Sunday, July 30, 2017

Breezing Through Summer- Belize

Small Boat, Big Waves
Belize City, Belize
Wednesday, July 19, 2017


These two were such a JOY!

This day was originally planned to be spent hiking the Belizean hills before cave tubing down the river but once Chris's foot came into play we had to cancel. Then we decided to just enjoy the ship but the kids wanted to go to Belize so... off we went. We didn't have any real plans but just wanted to shop the shops and see what we could find! We found a hidden gem!

Morning
I woke up to a pitch black room around 9AM and everyone else was still asleep so I woke them up and we got ready for our day in Belize City. We went to breakfast on Lido like usual where the kids ate the buffet and Chris and I got Blue Iguana Breakfast burritos. Luke barely ate anything because he was too busy looking at the other ship in port, which was the Carnival Glory. This was the only ship anchored off the coast of Belize that day and Luke loved looking at it. The Carnival Glory is a Conquest class ship so we felt like we knew her pretty well!

Poor girl was tired!

The Carnival Glory anchored off the coast of Belize!

We then went to the back of the ship to Deck 5 and the Limelight Lounge to get the tender tickets to get off of the ship. Tip- Belize (and Grand Cayman) are "tender ports" and require a tender to get to shore. The shores and reefs are too shallow for large ships so they must drop anchor 5-10 miles offshore and then have smaller ships or boats bring passengers ashore. I personally LOVE tendering but Chris hates the whole process. If you are NOT taking an excursion via Carnival be sure to listen for the meeting location of the tender tickets and get there early or you will have to wait!

These two did so well the entire trip and there was very little fighting or arguing!

We waited for our tender about 20 minutes before walking back towards mid-ship to go to deck 0 to get on the tender. This turned out to be a lot of walking for Chris and he started to get into a lot of pain but Carnival was very accommodating and allowed him and even the kids and I to go in the elevator and placed him at the very front of the tender boat.

Our tender boat ride was about 20 minutes long and we got rained on as we made our way to Belize City, 9 miles from the ship. Luke was holding on tight the entire way! We got to Belize City and the workers from the tender boat were also very accommodating and helped Chris get to the ramp to get off the boat.

The gorgeous Carnival Breeze!

Luke was holding on tight the whole time but if asked he would say he LOVED it!

Belize City as seen from our tender about 3 miles out!

My world travelers!

The kids and I walked around the city center and went to many of the shops. Natalie and I got our charms from Diamond International and even Luke got one. We took a few family pictures and then Chris went to a restaurant to sit while the kids and I explored more. We found a Belizean dressed up in a sailor costume selling a harbor tour around Belize City. It was $30/ per person and offered FREE WIFI as well as Free drinks and she also gave us the kids for FREE. It was only an hour so we decided it would be a good tour. We waited a little while for the tour to start then boarded this very small boat for the tour. This company even waited for us to arrive so Chris could board first and prop his leg up! The tour included 10 passengers, the captain and a helper. The boat was small and upscale and had a complete covering as well as windows that could be lowered or raised.

We made it to the port!
Welcome to Belize City, Belize!

My beautiful family!


Greetings from Belize City!

The kids wanted coconut water SO BAD but then didn't like it!
Good thing coconut water has healing powers... Chris drank it!

We toured the Belize river and saw fishermen getting ready to go out and fish as well as the harbor to Belize City. We saw a few nice politician's houses as well as a many 3rd World Country sites. We eventually went into the Caribbean to go towards the far north side of the shore. It started to rain and on our way back we were traveling against the current so it was a bit rough. The waves kept crashing into the boat and Luke (and many of the other passengers) were scared. Natalie loved it and thought it was cool. Unfortunately, ALL of our stuff that was tucked way into the bow of the boat got soaked and so did all of us... but it was a lot of fun!

Daddy and Luke were ready for the adventure!


And mommy and Natalie were too!



So many fisherman boats headed out to sea!

A beautiful light house off the coast of Belize City!




Natalie's face after getting soaked!

Afternoon
As soon as we got back from the short tour we went back on a tender to get back to our home away from home, the Carnival Breeze. During this tender ride it rained again and Natalie and daddy, who were at the back of the tender uncovered, got soaked yet again!

Our tender ride back to the ship! 9 miles and 20-25 minutes!

Just singing in the rain!

The Carnival Breeze anchored off the coast of Belize!

Once back onboard, we went straight to Cucina del Capitano since it closed at 2:30PM. The kids ate very well and they loved this dining venue. Afterward we went to change into dry clothes for a fun afternoon. We started at the SkyCourse where Natalie and I each conquered the ropes course yet again. Natalie completed the course 3 times and I went around 2 times. Luke played golf down below the course and had a great time.

Mommy and Daughter ninja warriors... what a combo!

After the ropes course we all went to the WaterWorks. The kids went down the slides many times and really enjoyed the Power Drencher bucket and the mini racers as well. Chris went up to the Serenity deck nearby and enjoyed a nice peaceful and quiet afternoon. I personally had a GREAT time with the kids in the WaterWorks.

FUN FUN FUN!



We loved the WaterWorks!

After a few hours we decided to go to the back aft pool and hot tubs. I sent Natalie to get Chris in the Serenity area and meet us back in the back! She did great roaming the ship on her own and was a great help! We stayed at this aft pool area for quite some time and before we knew it, it was already past 6PM and we missed the Camp Ocean dinner for the kids.

Evening
We all got ready quickly and all four went to the MDR for dinner. Our waitress, LaLa, was very accommodating with the kids and we enjoyed a great meal together. Unfortunately, the dinner was slower than I would have liked and we ended up missing the early magic show so we tried to catch the Dive-in Movie but we were too late for that. We finally found some deck chairs but the angle of the movie was too much for Luke to handle so he started running around and Chris took him to the golf course.

Hawaiian shirt night in the MDR!

She loves making silly faces during selfies!

Like father like son... 2 appetizers!

And a HUGE plate of fried chicken!

Natalie stayed with the pasta!

A round of golf at night with the cool ocean breeze!

After nearly an hour of killing time we decided to go to the candy store for the kids nightly fix. While they were eating their candy we caught the tail end of the 70's Music Trivia and Sing-a-long! Schwartz, the Cruise Director, did a great job and we ALL four enjoyed this a lot!


This was a fun sing-along! And now my kiddos are singing "Freak Out" all the time!

Afterwards we went to the theater to get seats for the magic show. This magician was bad, even for cruise ship entertainers, but Natalie enjoyed him and has since been trying her own magic tricks. After the show we roamed around Ocean Plaza looking for nightly entertainment that was kid friendly but opted to just go to our room. It was an early night for us and we were all asleep by 11:30PM.

Magic Show selfie!

This was a very invigorating trip and a great day full of fun! The next day we would be in Mahogany Bay-Roatan and we had a fully loaded day at the beach!

Thanks for following along and stay tuned for the next post!

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Friday, July 28, 2017

Breezing Through Summer- Cozumel

Just Another Day in Paradise
Paradise Beach- Cozumel, Mexico
Tuesday, July 18, 2017

It was indeed a SPECIAL trip!
While we were at a familiar beach our two children faced their fears and we all had the time of our lives in the ocean. It was brutally hot and we all got pink (and even red) in the hot Caribbean sun but it was worth it all! I think I had the more fun with Natalie and Luke then ever before!

Morning
We were so tired and slept right through the Room Steward knocking on the door but the light of him opening the door woke us up after 9AM. This was easily the latest we have slept on a cruise ship in recent memory, especially for a port day. We quickly got up and dressed and went to breakfast on the Lido deck. There we saw the Carnival Fantasy and the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas. This was an odd combination as these are the 2 ships we are planning on booking in the VERY near future- Fantasy November 2018 for all of us and LOTS June 2018 for just Chris and I. While the kids and I ate breakfast Chris got the bags and stuff ready to get off the ship but the safe would not open so we had to have someone come and fix it. This stalled us by about 30 minutes but we eventually got all of our wallets and passports out of the safe and were ready to go.

Natalie spotted the Carnival Fantasy (family cruise tentatively planned for Nov. 2018)

We had spoke to Guest Services the night before about Chris and his condition and they gladly offered us a rental wheelchair for the day in Cozumel FREE OF CHARGE! Anna, the Guest Services agent was so nice and helpful. We arrived down at Guest Services around 10AM to get our wheelchair but despite calling ahead that we were coming down we had to wait! We waited about 15 minutes and a wheelchair was brought out but the arm rest had a snag in it so Anna requested a new one. I told her we were going to be late for our beach excursion as we wanted to get there early enough to get a shaded spot. Within 5-10 minute the 2nd wheelchair was ready and we were off. Before we inspected the chair ourselves we were off the elevators to get off at Deck 0. By the time we got to the gangway we realized there were no foot rests on this wheelchair. That made for a pretty interesting day of wheelchair adventures.

Waiting for the wheelchair!

The Carnival Breeze was parked in slot #3 which was a fairly far walk to the terminal and even further to the taxi stand so I was very glad we got the wheelchair for Chris. We walked all along the pier and through the shops to get to the Taxi stand to go to Mr. Sanchos Beach Club.

She wants to be a mermaid!

We LOVE the Carnival Breeze!

They want to go on the Liberty of the Seas SO BAD... But it will more than likely just be me and Chris in June 2018!

The Carnival Fantasy docked in Cozumel!

We were making memories we will cherish FOEVER... Rain or shine and Walk or Ride!

Good Morning from Puerta Maya, Mexico!

We loved this place in 2015 and were anxious to get back! I got in the car and said "Is it $15 or #17 to Sanchos?" Of course, the driver said $17... another Rookie mistake, I know better! We got all the way out to Paradise Beach just 2KM from Mr. Sanchos and the driver said, "Show me your reservations". We didn't have any as they are not needed but she said on this specific day they were. We told her just to go to Paradise Beach as we knew it was a good beach! Looking back, I think she must have had a deal with Paradise Beach of some sorts.

Taxi in Mexico selfie!

Paradise Beach is a great beach resort that charges a $3 entrance fee for all guest ages 5 and up. This entrance fee gets you a chair and umbrella coverage. This beach also offers a FUNPASS that allows you all day access to the beach inflatables, snorkeling and even kayaking and paddle boarding for only $18. (We didn't buy those  upon entering as we didn't know if Natalie would like it and we knew Chris needed to just rest on the beach.) They do ask each guest to purchase $10 from the bar and restaurant which is easy to do with food and a few cocktails. They offer a pool with a swim up bar, walking and nature path, showers, restaurants and a few 3rd party activity options like Parasailing and massages. The beach entry is somewhat rocky in areas so be sure to bring water shoes. The taxi fare is a flat $15 from the Punta Cana cruise terminal.

We got there and paid our $9 entrance fee and got our covered chairs right at the beach entrance. Natalie and I got into the ocean and we swam around while Luke played in the sand. He is not much of a water baby... well until NOW! After a little while he agreed to let me carry him in the ocean and the rest is HISTORY!

Natalie got right in and felt right at home!

Luke on the other hand... just wanted to play in the sand.
In fact, I pretty much told myself he would be there ALL DAY!
But he surprised me and got in and had fun in the ocean instead!

Me and my girl having fun while the boys stayed at the beach!

Him, Natalie and I swam and played in the ocean most of the rest of the day. Natalie faced her fears and climbed up on the inflatables and fell in love with the slides and teeter-totter. She played on those for hours and hours. Later in the day we found a large float and Chris even came out and laid out with us.

I have officially arrived... now time to relax!


Meanwhile the kids buried each other in the sand!

This was the MOST FUN I have had with Luke EVER! We LOVED swimming and splashing in the ocean! Thank you Luke for facing your fears and having a fun day with me!


Natalie on the Teder-Totter!

Natalie was a little nervous at first but as the day progressed she fell in love with these HUGE inflatables!

As I was in the ocean with Luke on my back wading in the water, a nice young lady helped Natalie get on the Teder-Totter and then flipped the inflatable for Natalie several times. Thank you kind stranger!

Afternoon
It was well past 2PM and the kids were hungry so we ordered quesadillas from the restaurant and ate on the beach! I paid the waiter and closed our tab and before I knew it 70% of the food was gone! I guess they really were hungry. We finished eating and then went and showered to go back to the pier and get on the ship. I noticed in the changing room that Natalie, Luke and I were all sunburnt pretty bad despite re-applying sunscreen 2-3 times. I love cruising but during the summer time it is just BRUTAL to us fair-skinned peeps!

We learned the hard way in Costa Maya in 2016 and will never order nachos so we opted for quesadillas. They were YUMMY!

Just another day in Paradise!

I love my FUN family!


We got a taxi easily and made our way back to the shopping area. We stopped at a few stores to get the kids souvenirs and Natalie got her 1st Diamond International charm bracelet and started her charm collection. Eventually we made it back to the Duty-Free shops that lead to the ship pier and made a few last minute purchases all while it began to rain.


Taxi back to the ship and they gave us a HUGE van!

Luke had to show us where we were!

Then rain some more... then POUR down rain! We decided that you only live once (YOLO) so we took off running to the ship down the pier, wheelchair and all! I swear to you it was the most fun I have had in a long time. I can't explain it but when I am on a cruise I am the most happy and carefree! Y'all who know me know I can be uptight and in real life I would have waited HOURS for that to pass... But not on a cruise! I LOVE IT!


This was SO MUCH FUN!

We got back on the boat soaking wet and returned the wheelchair before heading back to the room to drop off our stuff before going to the WaterWorks. The Carnival Breeze didn't leave Cozumel until 6PM and it was barely 4PM so we knew there would not be a lot of lines. We played at the WaterWorks until nearly 5:30PM before getting ready for dinner.
Luke went down the Twister slide on this day 5 times because there were no lines!

Luke loved running freely in the WaterWorks area!

A view of the Carnival Breeze from the Serenity Deck!

When we got back to the room we noticed that Anna from Guest Services had left us a sweet note and chocolate covered strawberries just for being loyal to Carnival and for waiting so long for the wheelchair. Once again, Carnival goes above and beyond! Thank you CCL!
Anna was SO SWEET and did not have to do this!
Our favorite part... David Jr.

Thank you Anna! These were delicious!

Evening
We took the kids to the Camp Ocean dinner on the Lido deck and then Chris and I went and enjoyed a nice quiet dinner in the Main Dining Room. The food was really good, much to our surprise. We remember night #3 being a lull but it turned out to be a fantastic dinner. After dinner we tried to go to the comedy club but we were too late and there were no seats so we headed back to the Atrium. There we ran into Schwartz and talked to him for a while and got our traditional cruise director picture. We learned Schwartz is going on a 5 week vacation directly after this cruise and then headed to the Vista to cover Matt Mitchum's vacation while Mike Pack does a final contract on the Breeze before he takes over the brand new Carnival Horizon. Schwartz will be back on the Breeze in December and it will be "his ship". We made it to the Atrium for the Mardi Gras party and booty shaking contest which was very entertaining. Don't worry... we didn't participate.

Our traditional Cruise Director Picture! We love you Schwartz!


The Mardi Gras party in the Atrium!

Despite building a base tan back at home for weeks before hand and then applying and re-applying sunscreen at the beach... I got BURNT! Burnt BAD! It hurt.. So I got an ice pack and walked around like a crazy hobo!

We went and got the kids from the kids club and then went to the Mega Deck Party on the Lido deck. We danced the night away and even "pirate Luke" danced with us! It was a great way to end the evening! We made it back to our room after 11PM and crashed pretty quickly as we were all tired!

Mega Deck party on the Carnival Breeze!

A family that dances together...

I love my dancing family!

Me and my babies having the time of our lives!
I really wish Chris would have been feeling better!

Arrrrggg says Pirate Luke!


Goodnight Carnival Breeze!

There was a silly teenager dressed up as a T-Rex that came to all the fun events on the ship! She wasn't a CCL employee but a fellow passenger! Now Natalie wants a dolphin costume for our next cruise! HAHA!


It was a great day of fun in Paradise at Paradise Beach and we were so proud of our littles for each facing their fears and having the time of their our lives! The next day we would be in Belize... stay tuned for the day of adventure!

Thanks for following along!

Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)