04/04/2024
So many ports and so little time....
Back in 1966, NCL was originally known as Norwegian Caribbean Line, and was the first to offer weekly voyages to the Caribbean. They have come a long way since then, operating Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. As the cruise industry began to gain popularity, Norwegian led the way with its introduction of a fleet of sleek, new “white ships” in the late 60s and early 70s and continued to add capacity and expand itineraries throughout the next two decades. Norwegian Caribbean Line became Norwegian Cruise Line in 1987 to reflect an expanded route structure.
This trip took us to 4 different ports over the 7-day itinerary. Let's look at each port:
🇲🇽 Costa Maya, Mexico- The walk from the pier to the port is LONG. They do offer a shuttle which is a plus for those with accessibility issues. The port itself is built with shops, restaurants, and vendors selling anything you can imagine. There is also a Dolphin Discovery directly in the middle of the shopping area, and the area for the dolphins to swim is small ☹️ Shopping is expensive, no real beach to sit at, and there is not a lot to do right at the port. We wish we would have booked an excursion for this stop. We heard later that there are some amazing Mayan ruins that we missed. Overall, this was my least favorite port.
🇧🇿 Harvest Caye, Belize- Leaving all your cares behind, this was THE BEST port we visited. This is a 75-acre oasis featuring an expansive pool with a swim-up bar, salt-water lagoon for water sports, an exclusive 7-acre beach and exciting shore excursions ranging from zip lining across the island to snorkeling the world's second largest barrier reef. Pro-tip: Walk all the way down the path towards the private villas. There are so many open beach chairs, and with a bar/restaurant just off the beach, it was as if there was no one there but us. It was a perfect port stop.
🇭🇳 Roatán, Honduras- There are 2 ports that ships enter, with NCL docking at the port Coxen Hole. Roatán, the largest of the Bay Islands, is known as a diving and snorkeling mecca. Virtually its entire coast is fringed by diverse coral reefs and tropical fish. We chose to skip the formal excursion and hired a local taxi driver for the day. He was informative and offered some very 'real' insight into the area. He took us to a rum factory, a chocolate factory, the highest point (check out the background of the picture with the size difference of the ships in port) and of course, the Nature Preserve to hold monkeys and sloths (total highlight). This was a fun stop that we will never forget.
🇲🇽 Cozumel, Mexico- Cozumel is a small island off the Mayan Riviera coast, but you wouldn't know it with the abundance of shops, restaurants and even a few shopping malls. After a short walk down the pier, you are immediately met with a shopping area including popular stops like Senor Frogs, Margaritaville and even a Ron Jon Surf Shop. Taxis are waiting just outside the port shopping area to take you wherever you wish. We headed for a local downtown area with shops, food and music around every corner. We did see a number of local police walking the streets. This is another port that we wish we would have booked an excursion, most shops sell the same wares and use many unique tactics to get you inside. 😬
Overall, we enjoyed having 4 different ports of call. It kept us busy, and we felt like we were exposed to many different cultures and experiences. There were moments when the aggressive heckling and forceful sampling left me with a negative impression. We did leave both Costa Maya and Cozumel within a couple of hours and headed back to the ship. This ended up being perfect because the pools were empty and the drinks flowed quickly!
Enjoy...☀️
