WHEN? Thursday · January 8 through Sunday · January 11
WHAT? Carnival Holiday Cruise
We took our first Caribbean cruise almost twelve years ago. It was on a much smaller ship with Commodore Cruise Line, no longer in business. We took a bus from Jackson, Mississippi to New Orleans and stopped in several ports on the cruise. It was a very enjoyable experience, but last week's cruise to Cozumel was better in several ways.
- The cruise left from Mobile, Alabama, much closer to home.
- The larger ship provided many more recreational opportunities on board, so many that we had to pick-and-choose among them.
- The two live entertainment shows, Xtreme Country on Friday, and Shout on Sunday, were outstanding, with nonstop singing and dancing.
- A group of friends were on board ship with us!
| It was fitting that we left on the cruise one year to the day from when we arrived in Lower Alabama last year. Little did we know then that we would settle here after being on the road fulltime RVing. |  |
On Thursday, January 8, we were on board the Carnival Holiday Fun Ship in time for lunch from the buffet on the Lido Deck. There was no time to be bored because recreational activities abounded. Once we were at sea, a good size casino was opened. Our photos and those of our friends tell the story of the fun. I even took a photo of the Fitness Center, but never set foot in there again. There were just too many other things to do. Since the ship was pretty big, we got quite a lot of exercise just climbing stairs and walking on board.
Our assigned-seating dinner in the Four Winds dining room was the best way to dine, in our opinion. Open seating was available for breakfast and lunch in the Seven Seas dining room. Both places were very much like dining in a restaurant, where we were given menus and each person made their selections. There was a buffet on the Lido Deck, but we much preferred the dining rooms.
Friday evening's dinner included an "elegant dining" dress code. I balked at this at first, but it turned out to be fun. Since our group was among the best-looking guests on the ship, we naturally turned lots of heads when we arrived. Although it's impossible to choose a Best Dressed among us, Jan certainly deserves an Honorable Mention for her head-to-toe coordination, which included a fashionable scarf and clever shoes that matched her dress perfectly. And Cheeryo in his authentic Scottish kilt was, of course, the Holiday's most originally dressed diner that evening. I encourage you to click on each thumbnail to really appreciate how spectacular we all looked.
Most of Saturday was spent in Cozumel, beginning at Carlos 'n Charlie's. Then we moved on for a time at Jimmy Buffett's Marguaritaville on the water. Several photo ops were in Cozumel as well as some typically tropical scenery. One lady almost missed the ship's departure. They actually had to pull back in a short distance so she could get back on board. Two other bigger cruise ships were docked at Cozumel also. They left first, and then the Holiday pulled away.
Sunday was another day at sea as the ship was on the return trip to Mobile. The first thing I noticed that morning was the beautiful sunrise, which reminded me of a traditional folk melody, I See The Morning Breaking.
It is truly amazing what it takes to entertain and feed this many people on a large cruise ship, yet the staff do it so well. We recommend your checking to see just how affordable these trips have become.
The Fun Ship's drink of the day
Our favorite pole dancer
- See all our cruise photos on Flickr:
- First Day of Cozumel Cruise
- Second Day of Cozumel Cruise
- Third Day of Cruise – in Cozumel
- Fourth Day of Cruise – return trip
