My sister and I knew our mom had rarely, if ever, been on vacation. Her idea of a vacation was going back home to take care of family and we all know no rest ever comes from that. So we decided it was time we showed her what true rest and relaxation is like. What better way to get true R & R than on a cruise? So we told her "we're taking you on a cruise and we're going to Cozumel." We flew from Colorado Springs to Galveston, Texas on an early morning Thursday flight. Upon arrival in Galveston I had arranged for a private car service to pick us up at the airport with our names on a placard and everything. It truly is a cost effective and fun way to travel and it makes you feel a bit like a movie star. The car service even let us make a stop on the way to the ship and we picked up some waters, sodas and a few bottles of wine. Carnival lets each passenger bring one bottle of wine onboard and it was nice before dinner in our room to have a glass of wine and some cheese and crackers.
We paid a bit extra for a balcony cabin which is worth every penny. We had also paid to be "Faster to the Fun" which in theory sounds like a great idea however the people at Carnival did not do their part to allow that to happen for us.. so without going into too much detail.. let's just say that after unpacking we went down to customer service and told our story and were very quickly given an apology and refund. Our cabin was the perfect size for the three of us with 2 single beds and a comfy couch that they made up each night into a bed. There was a mini fridge and bigger bathroom with a separate vanity area which gave us extra room.
Before we even left shore we found our way to the Lido Deck, aka, where the action happens and found a wonderful hamburger place called Guy Fieri's Burgers.. maybe you've heard of him. I believe we ate there 3 or 4 times on our cruise.
Our first dinner on the cruise ship was amazing.. and every meal after that. The service on a cruise ship is hard to match anywhere. These people work their butts off to be sure you have a wonderful time and the food is awesome as well. We had told mom prior to the trip if you are ever hungry on the ship you're doing something wrong. We had the same staff for all meals we ate in the dining room and they get to know your name after the first day. Carnival is known for their chocolate melting cake dessert and it's not to be missed.
After dinner we ventured out to get acquainted with the layout of the ship and find mom the smoking sections since you're not allowed to smoke in the rooms or on the balconies. We also had a fun time in the Casino where they have machines and tables as well as live music. Mom went home with some winnings in her pocket. Each night upon returning to your room your purser turns down your bed and makes these fun towel animals. Friday morning we had room service and they brought fresh fruit, coffee, juice and danishes... All included in the price of your room. After we did some more exploring of the ship we thought it would be fun to try our hand at BINGO. It must have been my lucky day since I was a big winner.. and I shared my winnings with Mom and Dori. Dinner on Friday night they were offering a Steak dinner or a Lobster dinner and mom expressed that she'd like both and sure enough they brought her two entire dinners so she had steak and lobster as well as 2 baked potatoes, 2 veggies and so on and so on on.
Dori and I had done some research before we boarded and we knew some "secret" decks to find so we went exploring and found them.. They were at the very front of the ship and we felt a bit like Jack & Rose on Titanic.. but she didn't make me hold her up on the bow. If you go on a cruise do a bit of research and see what you can find to find fun stuff that not everyone knows about. From our deck we saw quite a few flying fish, one dolphin and enjoyed the sunrises and sunsets as well as amazing fresh sea air. We had fun in the saltwater pools where we found ourselves to be very buoyant. We also found that in the Spa area of the ship the sauna and steam room as well as the showers are complimentary. You don't have to book spa services to use them and they are very relaxing. 
We woke up Saturday morning and had a full day of fun planned. We were in Cozumel!! Such beautiful water and beaches. The weather was perfect. We were in paradise. 
We had scheduled an excursion that included snorkeling, a tequila tour and a dune buggy tour around the island. Due to extremely high waves we were unable to snorkel but we still had a blast. We took off in a group of about 6 jeeps/dune buggies and headed out to a tequila tour. It was interesting but a bit too long.. There was a cute little donkey who let us pet him. They really wanted you to buy their tequila. Next stop was a yummy lunch on the beach where we met this little guy. I really wanted to bring him home but Dori said no.. well.. her and US Customs.. Apparently it's frowned upon. After we had lunch we stopped for a while to enjoy the beauty of the beach.
We spent about an hour at the beach and then continued on to the lighthouse where we were allowed to climb to the top and take some of the beautiful pictures.
Once back on ship and showered we headed out for another amazing dinner. After dinner we found ourselves at a comedy show.. which was very funny... and quickly we moved onto a piano bar/singalong which was a blast. Sunday was another day at sea and we enjoyed it by eating, of course, swimming, casino-ing (yes, that's a word) relaxing and enjoying time with each other. Mom took the opportunity to dress up for dinner and looked beautiful.
We had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend cruising as an awesome family vacation. It's mostly all inclusive and there's lots to do on the ship and on shore. As you can see below we were sad for it to come to an end but we had an amazing time.
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