A cruise to Cozumel and Progreso

Northeast Ohio winters aren’t as severe as they used to be.  Indeed, over the past few years, our worst weather events have occurred during the summer – including two extended blackouts.  I’ve never minded the snow that much.  But the cold and dry air are hard on my sinuses and skin.  So, Daniel and I are always eager to get a break from the weather.  We avoid travel during holidays – too much price gouging by airlines and hotels, along with overcrowded airports and roads.  But the first two weeks of December have worked out well for us.     

Daniel and I had previously been on two other cruises: a west coast Princess Cruise in 2017, and a Royal Caribbean cruise to Key West and Havana the following year.  Both cruises and lines had their benefits and drawbacks.  COVID put the kibosh on more cruising, plus there were more landlocked areas we wanted to see.  So, it wasn’t until last week that we returned to cruising, out of New Orleans visiting Cozumel and Progreso Mexico on the Carnival Valor. 

As we’d never been to New Orleans before, Daniel and I decided to fly in a day early and explore the area.  Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport has been extensively renovated over the past decade and I found myself wishing once again that Cleveland had a better, more connected airport.  I found a hotel that was convenient to both the French Quarter and the cruise terminal – both were within walking distance.  We greatly enjoyed walking the French Quarter and stopping in the various shops and watering holes there.  Being on a Sunday evening, the scene there was quieter than one would see on Mardi Gras.  But we observed several people in striking costumes, and no one seemed to pay them much mind.  I found the genteel decadence of the place to be surprisingly appealing.

Daniel in the French Quarter.

The next morning, Daniel and I walked from our hotel to the cruise terminal via the Riverwalk outlets – probably the weakest mall of its kind I’ve ever seen. 

Each cruise line has its own brand identity, even if the line is owned by a larger parent corporation.  For example, Carnival, Princess, and Cunard are all subsidiaries of Carnival Corporation and plc – yet the experience of cruising on each varies widely.  When we cruised on the Grand Princess, I was in the midst of the usual angst about turning 50.  I discovered I was younger than most of the passengers and decided to forego further cruises on that line until I was a bit older.  Carnival is the opposite.  Somewhat like Walmart, Carnival is all about price point, emphasizing shipboard parties, and promoting itself as the “fun” cruise line.  Cabin prices for two, which of course include meals in the “free” restaurants, can be astonishingly low.  Thus, one sees more variety in age and ethnicity among the passengers than one would see on Princess or Cunard.  The vast majority were American, but we also met with two British brothers.  One of the unofficial rules of cruising relates to something my grandmother used to say, “Never speak of sex, religion, or politics with casual acquaintances.”  I heard no mention of the recent election during the cruise, or politics of any sort.  In that respect, this cruise was a welcome escape.      

As with movie theaters, most cruise line profit is not made on the rooms themselves but on the extras they constantly try to sell you.  The extras range from taking a meal in one of the “premium” restaurants, to purchasing pictures of your and your loved one(s) taken by the ship’s photographer, to buying accoutrements like cologne and jewelry onboard ship.  Then there are the drinks, which are expensive.  I will say Carnival was a bit less in my face about these perks than Royal Caribbean was.

Valor is a Conquest class ship, 20 years old and due for a major refurbishment next year.  American design motifs are seen throughout: bas-reliefs of Washington, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt; sculpted bald eagles; wallpaper featuring figures like Eleanor Roosevelt and Neil Armstrong.  Depending on whether you select “fixed time” or “anytime” dining, you will be seated in either the Washington or Lincoln dining rooms.  The food in Lincoln was good but not outstanding, the service was mostly on-point; Blue Iguana and Guy’s burgers are also good – the former had an excellent breakfast burrito; Rosie’s buffet had standard buffet food; there was also a BBQ place with the blandest sides imaginable – although the meat itself was good.  Daniel & I only dined at one premium restaurant: Scarlett’s Steakhouse, which was very fine indeed.

Carnival Valor, our home for five days.

A very fine steak and cheesecake at Scarlett's.

Everything, from dinner reservations to excursions to texting with your travel companion is handled via Carnival’s Hub app.  All the scheduled events for the day were listed which made it easy for us to select things to do and get reminders.

We experienced rough weather Wednesday and our excursion in Cozumel was subsequently canceled (a refund was promptly posted to our account).  Daniel and I did some local shopping, then went to Fat Tuesday near the pier and began drinking at 11:00am – something of a record for me.  The nachos there were on a lower level than Taco Bell.  But at least we got some commemorative cups. 

Getting our morning drink on in Cozumel.

The rough weather continued Wednesday night as we sailed into Progreso.  By the time we docked, the skies had started to clear and we were on our way to Hacienda Sotuta de Peón for some horseback riding, swimming in a local cenote, and lunch.  Daniel was lucky enough to get a nice tranquil mare named Cielo, whereas I was given a slightly feisty Napoleon.  The water in the cenote (itself a likely remnant of the asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs) was unexpectedly warm – when our tour guide told us the temperature was 64°, I momentarily forgot that he was measuring in Celsius.  The tour also included a rope making demonstration which I found fascinating.

Some snaps from our excursion in Progreso.

We flew home Saturday, connecting at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.  Our flight from Houston to Cleveland boarded from the recently renovated C terminal, which simply has the best gates I’ve seen at any airport, anywhere.  Instead of rows of seats with the occasional outlet, there are sets of desks with outlets aplenty, from which you can charge your devices while enjoying a meal or getting some work done.  Cleveland should take notice.

There was another aspect to this trip that we haven’t had to deal with since our dog Mason died in 2020 – boarding our pet.  Brownie has been to visit Camp Bow Wow several times and we’ve been able to observe him enjoying himself with his canine companions.  He’s come to anticipate his trips there so much that as we dropped him off the day before our flight, he began pulling on his leash to get in.  Brownie was there for the duration of our trip and we picked him up the morning after our return bathed and ready to go home. 

After the activity of the last few weeks, we’re looking forward to a quiet Christmas.