Norwegian Star Archives - Woman on Her Way

Caribbean Cruise: Day 5: Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the neater coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. This popular cruise ship destination became famous in 1961 when Jacques Cousteau declared Cozumel one of the most beautiful scuba diving areas of the world. Since then, Cozumel has become an underwater marine park to protect the delicate balance of the coral reefs and abundant variety of tropical fish.

Off snorkeling (Left to right, Jane, Doris, and Elizabeth.)

This is where I first snorkeled and looked forward to the experience. I had initially planned to take a local taxi to Playa Carona. As we left the pier, we talked to several tour guide operators and learned that the 2008 hurricane had changed the coast and the flow of fish. Instead of going on our own, we took an excursion with a local dive shop, which turned out fantastic. We visited three sites, had an attentive marine tour guide, saw plenty of fish, coral, and aquatic plants in crystal-clear waters. The snorkeling leader fed the fish, which meant we were surrounded with colorful Sargent Majors, deep blue parrot fish, and other vibrant fish of various sizes. He dove down for a sea cucumber and I held the strange sea worm in my hand. This excursion was by far better than the one we had on Roatan.

Once we landed we went to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville to buy souvenirs, and then we returned to the cruise ship. Mom had a lucky streak in the casino; she played for more than a half hour on $5.00 before loosing it all.

The entertainment was a comedian named Fred Bevill. His jokes were funny, but the true story of his first date at age nine was hilarious.

Caribbean Cruise: Day 4: Roatan, Honduras

Roatan, Honduras is the largest of the Honduras Bay Islands. It is about 77 k long and less that 8 k across at its widest point. Roatan’s history traces back to the Maya civilization. It has seen the arrival of the Conquistadors, the Garifuna, and the fishing industry.

In 1990, about 19,000 English-speaking people inhabited this little island. Now it is known for its diving and snorkeling. Doris and I took the underwater museum and reef tour. Twenty-three people crowded into a small bus to head out to the world’s second largest barrier reef. The last four people to board the bus had to sit in jump seats in the aisle.

On the coach ride to the museum, the tour guide told us about the sleepy community. Most of the houses are built on stilts because the islands sees more than 150 inches of rain each year. The public school children wear uniforms in the color of the state flag, blue and white. The younger children attend classes in the morning while the older ones use the same classrooms in the afternoon.

The bus arrived at a recently opened center. Our snorkeling guide divided us into two groups. Luckily my sister and I were in the second group because this gave us an opportunity to swim in the shallow waters off the beach and try the snorkeling gear. The snorkel broke off my mask so I had used one provided by the tour. Doris had to get help fitting her new mask. By the time the first group returned, we were ready for the tour. The water near the “museum” was not pristine, the statues were ketch,and the marine life was not abundant nor colorful. In spite of this, we shared a wonderful adventure.

The town where we ported is colorful, but poor. I wonder if the natives see the tourist as a blessing or a curse, with the thousands of foreigners descending on their little island each day.

Instead of snorkeling, Elizabeth set off on her own to explore the town. She loved the colorful buildings and enticing local shops and eateries. She felt sorry for the dogs wandering through the town, but decided against giving them water, thinking that they had been surviving without her help. After withdrawing money from the local ATM, she realized that the machine currency was not US dollars, but Honduran. The exchange rate for US dollar to the Honduran Lempira is about a 22:1. She laughed as she realized the withdrawal fees were higher than the amount she took out.

Back on the ship, Mom and I decided against ordering a Moscow Mule, the drink of the day, and ordered the Painkiller instead. This rum-coconut-pineapple concoction has become her favorite cocktail. Since on vacation, sipping on a fruity drink has replace our afternoon tea.

The evening’s performance was “The Look of Love,” a Burt Bacharach review. The story was lame, but the singing and performance was entertaining.

Caribbean Cruise: Day 3: Costa Maya, Mexico

Costa Maya is in the only state of Mexico bounded by the Caribbean on its east. Although the official language is Spanish, many speak Mayan. As a linguist, I would love to hear Mayan.

The Mayans were predominate in the area from 200 B.C to 900 A.D. There are many ancient ruins such as Chacchoben, which was built in the 4^th century and includes a magnificent stone structures and a pyramid, and Kohunlich.

We changed our clocks back, so it was only 5:30 when mom and I awakened. We took advantage to see the sunrise, so pretty on the horizon.

We spent the morning in the gym, the hot tub, and reading. After lunch, Doris, Elizabeth, and I disembarked to explore Costa Maya. This port town is still being developed after Hurricane Dean on October 31, 2008

The area around the pier is nothing but a tourist trap. All the same blitzy stores and island ware available at all the cruise stops throughout Caribbean. Doris bought herself a bracelet and a few souvenirs, but Elizabeth and I saw nothing appealing.

Back on the ship, Elizabeth and I swam in the saltwater pool, and then mom joined us in the hot tub as we enjoyed today’s bar special, the Pisco Punch. Yesterday’s drink was much better.

Caribbean Cruise: Day 2: Day at sea

Ship's wake in choppy seas — Ship’s wake in choppy seas

To make up for the lost time, the captain sped over the large swells and whitecaps and altered the itinerary. Instead of stopping first at Roatan, Honduras, we will first visit Costa Maya, Mexico.

On our first day at sea, mom and I walked about two miles on the promenade deck. She spent 20 minutes on the exercise bike (pretty good for someone who is eight-eight years old), while Elizabeth and I used the elliptical machines. It felt great doing a workout.

Mom enjoys the slot machines, but limits her daily expenditure. It only took her about twenty minutes to reach her spending cap, as we watched and cheered her on. The last time I had been at sea, people used the boarding/charge cards to play in the casino. Now, the machines use paper money and give a credit slip for winnings, which can then be redeemed at the casino cashiers. With all the changes, we had to get an attendant to help us figure out the process.

The drink of the day is “The Painkiller.” Mom and I enjoyed this rum-coconut concoction similar to a pina collada while we sat on the Lido deck and enjoyed the afternoon.

Promenade deck (Left to Right: Doris, Mom, Elizabeth)

After dinner in the Agua dinning we strolled the Promenade Deck. Then, Elizabeth went to Karaoke to “party like a Norwegian” and we old fogies went to our rooms

Caribbean Cruise: Day 1: Welcome to the Norwegian Star

This trip is a 6-day Western Caribbean cruise out of Tampa, FL, exploring Roatan, Bay Islands (Honduras), Costa Maya (Mexico), and Cozumel (Mexico). I am traveling with my mother, sister Doris, and friend Elizabeth. I hope you will enjoy our adventure.

We left Sarasota around 10 AM. Dennis made lattes for Elizabeth and me to sip on as we drove to the Tampa pier. Once Dennis dropped us off and we gave the porter our bags, it took roughly two hours before we finally embarked. Lots of mazed-lines to register and receive our boarding passes.

Exploring the ship (Front to back: Mom, Elizabeth, and Doris)

Hungry and thirsty, we bee-lined to the Lido deck. While we quenched our thirst and stuffed our bellies, the captain announced that the staterooms were prepared. I was surprised to see that most of our luggage was in our rooms. Mom and I are sharing a mid-ship room with a porthole, Elizabeth and Doris are sharing a balcony room at the other end of the ship.

We spent the latter part of the day exploring the ship. Mom and I enjoyed a “Rebellious Fish,” the cocktail of the day and then we all went for supper. We decided to skip the Welcome Aboard shore and retired to our rooms.

Enjoying dinner in the Aqua dining room (Left to right: Me and mom in back, Doris and Elizabeth in front)

We learned that we would not be leaving on time because of a propulsion problem. The departure was rescheduled to 10 PM, but we did not leave until 3 AM. Elizabeth and Doris went up to the Lido deck to join other jubilant passengers. They then got up at 5 AM to see the ship go under the Skyway Bridge, and then see the sunrise. The joy of being on sea made the night fun, but being up all night made them ravenous.