Day 6: Cozumel, Mexico
From a tiny and sleepy fishermen village, Cozumel became snorkeling Mecca and party spot. Another face of Mexico. The ships stays here a while so, lots of space to visit. First thing, we decided to visit the city. One thing I can recommend is getting out of the docks area ASAP. You will be assailed by very pushy street vendors and I know some people don’t like it. San Miguel de Cozumel is bustling city with a lot going on. Its claims to fame? One of the best coral reefs in the world. snorkeler and scuba divers, this is your fantasy playground! But once you start leaving the center of activity, it becomes quiet and provincial with hardly someone in the street (it’s too hat anyway). The houses are painted in lively colors and one car out of five is a beetle, often customized. I didn’t know they came in so many different colors.
Religious icons are also numerous. Let’s not forget that the big majority of Mexicans are devout Catholics. After a nice walk, we decided to go to the beach. After a quick stop at a convenience store (dollars accepted), we took a taxi to Playa San Francisco. It was a nice beach… the water was calm and warm and it was such a beautiful day! I had my goggles and decided to check out the rock formation nearby. I was lucky enough to spot some fishes. Not far from where we were, there were partially submerged Mayan ruins. I was, once again, amazed at how close history can be. Talk about a blast from the past. The area has beach bars. Further south, Playa del sol is also a good place for beach goers. Around 4 o’clock, we decided to go back the ship. And no, we didn’t stop at Carlos ’s n’ Charlie’s. We waited for the sunset and a lot of people also came to the aft pool because that was one of the best viewpoint from the ship. The sky was cloudless, the sun, really orange. We were about to have one hell of a show. We watched the sun go down slowly and when it disappeared, I sweat I saw the green flash. The show provided by Mother Nature was so good We also had to get ready for the second formal night, this time, I would be in my cocktail dress. We went to the Captain’s club invitation-only special cocktail at the Vista Lounge. Captain Romano told us about the future of the company. He also put forth people onboard who sailed the most. One elderly couple sailed 22 times!!! Wow! After sipping some free cocktail (hey, doesn‘t happen everyday), it was off to diner. We had a lot of fun and went to see Michael "the kid" doing his late night act at the Vista Lounge, he is obnoxious *lol*.
In short: Cozumel left me quite ambivalent. The beaches are nice, but I’ve seen better, the city is very lively but some parts do look very poor. The island, although, has something from everyone: the partygoer, the cultural addict (San Gervasio ruins), the sport lover, the nature lover (snorkeling and Chankanaab Park), the beachgoer… You can also take a trip to the continent (take a ferry to Playa del Carmen and visit ruins). You will most probably have a great time.
Day 7: At sea
After a late night, I woke up around 9:30, feeling completely refreshed. The weather was great and after my breakfast, I headed to the pool. Miracle, I found a seat by the pool, in the sun. I remained there, well decided for some serious relaxation. It’s a good way to conclude a cruise. Although it was Thanksgiving and the ship had a lot more teens or young people, the cruise director was not able to have anyone for his pool game. Poor lad! After a slice of pizza (did I mention they are delicious?) and a quick trip to the buffet, I headed for the Theater to go and see the "Minority Report". I was pleased to notice the sound and quality was not bad at all. Memo to princess: providing popcorn (it’s cheap after all) during the picture show might be a nice touch. It was also another way to chill out. Especially after spending the whole morning under the sun. Unfortunately, they ran out of chocolate ice cream that day… oh well…I then joined Justin in the card room for a little monopoly. He had some good news: he made a deposit for a next cruise!!! And before you knew it, the sun was setting. Now, the last night on ship is really awkward and sort of depressing. Seems like the ship is deserted, we felt like eating at the buffet because on the last day, they have a mix of everything. The night was warm and we decided to go play a little ping-pong. There was almost no one on deck. Pretty good for a ship carrying 2,600 people. After one refill station at the buffet, it was time to go to bed. Our last day at sea had ended.