This cruise was our 3rd for the year. Spent a total of 17 days at sea in 2018. We chose this cruise out of Mobile AL(really clean nice city) due to the deal we received on the tickets. Embarkation was extremely well organized and took under 25 mins(from arrival to the ship). Check in window was 12:00-1230. We are not Diamond Card holders nor did we pay for Faster to Fun. Need to mention our Sign and Sail cards were in an envelope at our cabin. They were not issued during check in. That was a 1st for us. Seemed to speed things up so wooo hooo! Once upon the ship we went up to the Lido deck for lunch. Our cabin was ready by 1:30. The cabin was clean and well maintained. Hats off to Kamong!!! We were located in the very front of the ship on the 7th floor. Our room was right next to crew access/linen cart area. So for all hrs of the day and night we constantly heard doors closing and the rumbling of carts. The TV picture quality reminded me of when our moms vacuumed or used the mixer in the 80s. We only watched TV late in the evening before bed. So no biggie. Breakfast on the Lido deck each morning was the same food. No variation at all(the exact same tired 2 flavored danish blueberry and lemon). The food even in the Jubilee dining room was low quality as well. The menu offered 4 dessert options but in reality there were only 2. The only time the desserts were anything better than lackluster was the last day at sea during the Chocolate Extravaganza. Guy Fieri's Burger Joint, Pirate Pizza, and the Blue Iguana Cantina were delicious at all times. All in all this ship was clean and well kept despite it’s age. Marty our cruise director did an adequate job of keeping everyone informed of each day’s happenings.

Our cruise included two ports: Costa Maya and Cozumel. At Costa Maya we surprisingly enjoyed the tourist area immediately off the ship; their was a decent variety of gift stores and several entertainers that brought a small bit of culture to our trip. As our trip straddled the Day of the Dead celebrations, costumes and decorations were everywhere, as well as traditional treats to eat. At the Costa Maya shopping village we were also treated to the Voladores, essentially a Mayan ritual during which men climb a nearly 100 foot pole and spin down around while secured by ropes as an appeasement to the gods. While the village is touristy, we enjoyed our time there, particularly a small seaside bar named El Faro that had a fantastic salsa with their chips.

At Cozumel, we did take a shore excursion to Chankanaab which is probably one of the best excursions we have ever taken. Was advertised as a beach day and sea lion show, this is extremely misleading: the park has a beautiful beach with good, safe snorkeling(we saw a statue underwater and lots of fish), a pool area with a swim up bar, a delicious all-inclusive buffet lunch, unlimited drinks (alcohol and non), a separate tequila tasting, a fresh guacamole tasting(Flower our tour specialist prepared the guac by hand in front of us), a dolphin area, and the sea lions. The staff here is top-notch and the park is excellent. We would come here outside of a cruise, it is that good. Flower our tour guide took care of us and gave us the option to hang with her throughout the day or explore the park on our own. Even if you’re a solo cruiser this excursion is recommended. Read more