Adventures in the Dark
February 22, 2023Costa Maya- Cozumel at Night
Even after 21 cruises, this was a FIRST!
Morning
This turned out to be a very rough night at sea and we were "rocking and rolling" all night. I was so very grateful we had an Oceanview cabin and the beds were set up to be perpendicular to the ship; meaning our beds were rolling front to back and not side to side. TIP- If you are prone to seasickness, be sure to look for inside or Oceanview cabins that have beds perpendicular to the ship. We woke up around 7:30AM and one look out our window proved the seas were not so calm anymore.
It was a pretty rocky night's sleep!
This gives you an idea of how bad the seas were.
OH NO... This means the cruise is about halfway over! NOOOOO!
On this day we were not supposed to get to Costa Maya until 12PM so the morning was similar to a sea day on board. We met the boys for breakfast around 8:30AM and decided to try the Brunch in the Sapphire Dining Room. TIP- This brunch menu was different than both the breakfast and lunch MDR menus and featured great options for both breakfast and lunch. It is only offered on "late arrival" port days. The service in the Main Dining Room was fantastic... At first. And then suffered a HUGE slow down towards the end of our experience. (I was a little disappointed in the turn around time).
The "Brunch" menu.
I seriously LOVED the meals in the MDR.
Even with slower service, I still prefer this over the crowded Windjammer.
After breakfast, Chris was feeling a bit jittery and took some more medication and decided to lay down for a bit while the kids and I went back down to Deck 4 to walk around outside. However, when we got to Deck 4, it was so windy outside that the port side of the ship was completely blocked off and crew members were outside tying up the lounge and deck chairs.
The seas were CHOPPY!
It is hard to tell with this gorgeous picture but the winds and seas were CRASHING hard against the side of the ship.
Even with the winds and choppy seas, this morning was PERFECT!
We went to Boleros for another round of Morning Trivia and this time we got 14/20, but once again, did not win. We made our way to Café Promenade to get our daily Starbucks and had a few more drinks before going back up to Deck 12.
She definitely got her money's worth with the FREE Starbucks on the Bubble Drink Package.
Morning Trivia time in Boleros!
We knew the waterslides would be open from 9 to 12PM so we wanted to see if the kids could ride them as we knew most people would be getting off the ship in Costa Maya. TIP- Typically, over 80-85% of the passengers will get off the ship on port days. Especially the first port of a cruise. We try to plan the BEST things on the ship for the 1-2 hours prior to a "late arrival" port (such as Costa Maya) knowing many people will be making last minute preparations for getting off the ship.
Due to the CRAZY high winds, many of the attractions on the open decks were closed. This included the basketball/ sports court and the mini-golf but the waterslides remained open. The kids went to the waterslides around 11AM and there were not many people in line. I think they rode each of the two slides about 20-30 times during this time block!
Waterslide time for the kids!
We were making our way to Costa Maya and the seas were VERY CHOPPY. Another cruise ship, the Carnival Celebration, was already docked at Costa Maya as we were making our final approach. But around 11:30AM, the ship started to make a complete 180* in the ocean and I knew something was going on. Shortly after that, the captain made the announcement that the winds were too strong to be able to dock at Costa Maya safely and we would have to miss this port. We were going to be able to get to Cozumel by 5PM but would miss Costa Maya. This was the 1st time we have had ANY trouble with Costa Maya. But this would also be the first time we were able to be in Cozumel at night. 
Then all of the sudden we did a complete 180* in the ocean... Yep, something weird is happening!
A view from the Flowrider area of the Adventure of the Seas as we exit Costa Maya due to high winds.
The Cruise Director, "tornado Tanya" followed with announcements about lots of activities being updated for entertainment purposes and within 30 minutes, the Royal Caribbean app was updated. Royal Caribbean did extremely well with this set back and for the most part, it did not affect us at all as we did not have a traditional or formal shore excursion planned in Costa Maya but rather our usual Mayan Ritual Massage and Spa Day. I was so sad to miss this!
Afternoon
Once this turned into a sea day, we were back at the Solarium and the Main Pool. The kids joined in the fun as the Main Pool area turned into a GIANT wave pool as the ship was just rocking back and fourth. Chris and I enjoyed the peace that only the Solarium can give with cocktails in hand. We all enjoyed the "free sea day" in the Main Pool and Solarium areas for about 3 hours before getting a random lunch from the Windjammer. TIP- Royal Caribbean adjusted the opening and closing times of all restaurants and foods to accommodate for the change in schedule.
This was SO COOL for the kids!
The kids then decided they were done with the pool and we all went and changed to get ready for my favorite event of any cruise... FRIENDS TRIVIA! Once again, the Schooner Bar is way too small for a trivia such as this! Due to the time change in Mexico and "ship Time" the Cruise Director's staff was not at the Friends Trivia and we had to wait for them to arrive. I had full intentions of winning this trivia but 1 wrong answer costs me the trophy keychain.
This girl wanted to try the Friends Trivia by herself. She scored 17/20... The winner got 20/20 and I scored 19/20.
At the conclusion of the delayed Friends Trivia we got another coffee and cocktail and went to the outside Promenade on Deck 4 for the kids to play shuffleboard. TIP- As mentioned before, this is such a great area and truly a hidden gem on Deck 4. As we got closer to Cozumel, we watched the approach from the helicopter pad on Deck 5. It was so fascinating to watch us pull in back in to Cozumel as the sun was beginning to set.
Evening
As we got parked and the majority of passengers began to try and get off the ship, we stayed on Deck 4 to watch another sunset. Like the previous days, God sure does paint a GORGEOUS picture! As the sun went down and the ship began to clear of passengers, we meandered around the ship and made a pitstop at Café Promenade for some pizza.
Picture perfect evening... There is NOWHERE I would rather be!
But time needs to stop... My baby is growing up TOO FAST!
Hello Cozumel!
We all loved watching the approach into Cozumel and having a great time on deck!
BE STILL MY HEART!
Specialty Dinner Night!
This was at 7PM on the Royal Promenade!
The ship was practically EMPTY!
Our dinner at Izumi was VERY good. We opted to all get the "pre-fixe" menu for $34.99/ person. This included an appetizer, 2 small portions sushi rolls and 1 dessert. The service was good but honestly no better than the main dining room, which is unusual as our experience had proven to be exceptionally better in the specialty restaurants. This meal experience took about 110 minutes and there were only 4 other tables being served at the time. The food was really good but for a final cost of $165 (with tip), we were all left wanting a little bit more. I think if we did Izumi again, we would just several LARGE specialty rolls. TIP- If I had to compare Carnival and Royal Caribbean Sushi restaurants, I would have to give the edge to Carnival's Bonsai Sushi. The overall value for your money is much better. We will try Izumi again on the Allure of the Seas in July since we have the "Ultimate Dining Package".
It's dinner time!
This little guy was in HEAVEN! He is such a sushi fan and probably enjoyed this just as much as Chris and I!
The Champagne Lobster Roll and the President's Royal Sushi.
These were superb and so delicate!
After dinner we went back to the room to get our personal items to get off the ship and allow Chris to take his medications. Then we walked down to Deck 1 and got off the ship in a dark but very lively Cozumel. Chris and I had been to Cozumel 16 other times but NEVER at night. This was a first for all of us and were excited just to see what was open.
We are ready to check out Cozumel at NIGHT!
Once off the ship, we got an exceptional view and picture of the ship at night and got to wander around the port shopping area of the International Cruise Terminal. The regular bars and restaurants were open like, Senor Frogs, Margaritaville, Fat Tuesdays and many small shops stayed open. We had NEVER seen the port area this vacant. We made a few stops for souvenirs and took a few pictures but we were back on the ship within an hour or so.
This was SUCH a cool experience and another FIRST for us!
She truly is a BEAUTY!
I. LOVE. CRUISING! That's all... I love it!
I am so glad we got to have this experience with the kids!
I love this photo op near the International Cruise Terminal.
In 16+ trips to Cozumel, we have never been to this photo op!
This was such a cool experience!
Once back on board, we made to play our traditional friendly golf competition at the mini-golf. Chris has won the last 5 out of 6 matches and I was determined to win. Well, I guess not determined enough because despite having a HOLE IN ONE... I still lost by 2 strokes. REMATCH TIME on the ALLURE!
Luke was a little competitive and tried to win the match as well. But nonetheless, Chris was the winner once again!
We went back to the room to get ready for bed as it was already about 11pm. It was then I realized that I had in fact printed off our "resort for a day" passes for Cozumel the next day. I know I printed them off... But they were no where to be found. I called the Guest Services about printing them off and they assured me they could.
Once I got to Guest Services, they explained they could print off our passes but in order to access them (on my email) I would have to pay for the 24 hour internet. This seemed insane to me as all I needed to do was email them to the Guest Service manager. The crew member then told me "just get off the ship and walk 4 blocks to XXX and they have free Wi-Fi". I gave him a crazy look I am sure! But it is after midnight (Cozumel time) now and I am a single woman. I asked to allow me 5 minutes of internet to email them the passes and they said no. I had hoped to be able to get access and then they could "reverse" the Wi-Fi and payment but that was not an option. So I opted to pay $34.99 for 24 hours of internet service. I paid for it at 11:33 and by 11;38, I was completely done with the internet. Serge did in fact print off my passes but I was not happy. I spoke with the guest services manager and he would not back down saying "even if you only use for 5 minutes, we charge you". In true Royal Caribbean fashion, they Nickle and dime (and $34.99) you! I am LOYAL TO ROYAL but this was not good customer relations. However, I would not let this minor issue and $35 ruin my vacation or even my night. We grabbed a cocktail and listened to some live music in the Royal Promenade before calling it a night around midnight (ship time).
This was an unexpected day but we did get another first... COZUMEL at NIGHT!
Up next... Our first experience at Playa Mia in Cozumel.
God is Good... ALL THE TIME!
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019
The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018
Carnival Legend- ALASKA- 2016
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