Coming back to cruising was great. Missed doing it. But the requirements to get on and during the cruise takes some magic out of it.
Made some new friends and met some interesting people as well. The crew was great and a shout out to our cabin steward Adi, waiter Memel, server Cinthia, Lionel our shopping expert, and Andy our Cruise Director. As well as the entire crew that kept our cabins, food services, entertainment and events clean and safe. My hats off to you.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Great embarkation experience, organised, and quick . Porters took our luggage reminded us about our cruise documemts, which we had. Two weeks earlier we were upgraded from a spa balcony to a spa suite, so we got on first. This was sweet because we are also Platuim. We had extra carry ons this time do to all the breakable ornaments I made for our Secret Santas. Also this being our 2nd Christmas cruise I also brought decorations and a small tree for our cabin.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
First time with the drink package, it was great. Because it came with the cruise we didn't mind having it. One thing bothered me the whole trip. Who in the world can drink 15 alcohol drinks a day? Most Mike and I were ever drank was 5 maybe 6 a day. It would be nice if they offered a smaller package as well for us people who don't drink a lot.
We ate in the dining room every night except on Christmas Eve when we ate at the Steakhouse. Many new menu items and even tried a few new ones. Of course when my favorite Mushroom Soup was on the menu I had to have 2 bowls.
Our table mates were wonderful but only had a couple meals with them. They kept winning in the casino and given free meals at the steakhouse and Captaino. One thing was strange though, about our 3rd night we had a different waiter, Memel. He was a big improvement from our previous one.
The steakhouse did not disappoint. Had excellent service and the food was awesome. We both got the stuffed mushrooms, caesar salad, Mike had the wagoo steak and I had the 9oz filet. We both knew what we wanted for dessert, "Art at the Table". If you have never had it, try it. Its out of this world- delish!
Lounge
5 out of 5
Went to the Spotlight Lounge every night for comedy. Comedians were great except one. He was all over the place and didn't seam to have any material. I've seen inpov before but this was terrible. After that night the comedians got much better. Had the best server Cinthia. Where others ignored us she was a power house. Even remembered us each night and what we drank.
RedFrog Pub
5 out of 5
Many things to choose from. Recommend Guys Burgers, Mongolian Wok, and the Pizza Joint.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Went to the "Spot Light Comedy Show" almost every night. The comedians were great except one on the first night. Had no material and was all over the place. Other that that had a great time with the others.
Cinthia was our server she was great. Where the others ignored us, she didn't. Watched her take orders, serve drinks and getting people to sign was entertainment enough. She was a power house. She remembered us every night and what we liked.
Went to the aft pool once. During a port day. Unfortunately water was to cold and some unruly children took over one of the hot tubs. The other was to crowded. One of the staff kicked the kids out and closed the tub to be sanitised. It was great to see staff stepping up.
After that spent much of our time at serenity. Fortunately the hot tubs were hot.
Serenity
5 out of 5
If you want to get away from kids go here.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
As I mentioned before first comedian was terrible after that they were great.
Only went to the Main Lounge once to see the "Love and Marriage Show" the cruise director did great. There was a couple that was married for 61 yrs that made it to the stage and made it lets say, very memoriable. Haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
Enjoyed the violin trio in the main lobby as well. Beautifully played.
Spotlight Lounge
5 out of 5
Ask for Cinitha she'll treat you real good.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Crew was great Always on point and keeping everything clean.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Everything was cleaned and spotless
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Because we were suite and Platuim guest we were able to go straight to our cabin once on the ship. That's where we met our cabin steward Adi. He was wonderful as priority guest we were to get our luggage first, other people were getting theirs but not us. Adi must have seen this and found them himself for us. We were able to decorate our cabin and door for Christmas and unpack really fast. We chosen the morning clean up and he did as always, beautifully. He even showed me a short cut to the spa and Serenity deck, which we used all the time.
Ship tip
The walls are magnetic bring magnets to keep things out of your way. Store luggage under the beds.
Ok, never been to Costa Maya before. Went straight to Diamonds International and got a gift for our person taking care of our house and cats, a Layamar ring and diamond earrings for me.
Make sure you always place your name in the drawing and be present during it. The shopping area is all we did. Be careful of the sharks in the stores. You can browse but never talk to them. Once they see you like something they won't let you go until you buy it. If you do find something you like ask the price. If it sounds to high walk away and they will bring the price down. Bought a bracelet for my daughter. They wanted $250. for it , by doing this we brought the price down to $125. We started to walk away 3 times.
There is a pool there but nothing to mention about.
Oh, don't get your feet done by the fish in this port. The water is green. Which means they don't clean their tanks. Wait and do it at Monhogoy Bay.
As always this port is very clean. We discovered a little trick about snorkeling. Bring your own gear, go to the end of the pier and snorkel there, keep to the right of the pier. It was a cloudy windy day that we didn't see much. But if you have a clear day with no wind its beautiful. Please don't touch the coral. Make sure you bring an underwater case for your phone for pictures.
Did our feet with the fish again. Highly recommend it, best pedicure you will ever have. We only do it at this port do to the water being clear. This says that the tanks and fish are well taken care of.
We live in Florida so no excursions. But I can tell you the cape has some of the best beaches in Florida. Space Kennedy is a must see. I've been going there since I was little and its gotten better each time I visit.
The port has been greatly improved since we were there last time.
Disembarkation went very smoothly.
Choose to not carry our luggage off. Adi made sure we had our tags for them.
Tip: Take a picture of your luggage and place a ribbon on the handle. Use plastic luggage sleaves on your luggage to place your room tags in.
Great review and photos! We were on the Magic Thanksgiving week and had a fantastic time! Those of you going, don’t forget to see the coffee shop ladies in Ocean Plaza and the bartenders in the Thirsty Frog. Best smiles and service.
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