Carnival Breeze 2022 5-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 3 Part 2 May 16, 2022 Costa Maya, Mexico
Scheduled Arrival: 1:00pm Scheduled Departure: 8:00pm
Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!
Day 3 Part 2 May 16, 2022 Costa Maya, Mexico
Scheduled Arrival: 1:00pm Scheduled Departure: 8:00pm
Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!
Arriving In Costa Maya:
Our arrival in Costa Maya was scheduled for 1pm, but we were in the process of docking about 30-45 minutes early. After eating lunch in the Lido Marketplace I went down from Deck 10 to Deck 9's front to look out as we docked. The Carnival Ecstasy was already docked at the pier and guests were starting to go ashore by the time the Carnival Breeze docked.
Our arrival in Costa Maya was scheduled for 1pm, but we were in the process of docking about 30-45 minutes early. After eating lunch in the Lido Marketplace I went down from Deck 10 to Deck 9's front to look out as we docked. The Carnival Ecstasy was already docked at the pier and guests were starting to go ashore by the time the Carnival Breeze docked.
View From The Front Of Deck 9 As We Approached Costa Maya
|
Patches of Seaweed Floating
|
Looking Down The Coast
|
Before we docked the Carnival Breeze turned around. Unfortunately this meant my cove balcony was on the side that was not facing Costa Maya or the pier. Turning around took a little longer than I expected. As we docked I saw large clumps of seaweed along the coast, but most clumps were offshore (at least in this area).
Carnival Ecstasy Docked In Costa Maya
|
Looking Down The Side Of The Ship As We Turned Around Prior To Docking
|
Costa Maya Pier & Port Buildings In The Distance
|
After we had turned around the Carnival Breeze slowly moved towards the pier in a side-ways motion. Forklifts and a golf-cart were waiting on the pier with people who were ready to tie the Carnival Breeze's ropes. At this time I could see many guests from the Carnival Ecstasy going ashore. I was nervous about crowding due to so many people getting off the Carnival Ecstasy, but I had no idea how jam packed Costa Maya was actually going to be.
Golfcart On The Pier
|
Looking Down The Side Of The Ship as We Docked & Carnival Ecstasy In Background
|
Carnival Breeze Is Nearly Docked
|
Seeing The Carnival Ecstasy Docked In Costa Maya:
After watching our arrival on Deck 9's front observation deck area I headed to the back of Deck 10 to take a look out. This allowed me to get a good view of the Carnival Ecstasy which was already docked. The Carnival Ecstasy was my first cruise ship and I sailed on the ship many times out of Galveston. Currently the Carnival Ecstasy is Carnival's oldest ship in the fleet and the ship is scheduled to leave the fleet in October 2022. I enjoyed seeing the Carnival Ecstasy docked as this brought back many memories of my first cruise in 2007 and other cruises taken on the ship before it left Galveston. Here are some pictures from Deck 10's aft:
After watching our arrival on Deck 9's front observation deck area I headed to the back of Deck 10 to take a look out. This allowed me to get a good view of the Carnival Ecstasy which was already docked. The Carnival Ecstasy was my first cruise ship and I sailed on the ship many times out of Galveston. Currently the Carnival Ecstasy is Carnival's oldest ship in the fleet and the ship is scheduled to leave the fleet in October 2022. I enjoyed seeing the Carnival Ecstasy docked as this brought back many memories of my first cruise in 2007 and other cruises taken on the ship before it left Galveston. Here are some pictures from Deck 10's aft:
Side View Of The Back Of The Carnival Ecstasy
|
Side View Of The Front Of The Carnival Ecstasy
|
Carnival Breeze's Ropes Being Tied
|
View From My Cove Balcony:
After watching our arrival I went back to my cove balcony stateroom on Deck 2. Since we had turned around I did not get to see the pier or Costa Maya from my room, but I did have a good view of the back part of the Carnival Ecstasy. There were very large clumps of seaweed outside of the ship. Interestingly, these clumps would float away during the day.
After watching our arrival I went back to my cove balcony stateroom on Deck 2. Since we had turned around I did not get to see the pier or Costa Maya from my room, but I did have a good view of the back part of the Carnival Ecstasy. There were very large clumps of seaweed outside of the ship. Interestingly, these clumps would float away during the day.
View From My Cove Balcony - Large Clump Of Seaweed
|
Zoomed In View Of Large Clump Of Seaweed
|
View From My Cove Balcony
|
Going Ashore To Costa Maya, Mexico:
We got off the ship around 2:00pm which was about an hour and 15 minutes after guests had been allowed off. When the ship was given clearance by the local authorities and the gangway was setup, our cruise director Cookie came over the PA to let everyone know that going ashore was now allowed. The gangway at the front elevators and mid-ship gangways were both open for guests to get off the ship. Since our staterooms were located closest to the front gangway we walked down the front stairwell to Deck 0. Normally Deck 0 is for crew members only, with the exception of guests that visit the ship's medical center. We were directed by crew members to the gangway. There was a small line to get our Sail & Sign card scanned by security. Through this process Security was scanning cards with a tablet and then making sure each person's picture on the tablet was them. Security was doing a very detailed job.
After getting our Sail & Sign card scanned we were free to walk down the gangway. Multiple photographers from the Carnival Breeze were standing outside to take pictures of guests getting off. We declined and started our walk down the pier.
We got off the ship around 2:00pm which was about an hour and 15 minutes after guests had been allowed off. When the ship was given clearance by the local authorities and the gangway was setup, our cruise director Cookie came over the PA to let everyone know that going ashore was now allowed. The gangway at the front elevators and mid-ship gangways were both open for guests to get off the ship. Since our staterooms were located closest to the front gangway we walked down the front stairwell to Deck 0. Normally Deck 0 is for crew members only, with the exception of guests that visit the ship's medical center. We were directed by crew members to the gangway. There was a small line to get our Sail & Sign card scanned by security. Through this process Security was scanning cards with a tablet and then making sure each person's picture on the tablet was them. Security was doing a very detailed job.
After getting our Sail & Sign card scanned we were free to walk down the gangway. Multiple photographers from the Carnival Breeze were standing outside to take pictures of guests getting off. We declined and started our walk down the pier.
View As I Crossed The Gangway - View From The Ship's Front
|
On The Pier - Looking Towards The Front Of The Ship
|
Looking At the Pier & Costa Maya In The Distance
|
As we walked alongside the Carnival Breeze it was nice looking at the ship and the new paint job given during dry-dock. Also the Carnival Breeze felt massive as we walked along the length of the ship.
Walking Along The Carnival Breeze On The Pier
|
Costa Maya
|
Carnival Breeze
|
Looking Up At The Back Of The Carnival Breeze
|
Carnival Breeze - View Of The Back
|
Carnival Breeze
|
After walking by the Carnival Breeze, we walked by the Carnival Ecstasy. I definitely miss the Carnival Ecstasy being out of Galveston!
Carnival Ecstasy
|
Carnival Ecstasy
|
Carnival Ecstasy
|
The pier was somewhat long, but not too bad to walk. A shuttle was available for those who could not make the walk (I am not sure if it was complimentary or if there was a fee). As we approached Costa Maya on the pier I was able to get great views of the shoreline and port buildings ahead.
View On The Pier As We Approached Land
|
View Of The Shoreline of Costa Maya
|
Looking Along The Shoreline of Cruise Port
|
After getting off the pier it was very crowded! There were groups meeting for shore excursions and people standing around taking pictures with the Costa Maya signage. I was hoping the rest of the shopping complex would be less crowded, but I was wrong. It was packed and elbow to elbow people in some spots. Before being able to access the area we were required to walk through a shop.
First Look At Costa Maya - It Was Very Crowded
|
Walking In Between Shops
|
Walking By A Shop
|
Due to the large crowds it was difficult for me to get pictures and further I try not to publish pictures with people's faces showing on this blog to respect privacy. However, I did get some pictures of various things around the shops. Here are some pictures:
Walking By Shops
|
|
Flamingos
|
Costa Maya
|
Elevated Walkway
|
Walking Around Costa Maya
|
Signage At Costa Maya
|
Iguana Walked In Front Of Us
|
Driveway At Front Of Cruise Complex
|
Tour Buses Parked In The Distance
|
Taxis
|
Costa Maya Sign
|
Costa Maya
|
View Of Carnival Breeze & Carnival Ecstasy
|
Carnival Breeze
|
While walking around, I noticed a secluded set of stairs that led up to a vacant area with tables & chairs. This area was empty, but allowed me to get some great pictures of the ships in the distance.
Carnival Breeze & Carnival Ecstasy
|
Carnival Ecstasy
|
Costa Maya
|
Quiet Area On An Upper Floor - Great Place To Take Pictures Of The Ships
|
Area With Tables - Not Being Utilized During Our Visit
|
Walking In Between Shops
|
As I began to head back towards the pier entrance I walked by some more shops. The cruise complex was beginning to get less crowded as people had settled in for the afternoon or left for shore excursions.
Walking By Shops
|
Walking In Between Shops
|
Walking In Between Shops
|
In order to re-enter the pier we first had to walk through the same large shop again. It was much less crowded this time through except for a few other people that were also heading back towards the ships.
Costa Maya
|
Walking Into Shops That We Had To Walk Through In Order To Return To Ship
|
Costa Maya
|
Before going through the pier Security Checkpoint I stopped to look out at the shoreline and take some pictures of the various statues & Costa Maya signage that were located before the pier.
Rock That Said Costa Maya
|
View Of Shoreline
|
Looking Out At The Nice Blue Water
|
Check Point Signage & Carnival Ecstasy In Distance
|
Bins For Disposing of Waste & Recycling
|
Costa Maya Sign & Carnival Breeze In Background
|
Walking Back To The Ship - Entering The Pier:
In order to walk back onto the pier, we had to go through a security checkpoint. We had to show our Sail & Sign card to the security guard. The security guard was checking Sail & Sign cards for ship names and sailing dates. There was a brief wait at the Security Checkpoint as some lady a few feet in front of me was asking all sorts of questions to the security guard. He seemed annoyed with her slowing down the line. Once this was done we were able to walk onto the pier. Here are some pictures I took while walking along the pier:
In order to walk back onto the pier, we had to go through a security checkpoint. We had to show our Sail & Sign card to the security guard. The security guard was checking Sail & Sign cards for ship names and sailing dates. There was a brief wait at the Security Checkpoint as some lady a few feet in front of me was asking all sorts of questions to the security guard. He seemed annoyed with her slowing down the line. Once this was done we were able to walk onto the pier. Here are some pictures I took while walking along the pier:
Coconut Sign Telling Weather
|
View Of The Shoreline
|
Carnival Ecstasy
|
Carnival Breeze
|
Carnival Breeze
|
View Of The Shoreline From The Pier
|
Walking Along The Carnival Breeze On The Pier
|
Carnival Logo - Painted Onto The Ship During Drydock
|
Looking Back At The Pier
|
The Carnival Breeze had a tent setup outside the gangway with fruit (I think lemon or oranges) infused water and some regular plain water. This was a nice area for getting a quick drink before heading up the gangway.
Getting Back On The Carnival Breeze:
After walking up the Carnival Breeze's gangway we had our Sail & Sign cards scanned. This was done by a security guard with a handheld tablet. As each person's card was scanned their picture appeared on the screen for security to verify the identity of the cruiser. After getting our Sail & Sign card scanned we had to go through the metal detector & bag screening. All electronic items had to be emptied from our pockets and placed in a bin to go through a separate scanning. Bags, purses, and backpacks also had to be scanned separately. I was carrying an empty can of Coke and the security guard inspected the can to make sure it was really empty. They were very detailed at the Security Checkpoint!
Getting Back On The Carnival Breeze:
After walking up the Carnival Breeze's gangway we had our Sail & Sign cards scanned. This was done by a security guard with a handheld tablet. As each person's card was scanned their picture appeared on the screen for security to verify the identity of the cruiser. After getting our Sail & Sign card scanned we had to go through the metal detector & bag screening. All electronic items had to be emptied from our pockets and placed in a bin to go through a separate scanning. Bags, purses, and backpacks also had to be scanned separately. I was carrying an empty can of Coke and the security guard inspected the can to make sure it was really empty. They were very detailed at the Security Checkpoint!
Water Available By The Gangway
|
View As I Crossed The Gangway
|
View As I Crossed The Gangway
|
Once back onboard the Carnival Breeze and after going through security I headed back to my stateroom on Deck 2. While inside my room I heard a loud noise outside so I rushed to the balcony to look out. Some of the lifeboats were being raised and lowered for testing purposes. Here are some pictures:
Lifeboat Being Raised - View From My Cove Balcony
|
Lifeboat Being Lowered - View From My Cove Balcony
|
Lifeboat
|
Afternoon Walk Around The Lanai:
There was some time between when I got back onboard and dinner so after visiting my stateroom I walked a few times around Deck 5. The Lanai was very quiet, except for a few people in hot-tubs and a few people in the smoking section. Here are some pictures I took during my walk around the Lanai:
There was some time between when I got back onboard and dinner so after visiting my stateroom I walked a few times around Deck 5. The Lanai was very quiet, except for a few people in hot-tubs and a few people in the smoking section. Here are some pictures I took during my walk around the Lanai:
Walking The Lanai - Carnival Ecstasy In Background
|
Back Of The Lanai - View Of Carnival Ecstasy
|
Back Of The Lanai - View Of Costa Maya
|
Looking Down At the Pier & Costa Maya
|
Lanai -Looking Towards The Ship's Front
|
Lanai
|
While outside walking I headed up to Deck 9 to have a look out the front of the ship. I didn't stay outside too much longer because I was thirsty. Since I was one deck away from the Lido, I then walked up to Deck 10 to the Lido Marketplace to get some water.
View From The Observation Deck Of The Ship's Front
|
Looking Down The Carnival Breeze's Side
|
Lido Marketplace
|
Sapphire Dining Room
|
Dinner In The Main Dining Room:
Tonight was our third dinner of the cruise and once again we ate in the Sapphire Dining Room for Your-Time Dining. The Carnival Hub App's Your-Time Dining check-in opened approximately 10 minutes prior to dinner and at 5:30pm the doors to the Sapphire Dining Room opened. We showed our table assignment and were taken to the same table as the first night. This was very exciting as we enjoyed these waitstaff much more than those we had on the second night. For tonight's dinner I had a hard time choosing because there were so many good choices. I decided on for appetizer fried mozzarella and caesar salad, main course was Grilled Talapia, and dessert was a banana split again. Everything tasted great and the food service was awesome! |
|
|
|
Bread - Baguette & Whole Wheat
|
Appetizer - Two Shrimp Cocktails
|
Appetizer - Fried Mozerella
|
Appetizer - Caesar Salad
|
Appetizer - Baked Meatballs
|
Main Course - Grilled Tilapia
|
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
|
Platinum/Diamond Chocolate Delight VIFP Reward:
Carnival notified us before the cruise that one of the loyalty perks for Platinum & Diamond guests on 5+ night cruises is a Chocolate Delight plate that can be ordered from room service during the cruise. In the middle of the afternoon I called room service from my stateroom phone to place the order for the Chocolate Delight. The crew member working room service asked when I would like the delivery and I said at "your earliest convenience". I was in no hurry for the strawberries and it didn't matter to me if they came before or after dinner. Shortly after dinner while I was changing in my stateroom I heard a soft knock. A crew member was standing at the door with 6 chocolate covered strawberries. These strawberries were tasty! |
After changing clothes I went outside to Deck 5 to see Costa Maya. While outside we started to leave Costa Maya. The Carnival Ecstasy was still docked and I had a great view of the ship in the night. I was able to see inside the Promenade Deck windows and could see the neon lights of the Rolls Royce Cafe, City Lights Blvd, and Crystal Palace Casino. Here are some pictures from the evening:
Sunset As We Were Docked In Costa Maya
|
Forklift Next To Carnival Ecstasy On Pier
|
Carnival Breeze Starting To Leave Costa Maya
|
After watching our sail-a-way from Costa Maya I headed up to the ship's upper outside decks. I stopped in the Lido Marketplace for some water and then took some time looking around outside.
Leaving The Carnival Ecstasy Behind At Costa Maya
|
View From Deck 12 of Jogging Track
|
Lido Main Pool Area - Dive In Movie Ending
|
Carnival Breeze's Fun Shops:
Before going back to Deck 2 I stopped in the Carnvial Breeze's Fun Shops. We had a lot of non-refundable onboard credit to spend so I bought some Carnival 50th Anniversary merchandise, t-shirts, and a model ship. Even after this spending of $100 we still had around $300 more that needed spending onboard (after factoring out gratuity that were not yet posted to our onboard account). Below are pictures of some of the items available for purchase in the Carnival Breeze's Fun Shops (in the logo items section).
Before going back to Deck 2 I stopped in the Carnvial Breeze's Fun Shops. We had a lot of non-refundable onboard credit to spend so I bought some Carnival 50th Anniversary merchandise, t-shirts, and a model ship. Even after this spending of $100 we still had around $300 more that needed spending onboard (after factoring out gratuity that were not yet posted to our onboard account). Below are pictures of some of the items available for purchase in the Carnival Breeze's Fun Shops (in the logo items section).
Fun Shops - 50th Anniversary Merchandise
|
Fun Shops
|
Fun Shops
|
Fun Shops
|
Fun Shops
|
Fun Shops
|
Fun Shops
|
Fun Shops
|
Fun Shops
|
Towel Animal
|
After buying gift shop logo merchandise it was time to head back to my stateroom to go to sleep. The day was fun and tomorrow would be an early morning arrival to Cozumel, Mexico. Our stateroom steward had come by during the evening and left us a new towel animal.
CONTINUE: Day 4 Part 1's Cozumel Cruise Review!
Click Here For Day 4 Part 1's Cruise Review! Click Here To Return To The Review's Mainpage Please Like RyG's Cruise Guide On Facebook!
Click Here For Our Facebook Page I will be sharing review updates, cruise tips, and more! |