ship pulled up anchor. Standing on the balcony as we left Grand Cayman was both awe-inspiring and sad…it just meant that we were that much closer to the end of our cruise. I hated to see Grand Cayman slip away into the distance - but I couldn’t wait for Cozumel in the morning! As we sat out on our balcony reflecting on the day’s activities, we saw a pod of dolphin below us off the port side of the ship! There were about 8-10 dolphin that were leaping through the waves and trying to keep up with us. (We have them on video, but since it’s an older camcorder, I have no idea how to upload the video - but will try.)

 

 

(Toasting to a Grand Day and a "Fond Farewell" to Grand Cayman)

 

We came in from the balcony just as there was an announcement being made that our itinerary was going to be changed due to a tropical storm that had hit Belize. We would still be going there, but they were going to go to Roatan first (instead of the other way around). This would give Belize a day to dry up before we get there. At first I was worried that our tours might be in jeopardy, since I was booked with independent tour operators for those islands, but the announcement also stated that each island had been notified of our itinerary change.

 

The kids were now a very nice shade of pink after showering, so I applied a healthy dose of aloe before we headed to the Lido Buffet for dinner again tonight. After dinner, we went for a little “walk-about” on the upper decks, and then went back to our staterooms. We watched TV and ordered our nightly room service then turned in for another night of being rocked gently to sleep. I stayed up just long enough to get everything packed, laid out and ready for arriving in Cozumel in the morning…aren’t ALL vacations “working vacations” for moms?

 

More to follow.....

[CaribbeanKim]

Here are just a few more photos of Grand Cayman and 7 Mile Beach that might interest you...

 

 

(This was our view from our spot on the beach, looking up at the Bar & Grill area)

 

 

(My family in the ocean, with a parasailer in the background)

 

 

(Nice, sandy beaches with crystal clear blue water - and jet skiis for rent!)

 

 

(This is a view of the port where your tender will drop you off & pick you back up for your return to the ship.)

 

 

(These are the pirate-style ships that were anchored in the harbor while we were there.)

[cruisebie]

Love your review & pictures! What a beautiful sunset shot your DD took on your first night. Makes me wish I was sitting on a balcony with my feet propped up enjoying the view!:)

[CaribbeanKim]

Day 4 - (Wednesday) June 4, 2008

 

We woke up nice & early to discover a beautiful, sunny day with calm seas and a slight breeze. We are scheduled to arrive in Cozumel at 10am (which is 9am their time), so we hurried and went up to get some breakfast from the buffet. Since the buffet areas have windows everywhere, we could sit and watch as we came closer and closer to land. We rushed back to our cabins after breakfast so we could stand out on the balcony and take pictures as we approached the port. We would be docking at Punta Langosta Pier, next to the Carnival Glory, in the heart of Cozumel. (We later found out that the Glory was in Cozumel earlier in the week and had left, but then had to sail back due to the tropical storm in Belize. I’m so jealous! They got to spend 2 whole days there!!!)

 

 

(Carnival Glory docked next to us at Punta Langosta, Cozumel)

 

We arrived just before 10am and would have until 6pm (ship’s time) to spend in Cozumel before the Legend would leave port. I had booked our tour for the day (The Twister to Passion Island) online through an independent tour operator (tour Cozumel(dot)net is the website for anyone that might be interested)…and our instructions were to met our Tour Rep. across the street from the pier at 9:30 (Cozumel time). As soon as we docked, people were already starting to get off the ship - so we didn’t wait too long to try to get off the ship today. All of us are really looking forward to this excursion! It wasn’t long before we were all walking down the fairly long pier toward a large building at the end of the dock. We had to take the escalator up and over the road, through an area of shops and vendor’s kiosks. This area is very clean, and there were some really nice shops, ladies dressed in traditional costumes dancing for the crowds, and men posing as statues that would reach out and startle the unsuspecting tourists that walked by. We easily found our Tour Rep. standing on the corner at Carlos & Charlie’s, and she told us that our tour group should meet there again at 11am (Cozumel time) - then we would all walk over to the pier where the Twister would pick us up (about 2 blocks away). This would give us about 1.5 hours to do whatever we like to pass the time. We sat at the Hard Rock Café which is right next to Carlos & Charlie’s and ordered some Coke’s for the kids and myself, and a Canadian Club with water for DH. We had a great time “people watching” while we slowly drank our drinks, and then walked through some of the shops that were nearby. Soon, it was time to meet Meliza (our Tour Rep.) and the other members of the tour and make the 2 block walk to the pier were the Twister would be waiting.

 

 

(A view of the Legend standing in front of Carlos & Charlie's across from the pier.)

 

We were introduced to our Boat Guides (Ricardo and PePe) as soon as we got there, and they quickly put our belongings in dry storage bins so they wouldn’t get wet on the trip to Passion Island. Next we were fitted for our life vests and strapped into them. We selected our seats and fastened the safety harness as we listened intently to Ricardo describe the safety procedures, where we would be going, what to expect and when…then we shoved off from the pier and began our excursion. First, we headed north - past all the shops and resorts that dot the coast of Cozumel, and then around the northern tip at speeds of 45-50mph. It was a great trip, as the water was this heavenly shade of deep blue, and relatively calm…and the sun was blazing. Once we came around the tip of Cozumel and headed past an old wrecked ship, we headed toward a small private island that had a lagoon between it and the mainland. This is the area that Ricardo and PePe brought us “to have a little fun and get wet”! Everyone had a great time as we raced through the lagoon and then spun around doing 360’s in the water, and by the time we were done - everyone was soaked!

 

 

(Us on the Twister! Sorry, it's slightly blurry from being copied - my scanner isn't working!)

 

After about 6 of these “water donuts”, we headed for the little dock on the island and were met my Manuel, Our Island Host for the day. Manuel, Ricardo and PePe helped us with our life vests and handed us our things out of the bins, then we followed Manuel. (Since we chartered this tour as a group, we had all decided to be picked up to go back to the ship at 3pm (Cozumel time), which would leave us about 2 hours for shopping back at the pier.) First we stopped at the entrance of the island and had a photo taken, and then Manuel showed us around the island and all the amenities available to us for the day. There were restrooms (that were very clean, and even had an attendant at hand), some gifts shops in little huts, a kiddie play area, outdoor showers, palapas and hammocks, and then you come up to the main pavilion with a large outdoor massage tent nearby. Here is where you will want to spend most of your day! They have a Mexican Buffet laid out with "all-you-can-eat" chicken, mahi mahi, rice, chips, salsa, guacamole, little donuts, and fruits. Next to the buffet is the open bar area where they serve rum punch, margaritas, mojitos, etc. The drinks were really good, not weak or watered down like you might expect. (They also have a cash bar available for those of you who prefer bourbons, scotches and the like.)

 

 

(A shot of the Mexican Buffet)

 

 

("Hawk" & LoLa's son, Michael at the open bar)

 

TO BE CONTINUED...........

[CaribbeanKim]

COZUMEL & PASSION ISLAND (continued)...

 

After feasting on the delectable food they had prepared, we decided to head down to the beach and find some nice loungers close to the water. We didn’t have any problems with finding chairs at all because there aren’t very many people on the island…they like to limit the amount of tourists there daily in order to keep it private and secluded. A HUGE PLUS!! The water was wonderfully refreshing and clear, and we had a great time swimming for about an hour. Unfortunately, I was having such a good time relaxing and doing nothing, that I didn’t take nearly as many photos of the island as I would’ve liked to. I guess I’ll just have to go back soon, huh!

 

SIDENOTE: If any one has read Tinkerbell’s review of the Legend…you will recall her “biff fiff” story. This became the daily quote for us during our cruise, but never more so than on this particular day. As we were swimming, several fish swam around (and into) us (not big fish, maybe 5-6‘’ long) - which eventually led to my daughter getting out of the water. A few minutes later… this one, lone tiny little fish swims up and my son playfully tried scooping it up in his hands. All of a sudden he jumps up and shouts “it bit me”! He actually had a small bite-mark and the tiniest amount of blood appeared. Looks like you have to watch out for the “biddy fiff” too, Tink! ;)

 

 

(The water trampoline)

 

The Island Host had a large group together and they were playing a game of water balloon toss when we went back to our chairs, and we had a great time watching the antics. Kids were playing on the water trampoline that is anchored in the swimming area, and another group was starting a game of beach volleyball….my group? They were busy running back and forth to the pavilion, getting more drinks and food!! Let me tell you … the food was delicious (Carnival, are you reading this?)

 

 

(Beach volleyball anyone?)

 

Soon, my husband came down to get me (with a fresh drink in hand for me) and we joined Laurie (LoLa-in-Ga) , Dennis and their kids at a huge palapa that was next to the massage tent. We just sat there for the rest of our day at the island - swapping stories, laughing, and getting to know each other. The time passes quickly when you are in Paradise, and before we knew it…it was time to get ready to head back to the ship. A lady approached us and had our photos for sale (from when we arrived at the island, and during our Twister ride), and we bought the one of the Twister for $10.

 

 

(The massage tent next to our palapa)

 

The ride back to the ship was fantastic and exhilarating! We did another “fun run” through the lagoon, and then started back toward the port. All along the way, Ricardo and PePe were telling stories and had us laughing and having a great time. Of course, all that free booze on the island helped with keeping the adrenaline (and testosterone) pumping!! When we neared the ship, Ricardo slowed the Twister down and asked if we wanted to show off a little…….”YEAH!!!” There we were, right in front of our ship and the Glory…doing 360’s in the ocean! Like all good things…it had to eventually come to an end - and Ricardo pulled up directly at our pier to let us off. We had the choice to either go back to the ship, or head back over the street and do some shopping for a couple of hours. Hawk and Matt were already pretty plastered, so we went back to the ship and headed up to our balcony so we could watch everyone else re-boarding the ship.

 

 

(Some of us were "plastered" by the time we returned to the ship...can you guess who?)

 

We watched the Glory sail away and as soon as she was out of port, we sailed away also. I have to admit…I hated leaving Cozumel this time! My first time here was not nearly as good as this time was, and I could definitely see myself returning to spend at least a week here. We all showered and got ready to go up to the Lido Buffet, and after dinner - Hawk and I went to the Casino for a little while. When we got back to the stateroom, we ordered the nightly room service, went over the “Capers” for tomorrow in Roatan, and got everything ready for our day there. We’re all looking forward to going to Roatan! I’ve done a lot of research, watched videos on YouTube, etc. and can’t wait. I’m going to Fantasy Island while the rest of my family does the “Pirates of the Caribbean” Extreme zip-line (the one that‘s 328‘ up in the air), then they will meet me back at Fantasy Island afterwards! Zip-lining? Not for me, Thank You - I’m chicken (and everyone knows that chickens don’t fly!)

 

 

(Leaving the port in Cozumel - but, we vowed that we'll return soon!)

[snc421]

Awesome review, Kim! Great pictures as well!

[CaribbeanKim]

Awesome review, Kim! Great pictures as well!

 

I looked at your photos on webshots and would love to borrow some of them...especially Belize!! We had a really hazy, overcast day there and didn't take our camera when we went cave-tubing, so I missed a lot of photo ops there. Your camera takes great pics, and I am considering purchasing one for myself.

[islandhopper30]

Hey guys, I wish to meet you all, I cruise on August 24th on the Legend. I am soo excited. :) Stacy