2007 Cruise Itinerary
Carnival Fantasy - October 1, 2007 - Mayan Riviera
This year the PCD cruise will include the
ports of Costa Maya and Cozumel. As of this writing we have scheduled an
excursion from Mahahual, a small fishing village outside of the Costa Maya port
complex, to the Chacchoben Ruins. No excursion are currently planned for
Cozumel.
Update:
On Tuesday 21 August 2007 at 3:30 am CDT hurricane Dean
made landfall at Costa Maya-(Mahahual).
The above link is not
an endorsement of the HurricaneDeanCostaMaya site. It is included for reference
only.
New Orleans, LA
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By Arnold R. Hirsch and Joseph Logsdon
Department of History, University of New Orleans
Normally when tourists or first-time residents come to New Orleans, they have a difficult time understanding the city. It looks like no other place in the United States. The first puzzling impression usually comes from the appearance of the French Quarter near many of the city's hotels. It is more than just a few blocks of townhouses and cottages standing side-by-side, up against the sidewalk. The size of the district startles even those well traveled in the rest of the nation. Few visitors, moreover, are accustomed to such a mélange of people moving at all hours of the day and night in the very center of the city. They quickly learn that bars have no closing hour, that the food is spicy, and that the music is pulsating almost everywhere. And they may also take note that the locals talk funny but seldom have southern accents. For additional information visit New Orleans Online.com
Costa Maya (Mahahual, Mexico): (Cancelled due to hurricane. Substitute port is Progreso Yucatan, Mexico
Costa Maya is a purpose built cruise complex approximately 130 miles south of Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. Constructed in 2002, Costa Maya has become the Yucatan's 2nd largest tourist destination attracting over 1 million visitors annually.
For additional information follow links below:
The Best of Costa Maya
This is a post from the Cruise Critic forum:
Contributed be Smiling1 (click here for original posting)
Best Beach: Pez Quadro. They have more beachfront that many others.
Best Food: Cat's Meow. The fajitas and coconut shrimp were out of this world.
Best Chips and Salsa: El Faro. Fresh vegetables and perfect flavor. Spicy without being too hot. And, it was free!
Biggest Margaritas for the price: Cat's Meow. A large "real" margarita glass as restaurants in the states would serve it in was $4. Many other places charged $4 or $5 for a small plastic cup. Pretty tasty too.
Best Tasting Margaritas: Pez Quadro. So what if it was $5 for a small plastic glass. It was clear they used fresh lime juice, not a concentrated mix (the bartender confirmed this). It was the quintessential margarita.
Best Massage for the price: White canopy next to El Faro. $20 will buy you a full hour, full body massage just like your favorite spa would charge you at 4 times the price. I read where most others got 45 min. for $20 elsewhere.
Best Beer Value: Almost all the restaurants will sell buckets of 6 beers for $10. Don't pay more for beer than this.
Free use of chairs & tables: El Faro. Others may do this, but none of the restaurants with vacancy at the time we arrived would.
Most lively waitstaff: Tapas. These guys wore green t-shirts that said "Kiss Me I'm Irish". They were all comics who knew how to entertain and get a crowd pumped.
Best Music: Tapas and Pez Quadro. The both played a mixture of dance, latin, and calypso to enhance the flavor of the atmosphere.
Best Service: El Faro. Our waitress, Adrianna took care of us like we were guests in her home. And, she would not accept a dime in payment until we were ready to leave for the day--even when we walked to get massages or to visit other places. We are firm believers in tipping, and she earned our respect as well as the cash we gladly left for her.
Hope you find this helpful. Enjoy Costa Maya!!!!!
Progreso Yucatan, Mexico
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The secret is out! For years this port town was just a sleepy fishing
village. Then in the 50´s the Meridanos started building summer homes along the
coast to get away from the scalding heat of tropical Merida during July and
August. They also use the houses for two weeks at Easter. The other 10 months of
the year the fishing villages along to coast are quiet and the beaches are
beautiful and empty.
In the late 60s and early 70s, a small number of Americans and Canadians
"discovered" Progreso, Chicxulub and Chelem to be a winter paradise. They made a
pact to keep the secret. They were enticed by the warm weather, cheap rents,
friendly Yucatecan people, the laid-back way of life and the safe atmosphere.
Today you will find Progreso to be a bustling town of about 50,000 people. It is
on the "cruise ship map" and many people are beginning to visit Progreso on
their cruises. Fancy restaurants are springing up along
the seaside promenade or El Malecón, facades are being spruced up, and
people are selling handcrafts, seashells and tshirts along the beach.
Despite all that, Progreso is still a laid-back port town where you can enjoy
the true flavor of Mexico. Progreso has safe, tranquil beaches with no currents
or tides, which makes them great for swimming, floating, windsurfing and
jet skiing. Palm trees, fresh seafood, the seaside boulevard called the
malecón (mah-lay-CONE) and the friendly local Mayan residents make Progreso
a great place to visit.
The average temperature in Progreso is 87º F with rainy seasons in June and
September. You may experience cold fronts or nortes (NOR-tays) from
November to April, so bring a sweater! The local industry is fishing, and
Progreso boasts over 900 fishing boats. The fish caught in this area is exported
to the US, Japan and Europe. But you get to eat it right on the beach!
Progreso has a lighthouse, built from 1885-1891. It stands 40 meters or almost
120 feet tall, and can be seen for 20 nautical miles.
In Progreso you will find a large grocery store, a large market, hotels,
restaurants, a hospital, police station, bus station, post and telegraph
offices, handicrafts stores, taxis, money exchange, real estate info, hardware
stores, pharmacies, and bakeries.
Everyone who comes to Progreso wants to know why the pier is sooooo long!
Progreso, like the rest of the Yucatan Peninsula, sits on a limestone shelf that
very gradually goes out to sea. The pier had to be built that long to get past
the shelf and allow the ships to dock in deep water. The water at the end of the
pier is only 28-32 feet deep! The first part of the pier was built between 1936
and 1942, and the second part was built just within the last ten years.
When you are in Progreso, be sure to give yourself time to stroll along the
malecón. This 16-block seaside walkway is lined the entire way by
a comfortable cement bench...well, okay, maybe its not that comfortable. But
after a long walk, its more comfortable than standing! Its the best place in
town for people watching, and its where the local families congregate in the
evenings to visit, exercise and solve the problems of the world.
Looking for something else to do besides the above? Its a short ride to the
Mayan ruins of Dzibilchaltun or Xcambo.
To reach Progreso, take Paseo Montejo north out of Merida and just keep going
until you get to the beach. Easy.
Near Progreso is El Corchito, an ecological preserve that has been around for
over 10 years. Located just 2 KM east of the entrance to Progreso, this preserve
was visited by the Governor of Yucatan recently and is starting to gain
notoriety. El Corchito is operated by local fishermen who now work to nurture
the mangrove swamp by reinforcing canals which improve water circulation and
encourage the growth of native plants.
Just a 5-minute boat ride in one of the several lanchas (boats) takes
you into the cool shadows of the mangroves where the fishermen have built
palapas and picnic tables from native wood. You can swim in any of three
designated fresh-water pools, sling your hammock in the shade to relax, or
wander the well-kept paths to see local fish and waterfowl. If you're really
quiet, you might see a deer come to drink at one of the more isolated pools.
Bring lunch and be sure to bring your camera!
To reach El Corchito, turn east toward Chicxulub at the entrance to Progreso
(where the Pemex station is). Go 2 KM to the second roundabout (glorieta
in Spanish) where you will see a sign to El Corchito. Veer to your right and
continue on a few meters. You'll see a dirt road on your right that will take
you to the boat landing area. Boat rides begin at 8:30 AM every morning and run
until dusk. $20 pesos per person for the boat ride.
Cozumel:
The name Cozumel (Isla Cozumel) means "Land of the Swallow" in
Mayan, and was named so due to the indigenous, graceful birds that can be seen
regularly patrolling Cozumel's beautiful beaches and coastline. Cozumel was
settled roughly 2000 years ago by ancient Mayans, a seafaring people, who saw
Cozumel as a commercial stop as well as a sacred shrine. The island of Cozumel
once drew Maya noblewomen who made the voyage to Isla Cozumel in large dugout
canoes to worship Ix Chel, the Goddess of fertility.
The Infamous Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés found his way to Isla Cozumel in
1519 and with his influence, that included the destruction of the many temples
and the spread of the smallpox disease, Cozumel's inhabitants went from 40,000
inhabitants to just 30 people by 1570. Cozumel's ancient Mayan civilization lied
in ruins, and by 1600 Cozumel was uninhabited.
The island of Cozumel lies 12 miles offshore the eastern tip of the Yucatan
Peninsula of Mexico and is the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean as well
as being the most populated island of Mexico. With water the color of imperial
jade and edged with white-sand beaches and craggy black castles of limestone and
coral, Cozumel is the largest of 3 islands off the east coast of the state of
Quintana Roo. The island is approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) long and 10
miles (16 kilometers) wide, with the high point measuring a mountainous 45 feet
above sea level.
Cozumel temperatures are warm year-round with daytime highs averaging 81 F
(27°C). In the Caribbean, hurricane season officially begins June 15 and
runs through November 15th each year. Do not let this deter your planning
because travels know that these are some of the best months to enjoy the
Cozumel. Yes, there is always the chance of a tropical storm or hurricane coming
in but typically there is a warning period and time for preparation or departure
from the island if needed. The heaviest rains begin in June and last through
October. It's possible for rain to fall almost every day during that time but
the usual afternoon shower is brief and causes minimal interruption of travel or
activities. Occasionally, however, the skies can open up and let loose torrents.
During wet months, expect high humidity. November - May is generally
balmy, with daytime highs averaging 80 F lower humidity and an occasional cool
evening. Always remember, tropical climes can change from mellow to miserable
and back again very quickly.
July/August - High 80's to low 90's°F (32°C)
December/January - Mid 70's°F (24°C)
Water temperatures range from 77°-82°F (25°-28°C) throughout the year.
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