Sunday, December 22, 2013

Carnival Magic photos; Royal Caribbean's Labadee profile



I was standing on one of the upper decks of Allure of the Seas, watching the various ships that were calling at Cozumel pull into port. Cozumel is probably the most popular cruise port in the Western Caribbean and so it is usually a good place for watching and photographing ships.

In addition to Allure, Norwegian Jewel, Navigator of the Seas and Norwegian Dawn had already docked. Jewel had taken the landward side of the Puerto Maya pier so it seemed likely that a ship would be arriving to take the seaward side of that pier.

Then off in the distance I could see a white shape emerging out of the mist at the far end of the island. As the mist lifted, I could make out that she was a Carnival Dream class ship. Since Carnival Dream sails out of Port Canaveral and Carnival Breeze had been in Miami only a day before, I concluded that it was the second ship in this three ship class - - Carnival Magic.

Carnival Magic, like her sisters, is the latest evolution of the design that began with Carnival Destiny. However, she is wider and has more decks, which to me, gives her a more substantial look.

The ship is quite popular in Texas where she is based. Having been aboard, I do not find this surprising. Carnival remains the world's most popular cruise line and Carnival Magic embodies all of the line's latest thinking. In addition, the interior layout allows for much better people flow.

On this day, the weather in Cozumel was changing rapidly. In addition, to the fog at the far end of the island, there were sunny intervals, cloudy patches and spots of rain. As a result, as Carnival Magic approached, she went though a variety of lighting, which made her more interesting to photograph.

Using my photos, I have put together a photo essay of Carnival Magic arriving in Cozumel. http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-magic-goes-to-cozumel.html
There is also a video. http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-magic-goes-to-cozumel-video.html These augment our existing profile of Carnival Magic. http://beyondships.com/CarnivalMagic-Profile.html

Earlier in the cruise, Allure had stopped at Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private resort in Haiti. Labadee is perhaps the most extensively developed of the private resorts operated by the cruise lines. For one thing, it has a dock so you do not have to tender to and from the ship to the resort. You simply walk ashore.

Labadee is also known for its zip line. It starts on a hilltop at the far end of the resort, takes the riders over a densely-wooded hillside then out over the sea, arriving finally on the beach not far from the cruise ship dock. It is not something that I do but it is impressive to watch the guests speeding along above the waves.


Although Labadee has been extensively developed for some time, Royal Caribbean continues to make changes. Accordingly, I have updated and expanded our section on Labadee. It now includes even more photos of the resort as well as a recent list of the excursions that Royal has been offering at the resort. We have an overview and then look at the cruise port and getting around, the beaches, the activities and facilities, bars and dining, and the spa and shopping. It begins at http://www.beyondships3.com/labadee.html

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