sailkat

Key West, Florida

Laid back, fun little town with lots to see and do. Take the conch train to get an overview and get off at the Southernmost point and wander back. Visited Hemingway's house and as a cat lover, enjoyed all the six-toed kitties wandering around. It was mad hot, so I stopped at the Six-toed Cafe for mimosas and lunch. Great food. There are chicks and roosters running around that are hysterical to watch. Stopped at Kermit's Key Lime Pie shop for the best key lime pie ice cream ever. If you like artsy places and don't mind crowds, this place is great.

George Town, Grand Cayman

The port itself was wonderful. Disembarking the ship on the tender not so much. We had an early tour to visit 'stingray sandbar' on a catamaran. They gave out numbers for groups with tours and had us wait in the theater. Well my number was 22. So one hour late for my tour we met up with the tour company. Come to find out it was not a catamaran at all, but an aquabus. They took us by bus to a marina and then to the stingray sandbar. The sandbar experience was the highlight of all my excursions! They swam around us, brushed up against us and one even swam up to me for a hug. Enchanting, peaceful creatures. Amazing experience Because of the delay in departure we got back too late for me to go to the beach which I so wanted. I did discover an entrance to their Marine Park right off the road along the shoreline in Georgetown. As I had brought my own snorkel, I went in and saw some beautiful fish all around the coral reef and some sea urchins. Stopped for a Margarita and was shocked to find very high exchange rate for dollar. Cost 20% more.

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

My group wanted to visit the ruins at Chaccoban and booked an outside tour with Native Tours. They were excellent, but you had to walk a half mile to their office from the ship. It was super hot, so I would have gone to a beach adventure if by myself. The tour was very informative and the ruins site was fun to explore.

Cozumel, Mexico

I desperately wanted to snorkel in Cozumel having heard about it for years, but made the mistake of booking a trip with the ship's excursions. I asked about the companies providing the excursions and for recommendations, but the staff onboard knew nothing. It was a mistake. I took the "Three reef snorkel" and these guys were awful. They did not share much knowledge about the reefs or fish, they took us to reefs within sight of the cruise ships so we never got to see much of the island's beauty. The water itself was lovely and we did see a few fish. The crew member who went in with us dove and poked a few coral formations to encourage a crab or eel to appear, but they didn't oblige. He mostly blew bubbles, I guess to amuse us, but that was not what we paid to see. I climbed the ladder to get back onboard and a crew member stood in my way at the top, so I fell on the rough deck and cut my knee. A fellow passenger said I was bleeding a lot and I saw a large scrape. I tried to stop the bleeding with a tissue and the crew did nothing. Awful

Miami, Florida

Came on board straight from Fort Lauderdale airport

Celebrity Equinox

Relax and enjoy the wonderful food and shows. Wander through all the public areas early to find one you like. My nephew found a quiet place in the library! Don't get caught up in all the raffles and sale come ons! You will wait in crowds for long periods and come away empty. Spend your time your way.