Sitting Sleeping Up

We ventured out mid-morning after breakfast, and were both thinking “this doesn’t look anything like the Cozumel we saw last January, or one two other times. Oh, okay. There’s three cruise ports in Cozumel. Can see five ships docked here at the moment.

Large, open and colorful shopping and eatery area. Clearly catering to the mostly American market.

Got some by-request shopping done and back on ship around noon.

Naps, lunch, and spa this afternoon, in no particular order.

No more updates expected today before we set sail at 4:30 and lose cell service until we’re at home port on Saturday.

Late breakfast, dance technical / musicality lesson, lunch then a dance class. Afternoon bums at the spa and a nap before dinner.

The evening started with Pop Princess Night, with dance alongside the ship’s dance team. Fun except when all guests had to clear the piazza every time the pros did one of their choreographed routines.

Saw a rather funny and entertaining show about the ship’s cruise director’s musical and life journey from producer of many London West End shows, to financial ruin by bad business partners, to being head of all entertainment on this new, billion dollar ship.

The group then checked out the late night DJ-led party on the top deck. Decided nah, too much work to make smooth or ballroom dances work with that beat, at that hour, so we grabbed snacks, drinks, and kicked back at the deserted Eatery.

Early lights out for most of us at 11:00.

Roatan is an island off the north shore of Honduras. The cruise resort, on Mahogany Bay, is on the south side. Diane is guessing that’s its name because a lot of mahogany wood originates from here. Something to research.

Wherever you have Caribbean, you have pirates, right? Apparently there was a lot of piratey activity here back in the day.

Chair lift over to the beach side for nachos, a margarita, Long Island iced tea and sex on the beach. No not that kind of beach, the drink.

Back to ship for some thermal spa time, a nap, dinner, then dancing with our shipmates til some I forget when wee hour.

… does not begin at the port. There’s no way a behemoth cruise ship is getting near a dock in Belize City. The ship shimmies its way through a crazy set of turns to arrive at and tie off to a dock (floating, I presume) about 5 miles offshore.

A fleet of… seasoned… water busses then shuttles you to and from the mainland.

The port shopping area is not too unlike any of the other Caribbean ports we’ve been to. Lots of vendors hawking tours of the city (we didn’t leave the gated compound,) gift and clothing shops, and of course diamond shops.

Clearly catering to the US and European tourists that drive the local economy.

Visited shops for maybe a half hour, bought a shirt, then hitched a ride back to the ship.

The pale blue (and white and gray) dot (smudge) we call “home” for now.

Hit the thermal spa and napping til dinner.

Eighties Night, kicked off with a silent disco. So much more fun than I expected. Only strange if you’re watching without headphones.

Imagine letting two random dudes on the ship with this technicolor shirt. 😆

Diane and Magdalena, our fearless leader / teacher / cruise director / friend.

The Star Princess is brand new, christened just 11 days ago, and so she has every electronic feature imaginable. All guests are issued little AirTag-like trackers instead of cards. So, the system knows where everyone’s at, and, unlocks your cabin door as you walk up to it. And, for extra feedback that you’re reaching for the right door, a little ring around the door handle lights up.