Our Cozumel Cruise on Carnival

September 2006

 Well, we did it again....planned and executed a fantastic cruise with a wonderful crowd of people.  We took the exact same cruise as the last time....I really wanted Michael to get to see just what it was like.

This time the group consisted of Michael and myself; my mom, Faye; my sister, Karyla; our very very good friend Teresa and Teresa's adorable daughter, Angela; Karyla's ex-boss, Sharon; Mom's tax buddy, Stella and Stella's sister, Susan.  We were eight last time and nine this time around.  Stella, Susan and mom drove to Mobile the day before we sailed so they wouldn't have to drive at night....Sharon and her husband also drove down the day before and met us there....the rest of us were chauffeured by Michael in a rented van. 

This is just coming into Mobile. 

And as we were trying to get to the ship, we noticed all these people in their cars parked all over the place and watching something in the air..... 

What they were watching was a helicopter carrying a steeple to put in place on a new building....

and it seemed like no matter where we went we could still see it.....

he's getting closer.....and closer....

and finally he's right on top of it.....

and again on top of it even from a distance....lol

I think he was fighting the wind....

but he finally drops it into place....just as we arrived at the harbor.

The Holiday....we have arrived.

Our first pictures were in the Seven Seas Dining Room that evening when they presented us with a piece of cake and two little candles in celebration of our anniversary and our honeymoon cruise.

I'm not sure what Michael was saying, but we were having a good time....lol

Karyla, Mom and Stella

Mom, Stella and Susan

Stella, Susan and Sharon

Sharon and Teresa

Mom, Stella and Susan again...;-)

Teresa, Mom and Karyla doing their karaoke thing...;-)

Our first towel pet....we think it was a fish....lol....we weren't real sure....;-)

Our first day out on the Lido deck for some fun in the sun!

Angela decides to get a temporary tattoo!

The finished sculpture....it really was beautiful....;-)

You just never know what you may see on a Carnival Cruise....lol

Then we got to watch a group of nuts compete in the Battle of the Sexes....

....tooooo funny....lol

A steel drum player from Trinidad-Tobago....he was very talented!!!

And everyone on the Lido deck was dancing....

the Electric Slide

they were sooooo good....made it look sooooo easy....;-)

Then it was back to taking pictures of the scenery for Jimmy....lmao!

More line dancing....;-)

and now the Macarena!!!

Then we're back to the local scenery again....lol

Jimmy owes me BIG TIME for this!!  lol

This is Captain Giuseppe Donato at the Captain's Cocktail Reception.

He brought out his entire staff and introduced them.

After we went to dinner in the Seven Seas Dining Room and the wait staff entertained us.

They were very entertaining and I have better pictures of them later on....;-)

This was the Americana Lounge and we were waiting for one of the shows to begin.

Lots of glitz and glam!!

Teresa and Angela clowning with a life preserver.

Monday morning we come upon Costa Maya!

All of a sudden the water was so incredibly blue!!

The dock was amazingly long and we backed right into it just like you'd back up a car into a parking spot.

Almost everyone left the ship.

What a gorgeous resort area this is!!

We found a great little meeting place and found a table.....

and started ordering mango margueritas!!

And the dancing began again....I'm just realizing how much dancing I saw on this cruise....how fun!!!

Our waiter.

And he just loved mom....;-)

Teresa placing her order....lol....for a mango marguerita!!!  lol

My Costa Maya "Sister", Debby  ;-)

This is Debby, Karen and the amazing Mary....;-)

They seemed to be following us....lol

Sharing shopping strategies....;-)

Stella and Susan joined us too!

White sandy beaches and a cruise ship in the distance....what a shot!

The pier was so long they shuttled us back and forth.

Someone we all know and love is a "puppy person"

Boarding the ship again.

This night at dinner, our server grabbed Angela and brought her into the act.

We were waiting to leave the ship on Tuesday and this came by us....I'm a HUGE Marilyn fan and this was a gorgeous tattoo....it was a temporary tattoo, but beautiful just the same....;-)

Man, these two were a happy pair, huh?  lol

Today we're boarding boats to take us ashore in Cozumel.

Look at the other cruise ships in the background just pulling into Cozumel at the same time.

Hurricane Wilma lasted 65 hours and spent 35 hours bearing down right on top of Cozumel....

the remains of the pier still sit in the water and the area is unusable for ships.....

There is, as usual, some politicing going on here that the pier hasn't been restored yet.

The poor people of Cozumel can't do it and the cruise companies must do it.

They had that horrible hurricane and have still rebuilt their beautiful little town.

Michael came over on the second shuttle and I was there to meet him.

I just love all the art work.

We were even treated to a mariachi band!

Just gorgeous!!

We all met at this little bar and had drinks.

Karen, Tammy and me

Then we hired a gentleman named Moses and his van to take us all out to Mister Sancho's....

a delightful little resort....

with a wonderful swimming pool right beside the ocean....

Karyla, Karen and I in the ocean but it didn't last long.....the pool was much too inviting and besides, the bartenders couldn't get down to the beach....lol

and a wonderful little bar beside that and the waiters would bring your drinks right to the pool....lol

Karen and Tammy went with us too!

We swam in the ocean for just a bit, but it wasn't nearly as nice as the pool.

We finally got a shot of all the girls together....Michael was taking this....;-)

And Michael just enjoyed himself so much!

This is the view from the ocean of the little bar we were seated at earlier.

We were headed back to the ship.

And back to the dining room again....lol

The wait staff performed a song every evening and still provide impeccable service to us.

We grew very fond of our two servers,

This was a special celebration just for previous Carnival cruise members and this band was wonderful!!  We actually go to see them play three different times!!  The employees on the ship wear many hats....they might also participate in a stage act, or this band, but they also have another job or responsibility.

Karyla and Teresa decided to play in the "Dr. Phil Questions"

Karyla lost when she said that if she called her lover by another name she would just try to laugh it off.....and Teresa lost when she thought it took men 7 minutes to have sex instead of falling asleep.

Absolutely Hilarious!!!!

Now we have a turtle and an elephant!!

This was our last day at sea and it rained most of the day....but we were under cover in the Jacuzzi....but the Jacuzzi was so hot you could barely stand to be in it.

This was a presentation of how to make all those cute little towel animals.

I made an elephant....

and a bunny....

and some swans.

Our last dinner and the sun was just setting.....

Our two servers, Megla from Lithuania and ........................

Here they were with Angela.

Every time you turn a corner, they take a picture of you....here we are trying to decide from the mega tons of pictures which ones to purchase.

And then we got a shark!!!  lol

This was a rock and roll show on the last night we were aboard ship.

Some of the wall art on board the ship

Pulling into the Port of Mobile early Thursday morning.

And here we are packed in the van and on the way home.

I just love the kudzu hanging on all the trees.

another potty stop....lol

We were packed tight!!!

Even in the front of the van....lol

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Michael and I boarding the ship

Michael and I celebrating our one year anniversary

Our Group

Our Group Picture from Mr. Sancho's....we had such a grand time here!!!

Mom and Karyla boarding the ship

The three of us at dinner our first night

Mom and Karyla

Miss Angela

Teresa & Angela

Teresa & Angela boarding the ship

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We arrived home early enough to pick up our precious puppy Bosco....

here he is with his new best friend, "Tucker"

lol....here he wants to kiss his mommy....lol....it was so good to see him again....;-)