The second port of call on our sailing brings us to Costa Maya, Mexico.
Our arrival time into port was scheduled for later in the morning (11am), so there was basically a built-in option for everyone to sleep in.
As we arrived to Costa Maya, Odyssey of the Seas was greeted by Symphony of the Seas, which was already docked there earlier in the day.
Our plans for the day were to go to Maya Chan Beach Resort, which offers a limited number of day passes each day.
Prior to the cruise industry shutdown, I always went to Maya Chan when visiting Costa Maya because of the great service and food they had. So with the opportunity to try out Maya Chan again since the shutdown, I wanted to see how things were now.
Maya Chan had been shutdown for 17 months, and had only re-opened the day before we arrived.
Just like in the past, we disembarked the ship and walked down the pier and through the maze that is the Costa Maya cruise port.
Maya Chan is an excursion booked independently and not through the cruise line, so you need to walk out of the cruise port and down the street to find a representative from the resort waiting to check you in.
We hopped in a taxi and took the 20 minute or so ride to the resort.
Upon arrival, things looked exactly as the last time we visited Maya Chan.
Guests get taken to a dedicated palapa for the day, where have a hammock, chairs, and a beach bed to enjoy.
This is an all-inclusive excursion, which means all the alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, food, and beach amenities (snorkeling, kayaks, etc) are included.
Maya Chan is situated right on the beach, and they have a pool too.
Costa Maya regularly deals with a sea grass problem, where the beach can be inundated with the stuff due to seasonal flows. On our visit, there was not much sea grass at all on the beach, but neighboring beaches had a build up which meant there was sometimes an odor in the air (depending on the breeze).
At check-in, the staff offered anyone a full refund if this issue concerned them, but since I was more of a pool person anyway, that did not bother me.
I think the appeal of Maya Chan is the excellent service and food and drink the resort provides. Basically, a fun day to hang out by the beach.
Luckily, the weather was absolutely perfect with mostly clear skies, no rain, and a very strong breeze that never left us feeling overly hot.
Because of our ship's late arrival time, by the time we got situated at Maya Chan, it was time to eat lunch.
They offered a buffet of freshly cooked tacos, including chicken, beef, fish, and pork. The food is all cooked that morning, including a selection of corn or four tortillas.
The food did not disappoint, and the various toppings you could put on the tacos really made the meal for me.
After lunch, it was pool time, and I walked over to the pool to hop in. I thought perhaps I might go there for a little bit, but we ended up spending the whole day relaxing in and around the pool.
The staff came by regularly to offer us drinks, and it was exactly as I remembered my previous visits to Maya Chan: a super relaxing day with excellent service.
As with any great shore excursion, the time to head back to the ship comes all too quickly, and we hopped in our taxis to return to the ship.
Back onboard, it was time to shower and get ready for dinner.
Originally, we were booked for dinner at Coastal Kitchen (the suites only restaurant), but the menu did not entice us (it changes daily), so we decided to go to Chops Grille instead.
Chops was able to seat us despite not having a reservation, and we had a great meal.
What I love about Chops is how consistent it is across the fleet.
After dinner, it was time to head to Two70 to see one of the signature shows on Odyssey of the Seas, The Book.
The Book is divided up into chapters, where the protagonist in the show explores different chapters of this magical book. Each chapter features a unique style of music and dance.
As with all shows in the Two70 space, The Book relies heavily on visual effects. While music and choreography are at the heart of any stage performance, the visuals in The Book are equally important.
I liked the style and spacing of the show, and thought it was a fun idea to use book chapters to help organize the show.
While I would have liked to have stayed up after the show for a drink or two, I was wiped out from all the fun that day, so it was bed time.
Tomorrow, we will be in Cozumel.
