Easy Dream Vacations

It was sad, but we knew our trip would come to an end.   We woke up to a hazy day in Miami.  The haze quickly burned off and we were looking at the beautiful Miami sky line.   The port was busy, all the ships were in port and as thousand of guests were getting ready to get off of each ship, there were thousands more waiting to get on and head off for their vacations.  It is amazing how the crew has to work to get the ship ready in such a short time.  Not only do the cabins need to be cleaned and made ready for the next cruise but all the trash from the week has to be off loaded, new provisions stocked and thousand of gallons of fresh water and fuel loaded. 

For us it meant we had a few more hours to enjoy the warmth before returning back to Wisconsin.  I had scheduled a final excursion for the group, a day trip to South Beach.  Once we were off the ship our driver picked up the group and headed to the beach.  While at the beach it was arranged that the driver would hold our luggage so we did not have to hassle with it.  We relaxed on the beach for a few hours, people watching, napping or for some of us feeding birds.      

The South Beach area is quite the place, you could spend hours just watching the sights and sounds.  There is a wide variety of food and activities.   Just enjoying that warm sun for a few more hours was all I needed.    

  Our driver came  back right on time and with all our luggage and we were off to the airports, we had a few people leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale but the majority from Miami International.  Our driver from Florida Transtours Inc. did a great job of taking care of us as he did for each portion of the trip he was involved in.  In short order our plane took off and before we knew it we had arrived back in Chicago and the cold weather.  Despite some initial delays in Miami we arrived on time.  We did have a short wait for our limo as the airline had reported to him that the flight would be late and it wasn’t.  Wee made it back home, had a great trip and we are looking forward to doing it all over again as soon as possible!

Filed under : Carnival, Cruises, Travel Information, Travel Review, United States

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Our final full day on the Valor was a day at sea.  We left the hustle and bustle of Cozumel excursions the night before, we ate too much at the midnight Mexican buffet so now we need a day of sun and relaxation, umm and a few bloody marys.  Speaking of bloody marys and other drinks I don’t recall what drinks cost a year ago but I do believe the price went up a bit.  From review of our Sail and Sign Statement the drinks ranged in price from $3.95 to $7.95.  Beers started at 3.95, short bloody marys were on sale for 3.95 as well, the drink of the day was 6.95 in the souvenir glass and $4.50 in the regular glass, frozen drinks and mojitos where 7.95, and a soda was 1.95.  Of course they automatically add 15% gratuity on to each drink as well.  Prices seemed to be up but what else isn’t?  Our 2^nd day at sea had numerous activities on board the ship.  They had the traditional ice carving display on the Lido deck as well as the hairy chest contest, which I did not win again.  This years contest was won by a gentleman from Alaska who could have passed for Chewbacca from Star Wars. This guy was so hairy he even had his back and chest hair trimmed to not pour out of his collar.  And yes that is a kilt he is wearing in the photo.  He stood out all week and turned heads as he strutted his stuff around the ship in his many kilts, something you don’t see too much of.    The morning also had the normal debarkation talk but they did have a new twist on debarkation.  Carnival along with the airlines offered a “Luggage Express” program where you left your luggage outside your cabin as normal and the next time you saw it would be at your home destination airport.  There was a $20 per person fee for the service but it did have some nice benefits including not having to check in at the airport, your check-in is actually done onboard the ship and your luggage claim and boarding passes are sent to your cabin on the last night of your cruise. 

Our group also enjoyed our open bar cocktail party on this day.  We had a shared party with another group in the One Step Disco.  The party had snacks and an open bar for an hour.  We were able to all meet one last time as a group, share some stories about the cruise and take a few photos.  I hope we can all meet again someday, I enjoyed meeting each and everyone that was part of the group.

The last night we again spent some time sitting in lounge area on the Promenade deck out side of the casino.  We did this throughout the week and had lots of laughs joking around and people watching.  There is quite an assortment of people on a cruise if you pay attention, it is amazing watching how different we all are.  As you can see from the photo we weren’t the only group on the Promenade deck having a good time.  I am not sure what the hats were about but they had a good time as well. We also enjoyed the music of “Jeff” who played outside of the casino bar, he was a one man band and played a really good assortment of music.  We skipped the “Carnival Legends” show and headed down to the disco one last time before heading off to bed.

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Well here we are back in Cozumel, this time though we wont be staying long at all as we have booked an excursion to the Mayan ruins at Tulum.  The excursion takes up almost all the time that the ship is in port.  Tulum is on the Mexican mainland about an hour from Play del Carmen.  So you start out your day by getting off the ship and getting on the ferry that takes you to Play del Carmen.  The ferry is pretty nice, the lower level has airplane style seats, the upper area has seats that have tables between them so you can  sit across from and have a conversation with friends.  There are also outside areas on the ferry with seating.  The boat is pretty quick, but it is still a 45 minute ride by ferry.   Once in Play del Carmen you step into a tourist area and surprise there is even a Senor Frogs!  We were met by our guides who divided you up into groups and you walked a few blocks to your tour bus.  Sorry but here is where I start getting down on Mexico.  I am not sure why but every time I walk through the streets of Mexico I smell sewage.  The walk to the bus took you past some resorts and shopping areas.  Right where the bus is parked there is a graffiti filled wall and on the top of the wall there are shards of glass meant to either keep someone in or someone out from behind the wall.   I would strongly suggest to the tour company that they find a better area to start out that tour.  Once on board the bus we headed off to Tulum.  There was quite a bit of road construction and building going on so you can see that there are improvements being made to the area.  The bus was ok, fairly clean and our tour guide was very informative.  Although he did say that we would be stopping at a rest stop that had some shopping and we should barter price there.  We tried that and found no value in trying as the prices seemed to be firm on their goods. The rest stop in my opinion could have been bypassed, it only added to an already long day of travel and its only purpose was to get us to spend some money at that shop.  They would be much better off having the shop at the Tulum ruins site. We finally arrived at the site and off we were to the ruins. Our guide once again was very informative giving us a guided tour of the site.  I enjoyed hearing about the Mayans, it added greatly to viewing of the ruins.  After the guided tour we headed out on our own to walk around the site.  The beach area is as breath taking as we were told.  The water is as turquoise blue as it could be and the sand as white as puffy clouds in the sky.  We really did not have as much time to ourselves, we would have liked to get down to the beach.

We also had little time to visit the shops near the ruins, which is probably just as well.  I will say that the locals there could brush up on their manners.  They are pushy trying to get you to spend money.  Even the costumed performers expect you to donate to them before you can take any pictures.  I always leave a tip with these folks when taking pictures of them.  However after being told I have to pay first, I avoided the entire picture taking process.  One word of  caution I will give you is do not use your charge cards if you do not have to.  Our tour guide recommended getting this piece of jewelry made that had your initials in Mayan writing, he even had order forms on the bus that you could fill out before arriving in Tulum  One of our group ordered the charm and necklace.  She paid with her credit card and was surprised to find out upon arriving back home after the cruise that someone had used her credit card to order $200 in items for themselves. Cash is always the best way to go.  The bus ride back to the ferry was much quicker without the “rest stop”.  The ferry ride was a bit rough going back to Cozumel but we made it back safely. Once back in Cozumel we only had about an hour to spend on land.  We walked around the commercial shopping area at the port.   Commercial it is!  I highly recommend going downtown Cozumel and shopping at more of the “local shops.  The commercial shopping near the pier was pricey and crowded.  The bars there were pretty empty but the shops were full.  Speaking of the pier, our ship was docked at the new pier that was recently finished.   The original pier there was destroyed by Hurricane Wilma a few years back.  Last time we were in Cozumel we docked at the other pier that is closer to the downtown area, I much prefer that, it seems to be less of a commercial tourist trap area.  Next stop Miami. That is so sad as it means we will be back to winter before long.

Filed under : Carnival, Cruises, Destinations, Mexico, Travel Information, Travel Review

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We had been to Belize before on a cruise, at that time we really had not investigated where we were going.  We arrived in port via the tenders and shopped in the gated commercial shopping area.  We left the gated area and had way too many people wanting to give us a tour, our mission at that time was only to find a supermarket so someone in the group could purchase some nylons.  That walk left an impression in our minds that was not positive at all.  The city was dirty,  we saw too many scary people, we wondered why we left the gated area.  Upon arriving home from that cruise I spent some time looking into Belize.  I wondered how I could have missed all that Belize had to offer.  Including the 2^nd largest barrier reef in the world! The point I am making here is you really need to do some homework on the locations you will be visiting.  Or even better yet have your travel agent do the work for you.  As part of our cruise packages we provide destinations sheets to our clients.  These sheets provide them with weather, location, culture, shopping, beach, excursion information and more.

Our morning in Belize started with an awesome sunrise, when seeing this beauty you know that only God could have created this beauty for our eyes to enjoy.  We had booked an early excursion to Goff’s Cay for some snorkeling.  We boarded a boat for a trip in the opposite direction of Belize City, about 4 miles out to a small island on the edge of the barrier reef. 

When I say small, I mean small, the island was 1.2 acres in size,  had maybe a dozen palm trees, a few bushes, a grass roof hutch and a pier.  No building other than the hut where they made and served some food and drink.  There was one other structure, the porta-potty sitting on the pier.   The ride out to the cay was cool that morning, on our way there the crew from the boat sized everyone with flippers and handed out masks and snorkels.  Once on the island we scouted out a spot to leave our towels and such.  The crew from the boat gave some instruction and within minutes we were off on a snorkeling tour around the island and out towards the reef.  The water was very cold when we first started but we must have hit some currents as within a minute or so the water became warm and very comfortable.  Our guides were very good with taking care of the passengers that were not so sure about snorkeling, they had patience and help them along.  They even had the boat anchor out in the snorkeling area in case anyone became tired. They had us take the life jackets from the boat and had everyone wear them as a float around their waist.  It was optional to wear it and they had no issues if you did not.  The water was fairly clear but the crew said some weather early in the week had made it cloudy and that it is normally much clearer. The water ranged from 10-25 feet in depth and there were all different sorts of corral and fish. We did get out on the edge of the corral and there was a drop off that went deeper than you could see.  If I recall one of the crew members said it drops off into the channel to a depth of about 60 ft.  With the large group that was snorkeling the fish were scattered but as soon as I pulled out my zip lock back of fish food, (cereal compliments of the Valor) they were soon to be swimming all around.  We even swam over a barracuda that was just hanging out in an open area.  After our guided snorkeling tour we were free to go out on our own or just kick back and relax on this tropical island.  The excursion was 3 or 4 hours and it went by all to fast.  Back on the ship we freshened up, had some lunch and then headed of to shore aboard one of the tenders that went back and forth to shore all day long. 

In Belize the cruise ships anchor quite a way off shore, I am guessing about 4 or 5 miles off shore. They have some really quick tenders and for the most part they all seem to be relatively new and in good shape so the trip to shore is pretty fast.

Arriving at the port area in Belize City we found that the commercial shopping area had not changed too much, it seemed to have grown, there were a few more shops but over all it was your basic port tourist shopping area.  We always steer away from the brick and mortar shops and find some of the locals selling their goods.

In the commercial area if you go down towards the end you will find some of these locals in an open air shopping area. 

We did not leave the gated area on this trip so I can’t report on any changes outside of the gates.  We looked up the tourism office so I could get some information I was looking for, shopped for a while, had a cold beer and it was time to head back to the ship.  On our last trip to Belize we went into one of the pharmacies in the shopping area and started talking to a pharmacist who seemed to not be a local.  It turned out she was from the US, had previously worked as a pharmacist for Wal-Mart but was now running her own pharmacy in Belize.  We looked her up on this trip and she was still there and doing well.  The pharmacies in this part of the world sell almost all the drugs we need prescriptions for back home.  Here you don’t need a prescription and there is a large cost savings.

Back on ship we spent some time relaxing on our balcony and watching all the small islands go by as the ship headed away from Belize and towards Cozumel.  I was hoping we would go by Goff’s Cay so that we could get some good photos of it. Unfortunately we were off to our second formal dinner before we passed the island.  That evening we had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed the show put on by the Carnival Dancers.

Filed under : Caribbean, Carnival, Central America, Cruises, Destinations, Travel Information, Travel Review

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Upon waking and stepping out on our balcony we could see land, a tropical looking land, was it Isla Roatan?   We sailed for quite a while passing  numerous hilly islands before coming near what looked like a port so I am assuming we sailed along the coast of mainland Honduras before coming upon the Isla of Roatan.  The pier and port area looks brand new and from what I heard many of the buildings in the shopping area have been there less than a year.  There was the predictable Diamonds International shop as well as a few gifts shops in the commercial pier area.  Many shops were still being finished and had yet to be occupied. 

Walking out of the pier area we were met by a small army of taxis, mostly mini vans and some of the most congested traffic I have seen in a port.  We found a driver we liked, he led us down the side of the road to his van and with remarkable skill maneuvered that van out of its very tight parking spot and into traffic.  We were headed away from town  so the traffic cleared up quickly.  Our driver had actually been a cab driver in New York City so it’s no wonder he was able to navigate us out of that congestion in no time.  We had told him we wanted a nice place with a beach, some refreshments and snorkeling.  We headed off to a small cove on the opposite side of the island.  The trip there took us along some curvy roads and through some beautiful tropical hills.  Upon arriving on the  other side of the island we quickly came upon a road with some of the biggest pot holes you could imagine. Our driver was careful not to hit them so to keep his van in working order.  The road became narrow and we started wondering were we were going, a quick left and we were in a small parking lot of Half Moon Resort. The area we were in is known as West End Village and is located on Half Moon Bay.  The resort had a few simple bungalow cottages with rooms for rent, a bar and an open air dining area, a few beach chairs, a pier for access to the water and we were all set. It was no 4 star resort, probably wouldn’t even rate as a 1 star but it was simple, clean and just so relaxing.  We toured the rooms, they were simple, a little musty smelling and reminded me of a motel in northern Wisconsin.  They had porches with very inviting hammocks. I don’t have many pictures of the resort but I know I took some videos.  Once I get a chance to review the video I should be able to post some of it as well as some still shots form the video. So look for a separate entry blog entry on the Half Moon Resort. We had great service from the bar waiter,  we kicked back relaxed and watch the waves roll in. 

The water was a bit rough and too cloudy for any good snorkeling but I ventured out to check out the corral.  I found more grass than corral but again it was a bit rough and I was snorkeling alone so I took the side of caution and kept my adventures to a minimum. 

There were a few local children selling bracelets. Their eyes lit up when I started handing out some treats. They ran back to their mother smiling from ear to ear showing off the candy and they were even more excited when I gave them the single serving boxes of cereal.

The resort even had a spa, well sort of.  We had one of the best massages ever from some local woman.  They stacked up a few beach chairs on top of each other to make their massage table, covered them with a clean sheet and for a dollar a minute massaged some wonderful oils deep into our backs.  Laying there in the shade, with the cool ocean breeze listening to the waves was wonderful.  Life was good, my only wish was that I had that $20 I had wasted in the casino the night before. It could have been used to prolong that heavenly massage for another 20 minutes.

Well our little trip to paradise came to and end all too soon, as promised our driver came back for us right on time.  We were off to town to check out the local shopping.  There were kids all over and they quickly found us and offered to be our guides.  I had one little guy who was maybe 8 years old helping me.  He was the greatest, he even watched out and reminded us to be careful and not trip over some of the curbs.  These kids were just adorable. I only wish I could remember his name.  We went from shop to shop and he was there to help out all the way.  Of course they were hoping to make some money for their services and I have to say they really were very polite, not pushy and not begging.  We made sure our young man and his cousins were properly rewarded for their services.  Sad to say when we asked him where his parents were he told us his mother was at home just down the road but his father was buried in the cemetery just behind us. 

At the resort we visited they served us some very good local beer, Port Royal Export. So before getting back on the ship we stopped at a small open air establishment to have one last cold beer.  Our young guide waited just outside the entrance as we sat on the deck over looking the water and our ship, enjoying a cold refreshing drink.  Before heading back to the ship we also picked up some Diet Pepsi  (Pepsi Light as they called it and the bottles were marked) to take back on the ship.  I really wished we had more time to explore the island.  It was primitive but had a beauty of its own and we really enjoyed the Honduran people.  Maybe someday we can go back for a longer stay.  There is an international airport on the island so I will have to look into the lodging and dining for clients and hopefully for future personal trips as well.

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