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
