Cruising again into the Caribbean! Wow, I know it seems like we just got back from a Caribbean cruise – and we did. In September it was aboard the brand new Utopia of the Seas with our grandsons and this first week of December is aboard the Wonder of the Seas, just the two of us. We accumulated enough points on the Royal Caribbean credit card to get this cruise “free” (well, of course we had to buy the drink package and a few special dinners). What an amazing adventure! Let me give you some highlights:
The Saturday after Thanksgiving we were on the road with Santa’s sleigh to Orlando to stay the night before boarding on Sunday. Normally a fairly easy trip, but this one took a few extra hours due to a few wrecks and slow-downs. But we were soon checked in, having a flight of beer and dinner at Rock & Brews and talking about plans. Parking, security and boarding were easy and quick and by 10:30am we were looking for that first “welcome aboard” drink. Awesome! Our room was Deck 9 all the way forward, with a nice big window out the bow. It gave us a bit of extra space, too, but you had to watch your head.
On the pool deck I zipped down the Perfect Storm waterslide, the one that ends in a big funnel. And since it was pretty quiet up top I had to try the FlowRider while the line was short – in fact there was no line! My first attempt was a little wobbly, but the next time up I was able to quickly get up on my knees on the board. Getting off can be tricky, however. Love it!
Our first stop the next day was at Perfect Day Coco Cay. We opted to purchase a day at Hideaway Bay, the new adults-only beach and pool on the island since we did not have youngsters with us this trip. What a nice spot! A huge heated infinity edge pool overlooks the private beach area and several bars and eateries surround you. A huge swim-up bar made it easy to quench your thirst and we munched on various slices of pizza and apple empanadas. It was sunny and warm, but there was quite a breeze. It made it feel just a bit chilly on the beach, so after a dip in the salt water we stayed mostly in the pool. A tram back to the ship made it easier on the return. Overall, great day.
One of my goals was to search out all the various Old Fashioned drinks at the bars. It made for very tasty evenings of toasted marshmallow, apple pie, peanut butter and jelly and basic Old Fashioned with several types of bourbon. Now that is my kind of scavenger hunt.
I tried craps in the casino each night, but it was really not much action at all. Most of the few players were new to the game and it wasn’t until the last night that we had a reasonably full table and some action. Too bad, I enjoy the game.
On our port calls to Cozumel and Costa Maya we stayed aboard to enjoy the pools and hot tubs, lounge chairs and solarium with lots less crowd. Surprisingly, there were lots of infants and toddlers on this cruise. A fair number of elementary aged children and a very international crowd. You just never know, but as former teachers we are always on the lookout.
The ship was decked out for Christmas and the large tree on the promenade deck was a favorite spot for picture taking. We had such fun people watching from either the Schooner Bar or the Pub as couples and families paraded by or tried to stop others from walking through the selfies. Formal wear competed with crazy Christmas sweaters, light-up necklaces and matching family outfits that would look crazy in any other setting. We were in the spirit too, as Jackie had crocheted a gorgeous tree for our door decoration and I pulled out one of my Christmas ties.
And of course the food was always something to think about. We got a bit goofed up with our main dining room reservations, as is usual for us somehow. A change in policy with Royal puts reservations with My Time dining starting at 6:45, and we wanted to eat earlier to get to the entertainment. We did manage to eat on the special nights (lobster and prime rib nights) but also reserved the Hooked seafood specialty restaurant and 150 Central Park restaurant for some delicious meals. Well worth the added cost. I have a sampling of food photos (who doesn’t?) to show you the good eats. Oh, and Jackie got her beet salad, with plenty of beets arranged artistically.
Our last night was pretty special. We went to Giovanni’s Wine Bar for a wine flight and charcuterie platter and pretty much filled up. Our waiter was great, telling us about each wine and giving us a full pour of each, which was included in the drink package! He also slipped us a dessert plate of petit fours.
The entertainment was fabulous, although the volume was chest thumping loud. Aqua show featured all the expected elements of high dives, aerialist, slack line and water dancing – high energy and splashing for sure. The ice show was just wonderful, with lots of jumps, spins, costumes and dancing. And the two theater shows included a song and dance show with every sort of stage movement and wire harness possible and later the Effectors, a superhero story with all sorts of special effects, including lots of little drones and one big drone that circled above the crowd, with the bad guy aboard!
Our only excursion was at the port of Coxen Hole on the island of Roatan, off the coast of Honduras. We were driven to the other side of the island to do a three reef snorkel with lunch following at the beachside spot. Christopher, of Christopher Tours did a great job of navigating the crowded, muddy streets of Coxen Hole and hosting us for lunch at his adventure spot.
How did it go? Well, the first snorkel was a shallow sandy reef filled with large colorful starfish. The water was warm and felt wonderful. We moved further along the shoreline to do a float above the coral reef, filled with lots of coral, fish and fans. It got a bit shallow at times and we had to flatten ourselves to make it up and over some of the coral. It was getting pretty windy and choppy, with a pretty good water current, so I felt pretty winded by the end of this long snorkel. Plus, I think that holding the gopro camera hampers my swimming a bit.
The third spot was a swim around the wreck of an old tanker just at the reef edge. I started out, but was still pretty winded from the previous swim and opted to head back to the boat. Even with my light swim vest, it was a challenge to work against the current and wind chop. We were also warned about the fire coral and shallow areas to glide over, so I think it was the smart move. Jackie said the fish weren’t much more plentiful and it was a bit rough, too.
Back at the dock we had a choice of chicken or snapper, so I opted for the local fish. Served whole and fried, so I picked my way through a surprisingly good lunch. Local cerveza, too. Altogether a nice excursion, even though the town of Coxen Hole is a challenge (extremely poor and crowded).
Back aboard ship we just took it easy. I tried to find all of the special art – this time it was astronauts not monkeys (on Utopia). We found nice loungers on the pool deck, spent some time in the adults only solarium, listened to all the live music we could and sampled food and drink everywhere. Funny story about our favorite bar, the Mason Jar. They featured some of the best Old Fashioneds – Apple Pie came with a little apple pie, Peanut Butter and Jelly came with two little PB&J sandwiches – and they had a nice country music trio playing at night. We were warned by the bartenders that these were Romanian country singers, but you know what? They sang the tunes with the right southern twang and it was only when they chatted between songs that you couldn’t follow their Romanian accent. Rather strange. It was all good, until they started in with John Denver and we were sure they had no idea where West Virginia was . . .
So, that is how we spent the week after Thanksgiving. We planned this cruise back in May, not knowing we would also be moving in December. Yes, just weeks before the cruise we found a house we love on an acre of land just minutes from our grandsons. It is only the next county over, but it will be a big change for us: single floor living with some elbow room and a nice big workshop for Doug’s many craft adventures. So the end of the year adventure is to de-clutter, pack up and move before New Year’s. Are we crazy? I think maybe.
Until next time (and it may be a while before I am back online), enjoy the holidays and happy adventuring!
Adventures with Doug and Jackie 
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