cruise – Snapping The Globe

Pearls of Wisdom

Planning to take a cruise and wanting to make a change?

If you are moving on from your current cruise line and trying to decide on a new one…here is some (hopefully) helpful information on the Norwegian Pearl.

After our disastrous experience with Carnival during Christmastime last year, my kids had sworn off Carnival Cruise Lines for good. The only cruise line they had ever had experience with, our previous trip had given them no cause for a desire to travel with them again this year. Late into port and not docking in St. Kitts had soured their expectations.

After checking out different cruise lines for our Christmas vacation, and their many amenities and itineraries, we finally decided on the Norwegian Pearl.

Our first adventure with Norwegian, we were excited to see the differences between this cruise line and Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

From the very beginning, there were some marked contrasts.

Check In Our first personal interaction with Norwegian was at the cruise terminal. We found the check-in lines to be quite lengthy (stretching out of the building and around the corner) and had to sit in the terminal for quite a bit of time before being allowed to board. This had never happened with our past experiences, but to be fair, we were first-time cruisers…so we had no status. Back of the line anyone?

Accommodations With our past cruises, we had always booked the more affordable rooms…interior cabins and occasionally, a room with a porthole or picture window. This time, we decided that a bit of splurging was in order. Though we still booked the interior room for our children, my husband and I opted to spoil ourselves with a Mini-Suite and balcony. Our room was spacious with a sitting area that afforded us the capacity to enjoy time together as a family away from the crowds. As we sailed away from Tampa, instead of enjoying the festivities on the main deck with people we did not know, we played our own music and enjoyed drinks in our stateroom, hanging on the balcony and watching the Tampa scenery go by in the waning daylight. Without the feeling of claustrophobia that I sometimes felt in the interior rooms, I have to admit, I don’t know if I can ever go back to not having a balcony!

Food There were a few restaurants that were available for dining by reservation and an additional charge; Le Bistro (French, $20 per person), Cagney’s Steakhouse (Seafood, Steakhouse, $30 per person), La Cucina (Italian, $15 per person), Teppanyaki (Japanese Hibachi, $25 per person), Sushi Bar (Asian, a la carte pricing), however, we opted to take our dinners at the main restaurants, Summer Palace, Indigo and Lotus Garden. All were very good and the service impeccable. Our breakfasts and lunches were usually taken at the Garden Cafe and the Great Outdoors in the rear of the ship. Occasional lunches, snacks and late nights were enjoyed at O’Sheehan’s Irish Pub…the fish and chips were amazing!

Drink When we booked our cruise, Norwegian was offering a few perks that we could take advantage of with our booking. The Ultimate Beverage Package was included for both my husband and oldest son which included wine, beer, liquor and cocktails. We also had a $100 on-board credit for one of our rooms which we were able to utilize for a Soda Package for my youngest son. There were many bars throughout the ship and we found that with the Ultimate Beverage Package, we were not cut off at fifteen drinks like on Carnival. Our wonderful ship steward also graciously gifted us with a few bottles of champagne in our stateroom.

Entertainment Award winning entertainment was offered nightly in the Stardust Theater and shows featuring passengers as contestants were offered in the Spinnaker Lounge. The Not So Newlywed Game and Dance Clash were two of the game shows where passengers both competed with each other giving the audience comical diversions. Bliss Ultra Lounge, a trendy nightclub-like hotspot offered live performances, karaoke and even bowling lanes while H2Glow and White Hot parties on the pool deck gave passengers the ability to dance the night away under the stars. One of our favorite places to hang out, however, was the Piano Bar on Deck 6. Requests were taken by the performer and it was quite the experience when the entire bar joined in on the sing-alongs.

Other forms of entertainment along the upper decks consisted of the rock climbing wall, basketball and soccer court, jogging track, shuffleboard, chess, golf, swimming pools and hot tubs.

First-run, barely released movies could be found in the cabins on one of the TV’s movie channels or on the giant LED screen in the atrium and a game room and library were available.

My favorite thing on this ship, however, was something I had never seen on another…and maybe it was just because I didn’t know to search for it. My son was wandering around and came upon a bridge viewing room. A large picture window allowed passengers to look onto the bridge and observe the crew performing the operations necessary to sail the giant vessel. The room also contained some memorabilia and a model of the Pearl.

Fitness Center/Spa Though I didn’t use the gym, I did take a peek inside. Offering the standard weight machines, treadmills, stationary bicycles and ellipticals, it was lot smaller than I anticipated and my son confirmed that it was often crowded. While exploring one day, we ventured into the Mandara Spa and was offered a tour of the facilities. Though not my kind of thing, the most intriguing aspect was the Thermal Suite based on the concept of Turkish Baths and included heated ceramic lounge chairs, a Thalasso Therapy Pool, hot tubs, steam room, sauna, and tropical rain showers.

Sun Decks Last year, our biggest complaint with Carnival was that passengers were allowed to reserve and hold lounge chairs. There were never enough chairs available for passengers although many were chained up and pushed to the side. Finding two seats together was hard, finding five for the entire family…impossible. We found Norwegian to be the complete opposite…there was plenty of deck space and plenty of chairs at all times. I have to admit though, my favorite place to take in the sunshine was on my balcony.

Communication Like Carnival, Norwegian provides an app which guests can download from App Store or Google Play. This app allows passengers to pre-book onboard activities, dining reservations, shore excursions, entertainment as well as view vacation itineraries. The communications feature allows passengers to chat and message each other while onboard, view their account and see what is happening on the ship at all times. A charge of $9.95 per person is charged for use of the communications feature, however, it is well worth the price in order to stay in touch with each other…quite handy since our two rooms were not near each other.

Ports of Call The itinerary for this cruise was Tampa (departure), At Sea, Harvest Caye, Belize, Costa Maya, Mexico, Roatan, Honduras, Grand Cayman, At Sea, Tampa (arrival). We enjoyed our Christmas Day in Harvest Caye relaxing in the sun on our beach chairs. The next day, the biggest surprise was in store for us. Having never checked the map for the location of Costa Maya, I was pleasantly enlightened that it was closer to Belize’s border than to Playa del Carmen, reminding me of my time in Ambergris Caye. So much like the old Mexico that I remembered, we enjoyed both relaxing at the beach in the town of Mahahual and checking out the beautiful, modern port, filled with many activities, shopping and restaurants. Our third port was the most anticipated since we had been wanting to go to Roatan for some time. Sadly, since we were unable to disembark as early as anticipated due to the tendering process, our time in Roatan was limited. West Bay Beach, however, was unbelievable and definitely awakened our curiosity for more of the small island. Our last port, Grand Cayman, was fabulous. A place that we are extremely familiar with, we were excited to not have to worry about trying to figure out what we would do. But, for anyone else, Cayman is full of amazing adventures!

Punctuality Overall, Norwegian stayed on schedule. Our only glitch during the cruise was the tendering process in Roatan. Our arrival in Tampa was another story. Last year, we thought our arrival into Port Canaveral was extremely belated (four hours)…that was until this time around. A heavy fog descended upon the port of Tampa on Saturday, preventing ships from setting sail…a bummer for those departing that day. Our ship was instructed to speed up and attempt to sail into port on Saturday night instead of Sunday morning. Hoping to make it in during an anticipated clear window, we were halted when the fog did not lift as expected. The Norwegian Pearl and three other ships remained off of the coast until the heavy fog dissipated, allowing us all to sail the remaining distance back to Tampa…twelve hours late. Though phone lines were opened for guests to make changes to their travel arrangements and to contact family, it was nearly impossible to get an outside line. Since our travel arrangements could only be done through a secured computer terminal, standing in line for hours to use one of only seven computers available was not an option. After explaining our circumstances to Guest Services, we were told that wifi access would be complimentary using my personal device. Upon our departure, however, we found that we had been charged $80 for an hour’s usage. After our return, I contacted Norwegian and the charge was reversed.

Upon our return and a some time had passed, I looked back on our first experience with Norwegian.

Although there were some negative experiences, I do have to say that we enjoyed our foray with a different cruise line. It was nice to discover a new ship layout and a new overall product.

Was it worth the change? Absolutely.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Norwegian Cruise Lines

https://www.ncl.com
Ship Name: Norwegian Pearl
Itinerary: 7 days, departing Tampa. Ports of call, Harvest Caye, Belize, Costa Maya, Mexico, Roatan, Honduras, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

The Mexico of Old

The Mexico of old. Do you remember?

Over twenty years ago, I remember driving around Cozumel in a rented (and rusted and dented) convertible Volkswagon Beetle, stopping at little bars and restaurants and snorkeling on stretches of unspoiled beaches. I remember riding the bus in Cancun for 35 cents and having dinner for about $5 per person. There were very few all-inclusive resorts and though many of the hotels were tall structures, they could not be compared with the mega-resorts spanning the coastline today.

My, oh my! Amazing what twenty years can bring.

The last time I went to Cancun and Cozumel, I was shocked at how much both had changed. Boutique hotels, heavy traffic, shopping malls and dinners averaging about $25 per person. I was not charmed by it anymore.

When we found out that we would be docking in Costa Maya, Mexico, I assumed that it was near Playa del Carmen and was less than thrilled. My recent visions of Cancun and Cozumel, still haunted me. I could only envision modern Mexico with beaches filled with tourists and high-end establishments.

And…I admit, I never really bothered to look at a map.

One of my good friends, who knows my adventurous spirit well, told me that the port, built by Carnival, was really nice but that I needed to take a taxi into town so that we could enjoy the beaches and local establishments. She said, “It’s like Mexico used to be.”

That’s all it took. I was intrigued and we would be heading into town.

As we looked down the coastline from our balcony, we could see a lighthouse and some low-rise buildings. Closer to the walkway from the pier, we could make out some thatched buildings, a large pool and what appeared to be a pyramid, but not much else.

After walking down the pier towards shore, what we found was quite surprising. This port was amazing! Pools, plenty of lounge chairs, shops, souvenirs, restaurants, bars, Dolphin Discovery, signs pointing to a beach area with snorkeling…

Did we really want to leave?

Surmising that my friend must have told me to go to town for a reason, we continued the long walk to the front of the property, winding our way through the stalls and artwork. Only spotting one cab parked alongside the curb, we assumed that taxi service was probably more expensive and decided to take the shuttle for $4 per person.

The open-air shuttle, pulled by a pickup truck, pulled out of the port’s gates and as we turned onto the main road, we discovered where the cabs were parked. The shuttle gave us a full view of the passing landscape. Not much was new construction and nothing appeared to be over four stories. After about a eight minute ride, we were pulling up to the curb in the town of Mahahual. Hedging the few locals who attempted to get us to use the chairs on their property, we decided to take a walk down the beach to first see what was available before making ourselves comfortable.

Mahahual…took…my…breath…away!

My first thought was that it looked so much like Ambergris Caye, Belize but with nicer beaches. Maybe if I had looked at a map, I would have realized how far south we were in Mexico…so very near the Belize border and Ambergris Caye. Located in the State of Quintana Roo, Costa Maya is the only state bounded by the Caribbean Sea to its east and offers a beach that extends north and south for a total of 62 miles.

We walked south, down the well-paved path, admiring the blue water, gentle surf and white, powdery sand, lined with beach chairs. There were countless restaurants and bars and no shortage of local women offering to give me a massage. The quaint fishing village, still had not caught up to the modernity of Cancun and Cozumel and I loved that there was not a name-brand hotel or McDonald’s in sight.

After being away from email, Facebook, Instagram and whatever it is that my children subscribe to, we were all anxious to log on, see what we missed for the past couple of days and check in with our friends and family. The first order of business was to find comfortable beach chairs, with some shade for my husband and good wifi. There were plenty of establishments offering chairs, all for free if you order drinks and/or food from them during the day.

That being done, we ventured out to the water’s edge, checked the temperature (a little cool) and signaled to our waiter for some drinks and lunch. The restaurant we had chosen to do business with, Maramao, was efficient and delicious…probably some of the best cerviche I have ever eaten!

After a while, I decided to take a walk. Heading north, this time, I reveled in the stone architecture, topped with thatched roofs, quirky bars, and countless vendors selling everything from t-shirts, to sandals, to Mayan masks…and much more!

After I while, I spotted our ship in the distance, reminding me that our stay in beautiful Mahahual was not permanent. Turning back, I meandered slowly, knowing that we would soon have to catch a cab.

And then, that was it. Our time in a paradise that I didn’t know existed was over.

As we sailed away from the port, I vowed that I would be back.

Mahahual, has so much more to discover…diving, fishing, ruins, ATV riding, ziplines, jungle exploration, water parks and authentic Mexican cuisine. Xcalak, a smaller village is located only 37 hours to the south and boasts amazing water sports and fishing. Mahahual, I learned, is only a six hour drive from Cancun. A bit lengthy but there are also flights to Chetamal, a two hour drive.

Yes, to rediscover the Mexico of old, I am willing to do that.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Costa Maya

https://costamaya.com/

Norwegian Cruise Lines

https://www.ncl.com
Ship Name: Norwegian Pearl
Itinerary: 7 days, departing Tampa. Ports of call, Harvest Caye, Belize, Costa Maya, Mexico, Roatan, Honduras, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

I Belize in Santa Claus!

Christmas mornings are spent around the Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa and watching the snow fall outside.

Right?

Not always.

How about Christmas morning lounging under a beach umbrella, drinking cold beer and watching zipliners flying overhead?

This is more my style!

For the second year in a row, we decided that we would spend our Christmas holidays on a cruise ship. While our itinerary had us cruising through the waters of the Gulf of Mexico on Christmas Eve, we would be awakened on Christmas morning by sunshine and views of the Belizean coastline from our balcony.

Norwegian Cruise Lines opened the port of Harvest Caye in November of 2016 which took four years and $50 million dollars to create. With such a huge investment, Norwegian has to be thrilled that it was voted the Best New Cruise Port in the Caribbean in 2017.

Not having done much research on what was available on the island, we decided that relaxation was in order for Christmas Day.

As our ship, the Norwegian Pearl, backed into position against the dock, we got our first glimpses from the back deck of the beautiful island dotted with beach umbrellas on the far side of the island and a lighthouse.

Disembarking from our ship, we made the long walk on the covered walkway to the island. Greeted by many locals at the Harvest Caye sign, wishing us a Feliz Navidad, we marveled at the beautiful, brightly colored buildings, home to many restaurants and shops. What is quite interesting is that all of these restaurants, amenities and shops are locally owned and all of the 400 staff members working on the island are locals.

Passing the excursions pavilion, which joins the marina, we took note of all of the guests lining up to travel to the mainland for the start of the many excursions offered…parasailing, exploring Mayan ruins, cave tubing.

Making our way to the beach, hundreds of bright blue beach chairs spread out before us beckoning for us to enjoy our Christmas Day…the perfect present! Finding seats, we spread out, eager to enjoy the Caribbean sunshine. Positioned in front of the lighthouse or Flight House, we watched countless zipliners fly over us and the bay 13,000 feet to the termination point at the other end of the beach.

The waters were a calm, emerald green and the 7-acre white, sandy beach made of man-made sand (made from crushed seashell), stretched out in an arc. We relaxed, enjoying the sunshine and a few buckets. So, after a few cold ones, it was time to venture out and find the restrooms.

Once I was out of the restroom, a path on the right caught my eye with its beautiful flowers growing on an arched trellis and I noticed what appeared to be a cage just beyond. Passing through the arch, I discovered a wildlife exhibit which houses many birds and animals indigenous to Belize. This area also includes a Blue Morpho butterfly house and the entire exhibit is free for all guests.

My curiosity peaked, I decided to continue my walk, admiring the many wooden carvings nestled in the foliage and along the pathways, while following the signs guiding me to the pool area. First, I encountered the kid’s splash pad, but the 15,000 square foot swimming pool was the happening place! The Caribbean music was pumping and the pool bar was packed with hundreds of guests enjoying themselves.

The pool area contained plenty of seating, some shady areas and tall palm trees. Bridges criss-crossed the water and on the far end, there was a zero entry area. There were several pool-facing cabanas available containing lounge chairs, couches, mini fridges, a personal concierge and private showers. There are also beachfront villas furnished much the same with the addition of air-conditioning, beach loungers, hammocks, and a golf cart for the day.

Continuing my exploration, I ventured into the commercial area which features shops selling chocolates, rum, jewelry, t-shirts, perfumes, handwoven items and paintings. Stopping at one of the small wagon kiosks, I made a deal with one of the vendors and walked away with a beautiful basket for my collection at home.

Returning to the beach area, I took a small detour near the lagoon which is the starting point for those wishing to kayak and paddleboard.

Finally, returning to my family, I found them wondering where I had disappeared to. Describing what I had found, they decided that it was time to check out the amazing pool, grab a bite to eat at one of the island’s eating establishments and check out one of the island’s four bars before heading back to the ship.

Having visited Belize a few years back, this was a much different experience from our time spent on Ambergris Caye. Though there were many similarities, both being islands along the Belizean coasts, this was a much different encounter. Of course, we were on a privately owned island on a cruise, however, we were also treated with a beautiful, sandy beach, something Ambergris Caye did not offer.

Honestly, I would return to either place, on a cruise to Harvest Caye or just on my own to Ambergris Caye. My true desire is to explore more of Belize’s islands and its mainland. As I always say…so much travel to do, so little time!

With a tropical climate all through the year, excellent facilities and excellent service. Harvest Caye is indeed one of Norwegian’s premier destinations! If cruising with Norwegian, check your itinerary to see if you will be putting into port at this beautiful location.

So, do we still believe in Santa Claus? You better Belize we do! I actually saw him walking around in board shorts on the beach!

Yes, I actually did…

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Norwegian Cruise Lines

https://www.ncl.com
https://www.ncl.com/harvest-caye
Ship Name: Norwegian Pearl
Itinerary: 7 days, departing Tampa. Ports of call, Harvest Caye, Belize, Costa Maya, Mexico, Roatan, Honduras, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

The Island of Pioneers

Christopher Columbus visited. So did John Glenn. Why not Carnival?

Grand Turk, the capital island of the Turks and Caicos is now home to a state of the art luxury cruise ship center opened by Carnival in 2006 and frequented by several cruise lines.

The thirteen acre complex is located at the southern end of Governor’s Beach, the best beach on the island and offers a variety of shops, restaurants, a large pool, cabanas and the largest Margaritaville in the Caribbean. The 3,000 foot pier can accommodate two ships each day and serves as a launch point for shore excursions. Shuttles, taxi, rental cars and scooters are available for those who wish to venture out onto the island on their own.

Grand Turk has the second largest population of the Turks and Caicos and the main city of the island is the historical Cockburn Town, filled with colonial style buildings and ruins. The Turks and Caicos National Museum is one of the highlights of the island along with the lighthouse and popular activities such as diving and whale watching.

Having visited Providenciales a few years ago, we knew what amazing beaches were to be found in the Turks and Caicos and decided that our Christmas Day was going to be a relaxing one, enjoying the sun with our toes in the sand and a drink in our hand.

Once we made our way down the lengthy pier, through the duty free shops and past Margaritaville, we began to search for a good spot to set up camp. Since my son had been here during the summer, he said that the chairs on the last rows were free, but the ones immediately in the front on the water were for rent. We decided that since it was Christmas Day, we wanted to be able to look at the beautiful, turquoise water instead of other people and paid $5 per chair and umbrellas. (Since the trip, I have been reading about scams involving locals on the beach and now I am not sure if these chairs should have been free as well. In the future, I would check with Carnival before disembarking on Grand Turk).

The waters on this beach were pristine and my sons enjoyed snorkeling and swimming throughout the day. After some time, I decided to walk around and get a feel for the property.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus is reputed to have made landfall on his initial voyage to the New World. Almost 500 years later, U.S. astronaut, John Glenn, splashed down near Grand Turk, after becoming the first American to orbit the earth during the 1962 Mercury Space Mission. The cruise ship center showcases a memorial to John Glenn and the historic event featuring a statue, replica of the Friendship Seven space capsule and placarded information.

As I walked to the southern end of the beach, tourists were building amazing sand sculptures in the shape of a turtle and an alligator. A little farther, I stopped to admire the statue of a breaching humpback whale, which highlights one of the prodigious events visitors can enjoy each season, from January to April.

Finally, making my way back to my waiting lounge chair, I took a few minutes to visit the craft market. Necklaces, carvings, paintings, shells and various other items were offered for sale.

Rejoining my family, we hung out on the beach for a bit longer before heading over to the Margaritaville pool. Guests swam and danced to the music while enjoying cold buckets of beer, margaritas and snacks. Many also took their turns on the Flowrider, surfing and body boarding on the jetted water, while others looked on hoping for a wipeout!

Before long, departure time was approaching and while I hated to leave this idyllic island, I really didn’t want to have to run down the long dock to the boat at the last minute and miss its departure.

As we stood on the upper deck, we waved goodbye to Grand Turk as we sailed away into the sunset.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Grand Turk

http://www.grandturkcc.com/
http://turksandcaicostourism.com/grand-turk/

Walkin’ On Sunshine

Cruises…we’ve taken a few.

Summer vacations, spring breaks, birthday trips. In recent years, these occasions are when we have opted to travel via cruise ship. Never, however, had we taken a cruise during Christmastime.

Christmas on a cruise ship seemed so exciting to me…decorations throughout the ship (that I didn’t have to put up), the cruise director leading Christmas carols, Christmas dinner being cooked, served and cleaned up and my whole family spending time together lying in the sun while we traveled from port to port.

After convincing our children that this was a much better idea than traveling to cold-weathered Europe and having to figure out where our Christmas dinner was going to come from, we booked our rooms and packed out bags.

Despite the long drive from Virginia to Port Canaveral, we were in high spirits when we boarded the Carnival Sunshine. The weather was warm and as we sailed out of the port, we called our families and wished them an early Merry Christmas.

Though not one of the largest ships we had been on, the Sunshine was still much bigger than the ones used for the shorter 3, 4 and 5 day cruises we had taken in the past.

The Carnival Sunshine, was christened the Carnival Destiny in Venice, Italy in November 1996 and was the first passenger ship ever built to be over 100,000 tons. After sixteen and a half years of service, she received major renovations to be classified as one of Carnival’s Fun Ships and became the Carnival Sunshine on May 5, 2013 with her rechristening in New Orleans on November, 17, 2013.

Checking out our rooms, as we boarded the ship, we discovered nothing more than we had anticipated. Our boys’ room was outfitted with two twin beds plus a third pull-down bed from the ceiling and our room was rearranged into a king bed. Happy to find it clean and neat, we were thrilled to meet steward, Alexis, who did a wonderful job at accommodating two of our children’s late sleeping habits in his attempts to clean the room daily. He and the entire staff always had a smile and treated us with amazing towel animals!

Initially, our time was spent exploring the ship, discovering where the things that interested us were located and attempting to enjoy some relaxation. It was nice to see the ship decked out for the Christmas holiday and we even added to the spirit of things by bringing our own Christmas trees, stockings and door decorations.

As with any cruise, however, there can be some challenges as with good times.

Food I must say that we were quite impressed with most of the food offerings on the Carnival Sunshine. For breakfast, we enjoyed both the buffet and the omelet stations at the rear of the ship in the Havana lounge. Most people did not see the breakfast bites located on the side of the bar, but these were Cuban inspired pastries and were absolutely divine! We also enjoyed the breakfast burritos from the Blue Iguana located poolside. Though only open from 8:00 am, we could only enjoy these on days we were not leaving the ship early. Our lunches were mostly taken on the pool deck. We loved the Guy Fieri Burgers and the tacos and burritos at Blue Iguana (the freshly made tortillas were awesome), but also enjoyed the Italian restaurant, Cucina del Capitano, which was by reservation (and surcharge) at night, but open for lunch on days at sea. We enjoyed the Dine Anytime option and only waited a short time on a couple of nights. The waiters worked very diligently each night and most of the food options were good, offering many choices, though I never thought the desserts were worth wasting calories on.

Drinks Initially deciding to purchase the drink package for both myself and my husband, we investigated the details and after some thought, decided against it for me. Since my husband and I were officially booked into two different cabins, we were able to purchase the package for only one of us. If we had been booked in the same cabin, we would both have had to purchase the package, which allows 15 drinks per day, spaced at least five minutes apart. Not wanting the pressure to reach the 15 drink goal per day, I decided only on the soda package. Since we don’t drink much during the day, it would have been hard to reach the 15 drink limit, starting in the evenings, not making the purchase price worth our while. Eventually, my husband started to figure out how to work the system, by going to the bar early on and saving the screw top beers (Coors Light) for later use in the room fridge.

Entertainment My children really enjoyed the outdoor activities located on the uppermost deck; miniature golf, basketball court, large-size chess, ropes course and water slides, pool tables, ping pong. I do have to say that because it was a Christmas cruise, there were many children and this area was always extremely busy, sometimes incurring waits in order to enjoy some of the activities. The pool deck area had a large outdoor movie screen and movies were shown nightly, although we never took the time to enjoy this feature. The Punchliner Comedy Club showcased some hilarious comedians and the themed shows held in the Liquid Lounge were much better than we anticipated and quite entertaining. There were many trivia contests, bingo nights and other competitions held throughout our eight-day cruise, including beer pong and lip-sync battles. We never did make it to the disco that was set up in the Liquid Lounge on most nights, however, there was a Deck Party held in the pool area that everyone seemed to enjoy with line dancing and a Bon Voyage party to say goodbye to Grand Turk and the adjacent docked Carnival Glory, where everyone congregated on the leeward deck, danced and waved goodbye.

Gym/Spa The gym area was well equipped and was not extremely busy when I visited. I did notice some classes that were offered, however, by the second morning, all spots had been signed for and only waiting lists were available. A walking track was also available on the upper deck, however, most people on this level did not seem to pay attention to the fact that some were trying to exercise, pulling chairs onto or walking aimlessly on the track. The Spa was located just before the gym and though we did not utilize any of their services, the waiting area seemed to be quite busy.

Sun Decks Being that it was winter, one of the things I so looked forward to was the ability to lay in the sun and relax with a book. Carnival has a rule that chairs may not be reserved and if vacant for forty minutes, personal belongings will be removed. I never saw anyone enforcing this rule and unless you reserved a chair early in the day, by putting personal belongings on it, you were out of luck for the rest of the day in finding one spot, much less two or three (or five) together. The Serenity Adults Only Retreat is touted as a quiet haven where only adults are allowed to enjoy peace and quiet. On only one day were we able to find a spot in this crowded area, due to another patron reporting teenage cruisers using the loungers. When this group left, we were able to secure two of the chairs. With such a busy cruise (capacity of 3002), I was disappointed to see that more chairs were not made available, especially on the Fun Days at Sea, even though I spotted stacks of chairs still chained up.

Communication One of the challenging parts of being on a cruise is that you can’t use your cell phone to check in with your party…until now. Carnival developed a great app, Carnival Hub, for this purpose. After downloading the app, everyone can sign up and pay $5, for the entire trip, to use the app’s messaging system. After working out, it was awesome to just send a message to my husband to find where they were hanging out, instead of wandering aimlessly, hoping to find them. The other plus about this app is that there is no checking the paper schedules each day. Although they did still deliver these to your room (a huge waste of paper), I would imagine that the app will one day eliminate the paper schedules. At any time of the day, you could check the app for the planned activities and even see what meals were being served and where. The app also offered maps of the ship and access to your on board sail and sign purchases so that you could monitor them regularly instead of at the end of your cruise. Way to go Carnival!

Ports The itinerary for this cruise was Port Canaveral (departure), At Sea, Grand Turk, At Sea, St. Kitts, San Juan, Amber Cove, At Sea, Port Canaveral (arrival). We enjoyed our Christmas Day in Grand Turk laying in the sun on the beach. Looking forward to our arrival in St. Kitts, we were disappointed when, island in sight, we were informed that the winds were too high and current to strong to make it into port safely…yet, there were two other ships already docked. Our initial thought was that Carnival was not being truthful, especially when we heard that five ships were due in port that day, a number that seemed quite high. Eventually, our suspicions were validated when we were told by many of the staff that the port had been overbooked. Most disappointing, since St. Kitts was the one of the primary reasons for booking this particular cruise. Not sure what to expect from San Juan, since the serious devastation by Hurricane Maria, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the beautiful Old Town is recovering and happily receiving tourists again! Our last port, Amber Cove, appeared to be a wonderful place to spend time with its water park and amazing shopping. Since we had booked an excursion and were late to arrive back in port, our only glimpse of Amber Cove was upon our arrival from the boat and when we disembarked to meet our tour guide.

Punctuality The boat departed on time, however, we felt that we were always a bit late into port. This was very disappointing, especially when we were only in port for short periods of time and our late arrival cut into plans for the day. The worst part of the cruise was when we were informed that we would be arriving into port late on our last day due to failing engines. Many people were inconvenienced with departing flights, especially since it was New Year’s Eve and guests were trying to make it home for plans that evening. The ship did not do much to assist in the order of disembarkation, with the whole process becoming a bit of a free-for-all.

When all was said and done, it was wonderful to be with my husband and children during Christmas in a festive atmosphere (and I didn’t have to cook and clean!). Maybe next time, we will try another cruise line.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Carnival Cruises

https://www.carnival.com/

Grand Turk

http://turksandcaicostourism.com/grand-turk/

St. Kitts

http://www.stkittstourism.kn/

San Juan

https://sanjuanpuertorico.com/

Amber Cove

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-to/caribbean-cruises/amber-cove-cruises.aspx

Ha Long Bay…A Long, Long Day

Despite my indecision, I was finally on my way…to Ha Long Bay!

Picked up promptly at 8:00 a.m., I was one of the first of the group in the tour bus. Being first, however, is not always a good thing. Glancing around and seeing so many seats, I realize one of two things will happen. We either have a small group and many of the seats will not be filled or every seat will be filled and that empty seat next to me will be occupied by another tourist…and indeed, if we are filling the bus, we will probably be picking up passengers for quite some time. Oh well, at least I had a window seat so that I could take pictures as we drove around picking up the others.

After a while, the seats filled, one by one, and our tour guide, Sonny, began asking some people to move to accommodate passengers traveling together. Oh no! Please don’t ask me to move from my window seat! I was getting some great shots! As he walked through the aisle, he glanced my way, but kept moving. A young Japanese woman reluctantly joined me after he asked her to move forward. Thankfully, I was safe at my window!

We continued to drive around the Old Quarter until our bus was full. Finally, we made our way out of the city, heading east, crossing the Red River on the Tranh Tri Bridge, proceeding through the Bac Ninh Province and the lush green rice paddies.

Having been told that it was a three and a half to four hour trip, we all hunkered down, taking naps until we finally reached our halfway point, the Dong Trieu Ceramic and Pottery Village. Stretching our legs, we were able to get drinks and snacks before re-boarding for the remainder of our trip.

After our short stop, the Japanese woman, Masami, who had been napping for most of the trip, struck up a conversation. Wouldn’t you know? She was also a flight attendant! Needless to say, we talked for the remainder of the drive and were fast friends with many things in common.

Eventually, after what seemed like a lot more driving than we were promised, we arrived at Ha Long Bay. From the terminal, we could see the limestone karsts and isles in the distance that have made the area famous and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After a quick rub to Buddha’s belly for luck and a safe journey, we were led to our boat, the Violeto 2. Boarding quickly, we were seated downstairs and served a beautiful Vietnamese lunch consisting of fish, shrimp, morning glory, rice, fruits, salads and many other delectable treats. After our meal was complete, we all anxiously climbed to the top deck where we could feast our eyes on the stunning scenery.

Our first stop was for kayaking and boat rides. Some of the kayaks looked to be in various stages of seaworthiness and we were told that getting wet was a possibility. Since I had my big camera and iPhone in my possession, I wasn’t willing to risk their safety. Masami and I discussed it and decided that we would let someone else do the rowing in one of the traditional bamboo boats. Joining a Filipino couple and a Chinese gentleman, we were a festive group, taking pictures and laughing as we were rowed through openings in the limestone to hidden bays. Such a shame it was, however, that there were so many other rowboats and kayaks to ruin what could have been an amazing and tranquil experience. Still, we enjoyed the views and the very small, colorful floating village that we embarked from and returned to.

After re-boarding the Violeto 2, we began our journey to Dong Thien Cung a large cave located on one of the islands within Ha Long Bay. There were many stairs to climb up the mountain to the entrance of the cave and a large number of other tour groups to navigate around while following our tour guide through the space. The cave was nicely lit and many interesting formations were pointed out to us. Upon our exit, Masami and I were able to get some nice photos on the lookout point.

As we departed from the island, we were assembled downstairs on our boat, once again, for tea and a small snack. The afternoon was drawing to a close and the sun was lower in the sky giving the bay an ethereal quality. Many of us gathered on the upper deck for a few fleeting glances at the emerald waters, exquisite rock formations, fishermen and junk boats while we made our return trip.

Once back on the mainland, we braced ourselves for the long journey back to Hanoi. Arriving at my hotel around 8:30 p.m., I was exhausted but excited for the day’s adventure. Not only had I seen a beautiful part of our planet, but I had made a new friend.

The best part of traveling is not only seeing things that we have not seen before, like Ha Long Bay, but sometimes meeting people from other places and walks of life. Masami and I were both grateful that because of time constraints, we had chosen the day trip to Ha Long Bay. We were also grateful that because of our large group, she was asked to change seats. We may never have had the opportunity to talk as much as we did on our journey!

I plan to return to Ha Long Bay one day and experience its beauty once again and I hope to visit with my new friend in the near future!

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.com

Alova Day Cruises

http://alovacruises.com/
Prices vary, but run about $50-60 per person, depending on method of booking. The price includes transportation to and from your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, bottled water, lunch on boat (beverages not included), snack and English speaking tour guide.
Pickup from 0800-0900 and return from 2000-2100.