Carnival Breeze 2022 Recap – Cozumel

BIENVENIDO A COZUMEL!!!

Welcome to Cozumel. Our favorite place to visit on a cruise!

Today we have something different planned. We will be going to Del Mar Latino Beach Club Cozumel All-Inclusive day pass. I found this place by accident one day while I was on Facebook. This beach club is conveniently located to Puerta Maya and an easy walk to get to. I have COPD so when I say it was an easy walk, it truly was an easy walk. I did not have to use my inhaler at any time walking there or back or while I was there. The price was definitely FANTASTIC. When I booked this day pass online the price was $29 per person. A $6 per person deposit was required at the time of booking. Now, this place is an adults only beach club which is one of the reasons we decided to try it out. Or, as I told my friends, we were taking one for the team. And I am so glad we went.

Not only was it an easy walk, but the staff was very attentive and the food was great. It is a very small beach club that only allows up to 30 adults a day. The view was great and the pool, although small, did not feel crowded at any time and the water was warm. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, we were not able to get into the sea to swim. The waves were a bit rough which made it very difficult for my husband and I to get in. But others were able to get in without any problem. This one very minor thing in no way lessened our experience in any way, shape or form. In fact, we look forward to returning to Del Mar Latino Beach Club.

While we were here, we had the guacamole, Mexican nachos, Mexican nachos with chicken, pico de gallo, quesadilla, and chicken. Of course we HAD to try the beverages. Between the two of us, I’m sure we tried all of the cocktails that are on the menu! Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of the food or beverages we had. I should have, but I didn’t. I must have been to busy taking in the view.

We stayed at the beach club for a few hours before walking back to Puerta Maya to do a little shopping then back onto the ship to, in all likelihood, eat some more and take a nap.

We were welcomed to our stateroom with todays towel animal!!! I love seeing the towel animals. They really make it special.

It wasn’t long before it was time for sail away. I cannot get enough of how blue the water is in Cozumel. It is definitely my favorite shade of blue.

Dinner tonight was in the main dining room. We were lucky enough to have the same wait staff we had the evening before.

For dinner tonight, I had the Caesar salad, beef tenderloin and warm chocolate melting cake for dessert. I had the Fresh Italian for my dinner cocktail.

Jim selected the Caesar salad and ox tongue as his appetizers, beef tenderloin, and Bitter N Blanc for his dessert. He decided to just stick with iced tea to drink.

We finished our meal before the wait staff started their singing and dancing. Something I always love to watch, but not tonight. Instead, we walked around the shops for a while then decided that we would go to the Love and Marriage show. Always fun watching this. No pictures, sorry.

Afterwards, we went to our stateroom and called it a night. At least until we decided we needed a snack. Our snack needs were satisfied with cookies at the Lido Marketplace.

Tomorrow’s blog is about our time in Progreso.

Carnival Jubilee 2023 has now become CARNIVAL JUBILEE 2024!!!

I booked another cruise!!! I had intended to book the inaugural sailing, but when the dates became available on the 25th, I realized the inaugural would be the week of Thanksgiving. I do not want to leave my mother alone on Thanksgiving, so we are book for February 24, 2024.

This itinerary for this cruise is:

Galveston, leaving at 4pm.

Sea day #1

Sea day #2

Mahogany Bay, 8am to 6pm

Costa Maya, 8am to 6pm

Cozumel 7am to 5pm

Sea day #3

Galveston, arriving at 8am.

This itinerary is familiar to us as we were just at Mahogany Bay and Cozumel on our Carnival Vista cruise in August/September 2021. But we have not been to Costa Maya and are looking forward to seeing a new place.

BONUS for this cruise, my locker-mate from the beginning of middle school to the very end of high school is planning on being on this cruise as well. I’m hoping some other friends will join us too!

I do not think there will be any more blogs for this cruise until it is closer to time and the real planning has begun. But please continue to read my other blogs.

Carnival Breeze 2022 – Reservations made

We currently have seven weeks to go!!! I fully aware that these weeks will fly by!!! But at least there are a few things I do not need to worry about!!!

Parking reservation was made on September 11th. We will be using Port of Galveston SMP Parking Garage located at 150 Rosenberg Street. It is conveniently located across the street from the pier. Of course, our return trip could have us at the terminal 2. It is still within walking distance. We used this facility the first time in August when we sailed on the Carnival Vista. The only drawback was the elevator not working. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the elevator will be fixed by February.

I did have an issue with hotel reservations. Let me start of by saying, I use Hotels.com for my hotel bookings. I have never had a problem and the issues were all mine, not theirs in any way, shape for form.

On September 11, I booked a one-night stay at Hotel Galvez, located at 2024 Seawall Boulevard. This is a hotel that is on my bucket list, mainly because it is haunted. I was looking forward to staying there, but then I started doing some research. Although the reviews are great, I just did not feel comfortable with having to pay extra for parking. And some of the reviews said the rooms are rather small.

So on September 17th, I cancelled my reservation for Hotel Galvez and booked Inn at the Waterpark located at 2525 Jones Drive. They had a great rate and I thought I would be okay with not having an ocean/gulf view. And any other time, especially if we had our grandkids, it would probably suit our needs better. So, I kept thinking about staying at the Inn at the Waterpark while still checking rates on Hotels.com.

Finally, on October 1st, the hotel/inn that we have stayed at before had a rate I was happy with. So, I cancelled the Inn at the Waterpark and booked our stay at Quality Inn located at 5924 Seawall Boulevard. It is a very basic place but it definitely fits our needs for a comfortable place to sleep.

Now I feel much better about our pre-cruise accommodations and have no plans to make any changes.

I have made reservations for Jim and I to have dinner at Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse on embarkation day! I am definitely excited about this. I have already decided that the clothes we will be wearing to dinner that night will be in our carry-on, just in case our checked bag(s) do not arrive in time for our 6:30 dinner reservation.

I have also made reservations for a beach club in Cozumel. This is a new place for us and for the price, it is definitely worth checking out. Bonus: It is within walking distance for Puerta Maya cruise terminal. I do not know if the rates in the photo are still available.

Please come back next Monday to read about my pre-cruise Amazon purchases so far.

Carnival Vista 2021 – Cozumel

Bienvenidos a Cozumel! Today we are arriving in one of our favorite places to visit. Not only do we come here by cruise ship, we have also visited for a week at a time! This island feels like home.

We decided to start our day with Port Day Breakfast served in the Horizons Restaurant, deck 3 aft.

Our breakfast consisted of coffee, orange juice, Eggs Benedict, Egg White Fritata (that really didn’t look like egg whites), hash brown potatoes, bacon, and biscuits. The food was great and the service was pretty good.

After breakfast, we made our way to the Lido deck to watch us arrive in Cozumel and to admire a couple of towel animals lounging near the bar. You know you have arrived when you see Three Amigos at Puerta Maya!

Since we decided to go somewhere different, at least for us, we were excited to get off the ship! Today we are going to Mr. Sancho’s!!!! Once off the ship, we made our way to the taxi stand. We were able to get a taxi quickly and it did not take long to get there. The cost of the taxi was $17 for the two of us plus tip. Not a bad deal in my opinion.

Once we arrived at Mr. Sancho’s we quickly settled in at a table on the beach. We ordered a couple of drinks and enjoyed the view and the water.

After a while, we decided to go to the pool and relax there. We definitely had a great time in the pool and we definitely made use of the swim up bar. We also ordered some food which was pretty good. I’m not a fan of coconut but I heard many rave reviews of the Coconut Chicken they have so I decided to try it. It is definitely something I will not order again. Not because it wasn’t good but because of the coconut.

We stayed at Mr. Sancho’s until around 2pm. We definitely feel like we got our money’s worth there. We will definitely return on a future cruise.

We walked around Puerta Maya before boarding the ship and finding this cute towel animal.

We made use of our time in our stateroom by getting ready for dinner and admiring the pretty blue water as seen from our stateroom balcony.

I’m always sad to leave Cozumel. It is definitely a place I enjoy coming to. I do like to see our favorite hotel as we sail by it. Had we not gone to Mr. Sancho’s, we probably would have gone to The Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort. I guess from now on, Jim and I will have to flip a coin to see where we will go for our beach time.

Since we still had some time before dinner, we continued to walk around and take in the sights around the ship.

Time for dinner!!! For the breads on this evening, we were served Ciabatta and Petite Sourdough with the condiments of Whipped Butter, Olive Oil & Balsamic, and bacon pan drippings. Jim selected the Baked Onion Soup for his appetizer while I had the Vine Ripened Tomatoes and Chopped Lettuce with a raspberry vinaigrette. Although I do not have the pictures of our main entrees, I think Jim had the BBW Pork Spareribs and I had the Broiled Strip Loin Steak. We both selected the Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream. Yummy!!!!

After dinner we returned to our room to find Debarkation Information. Now I’m depressed. We still have one more sea day before we return to Galveston!

The next installment will be our final sea day.

Telling Our Story One Scrapbook Page At A Time – Installment 7, Cozumel 2015, Day 7

Today would be our last day in Cozumel. Time has flown by but it felt great to do absolutely nothing in particular and everything we wanted to do. I will definitely miss the views every morning.

I decided this simple photo needs a simple layout. Of course, I found exactly what I need in 525 NEW AND INSPIRING SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES. Simple and to the point. What a view.

We had a photo shoot of sorts at the resort. It was offered thru the hotel and, for the most part, we were pleased with the results. My husband, however, was not happy that I scheduled the shoot for first thing in the morning. Silly man thinks he can sleep on vacation, LOL! This layout came together real easily.

After we selected our pictures, we decided to take another trip to town. The only picture I took was of this mural that was in the process of being completed. I cannot wait to go back and see the finished product.

The mural photo needs a stand out scrapbook page and I think I captured it with the help of the sketch I selected.

Once back at the resort, Jim decided it would be a good idea to take the waterproof camera and get some pictures of some fish. So we walked south from the Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort and headed to the El Cozumeleno. We stayed there one time and all I can say is it’s a nice place to visit but I do not want to stay there again. It just wasn’t the place for us. Too bad since he does have an amazing view.

Jim took the waterproof camera on a little adventure and captured some fairly decent shots. The GoPro came home with not footage. He really should learn how to use it before we go on our next vacation.

I love the sketch I selected and the way the finish product turned out. I have never used 5 photos on a one page layout. And now I know it is possible to do.

After we returned from our little adventure, we started packing, spent more time at the beach bar, and had out last dinner at The Iguana Grill.

Our last dinner deserves a black page. It is sad knowing that we will be leaving soon and we do not know when we will be returning. At least the sketch I selected still makes it seem like a happy ocassion.

After dinner, we found ourselves at the beach bar for the reminder of the evening/night. But we haven’t said our goodbye’s to our favorite bar staff.

The next installment will be us leaving and our final thoughts.

Tell Our Story One Scrapbook Page At A Time – Installment 6, Cozumel 2016, Day 6

One of our favorite things to do in the mornings is to have a cup of coffee and watch the ship sail in. We typically count the number of ships that pass by to determine if we want to venture into town or not.

I decided I wanted to do something simple for this photo and I found a sketch that met my needs. I really like the way it turned out and I love that I actually used some washi tape I have had for at least a couple of years!

After breakfast we decided to walk around the resort to see what was on the street side of the property. We knew there was a building for the garden view rooms, but we did not know what was on the other side of it. Of course we say the beautiful plants but we also found a playground for children.

When I was looking at the sketches, I had initially wanted to do a 3 photo layout for the plants and a 4 photo layout for the playground. After looking at the photos, I decided I really did not care for a couple of the playground ones, so I decided to look for a 2 photo sketch. Much to my delight, I found similar sketches using the same background. When I saw the sketches, I had a paper come to mind as I had seen it in one of the paper pads I purchased years ago. I ended up with a 2-page layout that I am very happy with.

After our walk, we found out that lunch was being grilled on the beach today. They were tents set up with tables and chairs underneath and it was awesome. The food was good and everything was great until a huge wind came thru and sent the tent we were sitting under flying. I somehow managed to get my knee and wrist banged up and Jim ended up under then tent several yards away. Luckily there were no injuries But unfortunately lunch was stopped.

After all that excitement, we decided to be safe and just stay at the beach bar which has easy access to our room.

We still had a wonderful day and another wonderful dinner at the Iguana Grill that night.

The next installment is our last full day in Cozumel. Please come back to see what we did and how I put our memories into scrapbook pages.

Telling Our Story One Scrapbook Page At A Time – Installment 5, Cozumel 2015, Day 5

There is nothing more enjoyable than having breakfast with a awesome view. It is definitely one of the reasons we return to the Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort. The food is good, the location is great, and the staff are outstanding.

For my scrapbook page for this photo, I wanted something simple. I found exactly what I was wanting in the book 525 NEW AND INSPIRING SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES. This page is simple yet doesn’t take away from the photo. One of these days I will learn how to take awesome photos.

After breakfast, we decided to take a walk on the beach. This walk took us north of the resort. I was able to capture some photos of the waves…

a shell on the beach…

and a few beach front homes.

The remainder of the day was spent like the rest of the days, doing nothing in particular and enjoying every minute.

At dinner, I was able to take a fairly decent sunset photo. This made me happy.

As you can see, some of the pages are not exactly like the sketch. I’m having to make adjustments according to the photo size I have and the paper and necessary supplies in my stash. I have tried to make a page as close to the sketch as I can and hopefully you enjoy them.

I really hope to do an many scrapbook pages as possible using my stash only. But today, I did order an adhesive refill for my Xyron Mega runner. It is the first one I have ordered for it so I’m not complaining. Thanks to Amazon, I should have it on Tuesday!!!! I have refills for my other sticker makers so I should not have to order any of these for a while.

I hope you are enjoying my Cozumel 2015 scrapbook pages. This was a 7-night trip so I am almost finished with this segment of the series. Not sure what will come next, but I have a lot of photos to put into pages!!!

I hope you return tomorrow for another installment of scrapbook pages.

Telling Our Story One Scrapbook Page At A Time – Installment 4, Cozumel 2015, Day 4.

It was another grand day in Cozumel. But what day isn’t grand when you’re enjoying a relaxing day and one of your favorite places?

Today we took a taxi to Mega, the most interesting store I have been to. I would described it as a Walmart Super Center, but so much cooler!!!! My only regret is that I didn’t take any pictures while we were there. But I did take some of the sites we walked to after shopping!!!! Plus some pictures of some sites while in the taxi returning to the Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort. There is so much to see and do in Cozumel. But we always seem to just relax at the resort and go to town every couple of days or so just to walk around and buy stuff we do not need.

Obviously the scratch book pages appear to just fall right into place. I forgot to take pictures of the paper I chose. But I can tell you I did not go with my original selection!!! Luckily the sketches I’m using from 525 NEW AND INSPIRING SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES really makes my scrapbook pages come together real easy.

The page above came together without a hitch. No problem deciding on the paper stickers I used. And I was very happy to be able to use another doile I purchased at Dollar Tree. The only issue I had with this page was how to adhere the doile to the page. I used a Scotch Craft Stick with minimal problems but I do think I need to consider finding a spray adhesive. Does anyone have suggestions?

After we returned to the resort, we spend the remainder of the day in the pool. It is definitely our happy place. On this page, I did make some slight adjustments. I changed the paper position so the lines would be horizontal since my photo was in portrait mode. And, I also triple matted the photo. I am happy with how it turned out and even happier that I was able to use some buttons from my stash.

And so ends another day in Cozumel.

If anyone has suggestions for a spray adhesive, please let me know.

I hope you come back tomorrow for another day in Cozumel.

Telling Our Story One Scrapbook Page At A Time – Installment 3, Cozumel 2015, day 3

Another glorious day in Cozumel. On this morning, we went for a morning walk after breakfast. Our walk took us south of the hotel in familiar territory. The only thing different was the new hotel they were building at that time. We have made this walk many times, often several times each trip. But seeing the construction was something we knew was happening but didn’t realize how much it would block our regular route. But that was ok, we were in paradise and that was all that mattered.

For this spread, I chose a sketch in 525 NEW AND INSPIRING SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES that was found in the section labeled “Sketches with a Theme.” It was intended for a single page layout, but since I had selected 8 photos, I decided to mirror the sketch so it could be used as a 2-page layout. As I was putting it together, things just didn’t look like I had planned in my head. I changed to a different color paper for the background and mats. And I also added an extra sticker to the title area on both pages. I am pleased with the way it turned out.

After our walk, we spend the remainder of the day relaxing on the beach, sitting at the beach bar, and just loving the view from our room. I don’t think I could ever get tired of this view.

When selecting a sketch for this page, I found one I liked. I started going thru my massive stash of paper and I found a piece that was very similar to the sketch. So I decided to use it and just add the title. To me, for some reason, this paper just seemed to mimic the sketch. But at some point in time, I will come back to this sketch for another photo.

We ended the night having a nice dinner at the La Iguana Grill. It was the first time we have been there when the grill was open for dinner so we were very excited to make reservations and eat there. The food was amazing. We made sure to make reservations there for the remainder of our trip. It was that good!!!

I selected another sketch that reminded me of a dinner plate. The papers and embellishments just feel into place afterward. I decided to use a doily I purchased at Dollar Tree and it definitely came in handy. I cut off the edge and carefully placed it on the plate. But now that I look at it, I do not know if it does look like a plate. I’m not going to change it. I will just keep it as is and will definitely be more mindful in the future.

We ended our evening at the beach bar before calling it a day.

Tomorrow, will be day 4 of our Cozumel trip. I hope you will come back to see what adventures we will have!!!

Telling Our Story One Scrapbook Page At A Time – Installment 2, Cozumel 2015, Day 2

The best part about spending time in Cozumel is doing absolutely nothing. Just relaxing and enjoying where we are at. The Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort is quiet and definitely offers the relaxation we come here time after time. It is located at the north end of the island so there is not much noise. And the views are amazing.

Once again, and what I will be doing throughout this series, I selected sketches from 525 NEW AND INSPIRING SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES for today’s scrapbook pages. I am truly enjoying the sketches the Scrapbooking Coach has put together. I’m finding that by using these sketches, I am really able to find a use for my stash that I truly need to trim down… A LOT!!!

Since our first trip to the Melia, we have always managed to be the first people to belly-up to the swim up bar every morning. Since it is an all-inclusive resort, we, actually Jim, want to make sure we get our money’s worth, LOL. Today is no different and we definitely had a cocktail to enjoy while admiring the view.

Since I was using a laser die cut for the title, I decided to go with a basic background for the title instead of what is shown in the sketch. I’m happy with the way this turned out.

On this particular trip, we found ourselves spending more time at the beach bar than the swim up bar. Which also meant our beyond pale bodies spent more time on the beach and in the water. I’m sure having a room so conveniently located also helped. Who doesn’t love catching some waves while relaxing and enjoying your surroundings and the one you’re with?

On this layout, I thought I would be happy with the red and oranges I had initially selected, but after looking at it when everything was in place, I just wasn’t feeling it. Luckily, I have a mountain of scraps so I was able to find something I feel looks much better.

Of course, the wildlife is abundant at the Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort. Every trip we make there, we are sure to take some pictures of the iguana’s. They are happy, healthy, and are seen everywhere. And one in particular is HUGE!!!!

I am learning to embrace the art of fussy cutting. So far,t he cuts I am making for my scrapbook pages are not too delicate. But I will work my way to the smaller fussy cuts.

That’s it for today’s pages. I do find that I am having an issue with taking photos of my projects without having a glare on the finished page when I go to take a picture of it. If you have any helpful suggestions, please let me know.

Come back tomorrow, or maybe later today, for day 3 in Cozumel.