Progresso, Mexico

The first port of call on my recent cruise was Progresso, Mexico. It was our first time to visit this port and I was really looking forward to spending some time on the beach with cheap drinks. And maybe some cheap shopping. I had researched a good bit before the trip and new that this was still a more authentic Mexican town that is more poverty stricken then the commercialized Cozumel and Cancun. Therefore I wasn't expecting a lot, but I was still disappointed.

Soon as you get off the ship in Progreso and get through the huge shopping area, you board the free bus ride to the town. When you get off the bus walk 1/2 block-turn left and walk one block. Ta Da! The beach. However, I wanted to take a tour of the little town.

So we found the double-decker bus that I read about in my research and took the $2.00 bus tour around the city that was a nice experience. It's an open air bus and takes you around the city for approximately 20 minutes. It was entertaining and afterwards we walked down to the beach to find a restaurant and get a drink.

After walking several blocks,passing many "vendors" we finally made it to the restaurant we wanted to eat at: Le Bonnet. The wait staff was very nice and set up a table for 10 in the open air dining room, which was across from the beach. We ordered our drinks, received chips and fresh salsa then ordered our meals. The server was a bit slow at this point but I think he was just overwhelmed with our large group. We tried to carry on conversations but that didn't happen much as the restaurant allows vendors to come inside the restaurant and constantly offer you products, which after the 10th one it became an annoying harassment. We were sang to 4 times, event though we said no, please don't sing. The first group who sang was fun and we tipped. The others that followed were not amusing us any more but disturbing our meal. And I ended up buying a worthless keychain from a 6 year old vendor because he looked so sad. The bill came- only $119 for 10 of us! We each had several drinks and meals. So good deal in the end. Plus it was a clean place to use the restroom.

My mom and I then partook in a 60 minute massage for $15 which was worth the small amount of money and time. My husband and dad drank cheap drinks as they waited. After the massage, I wanted to swim but the beach was nothing to enjoy. Brownish-green water, rough sand and some seaweed was near the shore this day. So that was not the beach experience we like, so skipped that. At this point, I was bored with the town and ready to get back on the ship to enjoy the waterslide, hot tubs and pool!

This was my 13th cruise and I have been to many different ports of call but this definitely is my least favorite with Ocho Rios right behind it. The town is clean and has a lot of history I am sure and if the people weren't always trying to follow you to sell you something it would've been a bit better. I recommend either doing a planned excursion, such as an all inclusive resort or going to see the ruins; otherwise there just isn't alot to keep you occupied for the day.

The Carnival Fantasy- some things get better with age

I must start by saying that my very first cruise was 20 years ago and it was aboard the Carnival Fantasy when it departed from Miami. Back then it was brand new and something amazing for its time. Now, it is one of the oldest ship's in the fleet and much smaller than the newer ships. Thirteen cruises later, I must say I was still impressed with this little ship and would recommend her to anyone, especially first-time cruisers...

The Carnival Fantasy is one of Carnival's older ships but it recently underwent extensive upgrades as part of Carnival's $250 million "Evolutions of Fun" program. They expanded the top decks with a fabulously fun water park, a new design style for the lido pool area, and the creation of the Serenity adults-only deck area. Also, they stripped away all the bright neon lights that once bombarded the ship and were able to create a more calm, elegant atmospheric; especially along the promenade. Though I loved all the new additions and improvements to the inside areas, I was a bit disappointed with the serenity deck...no pool, no bar? Other than that, I was impressed with the face-lift the Fantasy received.

So onto my review: I really enjoyed sailing out of New Orleans; this was my first time and I am sure not to be the last! (just send more ships there) It was very easy & convenient for us to drive down from Birmingham, plus saved us $700 on flights to Florida like most cruises. We stayed at The Marriot near the port, so cruise morning was simple. The embarkation staff at the port were kind, thorough and efficient. We got to the port at 10:30am, unloaded our four vehicles (12 people total in our group) and were checked in within 20 minutes then on the ship by 11:30am! This was the less stressful port I have been to so far.

Staff on board were very friendly, helpful and hardworking as usual on a Carnival Ship. The food was the standard we come to expect from Carnival; not gourmet (unless eating in one of Carnival's great Steakhouses) but not shabby. I loved the new Rotisserie Station they had on the lido for lunch, I just wish they had it at night as well. The Deli, as usual, was my favorite. They do have one of the best roasted turkey and cheese on rye sandwiches ever! And the fat free yogurt were the food highlights for me this cruise. I did for the first time try "Tea Time" with my friend Kim. We enjoyed the classy presentation of the afternoon tea and the cart of treats were abundant and tasty.

The cabins have been updated nicely. The bathrooms seemed a bit more spacious. The flat panel TV is always a nice addition. I do wish that they would add more lighting above the mirror and a hairdryer in the drawer like most other Carnival ships. We were in cabin M230. The cabin steward was nice and did a good job keeping our room clean and ice bucket filled. No major complaints about the room location. I did realize why Carnival made the wonderful decision to put the cabins on the higher decks on all the newer ships...you feel more movement and hear more noise toward the bottom. But nothing too disturbing or worth given much though too if considering booking this ship.

The pool deck is nice. Entertainment on the lido is fun and constant. There is only one pool in the Fantasy and it is rather small. But we really didn't have the best weather on our sea days, so it wasn't noticeable and due to the weather it was very easy to find a deck chair. I loved the water slides. Very fun. Kids will love this area of the ship. If I take this cruise again, I will stay on board while in Progresso and play on the water slides all day!

Even though a few of us did get sick while on the ship, we all had a wonderful time. I definitely think that cruising with a group os a fun way to travel...this way you have time to yourself, things you can do on your own or with many others and always a person to eat a meal with! More FUN TIMES on a FUNSHIP!

Halloween- Fiesta Style

Today myself and a group of 13 others will be traveling down to New Orleans for a 5-night cruise to two ports in Mexico! We will be boarding the Carnival Fantasy Saturday, BUT first we will begin our vacation in New Orleans! And what visit is complete without a hurricane from PatO'Briens, a visit to the Voodoo store, a ghost tour through the French Quarter and barhopping on Bourbon Street...Yep that is our Pre-Cruise Plans

This will be a fun 6 days!

The Royal Cancun - 5 star resort with 5 star service

I just returned from a fabulous five night stay in Cancun at The Royal. The best way to sum the trip is WOW! And it is all because of my choice of accommodation that made this trip to Cancun different from any other. Yes it was all inclusive but the standard of service was above all others and the quality of food and facility was impeccable.

To begin, we took advantage of the wonderful advance online check-in. So I was able to pick out my room number by viewing the available locations on the resort map. I picked room 627 and was thrilled of knowing my room location ahead of time. Once we arrived at the resort, we were welcomed and immediately taken to the sixth floor concierge. They presented us with champagne and explained the resort amenities, restaurants and map. And off we went to start what became one of my best vacations to date!

The room: I reserved the basic Royal Oceanview Suite and was not disappointed. It was beautiful, spotless and very spacious. We were on the sixth floor, quite side of the resort, also known as the non-smoking side. We were near the elevator, on one of the higher floors and oceanfront! And the BEDS....sinfully wonderful. We looked forward to bedtime and had a difficult time getting up out of the comfy beds.

The food: one word- FABULOUS. The buffet, Spices, was our favorite spot for most meals. Such a wonderful variety offered and so fresh. The salmon and shrimp were my favorite along with all their wonderful bread choices. At breakfast we both always got a made-to-order omlet and created an egg sandwich. The 24 hour room was a great spot to get snacks, especially in the morning...the chocolate and banana bread was a daily must have for me. The coffee shop always had beautiful fresh fruit tarts, cookies and other pastries along with a variety of coffees. The Japanese restaurant was the highlight meal of the week. We had spring rolls then an assortment of sushi. I must say that the service at all restarants, including room service was up to par. All the staff throughout the entire resort are friendly and work hard to make the vacation enjoyable for you.

The pool: there was one large pool that had an activity side and a quiet side with a swim up bar in between. The pool was beautiful, warm and clean. We spent the days relaxing poolside. And the beach is also very pretty and large compared to other Cancun resort beaches.

Overall I give it an A++. We will be back when visiting Cancun again!

Cancun here I come!!!

So I booked a rather last minute trip for Josh and I in Cancun! Typically I book longer more pricey vacations at least four months to a year out, but we leave in about 3 weeks!!!! After lots of review reading and website checking, I decided on staying at adults only, all-inclusive, Royal Cancun located right in the middle of the hotel zone...let's hope it lives up to all it seems to offer!

check it out: HOTEL WEBSITE

A detailed review will be posted immediately upon my return!

Residence Inn- My New FAVORITE Hotel Chain!!!

I have now stayed at two different Residence Inns in two different cities and concluded that I love this chain of hotels. The Marriott brand has exceeded my expectations with this hotel and whenever I visit a city that has the newly remodeled version of a Residence Inn, I will choose it over any other hotel-even the upscale brands like Hyatt and Omni!

There are several reasons why I have became a fan of the Residence Inn:

• large, spacious rooms
• no wasted space
  
• fully equipped kitchen
• upscale amenities
• complimentary daily breakfast, and evening dinners on weeknights
  
• friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere
• clean, clean and more clean
  
• pet-friendly

Universal Studios / islands of Adventure in Florida

This is what I consider an adult theme park. Yes kids will have a blast but I must say that everything about these two theme parks make it extremely appealing to adults just as much. My only complaint is we didn't plan for more days here!

What is often just called Unversal Studios Orlando is actually comprised of two amusement parks, three on-site themed resorts, and the Citywalk area (which is very similar to Downtown Disney but BETTER).. Once you make your way from the parking garage that is located a good walk away, you will walk through Citywalk which is strategically placed between the two amusement parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. No admission charge is required to enter Citywalk anytime of the day. This area is worth a visit during the day then also at night because the atmosphere completely changes. It boasts lots of shops, a diverse variety of restaurants, and night clubs. When standing at the center of the Citywalk you will see a large Hardrock across the water from you. And to the right is the entrance to Universal, and to the left is the entrance to Islands of Adventure. Both parks are located next to each other but require separate admission. Or you do like us and purchase one of the many combination tickets. We got the 2 days, 2 parks unlimited admission ticket. So we could visit either park as many times in the two days. I wish I would have known how much we were going to like it so that I could have purchased the Fast Pass to skip the long lines. It was not a busy day at all and we still were unable to ride everything due to the lines...but now we know for the next visit!

My favorite ride at Islands of Adventure was The Hulk and at Universal it was the Revenge of the Mummy! I would have rode them several times if I had the fast pass.