A Carnival Cruise So Long Ago…2004…Pt. 3

May 11 took us to Belize…We bought some lunch there and sat under a tree..Then we took a boat ride down a little river to see all the vegetation and any animals…Unfortunately, this is the only picture that I have on my computer…but I do remember it was fun and all the stuff that the locals made were all done by hand…Up to today, I still have this much colorful and neat hat…
May 12 took us to Cozumel…

The walk to the shops was very interesting…So many plant life and thatched roofs of many stores…Every local who was running the stores were very friendly and trying to get you to come in to their shop to buy something to keep…
A nice little photo of Richard in the white sand with the clear blue waters…and the Carnival Glory and Carnival Fantasy in the background…
Crackers, hot sauce, and Act II popcorn was available to buy..Thank goodness for pictures of what it was…
The blouses, dresses and skirts were beautiful but not made for “chubby” people…One must be “skinny” to wear these clothes…Even the baby clothes were adorable but at the time there was no reason to buy something for a grandbaby…One other day perhaps…

Flowers were gorgeous…
Shopping and looking around Cozumel was so much fun..There was even a pool bar around the shops but we didn’t do that cause we didn’t have any swimsuits on…but it looked like fun..

Which ship is which?  Glory vs Fascination…I’m glad that the names on their ships…lol
One of the excursions for this day was going on a catamaran and going snorkeling…A bunch of people signed up for the snorkeling fun and all gathered for the catamaran ride…Once out where we needed to be, everyone got their life vests and snorkel equipment..What I didn’t know was to hold on to the mask…oops!  It kind of came off but I got it fixed once I was in the water…Richard really didn’t want to do it but he did it anyways..You see he can’t float…but he did it just to do it…It was awesome to see all the tropical fish that were around me…I had wished I had a water camera to get all the pretty fish…but I have the memories…Someday, I hope to do this again and maybe learn a few things about snorkeling…
The catamaran ride also took us to a small island where you can swim in the most beautiful blue waters, grab a beer, grab a seat, or do other things…What fun!
Now for some island treats..Oh la la!  Too bad that isn’t me with these men…Oh well… We left the port of Cozumel and was heading now to Progresso…Our last town trip for this cruise…So far what a grand time…

A Carnival Cruise So Long Ago…2004…Pt. 2

Arriving in to the Progresso port…The building looked so small..I was very excited to see what the town of Progresso was like…
Carnival Glory docked at the port of Costa Maya on May 10…Our trip was going to Chacchoben to see some Mayan ruins and see the culture…A bus ride to Merida was interesting being able to see how the houses were…



The buses arrived at Chacchoben…Everybody went to the gift shop under the thatched roof and was getting ready for our tour guide…


Look at those steps..Could one imagine walking up those steps all the time, possible a few times a day…The Mayans had to be in good physical condition..The amazing thing was how the rocks were all formed together to make the steps and the walls of this ruin…
The lush flowers and trees were different from what we see in the states…I had wished that there were signs telling what kind of flowers, bushes and trees were around the area…
This tree’s roots look like some sort of dinosaur feet to me…There were all kinds of these trees around the area…


Costa Maya was a very interesting piece of land…Listening to the guide about the nature and the ruins and the people who use to live around this area was very interesting…
One of our guides…
Our next day of travel on the Glory was going to Belize..

A Carnival Cruise So Long Ago…2004…Pt. 1

In May of 2004, Richard and I took a wonderful short notice cruise from Cape Canaveral.  Being able to take a cruise at last minute or a few weeks before time to sail was the best thing while in the Clermont, FL area…I’ve never been on a cruise before and I was very excited…The cruise was taking us to Belize, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Progresso…The next thought was “What to pack and how much”…

Luckily the Port was only under 2 hours away and the drive was all highway..Getting to the Port was all highway but once at the Port, cars were everywhere, lines were long and the getting in to the ship time consuming..Thank goodness for patience..lol The first thing was to drop off the rental car in Cape Canaveral and getting a ride to the Port..The ship was HUGE..but also docked at the Port was the Disney Cruise Line ship..One day I would love to take a Disney cruise..


 
Leaving Port Canaveral..Slowly the cruise ship was pulling out from the dock..Everyone was waving to the mainlanders..We were on our way..Our bags were in our rooms and we had a drink in hand..


The best part about our room was when the staff came in to make the beds..They would make little animals out of the towels/wash rags and leave them around..So creative and great to see..It was something to put a smile on your face..

Amidst the cruise, one had the luxury of Formal Dining..This is where we got to meet a new couple and they stayed our Formal Dining companions during the whole cruise..Everything seemed very fancy and the maitre d’s were exceptional..Always entertaining..


Oh my!  I am dressed up…It was a rare moment in our lives..Both of us dressed up..and no, I do not own this dress anymore..lol Did find out that I do not like dressing up everyday for Formal Dining..If ever I go on a cruise again, I would rather stay away from Formal Dining..Plus I do not have any formal dining clothes anymore..lol

Fancy foods and fancy desserts and it all was very good..The waiters sang and danced while everyone ate..The lights were dimmed and conversations was going strong..