5 day Cruise to Mexico
Day one: A short walk from the James Hotel, through Riverwalk took us to the Cruise Terminal in New Orleans - on the mighty Mississippi River. After an unusually long check in (due to a Nationwide security alert and not the fault of Carnival), we settled into our good sized family cabin made up of bunk beds , a queen size double bed, port hole and en-suite shower room before joining the rest of the passengers at the Lido for a much needed buffet lunch.
We ate in the Paris dining room in the evenings. The menu was varied, tasty and not too overwhelming and there was plenty of choice for the children - the chocolate melting cake was a firm favourite! Our waitress was very friendly and accommodating and we enjoyed the ‘entertainment’ provided by all the waiters, waitresses and chefs each evening. Day two: At sea – we played mini golf and table tennis and the children swam in the pool and used the water slide on many occasions. I managed to make use of the Gym a couple of times – not enough to counteract the amount of food consumed but it did make me feel a bit better!
Day three: Progresso, Mexico. Not wanting to commit to a whole day excursion we decided to take the courtesy bus down what is of the world’s longest piers (5 miles!) into the small authentic and colourful village of Progresso. It was a little windy but warm and the children enjoyed a dip in the sea while we repeatedly said ‘thank you but no thank you’ to the various street vendors! After a walk around the local market and street stalls we headed back to a much quieter ship and enjoyed an afternoon around the pool.
Day Four: Cozumel and the ‘Caverns by Jeep and Beach Combo’ excursion. An extremely rough ferry ride took us to Playa del Carmen on the Yucatan Peninsula where our 4x4 Jeep was waiting for us. We drove in convoy with 10 other jeeps to Explora Beach and an authentic Mexican beach front restaurant. It was a warm day and we enjoyed the Mexican buffet lunch, the hammocks, the white sands and a quick swim in the warm waters before setting off for the Mayan Caverns. We all took the plunge, literally, into the cool waters of the Chac Tun Cavern cenote (a pool fed by underwater rivers), swimming through the dark and looking at stalactite and stalagmite formations and underwater fossils by torch light. A quick drink and snack was welcome before we drove back to Playa del Carmen to catch the ferry back, in much calmer waters thankfully, to the Ship.
Day Five: Another day at sea to enjoy the ships facilities and plenty of reading on deck in the sunshine!
Our last evening and we took the children to the Show. It was very entertaining, the stage sets well done and the quality of the dancers and singers was high.
Day six: We arrived back in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve having thoroughly enjoyed our 5 day cruise, some warm winter sunshine, the ship’s many facilities, the two ports of call and the plentiful food!