Ship Time Shenanigans!
At the very back of the ship, is a pool with a nice bar. It usually takes people a couple of days to find it… hidden up on a high floor. We usually go their first to enjoy the view. By the end of the cruise, it is a lively place. Always a great spot for photos! Up one level, is a sun deck with equally great ocean views.
STILL snowing at home… we were thankful to be warm! Thankful for sunshine… and no shoveling! The snow has been relentless (I’ll have to do a post about it… because it’s extraordinary). Hoping the brutal winter tapers off by the time we head back home… however, so far, that doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
Again, not having a desire to trinket shop, we quickly went into the port of Cozumel to grab Ibuprofen 800’s. Right across the street, out of the initial touristy area, we found a great pharmacy. Usually, we would go visit our “friend” at a local restaurant and the No Name Bar… but I’ve been a little under the weather so we will save that for next time.
Safely back on the ship, we went up to the Sky Lounge for a quiet game of Five Crowns. We love the views from up top! Meant to be a peaceful place for reading or meditating, we enjoy the calm. That is the beauty of cruising… many think it is just a bunch of people crammed into a small space. Not at all. You can make it what you want… if you’re in a particularly social mood, there are always lively venues. If you want to be away from the crowds (which we usually do), we go to the Specialty restaurants and the quiet spots on the ship.
As I mentioned… The Sanctuary is my go-to spot to avoid the crowds and not fight over lounge chairs. Knowing we might run into town while in port, I booked this spot for the afternoon. Great place to take a nap… have some lemon water and a cocktail. Afternoon tea. The fee includes the spa pool, which was closed the first couple of days. You have the option of full sun, which I would love but can no longer handle. We opted for the shaded area since I am only allowed about half an hour a day of full sun… if I go over, my body goes into a flare up and I would lose out of fun time…
Definitely worth the price of admission! Our bird’s eye view allowed us the perfect vantage point to watch pier runners. Cozumel seemed to have the most we’ve seen… at “all aboard” several names were announced, giving us the cue that runners should be expected. Sure enough, whistles, yells and cat calls sounded loudly from every deck, one end of the ship to the other. How embarrassing to be one of the late ones!!!
Lara and I went to the vantage point above the bridge. It was extremely windy as we were sailing… while in port, it was a little more manageable! Still fun to have the length of the ship in the background!
Another excellent meal at Sabatini’s! Cedric was such an attentive waiter. Whether we were just having a cocktail in their bar or staying for dinner, he always warmly greeted us. It was fun getting to know him. We had him as our waiter twice… the third time was another waiter who always seemed rushed… like he just couldn’t catch up. Although it appeared he only had a couple of tables. Cedric was exceptional. He lingered the perfect amount… continually predicting our needs. Looking forward to meeting him on another cruise!
Equally delicious, the Crown Grille… Steaks and seafood, incredible appetizers… sauces… and of course, service. Slowing down the pace of service is my main attraction to the specialty restaurants. Some like the social atmosphere of being seated with fellow passengers. Getting to dine with others and sharing life stories is fun, but for me… for us… we would rather interact and meet people in a different setting. We like the “date night” feel of the specialties.
Obviously, cruising is my favorite form of travel… I like getting settled into my cabin. Decorating and making it my one, two or three week home appeals to me. As far as traveling with others, it is perfect because we are always in the same general place (the ship) but have choices about where to eat and whether to be active or lazy. There aren’t as many decisions as with land travel… don’t get me wrong… I also love land travel, just doesn’t seem as easy with groups.
As is the case on every cruise… my better half allows one click. He knows I want a photo for our cruise book, but he is clear with the photographer that they are only allowed one click. Good or bad. Some are ready for the challenge, some want to wait a day to mentally prepare. On this trip, the gentleman was prepared for a single click… he tried to sneak in another but that wasn’t going to happen! Here is the result of a single snap of the camera…
