Mexico, Belize, & Honduras
All our friends rave about cruises. As a child, my family and I sailed on a Disney cruise and I had a good time. Some of our friends asked us to tag along with them so we agreed. We booked with Carnival and selected an itinerary with Honduras, Belize, and Cozumel. We were uncertain whether the pace and environment would meet our fast-paced and see-all-you-can and experience-history style.
Day 1: NOLA and the Gulf
We sailed out of New Orleans so we flew into NOLA and grabbed a cab. The line to check in took what felt like a lifetime! Why can’t they move faster? We found our cabin and immediately decided we should have opted for an outside cabin. Being confined to a ship was a little less our speed than burning up the pavement exploring. There were plenty of locations to get food and drinks. But it was all the standard foods you’d get at any food court or chain restaurant. It was okay though. We knew our ports-of-call were going to be good.
Day 1: NOLA and the Gulf
We sailed out of New Orleans so we flew into NOLA and grabbed a cab. The line to check in took what felt like a lifetime! Why can’t they move faster? We found our cabin and immediately decided we should have opted for an outside cabin. Being confined to a ship was a little less our speed than burning up the pavement exploring. There were plenty of locations to get food and drinks. But it was all the standard foods you’d get at any food court or chain restaurant. It was okay though. We knew our ports-of-call were going to be good.
Day 2: The Gulf
Boredom. Sun. Food. Sun. Boredom. Ice cream. Ice cream. More ice cream. Boredom. Dinner.
Day 3: The Gulf and Roatan
Our first stop was Mahogany Bay in Roatan, a Honduran island east of the mainland. Knowing our ability to navigate independently, we opted away from the packaged tours sold on the ship and rented our own car. We drove around sight-seeing through all the windy roads and settled on a coffee shop with free wifi to get a feel for the island and our current location.
As we were returning to the rental car, a local fellow approached us and offered to take us snorkeling. Adam never meets a stranger and this was no different. We handed over all our earthly possessions for safe keeping. I have to admit – this made me nervous! But Adam was all in with his new bro. The fellow escorted us to the shoreline and helped us with our gear. Sidebar: I didn’t expect to encounter so many lizards. I love lizards so enjoyed seeing the varieties and sizes.
This was my first time to snorkel and I was a little unnerved. I’m a fairly athletic girl and my coordination came in handy. I had Lasik eye surgery several years ago and was glad that I could see so well. Except when I started to think about sharks! While no sharks made their presence known to us, a sea snake did! Lord help me! I could not swim fast enough in the opposite direction! We headed through a crevice in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef through which we had to hold our breathe and suck in our tummys. The only downside was the unfortunate ocean rash (the ocean’s version of road rash) I received as I bumped into it.
Boredom. Sun. Food. Sun. Boredom. Ice cream. Ice cream. More ice cream. Boredom. Dinner.
Day 3: The Gulf and Roatan
Our first stop was Mahogany Bay in Roatan, a Honduran island east of the mainland. Knowing our ability to navigate independently, we opted away from the packaged tours sold on the ship and rented our own car. We drove around sight-seeing through all the windy roads and settled on a coffee shop with free wifi to get a feel for the island and our current location.
As we were returning to the rental car, a local fellow approached us and offered to take us snorkeling. Adam never meets a stranger and this was no different. We handed over all our earthly possessions for safe keeping. I have to admit – this made me nervous! But Adam was all in with his new bro. The fellow escorted us to the shoreline and helped us with our gear. Sidebar: I didn’t expect to encounter so many lizards. I love lizards so enjoyed seeing the varieties and sizes.
This was my first time to snorkel and I was a little unnerved. I’m a fairly athletic girl and my coordination came in handy. I had Lasik eye surgery several years ago and was glad that I could see so well. Except when I started to think about sharks! While no sharks made their presence known to us, a sea snake did! Lord help me! I could not swim fast enough in the opposite direction! We headed through a crevice in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef through which we had to hold our breathe and suck in our tummys. The only downside was the unfortunate ocean rash (the ocean’s version of road rash) I received as I bumped into it.
Adam began to notice that his fair skin was burning. That fellow has some pretty dominant northern European genes! He had committed a classic error of cruisers – he had forgotten to slather on sunscreen! Our snorkeling ended a bit earlier than we’d planned but the damage was already done. I was good to go while he suffered for the rest of the cruise and we modified our schedule a bit to accommodate his discomfort. We shared a seafood meal with our snorkel guide and got some advice from him which led us to Gumbalimba Environmental Complex.
The park was within the rain forest with plenty of activities that weren’t in the direct sun. A young fellow took us on a quick history tour of the island. Iguanas and Capuchin monkeys were everywhere. Both species were acclimated to humans. The brazen monkeys jumped and climbed all over us. It was so much fun! A baby monkey even pulled my hair!
We took a longer drive heading back to the ship. It saddened us both to see the abject poverty in which most locals lived. Most cruise ship passengers likely never see these areas. It was quite a contrast between the haves on board and the have-nots along the road. Our snorkeling guide shared with us earlier the impact of tourism on the economy and how difficult it was when rainy season arrived and tourism tapered off. These experiences when we travel, talking to the locals and getting to know their way of life, are the catalyst in our desire to learn and travel around the world.
The park was within the rain forest with plenty of activities that weren’t in the direct sun. A young fellow took us on a quick history tour of the island. Iguanas and Capuchin monkeys were everywhere. Both species were acclimated to humans. The brazen monkeys jumped and climbed all over us. It was so much fun! A baby monkey even pulled my hair!
We took a longer drive heading back to the ship. It saddened us both to see the abject poverty in which most locals lived. Most cruise ship passengers likely never see these areas. It was quite a contrast between the haves on board and the have-nots along the road. Our snorkeling guide shared with us earlier the impact of tourism on the economy and how difficult it was when rainy season arrived and tourism tapered off. These experiences when we travel, talking to the locals and getting to know their way of life, are the catalyst in our desire to learn and travel around the world.
Day 4: The Gulf and Belize
Our next stop was Belize. The weather was less than tropical unless you are thinking about monsoon season! It poured off and on all day long. But that didn’t really rain on our parade. We hired a driver to take us to the Belize Community Baboon Sanctuary Association so we could learn more about the Black Howler Monkeys. The monkeys live amongst the people and could be heard howling away in the trees' canopy overhead. We were given broom-like sticks to swat away the bugs as we listened to the lesson on the local ecosystem and awaited the arrival of a monkey we could observe more closely. The worker was well prepared with treats to lure the monkeys closer and his own vocalization of a howl to call them to come down from the trees. Touching is forbidden even for the sanctuary employees so that the animals don’t pick up the scent of humans. To feed them, food was placed on the palm of our hands and fingers stretched out to avoid any contact. I was greatly impressed with the worker’s demeanor – his patience and his respect for nature. Every move he made was done so with respect for the immediate environment and the animals he was entrusted to protect. Oh, and the monkeys were pretty fascinating as well.
Following the monkey encounter, we asked our driver to take us somewhere with authentic Belizean food for lunch. Our driver opted for a shrimp farm. We placed our order and then watched as the workers first caught the shrimp, then cleaned and cooked them. It was educational watching the process but a part of me was still saddened that the shrimp just died because I was hungry. In fact, the lump in my throat made it a little hard to eat. But it was really good and Adam really enjoyed it.
Our ride back to the port was rainy. Once we were back in port, we spent our remaining minutes visiting a few local shops near the port before heading back to the ship.
Our next stop was Belize. The weather was less than tropical unless you are thinking about monsoon season! It poured off and on all day long. But that didn’t really rain on our parade. We hired a driver to take us to the Belize Community Baboon Sanctuary Association so we could learn more about the Black Howler Monkeys. The monkeys live amongst the people and could be heard howling away in the trees' canopy overhead. We were given broom-like sticks to swat away the bugs as we listened to the lesson on the local ecosystem and awaited the arrival of a monkey we could observe more closely. The worker was well prepared with treats to lure the monkeys closer and his own vocalization of a howl to call them to come down from the trees. Touching is forbidden even for the sanctuary employees so that the animals don’t pick up the scent of humans. To feed them, food was placed on the palm of our hands and fingers stretched out to avoid any contact. I was greatly impressed with the worker’s demeanor – his patience and his respect for nature. Every move he made was done so with respect for the immediate environment and the animals he was entrusted to protect. Oh, and the monkeys were pretty fascinating as well.
Following the monkey encounter, we asked our driver to take us somewhere with authentic Belizean food for lunch. Our driver opted for a shrimp farm. We placed our order and then watched as the workers first caught the shrimp, then cleaned and cooked them. It was educational watching the process but a part of me was still saddened that the shrimp just died because I was hungry. In fact, the lump in my throat made it a little hard to eat. But it was really good and Adam really enjoyed it.
Our ride back to the port was rainy. Once we were back in port, we spent our remaining minutes visiting a few local shops near the port before heading back to the ship.
Day 5: The Gulf and Cozumel
Our final port was Cozumel. The opportunity to swim with a sea lion summoned the animal-lover in Adam (yeah, I wanted to go just as badly as he did but let him think it was all about him!). We grabbed a cab to Chankanaab Beach Park. My goodness, that was such fun! The sea lion was clearly rather tame and had a playful, sweet disposition. We spent time meandering through the park and stumbled upon a tequila tasting booth. Adam tried each available option before declaring his favorite. He was careful to not overdo it as our day still had water activities in store – Snuba, a blend of scuba and snorkeling.
We were easily outfitted and off we went. The hose attached to the mask allowed us to remain below the water without having to raise our heads for each breath. The apparatus enabled us to be free from the heavy oxygen tanks that scuba requires. Our group of four was comprised by Adam and me and a mother-daughter pair. The mother had a good underwater camera so took pics to share with us. We learned they were also on the same cruise so shared a cab ride back to the pier at the end of our day. We didn’t board the ship right away. We shopped in the many local shops. We found some well-made and colorful ceramic skulls that were decorated for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Adam found a luchador's mask. We certainly had different tastes in souvenirs! Sidebar: Luchadors are pro wrestlers; they wear skin-tight masks that cover their entire heads to protect their true identities form the public.
Day 6: The Gulf
Sleep. Food. Ice cream. Boredom. Slathering aloe vera on Adam's sunburn. People-watching in the shade. More ice cream. More Sleep. More aloe. Boredom. Dinner. Sleep.
Day 7: The Gulf and Oklahoma City
Just as quickly as the ship sailed away, the ship pulled back into its home port. We were disappointed that the duration at the ports-of-call was too short to really explore the way we like to explore. We discovered that at this point in our lives, cruising isn’t our thang. The “show up here for this at such-and-such time” was too regimented for us.
The cruise ship was appropriately nautical. The shows were entertaining. We were a little too fond of our cash to spend it on over-priced drinks or gambling. We’d rather invest in the communities we visited.
Rather than sore muscles and blisters on our feet, we earned a different set of battles scars on this trip. My reef rash of scrapes, cuts, and bruises which I wore like a champ. Adam’s lobster-red sunburn which wasn’t tolerated quite as well.
We enjoyed the company of other cruisers and the ports we visited, but cruising will have to wait until we’ve slowed our pace a little. Carnival, see you in about 40 years!
Our final port was Cozumel. The opportunity to swim with a sea lion summoned the animal-lover in Adam (yeah, I wanted to go just as badly as he did but let him think it was all about him!). We grabbed a cab to Chankanaab Beach Park. My goodness, that was such fun! The sea lion was clearly rather tame and had a playful, sweet disposition. We spent time meandering through the park and stumbled upon a tequila tasting booth. Adam tried each available option before declaring his favorite. He was careful to not overdo it as our day still had water activities in store – Snuba, a blend of scuba and snorkeling.
We were easily outfitted and off we went. The hose attached to the mask allowed us to remain below the water without having to raise our heads for each breath. The apparatus enabled us to be free from the heavy oxygen tanks that scuba requires. Our group of four was comprised by Adam and me and a mother-daughter pair. The mother had a good underwater camera so took pics to share with us. We learned they were also on the same cruise so shared a cab ride back to the pier at the end of our day. We didn’t board the ship right away. We shopped in the many local shops. We found some well-made and colorful ceramic skulls that were decorated for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Adam found a luchador's mask. We certainly had different tastes in souvenirs! Sidebar: Luchadors are pro wrestlers; they wear skin-tight masks that cover their entire heads to protect their true identities form the public.
Day 6: The Gulf
Sleep. Food. Ice cream. Boredom. Slathering aloe vera on Adam's sunburn. People-watching in the shade. More ice cream. More Sleep. More aloe. Boredom. Dinner. Sleep.
Day 7: The Gulf and Oklahoma City
Just as quickly as the ship sailed away, the ship pulled back into its home port. We were disappointed that the duration at the ports-of-call was too short to really explore the way we like to explore. We discovered that at this point in our lives, cruising isn’t our thang. The “show up here for this at such-and-such time” was too regimented for us.
The cruise ship was appropriately nautical. The shows were entertaining. We were a little too fond of our cash to spend it on over-priced drinks or gambling. We’d rather invest in the communities we visited.
Rather than sore muscles and blisters on our feet, we earned a different set of battles scars on this trip. My reef rash of scrapes, cuts, and bruises which I wore like a champ. Adam’s lobster-red sunburn which wasn’t tolerated quite as well.
We enjoyed the company of other cruisers and the ports we visited, but cruising will have to wait until we’ve slowed our pace a little. Carnival, see you in about 40 years!