Day 6: COZUMEL  8-5pm

So...what to do here. We have been here so many times and done so many things so the search was on....

I REALLY wanted to do another dune buggy ride this cruise, because we had so much fun last time, and I found several great excursions for xrail to the caverns and knew that's what I wanted to do. After researching FOREVER...I found it to be a very difficult task to do, when cruising with NCL, from the port of Punta Langosta. Since it is the furthest port away, we would 1) be responsible for getting transportation and paying to get to the International port, then paying the excursion extra for the ride to their location, then paying for the excursion itself. OR 2) paying for a ride directly to the excursion site to meet up with everyone. The pricing just for all the transportation cost on top of the excursion just left a sour taste in my mouth about booking. I tried every solution and with the actual time involved in the excursion (both transportation and the riding portion then the time and the caves and back) I decided it just wasn't the thing for us. I was very disappointed that vendors there don't make it easier for those coming from the Punta Langosta port to do their excursion. Other vendors with different excursions provide the transportation, why couldn't they? Our other option was to use the cruise line and well, that just didn't seem to be worth it either.

So...off to find another excursion or place we hadn't been to yet.

After more research, I remembered a place that came up on the boards years ago: El Cielo sandbar with the starfish. I guess the only way to reach it, which is located at the end of the island, it by boat and is a marine park. I started researching several vendors that went there and came across one that was a family owned business, for 20 years, and their description of the tour and their customer service just sounded fantastic. They claimed they would never pack in customer on a boat and took around 12 customers per boat. They do mention they pick up customers from ANYWHERE...including all the ports and they have their ground transportation license (which vendors can no longer get now) and I knew this was who I wanted to go with.

I thought the price of their tour was pretty reasonable as well. Only $50 per adult and $40 for kids. (I don't know what the ages of the "kids" are supposed to be and would find out before we got on the boat and had to pay that Sakari, at age 11, was considered an adult 🙄). 

This price included all transportation, beer/liquor, soda/bottled water, freshly made guacamole, open bar, chips and dip, freshly cut fruits, and all equipment needed.

The snorkel destinations would include Palancar Reef and Colombia Reef and El Cielo Sandbar.

The time of the tour was for 4-4 1/2 hours and after the tour, they took you to a resort which you could use their amenities such as showers and so on.

It sounded perfect and we booked.

We got up and headed to breakfast...

We were given instructions where to meet outside of the pier and that we needed to be there by 8:30 at the latest.

We got off and had our pictures taken

Then we decided it was going to be an exhausting day of snorkeling and out in the sun so we should probably hitch a ride on one of the many bikes they use for transportation on the piers.

The fun began.... 

This guy had a horn that sounded like a clown horn. My husband started mocking it. Every time we would go by people, my husband would sound his horn. I tell ya by the time we made it to our destination, both Sakari and I were laughing so hard we both had tears coming down our face. It was so hilarious to watch peoples faces as we went by with this odd sounding noise coming from our cart. LOL

Only my crazy family would do this...:D

Like any other port, you would have to wind your way around and up and down and back and forth to get out of this port.

Our meeting place was to be between Hooters and Starbucks. Well, that was easy to spot and right there on the street as you come down the stairs.

To see my complete review from today, click here

We did a little shopping in port and headed back to the ship. 

These guys sure know how to put on a show and everyone was trying to figure how he was suspended in air. Sakari says...it's by the pole going up his arm and around his body. She's such a smart cookie.

The coming back party is always grand for NCL with singing and dancing.

After returning to the ship...I bet you can all guess what transpired at this time....

Yep, Sakari met up with her friends for more water time of course. Then her and Daniel took off to the water slides...for.ev.er!

Meanwhile, the kids pool is closed....like always...2 days straight.

After pool time, we decided it was time for a REAL meal since we hadn't ate anything other than the chips, guac and pico.

It was none other than...Mexican night of course...since we were just in Mexico.

This Mexican coleslaw was the bomb! They also had Mexican Lasagna and it was totally awesome too! The hubby even went back for seconds. LOL

I'm always having to dig around something smothering my cheesecake. Can't they just offer plain cheesecake for us weirdos?

Now lets talk about this bread...oh em geeeeeee weeee!!! This was the best tasting bread I have ever encountered.

Mexian pan de muertos bread...or day of the dead bread! Soooo tasty! I think it has sugar on the top. I'm going to have to learn to make this sweet bread.

After dinner we wanted to catch a show. There was a magician/comedian guy and we were happy to see something different than the same old song and dance shows.

Jean Pierre Parent was his name and we had seen him before on another ship.

We laughed and he did tricks and jokes and he was good. He used a lot of people from the audience and it was basically the same show we had seen before many years ago (or either he was on another cruiseline and we seen him...I don't remember).

He pulled a lady up from the audience...only to find out she was in the audience at his last show and he had picked her that time too! LOL  He said "Well I guess I have a type" LOL  He only caught this because he ask her what she did and she said some type of engineer and her husband was a doctor. Oh, well I had someone earlier with the same thing...wait, are you the same person?

Then another segment he ask for other people in the audience. He ended up pulling a girl out of the audience...ask her what her name was, what she did (student in college), what her parents did (dad and lawyer mom stayed home) and what do you know...it was the family of 4 we were on the boat with earlier in the day that was going scuba diving! LOL  Next kid they pulled from the audience...what is your name, what do your parents do (dad lawyer, mom lawyer) geesh....he was sure he needed to pick different people otherwise he would be sued by the end of the night.

I guess there are a lot of doctors and lawyers sailing on our cruise. 

After the shows a lot of people got up and left and we were waiting for either end to get up to decide which way to go (we sat in the middle and this NEVER happens but Sakari insisted). Well all of a sudden they told us to WAIT...there's more...and people came out singing...oh geesh....then pictures started go up on the screen behind the singers....oh no not this....staff started coming out...and I'm looking for any slight movement from either end of our aisle that might indicate they were leaving at all (they were all standing). I had to stand there and endure this entire "show" that we were "allowed" to take all the pictures we wanted of.

At one point, I couldn't take it any longer and excused myself to go to the restroom and the family followed. We were free (but I really did have to potty). I don't like hanging out for these things. Yea, clap clap if you did a good job and made my trip enjoyable, but if you did, I was telling you and showing you and I don't need to know all this other song and dance. I'm well aware of the behind the scenes people and I can almost guarantee that all those workers on the stage would rather have a break, a nap or doing something else for the cruise line to show their appreciation to them other than putting on yet another show.

One thing Sakari had been looking forward to all day was the Glow Party. After the show she wanted to go back to the room to "get ready" for it (dressing up again in her white dress and heels). We went to the casino for a bit. I did pretty good and by good I mean stayed even and still had fun.

We went by the room to get Sakari and headed to the party. 

So far so dead but hey we were able to get seats in the front row. 😉

They set up a table to paint glow faces and the line started to form. Sakari was 3rd in line...I know it's hard to tell these days since she's almost as tall as the adults in line.

Sakari was right up there and had her face being done. I couldn't wait to see what she got. I seen all kinds of cute little drawings and shapes on everyone's face.

She comes back with this....really? Just a few dots across the face? Did you tell them to do that because it resembles a S and bless your heart! 😉 She said no and just told them to do whatever and she was happy with it and that's all that mattered.

Then the music started playing and people started coming. Sakari found some of her pool friends (actual girls this time) and was so excited and took off to the dance floor. How she is 11 years old and stomps her feet in these high heels dancing back and forth is beyond me (video below). I don't think I could have ever done it at that age!

Then a video starts with a countdown and then all the goodies go up and the party starts and it is crazy and crowded and I lost my child...for at least an hour or longer. I knew she was still on the dance floor because my seat was by the entrance/exit to it and she wasn't getting past that without me knowing. 

I would finally decide it was time to sift the crowd for our kid and we ended up finding her and all her friends all the way up at the stage by the blasting speakers. If you read my last Breakaway review to Bermuda with Kendra...you'll remember Kendra laying Brayden right by the speakers to "SLEEP" while we were at this party and every dirty look known to every parent combined were given that night...including me giving mine. Those speakers brought back memories for sure. Embarrassing memories.

Daddy and I ended up dancing with Sakari and had a great night. Then we decided to head over to the bar for a drink and the hubby took his place at the bar stool and waited and waited and 20 minutes passed by. Sakari and I were waiting on the soft chairs behind him. I watched as everyone in the row was served and moved and others walk up and be served next...while he still waited. He's a quiet man but I could tell his temper was ready to explode. I watch the other side of him as 3-4 people line deep was served and still nothing from him. He moved from his spot over to another and was finally served. I watched the lady take his seat where he was...and the same thing happened to her. Note...do not sit at the bar in the middle beside the pole. You will not get served.

When he did get served...they gave him several drinks for us and a virgin for Sakari. She was happy, and tired, and her feet hurt. Imagine that.

Back to the room went went and it was around 1 or 2 am. I can't remember.