Day 1: Embarkation - Sunday, December 15, 2024
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We left our FL house at 7:30 and stopped to get Gas at Sam’s before arriving at the Port around 10 am. There wasn’t a lot of traffic and we dropped off our luggage and parked our car. There seemed to be lots of parking spots available at this time. We waited in line for about 10 minutes, and I talked to two ladies (Sandy and Deb) while Don talked with the lady behind him so time went by quickly. We went through security (I had to take out my laptop) and went through the “green” line since we had our medallions. We were told to go to another man who scanned our passports, and we scanned our medallions and then we were able to board the ship. We were on the ship by 10:30. We went up to the Lido deck (deck 15) and got a seat but lunch didn’t open until 11. After lunch, we wandered around the ship and did our safety drill requirements. I had a question about how to switch devices for the internet (logout.com on the device, and then login.com). When we got back to the cabin, Don’s suitcase was there so we unpacked it. Next, we went back up to the bar on deck 16 and relaxed until we sailed away. I met a lady, Christine who brought her phone cord but forgot the block to plug it in so if I find her, I will lend her one. We also met Tim (from Colorado) and enjoyed talking with him. When it started to get cold, we went back to the cabin and unpacked my suitcase. We met our cabin steward and told him that our safe had a low battery. He immediately got the supervisor who quickly changed out the battery. After that, we went to dinner on the Lido deck. I asked an officer where we get our premium desserts (2 a day with our package) and he told us to go to Coffee and Cones. So, after dinner, we got these huge sundae-type desserts ($17 each). Next, we went to the show which was supposed to be a Motown show but the main singer was extremely seasick so they called in the piano player from the Crooners bar who played Billy Joel and Elton John songs. I thought he was great. After the show, we went to bed.
Day 2: Sea Day - Monday, December 16, 2024
I sat on the Lido deck until around 7 am and then I went to see if Don was up. Since he was up, we went to the dining room for breakfast at the Palm Restaurant. Service was slow and the selection was slim. After that, I went to meet knitters at the Skyview Nightclub and Don went to the talk in the theater. At 10 am, we went to Club Fusion for the “Welcome to Princess” reception which was very nice. I learned that I could track Don on the Princess app and know where he is. After the reception, we went to the Casino for the slot tournament (organized by Gillian and Darren from Facebook). There were 12 of us chipping in $20. For the first machine we all had 4 pulls and we ended up with $83 left. I was the first one and I didn’t do very well. Then we moved to a new machine, and I did well my first time. We played with that machine until all the money was gone. It was fun and a nice way to meet new people. Next, we went to lunch, and I ate a little but wasn’t overly thrilled with it. We tried to get a premium dessert, but the line was too long. We ended up getting a beer but when it started to rain, we walked around the ship. At 3 pm, we went to the nice tea. Don had cucumber sandwiches and I had a salami sandwich, a cookie, and a scone. Next, we went to get our premium dessert which was massive! Then we walked around some more but I was starting to feel yucky, so we went back to the cabin until it was time to go to dinner. It was formal night, so we ended up eating on the Lido deck. I was still feeling nauseous (I think it was from overeating all that sugar!) so I had a small forkful of mashed potatoes but that was it. We were too early for the show so we went back to the cabin. We watched Deadpool 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy. I slept on and off through it. Before going to bed, I turned our clocks back an hour.
Day 3: Sea day - Tuesday, December 17, 2024
I felt so much better today! After breakfast, Don walked laps while I sat on the deck and read my library book. At 9, we went to the Skywalker Nightclub for me to meet with the other knitters and crafters (crocheters, cross stitching, etc.). At 10, we went to the talk about Roatan, and the speaker was very good. After lunch, we had our sundae and met this amazing couple in their 80s (Maggie and Frank) who are ballroom dancers. They happened to be on the Diamond Princess in Japan when Covid hit. Frank flat lined and Maggie had a severe stroke that left her somewhat blind. They were in a Japanese hospital for 3 months before they returned to the States. We found out that a documentary was made about it so I hope we can find it someday. Then we went to the bar and visited with Tim from Colorado again. At 4:30 we went to the Club Infusion to hear Stephen Cox, a retired NASA engineer talk about the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. We had heard him before when we were on the MSC Magnifica last year (Nov. 11, 2023) and enjoyed hearing him speak. After dinner, we went to the show, Evolution: Motown which was very good. Then we tried to go see the comedian but the room was full. It was a fun day!
Day 4: Roatan, Honduras - Wednesday, December 18, 2024
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This morning we got off the ship around 8:30 and were at the beach by 8:45. We walked from the ship to Mahogany Beach. Before we could cross the bridge, we had to show our ship’s ID which seemed to be a nice way to keep the riffraff out. We swam for about an hour and then sat and talked to a nice couple from TN who were on the Carnival Liberty. She is a school bus driver, and he works for CSX. Then we returned to the ship around 11:00, cleaned up, and made it to lunch. After lunch, we had our premium dessert (these are humongous sundaes!). Then we sat on the deck and relaxed until it was time to get dinner. We made reservations at Steamers, the casual dining restaurant ($15 per person but included with our package). We started with clam chowder. For the main entrée, I had steamed clams (about 3 dozen) with corn on the cob, green beans, red potatoes, shrimp, and sausage. Don had steamed mussels with corn on the cob, sausage, and scallops. For dessert, we had strawberry shortcake (which was hard as a rock and we couldn’t eat it). I wasn’t that impressed with the food here. Then we went to the show- Born to Be Wild.
Day 5: Belize City, Belize - Thursday, December 19, 2024
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This port is a tender port – you have to take a small boat from the ship to the dock. We got on the tender at 9:30 and got to the dock at 10 am. Our ship was 5 miles away from the dock. We walked to the post office and the clerk, Tanya, was very nice. We ended up buying $200 Belizean Dollars’ worth of stamps ($100 USD). Then we walked around town and back to the ship. We went back to the tender around 11:30 and got right on the tender (It runs every 30 minutes). After lunch, we sat on the deck by the Tradewinds Bar and relaxed until dinner time. After dinner we got our premium desserts and then went to the show – Sartori. In the middle of the night (1am), we were woken up by an announcement for the Medical Response team to go to a cabin on the Riviera deck.
Day 6: Costa Maya, Mexico - Friday, December 20, 2024
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We got off the ship at 8:30 and walked around the port area. We left the port area and walked to the big intersection on the way to Mahahual, but it didn’t look like much had changed. If you want to swim at the pools in the port area, you have to buy food and drink. We watched these 4 guys climb to the top of a tall pole, tie themselves with rope, and then spin around upside down until they ended up at the bottom. It was cool to watch. Around 10:30 we went back to the ship. Then we just ate, drank, and relaxed until it was time to go to the NASA talk. Stephen Cox talked about what happened with the Space Shuttle Columbia explosion. He did a great job and was really interesting! I’m glad to hear that he has a booking agent now that will book him on cruises. After dinner, we went to the show – Broadway Ballroom. Then we went back to the cabin and watched a college football playoff (Indiana vs. Notre Dame).
Day 7: Cozumel, Mexico - Saturday, December 21, 2024
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We didn’t get off the ship in Cozumel because we have been here so many times. We were docked a few miles away from town. We watched the people get off the ship which was fun. There were a lot of ships in the port today. Don did his exercise walk and I read while he walked. Then walked around the ship until lunchtime. They said there was a college football game on in the casino but it was on a little TV above the gaming tables so we left. We ended up relaxing on the deck until it was time for the Clemson game. We watched half of the Clemson game until it was halftime and then went to eat dinner. When we got back to the room, we had trouble getting the game on the TV so we watched it on my laptop. Don fell asleep early so I watched Jurassic World until I was ready to go to sleep.
Day 8: Sea Day - Sunday, December 22, 2024
After breakfast, Don got a cappuccino and I ordered a butter pecan latte. It was really windy and cool outside. Since it was early, Don did his exercise walk and I read my library book on Deck 7. It was so cool, I had my hoodie zipped and my hood up. When we were done, we went back to the cabin and put on my blue jeans. Then I went to the knitting group at 9 am while Don went to the theater to save our seats. At 10 am, we saw the culinary show which was like a comedy show with the executive chef and the director of dining services. After lunch, we went shopping and then packed our suitcases. Next, we went to a lecture about sharks. After that, we went to eat our last premium desserts (huge sundaes). Then we sat on deck 7 and had a drink while we listened to the piano player. For dinner, they served prime rib and a seafood buffet on the lido deck which we enjoyed. After dinner, we put out our suitcases and watched Independence Day.
Day 9: Debarkation - Monday, December 23, 2024
I was up at 4 am and went to the Lido deck to save our seats. At 5 am, Don got up and we got all of our stuff and went to breakfast (which started at 5:30 am. We were supposed to meet in the Crown Grill (Luggage tags Navy 4) at 7:50 am to get off the ship. We were led to level 7 and off the ship by 7:50. The face recognition machines weren’t there so we had to talk to a real live customs agent. Then we got in our car and left the parking garage quickly.
Things We Learned:
- We liked the service on Princess but we want to try another one to see if it is consistent throughout the line.
- The medallions are different. They even open your door but they work just like sail and sign cards.
- The screen at your cabin door has your names on it.
- The Premium desserts were delicious but calorie-heavy.
- I wasn’t overly thrilled with the food
- Service in the dining room was very slow so we only ate breakfast there once.
