Rest and Healing the Mayan Way
Costa Maya, Mexico
Friday, March 16, 2018
Morning
Both Chris and I did not have a great night as we were both
struggling with an upset stomach. Nothing like the first night but we were not
100%. We woke up at 7:30AM according to our phones but it was actually 8:30AM
local since Mexico does participate in Daylight Savings. At this time we were
already parked and there were 2 other ships in port with us, the Royal
Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas and the Silver Sea Silver Muse.
We went to breakfast and food helped both of us feel better.
We then got off the ship with no real plans but we brought our swimwear with us
just in case. The walk between the ship and land was very long and since Chris
just recovered from foot surgery, he was already feeling the walk only halfway
through. Once we got to the land, we had to stop and let him sit down for a
while. Tip- We heard the Hotel Director, Cary, tell another passenger that
Costa Maya is trying to improve their pier and currently does not have the means
to shuttle passengers to and from the ship so all will need to walk. Be advised
that this walk is long. I would recommend asking for a wheelchair from the cruise
line for this port if you need assistance.
Always good to remember!
Our "mid-sized" ship looks like a monster compared to the "yacht" of the SilverMuse!
Another view of the SilverMuse and NCL Pearl!
I am already LOVING this port!
The waters were just gorgeous!
Once we got all the way into the pier area we found a
Starbucks that offered free WiFi and we stayed there for well over an hour
trying to get in touch with our parents who had our kids. We sent pictures and
videos and heard the kids were fine so we felt better and continued with our
day.
TIP- We did get coffee at this Starbucks for a whopping $7 per Grande.
The coffee itself was not burnt, like almost every other Starbucks on land but
it was not worth $7. While we were drinking our coffee we watched a local
acrobat show within the pier area. It was pretty neat if you are nearby when
they perform.
The Starbucks Prices at Costa Maya port.
Vanilla Iced Coffee... That is not burnt!
The daring locals doing acrobatics!
This was fairly entertaining and I recommend it if you are in the port area.
TIP- The Costa Maya Cruise Terminal area has lots of shops and
vendors throughout; however, they are not pushy at all. You can tell them “no
thank you” and they will leave you alone. In addition, the port offered a pool
(free of charge to use) with accompanying extra-large loungers, a bird aviary,
a Bridge tunnel system, snorkeling, an aquarium and even swimming with the dolphins
right there at the port. Most of these cost money but the pool is completely
free. The port also offered a “Port Pass” for $50 which gave you access to
everything mentioned above, except swimming with the dolphins. I did notice with Royal Caribbean that the cost of the
“port pass” on their Cruise Planner is only $35 so if you are interested you
might save money booking directly through the cruise line. I did NOT see that offered through NCL excursions.
A view of the terminal from a Mayan Ruin within the port.
The Costa Maya Pier pool - Free of charge!
After roaming around for over an hour we went to look at the
snorkeling and found a spa. We looked and saw their prices and we decided it
was worth it. They offered back massages for only $35 for 30 minutes or a
full body massage for only $50 for an hour. They also offered several other services
but this met our needs perfectly.
We went upstairs to the spa area and they immediately got
started and before long we were fully relaxed and then of course… it was over. It
was one of the best excursions we have ever done and we came upon it by
accident. We have already decided we will be getting massages in Costa Maya
nearly every time we come (and we have 3 upcoming cruises planned to go there).
The Mayan Healing Spa at Costa Maya Port
The woman described the Mayan Healing rituals to us and it was very fascinating!
Time to head back to the ship... It's been fun Costa Maya!
Until next time!
Afternoon
After our massages we made a few last minute souvenir
purchases and then made the trek back to the ship. We got back and into our
swimwear to go get in the pool and hot tub. The weather was clear, sunny and in
the upper 80s so the hot tub was just too hot. We spent the rest of the
afternoon in and by the pool enjoying our Ultimate Beverage Package.
POOL TIME... FINALLY!
We found a nice spot in the shade in the late afternoon perfect for people watching until it was time to set sail. All aboard was 3:30PM and it was
3:50PM. We noticed some pier runners and got up to see the commotion. At that
point those runners were not for our ship. There were 3 officers off the ship and on
walkie-talkies. The pier crew had already pulled up one gangway and all of the
other things and placed them back on the ship. The main gangway had been pushed up but we were still tied down. Then all 3 officers got back on the
ship. We then heard guest services call out 2 men names. Then they
called again. We knew we were waiting for these 2. Around 4:02PM (when we were
supposed to leave at 4PM) we saw an officer get back off the ship and start
running down the pier himself. All of the sudden we see two dots come running
from the land. They both raced the officer to get back on the ship. At 4:07PM
we set sail back to New Orleans but those 2 men cost NCL $10-20K in fuel. It
was sad but still fun to watch!
Pier Runners in Costa Maya, Mexico!
After that excitement we laid out on the upper decks until
it was time to get ready for dinner at Le Bistro. We got ready and went and had
pre-dinner drinks at Magnum’s Wine Bar and listened to the Pianist.
Evening
We had dinner reservations at Le Bistro as part of our Ultimate Dining Package.
This was the upscale French restaurant on board and it had a strict “no shorts” dress
code. This experience was INCREDIBLE. This is how a specialty restaurant on a
cruise ship should be. The wait staff was unbelievably good, the food was
incredible and the overall experience and atmosphere was top notch.
This was our table for "relaxing" as the hostess said!
One Problem... Their service was so fast we didn't have time to relax!
Never dreamed he would order a salad... We don't see this often!
(It had duck in it)
We love the
Carnival Chef's Steakhouse and Chops Grille on Royal Caribbean but neither held a
candle to Le Bistro. It was easily the best food (in every category) we have
EVER had! We didn’t eat lunch in preparation for this meal and it is a good
thing, the portions were large and exquisite.
After dinner we enjoyed the live musicians in the piano bar
just outside the restaurant before enjoying the evening shows. We went to the Perfect
Couple game in the Spinnaker Lounge and enjoyed it very much. TIP- Do not sign
up for that unless you plan on making a fool of yourself.
We had a FANTASTIC evening at Le Bistro!
Then we went to the Legends
in Concert show in the Stardust Theater. This was a production show featuring
Elton John, Elvis Presley and Tina Turner. It was a great show but not the best
I have ever seen like other passengers on board were saying. At the end of this
show the Cruise Director’s staff had crew members from all areas, including the
upper officers like the Captain, come on stage and they sang “You are Norwegian
Now”. It was a very touching moment and I even cried! I love sappy stuff like
that but it is a reminder that my cruise is almost over.
Vincent performing with the singers.
The Captain and his staff!
This was done incredibly well!
"Washy Washy Makes you Happy Happy"- These two were literally SUPER STARS on this ship!
After the main show we went back up to the Spinnaker Lounge
to get a seat for the Late Night Comedy show with Alex Ortiz from the night
before. Chris even left the show early and he still did not get a seat where we
could see him. Alex Ortiz was HILARIOUS and we really enjoyed his acts. It was
rated R in some places but it was still really funny! And REAL! When he comes
to Houston, we hope to go see him. TIP- We did notice that NCL did not make any real announcement saying it was "adult" themed and we saw kids in there. We appreciate Carnival keeping a tighter "lock and key" with their comedy acts.
We loved Alex Ortiz!
After the comedy show we stayed for the DJ dance party in
the lounge. We had practically lived in there on the evenings so why change
now? This dance party was not as lively as the other dance parties and it quickly
became a spring break place for college aged kids. In fact, around 1AM they had
to call security to get the kids who were under 18 out of there. That was a
very interesting thing to watch because NONE of them looked 18. I got tired and left around 1:30AM but Chris stayed until about
2:30AM before he came back to the room.
It was a day full of excitement and relaxation but we were
sailing home now which meant the cruise was almost over.
Next Up… Sea Day #2.
God is good… ALL the time!
Carnival Legend- ALASKA- 2016
Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Carnival Legend- ALASKA- 2016
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