Key West, FL, were we took the Conch Train, and got a nice ride around the "key". You can't get off during the tour, but it was very educational. A rather long walk to the "train" from the dock. A wheelchair was absolutely necessary here for me. Some construction made it a little hard to travel around town, but we coped. Great Key Lime Pie and Conch! But, we 
liked the Conch and Key Lime Pie even better in the Bahamas when we were there a few years ago. Click for a picture of the ship at Key West.
The Mayan ruins at Tulum, Mexico were not handicapped accessible. The tour director on the ship assured us it would be wheelchair accessible. But, the ruins were not! They had a very unsafe ramp on the transportation out to the ruins, and a very steep "sort of" cement ramp up to the wall. But, my portable and not all that large wheelchair would not fit through the opening in the wall where you had to enter to see the ruins on the other side. And, it is very HOT (be sure and take some water with you). We took the tender to the dock at Playa del Carmen. We would have been better off going shopping in Cozumel or even snorkeling at the beach or in the lagoon. The tour folks misled me on this one, but we made out okay. Been there, done that, have the picture; but would not do it again!
Next, we went to Jamaica, where we enjoyed snorkeling the last time we were there. We went to a "Greathouse" owned by the family of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, which was nice. But the rest of the tour was two shopping stops, and the driver seemed a little miffed that I didn't get out and shop! They do have a wonderful grapefruit soda called, "Ting" that I enjoyed, and brought back a six pack home for the boys (we first had
Ting when we were on a family vacation on the island of Saba a decade ago). "Red Stripe" Beer is their best seller. Have no huge desire to go back, but other people seem to have enjoyed certain "hotel packages" that are all inclusive as possibly a good way to go to Jamaica.
Grand Cayman was very nice, but many shops were closed as it was Good Friday. They did open some shops until noon for us, and that was a nice compromise. We had swam and snorkelled with the Sting Rays (they are really tame and come for the food) last time we were there. So, this time we took a private taxi tour of the island by a native Caymanian. We saw the Turtle farm, Tortuga Rum factory (got a rum cake!), the Conch Shell House, and we sent a few postcards from a town called Hell, where we met the devil! So, now we can say we'd been "to Hell and back."
The food was wonderful. Lots of seafood, steaks, and pasta done every way possible. We did the wine tasting, and learned a lot about wines. The waiters are the hardest working people I have ever seen. They never stop, and are so upset if they give you the wrong plate. They want you to be happy. They depend on tips, it is their entire salary.
We always enjoy getting to know new people. Our tablemates were a young couple from NJ married only two years, a couple Canada; and a couple our age from Virginia. Of the eight of us, only three wore sheets to dinner on Toga night! It was fun, and many people did wear the Togas and looked pretty darn good, too. They seemed to have a lot of fun with it, so maybe next time...
We are looking at another cruise on their sister ship, the Costa
Victoria, to the Mediterranean next year for our 30th wedding
anniversary. But, you never know where we will finally decide to go. Planning is half the fun.
© 1999-2001 JKH