With good food, entertainment, sunshine, and open water stretching under a blue sky as far as you can see, a cruise is possibly the most relaxing vacation you can ever have.
Each week thousands of people, many of them Texan, board cruise ships, like the Carnival Ecstasy and the Carnival Magic leaving Galveston, and sail across the Gulf of Mexico to the beautiful Caribbean. Some of the exotic ports include Cozumel, Progreso, Costa Maya, Isla Roatan, Belize, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas, where you’ll find white tropical beaches, waving coconut palms, sparkling turquoise waters, opportunities for snorkeling, parasailing, kayaking, scuba diving, shopping and dining in open air markets, or exploring ancient ruins, like Dzibilchaltun, where artifacts have been found that date back to 700 to 800 A.D.
Cruises are all about fun and being pampered. After having breakfast delivered to your room, you can enjoy some daytime entertainment like the water slides, swimming pool, miniature golf, ice sculptures, and fun things that just make you laugh, like the
Hairy Chest Contest.
Hairy Chest Contest.
One popular shore excursion at the port of Cozumel is a visit to Isla Pasion. The half hour catamaran ride allows you to see a stretch of shoreline with its rustic adobe and brick buildings and lush green foliage. Isla Pasion slowly comes into sight and as you dock at the pure white beach, the tiny private island looks almost like a deserted tropical paradise from a movie scene. Crossing the sand toward the swaying coconut palms and grass huts, you find yourself tiptoeing through scampering hermit crabs. Since the island is a wildlife refuge, you may even see a raccoon or a parrot. The excursion provides drinks and a plentiful Mayan buffet of Mahi - Mahi fish, BBQ chicken, salad, fruits, rice, sweet bread, guacamole, chips, bread, pico de gallo, and some very hot habanero sauce.
Many vacationers shop for souvenirs in the grass hut markets, wade in the clear turquoise waters, play volleyball or sunbathe on the beach, or stretch out in the shade in a hammock. The water and the warm sun provide a truly relaxing day before you board the catamaran for the ride back to the cruise ship.
Back on the Ecstasy you can shower and get ready for some of the ship’s nightly entertainment. Shows include a fantastic juggling act performed with music and lights, Extreme Country performed by some very talented dancers in flashy costumes, and several stand up comics. Then there’s the selection of clubs with live bands, the piano bar where you can request your favorite songs and even sing along, the casino, karaoke, and pool parties with live music and dancing, or more good food in the elegant dining room or the casual buffet.
At the end of the day, it’s nice to just go help yourself to the 24 hour pizza and ice cream and then step around the corner to enjoy it on the Serenity deck, just watching the water churn behind the ship, sometimes spotting a few flying fish.
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