Traveling
besides food and shoes are my favorite things to spend my hard earned dollars
on. This past May I was blessed to take a “Girls Trip” with my Mother,
Grandmother, and Aunt. As a family we decided to go on the Carnival Cruise Line
out of Miami and travel to the Caribbean.
I wont go much into the ship itself because my last post went into a lot
of detail and although we sailed on Carnival Glory and not the Carnival Vista
there were a lot of similarities.
Carnival
Glory:
This ship was built in 2003 but has undergone some 2
renovations since then in 2014 and 2017. The Ship itself although older has all
the new restaurants, and even the new waterslide offered on the newer Carnival
ships. The vibrant colors and themed bars and entertainment area make walking
around the ship easy on the eyes and an attraction itself. The food my second
time around was OK. A few meals included in cruise cost impressed me, which
were mostly seafood dishes. The
burgers of course remained a favorite of mine and my family enjoyed those as
well.
The
Stops
Cozumel,
Mexico:
This was the first stop and was nice to visit again. The
port is huge with plenty of places to shop eat and drink, its like its own
outside outlet. Whether vacationers signed up for an excursion or just want to
chill out on the beach you’re are sure to find it. With such a small group and
a late start my family waited awhile to be taxied to the beach but we got there
for about 30.00 each round trip. The trip included access to the beach, pool, beach
chairs, snorkeling, and a Tequila tour. For additional coast you could rent jet
skis and eat at the restaurants.
My best experience there was learning about the detailed process to make
good Tequila. Seeing how it is made I now understand why the Tequila in the
states is so bitter. We drink cheap Tequila in the states. The process is sped
up with chemicals’ and machinery that take away from the natural flavors! What
we know in the states as popular tequila like Jose Cuervo, and Patron the
people of Cozumel Mexico see as cheap liquors. Basically buying Patron is like
buying E&J.
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| Highest Temple |
Belize:
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| Highest temple from the top Belize |
When looking up the island on-line the beaches were not a
big attraction for this area so we decided to do an excursion. With plenty to
choose from we decided on the Mayan Temple Ruins and Rainforest Safari Tour.
The port itself was ok and could use some updates compared to the other islands
but the entertainment was a special treat. As vacationers walked through the
post natives put on mini shows singing and dancing to a mix of familiar
American music and traditional music.
The excursion started with a bus ride through downtown
Belize and ventured out to the country. The City seemed poor, a lot of garbage
and shacks, but the people full of life. The tour guide was very informative
explaining the history of the country, different foods, and daily life of the
people. I was shocked to find out High School was considered higher learning
and cost a fee to attend. Once we got to the countryside we boarded a small
boat and rode along the river. Once at the Mayan site we walked past enormous
green trees, beautiful flowers and of course the ancient Mayan Temples still
standing hundreds of years later. The tour guide allowed us to climb one of the
highest temples at the site. The actual highest temple stands at 133 feet high,
and no I did not reach the top of any temple that day!
Mahogany
Bay (Rotan Island):
What a wonderful place. I did not know much about this area
before we docked but was super excited to explore. Since Rotan Island is one of
Honduras’ Caribbean Bay Islands the first thought that came to mind is all the
great spices I could find and take back home. Upon getting off the boat the
port was huge. Similar to Cozumel anything you wanted to do was right there on
the port including a beach! The Mahogany Bay beach was free to enter for
cruisers. I didn’t spend much time there but the beach gave the feel of a mini
resort with live music, food service, free floaties for those wanting to lay
out on the water, and plenty of beach chairs. My mother and I decide to explore
away from the port and ended up in West End Village, a place we thought was
going to be a market place. It was super early in the morning for the island
and there was nothing in this village but more gift shops and restaurants.
Being almost the only American’s walking around we were approached by a few
islanders to take us out on the boats for some type of tour. At first we turned
them all down but then started talking to this handsome man who spoke the best
English I had heard since I got off the ship. We bargained a deal hopped on his boat with two other young
ladies and a baby from Honduras and off we went. First stopping to see the
dolphins’. Then heading off to the
southwest part of the island to West End Beach. The water was the pretties and
clearest I ever seen. Surrounded by hues of blues and Turquoises made our rebel
decision that more enjoyable. That
same young man then took me snorkeling in the middle of the ocean, what an
experience! The best was to describe it would be a book many American children
my age read in primary school called “The Rainbow Fish”. So many colors,
shapes, sizes, and even fish that glowed in the dark!
Cayman
Islands:
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| Hell, Grand Cayman |
For our last stop The Cayman Islands was relaxing. I also
nicknamed this islands and the money island! Lol We first enjoyed a tour of the
city learning about the history and making many stops along the way. We drove
through the city catching a glimpse of annual classic car show, and the
Governors home. We then made our way to “HELL”. Yes I have been to Hell and
back! Hell, Grand Cayman is a tourist stop of a uniquely looking rock. The rocks extend over a football field
in length, and its scientific name is ironshore. This elevated fossil coral reef formed over a million years
ago. There are many stories of how this attraction got its name but when you
see it in person you will know exactly why. Our next stop was the Rum Factory,
where we sampled different flavored rums, and rum cakes. I also had the best
chicken patty there. We ended our day at the beach.
This
trip was full of fun, laughs, and adventure. If looking for somewhere to vacation
with family and friends I would encourage all to check out Western Caribbean cruises
with Carnival. For more information visit www.carnival.com
