Thursday in Cozumel!

Today we were in the Island of Cozumel.  I was up before the alarm went off.  We ate breakfast in Horizon (deck 15) and sat on the port side and watched as we docked in the Puerta Maya pier.  Another ship joined us…the huge RCL Oasis of the Seas.  I’ve nick-named this ship:  Monstrocity of the Seas.  It’s a huge ship! 

We gathered our snorkeling gear and headed down to the dock to see what this area had to offer.  We had about 40 minutes to kill before we met our snorkeling group and walked around the huge and colorful shopping area. 

There were plenty of colorful shops in Puerta Maya.  Lots of Mexican made items:  mugs, margarita glassware, plates, sombreros, dresses, t-shirts, vases, and various gift items.  There were a lot of shops that carried sterling silver jewelry.  Silver is mined in Mexico and there are several artisans who produce beautiful pieces of jewelry. 

There was plenty of liquor available, especially in Dufry which is a duty free shop.  Hubby went to check on the prices and he said they were really good…probably the cheapest he’s seen in all the islands we’ve been to.  Also, he mentioned there was a lot of variety and some brands he never heard of. 

We checked in early with the snorkel guide.  We signed our names on a log and I’m sure somewhere we signed a waiver.  We were given “bracelets” which will later be used to get access to the beach at Playa Mia.  We were given some more time to wander around which we did. 

With our snorkeling group finally assembled and organized into rows of two, the guide led us through the shopping area and onto a small dock area.  Our catamaran, Aqua Dream 1, was waiting for us.  From the time we met our guide to boarding the catamaran, I knew this was going to be a well organized and professional tour.  It definitely was.


Lupe was our snorkel master and guide.  He briefed us on our gear and explained where we were going to snorkel and for how long.  He also mentioned that we were going to a beach. 

We sailed for an hour to get to the reef.  They allowed us to snorkel for 1-1/2 hours (non-stop).  On this snorkel adventure, there were two stops.  One was over a shallow reef (Columbia) and the next one was snorkeling at a great depth (Palancar).  We snorkeled off the catamaran and snorkeled around Columbia reef.  Lupe then led us towards Palancar.  I have never seen so many different varieties of fish and coral.  The water was a bit rough, but I managed to keep up with Hubby. 

After an hour, I headed back to the catamaran.  Yes, I was a bit tired.  Hubby was still snorkeling strong.  I had to wait about 5 minutes for the catamaran to catch up with us.  Back onboard, I grabbed my camera and took a lot of pictures of the area and fellow snorkelers. 

With all of us back onboard, we headed over to Playa Mia and docked at the beach.  We were guided to a dining area and were served a light snack.  The dining area is huge!  A handful of us requested a vegetarian lunch which consisted of veggie sandwich, salad, and French fries.  We were told that free drinks were provided with our meal which many of us took advantage of.  We dined with a lovely couple from Toronto and shared our cruise experiences. 

Left side of Playa Mia

Dock at Playa Mia

A pelican keeping watch

After lunch, Hubby and I wandered around the beach.  Playa Mia has a small pool located between the beach and the dining area tents.  There was an area where hammocks were available to lounge in.  There were also several bars/refreshment stands to keep your thirst quenched.  Behind the dining area, there were a few small shops. 

Life Guard stand

One of the shops selling colorful sombreros

After 1-1/2 hours at this beautiful beach, we all headed back towards the dock to sail back to Puerta Maya.  Going back took about 45 minutes.  When we arrived back at the pier, we noticed there were two more ships in port.  One was a Carnival ship and the other was a Celebrity ship.    

Back at the main pier, Hubby and I headed over to Pancho’s Backyard Restaurant.  I have read they have some awesome Mexican food.  We ended up sharing a light meal of guacamole with chips and salsa and chicken quesadilla.  It was delicious! 

We really enjoyed this port and the excursion.  This was the highlight of our cruise.

In the early evening, I was exhausted from the day's activities.  I soaked and cleaned our snorkel gear and that was the extent of my attempt to get started on packing.  

It was formal night and we decided to take advantage quiet time up on Lido deck to get some dinner.  We headed over to the Trident Grill for grilled chicken sandwiches and french fries and brought it back to our room.  

I did get a chance to roam around the ship and noticed that a lot more folks were dressed up for this evening.