Cruise Logs - Well done

Embarkation: Galveston, Texas, on board late at 12:45 pm due to a medical emergency requiring helicopter transport that prior evening. The ship was about an hour and a half behind schedule at arrival. Having booked a category 11 stateroom it made the process of boarding quite easy. Staterooms were ready at 2:15 pm. Considering the setback for the crew all was fine, for us anyway. This being our first large ship we found it easy to navigate and really didn’t notice the other three thousand guests too often. Crowds were consistent at the buffet when we did go through that area but appeared to be moving quickly. Tasted a couple items from the buffet and it was clear that the dining room was the winner when it came to flavor. Dining was above average…not great…but well executed and mostly toothsome. Room service delivered accurately and on time each morning. The coffee could use an upgrade but for the most part room service food is room service food, right? Entertainment... as another guest mentioned…it had to be seen to be believed. Ports of call…Montego Bay, Jamaica…we debarked; shopped in the terminal for coffee, got right back on board. We kept seeing large plumes of black smoke dotting the island from our balcony. At dinner that evening we learned what that was about. It seems that some residents were trying to make a statement of some sort to their government by igniting tires on major roadways blocking traffic, mostly tour busses. Many of the guests were unable to make their excursions due to the situation. George Town, Grand Cayman Islands…as beautiful as it was seventeen years ago. I will note that rising at about four stories high, just beyond the terminal was an awful sight. It was a landfill. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, pitiful. I think I remember one of the sting rays we encountered years ago…I learned on this visit that they can live as long as eighty-five to ninety years! A very special place Sting Ray City is. Cozumel, Mexico…the Puerta Maya terminal is impressive. We suspect Carnival had a lot to do with the construction/funding as the pier appeared to have only the names of Carnival ships painted on it. We also took note that RCCL Voyager of the Seas was docked at the older, rather unfortunate-looking pier. We had rain, due to the coming of Ida and seas went from slight to rough. Many of the guests made an appearance in the infirmary. It was a rocky cruise Friday night into Saturday. Then, by that evening things were calm again. Debarkation: ship arrived around 6:15 am…had breakfast and was ashore at 8:10 am. A good time was had.