Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Food

A quick note on food on the Carnival Magic -

The food was very good.   Food on Carnival always is.  This cruise, though, we did not find it OUTSTANDING.  The selection was not as wide nor the items as unusual as we are accustomed to on Carnival and the taste was just good. 


Warm Chocolate Melting Cake
 My favorite dessert, Bitter and Blanc, was not the same fabulous treat.  The Warm Chocolate Melting Cake, however; was better than ever!  Overall, the starters and desserts were the best - to me...

My favorites this trip - Gazpacho, WCM Cake, Beef and Barley Soup, and Chateau Briand.  Oh, and the Escargot was very good.

Some ordered multiples of one or more courses.  One, who shall remain unnamed, ordered one of each starter and entree the last night.  Wowee!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

New Year's Cruise - Western Caribbean


Approaching the port at Cozumel
  This is the first of a number of posts about our recent Friends and Family New Year's Cruise. 

To start with, we had a wonderful time on the Carnival Magic.  This is a very new and very large Carnival ship.  All our staterooms were very nice and a bit larger than on other ships we have traveled on.  I mean "on which we have travelled" - sorry Mom!

We left from Galveston and spent two days at sea, arriving in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  Here we chose to hire a van driver to show us the area and tell us about current conditions and  events, history, and politics.   The farmers market was very interesting, but I don't think I would walk through it.  It is very crowded and some people objected to us taking pictures through the windows of the van.



Sunset at Sea

We saw homes from shambles to estates.  I was frustrated as a  photographer of rustic structures that I didn't feel comfortable/safe strolling to catch images.  If, or when I return, I will hire a guide to walk me through the market and surrounding neighborhoods.  I really like the look of history and time in structures and tools.

Next we visited Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman Islands.  This port city is cleaner and more developed than Montego Bay.  The Cayman Islands chose to remain the the British Empire; Jamaica did not;  and it shows.

Here 17 of us sailed on a catamaran to  Stingray City to snorkel with sting rays.  They are wild in habitat, but tame in behavior.  The captain and crew of the catamaran feed them regularly and helped us feed and hold them.  They don't bite, but they do suck, literally.  See photo below.  I was feeding one and a wave pushed us together, moving my hand.  The ray thought I was a squid...  Yes, it hurt.


Sting Ray "suck"
 Our last stop was Cozumel.  Here, of course is civilization almost as we know it.  There is lots of shopping, all new and clean.  We are very experienced here and we strolled to stores, restaurants, and snorkeling.  We took a van and taxi to Chakanaab Park where there are many activities including snorkeling, food and drink, sea lion show, dolphin encounters, botancal garden, and a pretty lagoon.  There is beach access and seating along the shore and a small cove safe for small children.

Our return was marred by dense and long lasting fog.  Carnival did a very good job of keeping us entertained, fed, and apprised of the weather and departure progress.  We were about 5 hours late.


Postings to come:  Accessible Cruising, Spa Cruising, Food on the Magic, and who knows?  We had a great time!

Change Mediterranean Date

The planned date for our Mediterranean Group Cruise is now May or June 2013.  When we can book that far out, we'll let everyone we know know.  This is a great opportunity for seeing the eastern Mediterranean countries without packing or paying extra travel.

Greg and I will be taking our boys (almost 10 at that time). 

We will start in Spain or Italy and finish in the other.  There will be a payment plan.

Buen viaje!
Buon viaggio!