This trip consisted of three back to back short cruises making up a two week cruise vacation. Departure from Galveston was accompanied by rapidly deepening fog shortly after the 5:00 pm departure. We also heard about the port being closed to other ships during one of our cruises, but this did not affect us. Our return was hastened by the Captain so as to try to beat the fog and ensure our timely arrival back in Galveston. He succeeded. Well done Captain Michael. As the Captain stated in his announcement prior to departing, Galveston is known for many things. One of them is fog. Good to keep this in mind when planning cruises from here, especially if you are flying in or out.

The port of Progresso is the only unique one in this western Caribbean itinerary. From there we took a shore excursion to the city of Merida. The five hour tour actually took about six hours, leaving only about twenty minutes to browse the shops on the pier near the ship, before re-boarding. Merida was an interesting city with a large number of ornate buildings and mansions. Worth a visit. Other ports of call include Costa Maya and of course Cozumel. During one of the stops at Cozumel the ferry explosion occurred. We were unaware of it until the Captain mentioned it in his departure announcement. It was good that he made a statement about it, telling us that no members of our cruise were involved. Keeping passengers advised of such things relieves people of worry and helps to quell rumors.

We have been on this ship many times and it is always a favorite. The food is quite good, the shows as well and most of the crew are friendly and helpful, especially the guest services desk staff. Robert in the Diamond Lounge and Mangesh in the Concierge Club are always great. A problem with the internet was promptly fixed and an erroneous charge was removed. Angelica and Jason, the cabin stewards, were both always pleasant and helpful with special requests and service. Amanda at Guest Services and Vjaceslavs the deck supervisor were extremely helpful in promptly solving a problem with the room. Read more