Me, Muffin and the Oasis of the Seas!! - Page 3 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Just signing on to your new cruise report! First off, Merry Christmas Tara. It sure sounds like there was a lot of confusion with the booking of this cruise but it all worked out in the end. So nice that you're able to do so many fun excursions and dinners with all the money that you saved switching to RCCL!
Just signing on to your new cruise report! First off, Merry Christmas Tara. It sure sounds like there was a lot of confusion with the booking of this cruise but it all worked out in the end. So nice that you're able to do so many fun excursions and dinners with all the money that you saved switching to RCCL!
When we first started cruising in 2004, we loved doing excursions!! There were new places to see and new things to do in each and every port we visited!! Since that time, we have been on 14 cruises, 11 of them in the Caribbean. I have been fortunate enough to visit each of the ports we have been to several times!! We are at a point with cruising that we really know what we like, what we don’t like and what we are willing to pay for, which is a great spot to be in!!
So! We are booking just one excursion for this cruise and not through RCCL. We still plan to get off the ship in each port, but at a leisurely pace!. The following descriptions of the ports are from Wikipedia.
Our first stop is Labadee:
Labadee (French: Labadie) is a port located on the northern coast of Haiti within the arrondissement of Cap-Haïtien in the Nord department. It is a private resort leased to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. until 2050. Royal Caribbean has contributed the largest proportion of tourist revenue to Haiti since 1986, employing 300 locals, allowing another 200 to sell their wares on the premises for a fee and paying the Haitian government $12 USD per tourist.
The resort is completely tourist-oriented, and is guarded by a private security force. The site is fenced off from the surrounding area, and passengers are not allowed to leave the property. Food available to tourists is brought from the cruise ships. A controlled group of Haitian merchants are given sole rights to sell their merchandise and establish their businesses in the resort. Although sometimes described as an island in advertisements, it is actually a peninsula contiguous with the island of Hispaniola. The cruise ship moors to the pier at Labadee capable of servicing the Oasis class ships, which was completed in late 2009.
Attractions include a Haitian flea market, beaches, watersports, a water-oriented playground, an alpine coaster, and a zip-line.
In Labadee, we will rent snorkeling equipment on the beach and enjoy the BBQ food served. We also love just walking around this beautiful island!! We’ve been here at least five times before and we always enjoy it!!
Then we go to Falmouth:
Falmouth is the chief town and capital of the parish of Trelawny in Jamaica. It is situated on Jamaica's north coast 18 miles east of Montego Bay. It is noted for being one of the Caribbean's best-preserved Georgian towns.
Founded by Thomas Reid in 1769, Falmouth flourished as a market centre and port for forty years at a time when Jamaica was the world's leading sugar producer. It was named after Falmouth, Cornwall in the United Kingdom, the birthplace of Sir William Trelawny, the Governor of Jamaica, who was instrumental in its establishment.
The town was meticulously planned from the start, with wide streets in a regular grid, adequate water supply, and public buildings. It even had piped water before New York City.
In Falmouth, we plan to go to Margaritaville. This is a complex and offers swimming in a margarita shaped pool, a swim up bar, a waterfall, a jacuzzi, a full service restaurant, live bands, and a store! There is no admission fee and the pool is free! You only pay for what you eat, drink and buy. Best of all, you can walk to it as it is within the gated area where we dock!
Our last port is Cozumel:
The islands geography is fascinating in that it is the oldest Caribbean island and the largest in Mexico but only 34 miles north to south and 11 miles east to west! The island was formed over a limestone plateau with the highest elevation being 49 feet above sea level. Only 12 miles off the eastern Yucatan coast, the island is now considered part of the state of Quintana Roo. This was not always so.
Back in 1500 B.C. the island belonged to the Olmec civilization, then it became a vital part of the Mayan culture. It was the sacred ground of Ix Chel, the Mayan goddess of fertility. Mayan women made an annual pilgrimage to the island where they visited temples that can still be found in ruins today. The most prominent ruins are located in San Gervasio near the center of the island.
On May 3rd, 1518, Spanish explorer Juan de Grijalva claimed Cozumel for the king and queen of Spain and named the island Isla de la Santa Cruz. They established the town of El Cedral, which still exists today and still celebrates May 3rd with the Holy Cross Festival.
On February 21st, 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived under the guise of peace and friendship. Cozumel became the starting point for the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish.
It wasn’t long after that the Spanish lost interest in the island and began to use it simply as a port. Pirates ransacked the shores and within a year, the original Mayan population of around 10,000 was decimated by small pox leaving only 300 inhabitants.
It was gum that brought life back to Cozumel. In the mid-19th century chewing gum had become an international commodity, and the island had a large, natural supply of sapodilla trees. The harvesting of the gum made Cozumel an established port for commerce and shipping.
At this time the island was lush with flora and fauna, but World War II changed that when the US Air Force opened a military air base in 1943 and stripped much of the island to put in an airstrip.
As the world settled, so did the island, and people stopped fighting and began enjoying what the Caribbean had to offer. In 1959, Jacques Cousteau discovered the Palancar reef on the south side of the island and claimed it to be, “one of the most special places to scuba dive in the world.” This created a burst of tourism and gave Cozumel a focus for divers. It is now one of the top 5 dive destinations in the world.
Cozumel has stunningly clear water with visibility of 100-200 feet allowing divers, swimmers and snorkelers to peer under the sea and discover a new world. Underneath lies the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, or Great Mayan Reef, which is the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere and the second largest reef system in the world. The shape of the island shelters the reef from the ocean’s open water, and as of 1996, the Mexican government protects it as well.
After a history of pillage and war, Cozumel has now been titled, “Island of Peace” by the International Committee for the Banner of Peace. This is an organization that is associated with the United Nations but not actually part of any government. They awarded Cozumel the “Banner of Peace” as local members set off on Tzamná, a trimaran sailing around the world sharing peace from Cozumel.
In Cozumel, we will take a taxi to Chakanaab Park. We would do this excursion through the cruise line but it is only offered with laser tag and I surely can’t see either one of us doing that!!
So instead, we will just pay the 21 dollar entrance fee to the Park and enjoy it for the day! Chakanaab is a wonderful place and merits more info here!!
Chankanaab comes from the Mayan language and means “little sea. It is located inside Cozumel´s National Marine Park. The snorkeling is wonderful and includes tons of tropical fish, colorful reef and underwater statues. Admission includes snorkeling, the beach, the crocodile exhibition and the sea lion show. There are many extras that you can pay for such as massages in front of the lagoon, swimming with dolphins and bars and restaurants. We did this excursion a while ago and really enjoyed it so we decided to try it again!!!
So these are pretty much our plans to date!! We still haven’t received a stateroom assignment, so I check daily for that. Now we just need March 3rd to get here!!
What great information, I have never even heard of Labadee so you learn something every day. It sounds like great plans, I am sure you are going to really enjoy yourself.
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Wow, I am jealous of how much you've seen of the Caribbean. We need to see more of it. Dang it, no other option - we need to do more Caribbean cruises....
I have a coworker on that same itinerary as we speak. Love the sound of your plans! And they sound even better as we sit here freezing in the current weather!
Your ports and excursion sound wonderful! It’s great that you’ve been enough times that you can take it all in at a leisurely pace!
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Thanks, Pam!! It is nice to know the ropes in the Caribbean!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by belle0517
Following along
Thank you!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Wow, I am jealous of how much you've seen of the Caribbean. We need to see more of it. Dang it, no other option - we need to do more Caribbean cruises....
Oh no you do not! : Don't blame me for your cruise addiction!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by purplegal
What great information, I have never even heard of Labadee so you learn something every day. It sounds like great plans, I am sure you are going to really enjoy yourself.
Sounds like you have great plans for a relaxing cruise.
I think so too!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
I have a coworker on that same itinerary as we speak. Love the sound of your plans! And they sound even better as we sit here freezing in the current weather!
Is he/she nice?! Did you tell him/her how cool I am?!
Thanks, Colleen and you aren't kidding about Mr. Snowmeiser hanging about!! BRRRRRRR!!!!!
Sounds like some good port stops and excursions! All coming together and under control.
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
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So nice that you're able to do so many fun excursions and dinners with all the money that you saved switching to RCCL!
and I surely can’t see either one of us doing that!! 
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: Don't blame me for your cruise addiction!! 
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