Cozumel On Holiday: August, 2004

Cozumel may not be the most popular cruise port in the Western Caribbean, but it is certainly the most visited. Four, five and seven night cruises to the region almost inevitably stop there, and it’s not unusual to have a half dozen or more ships in port at the same time.
When we visited Cozumel as part of our five night cruise on Carnival Holiday from New Orleans, we were welcomed by an atrocious groaning from the underbelly of the ship. Being on the bottom deck made the thunderously loud metal on metal sound worse than on other decks, and it’s a good reminder of how cruise ships were prior to the modernization of fleets. Carnival Holiday is one of the oldest tubs still cruising.

Regardless of the mechanical noises when docking and less than pristine condition of public spaces, most passengers on Holiday seemed downright giddy throughout the cruise. The entertainment was always great and the food was very good. The buffet, especially upon first boarding the vessel, felt like a cattle call, with a stampede to graze on goodies busting through the gates.

The pool areas were always packed with children splashing around and revelers sipping tropical cocktails and beer. Carnival claims 93% of people love their cruises, and on this voyage, the other 7% must have stayed home. It was a loud, rocking party for the entire time on board, which is generally the case in the Caribbean on any Carnival cruise, although other itineraries like Europe and Alaska tend to be more muted and upscale affairs than the Caribbean. You should know if this atmosphere appeals to you before putting in a down payment.

The best indicator of whether or not you will have a great cruise is if you have selected the right ship and itinerary for you, which is a great reason to have your own personal Cruise Planner to advise you. Then again, as my buddy Mike says, “I’ve never been on a bad cruise.” Mike and his lovely wife Linda were with us on this trip, too.

On this visit to Cozumel, we rented a Jeep, and Mike shuttled Linda and Julie over to Mr. Sancho’s Beach Club for a day of sun, sand and sea. Mike, Amy, Jay and I then tooled around the island in the Jeep, checking out some ruins and a few other sites before returning to the beach to join the ladies. We enjoyed drinks along with delicious chips and salsa at Mr. Sancho’s, courtesy of Mike. We didn’t find many fish by snorkeling from the shore, so we bought passage on a little boat going out to the reef. Even out there, we weren’t dazzled by what is purported to be some of the greatest snorkeling in the world. Nonetheless, a good time was had by all.