Floski

I finally got around to editing some pictures and thought I would post a live blog style review of our day in Cozumel from this February even though it’s not so live anymore. I made a video but the image quality is so much better in the pictures. All of the pictures were extracted from the GoPro footage.
We were cruising with some friends and didn’t have any plans for the day except that we wanted to check out the East side of the island. We had heard that it was beautiful and since this was our third trip to Cozumel we wanted to try something a little different. We decided to rent some scooters by the cruise port and headed East. It was $55 for the day including full insurance coverage. I think it took around 20 minutes or so to get to the East side of the island but I did not actually time it. Once you get out of downtown there is a side road that is for designated for scooters and bicycles. The ride down the coastline was beautiful and the pictures don’t even do it justice.



 
We had pulled over to check the map, but we saw this little beachside bar and decided to check it out. The place was called Rasta Bar. It was free to enter and they had a full bar and menu. We weren’t that hungry so we just had some chips and guacamole and a few beers. The chips and guacamole were around $6 and the beers were $3 each.






 
There were miles of untouched beach and coastline in either direction of the bar. There was plenty of white sandy beach, hammocks, and a beach volleyball court. We had planned to just stop for a few minutes but we decided to stay a while because it was exactly what we were looking for. I can’t say enough about how beautiful the undeveloped beaches on the East side of the Island are. Our only regret about the day was that we hadn’t brought anything for the beach like flip flops or beach towels because we didn’t know what we were going to do when we set out.



 
It was a great day and it was probably our favorite thing that we have experienced in Cozumel. We went downtown afterwards to our favorite spot called the Thirsty Cougar. We didn’t take any pictures but it was great as usual. Overall the day was incredibly affordable coming in at under $100 total for the two of us. I would highly recommend renting scooters as a fun way to explore Cozumel. Not only was the ride exhilarating, but it was also incredibly convenient to be able to travel anywhere you wanted on the island without worrying about transportation costs adding up.
One tip I would give to anyone who decides to rent scooters is to take pictures of the scooter before you leave the rental place. When we returned them at the end of the day they tried to charge our friends for a scratch that was already there. Luckily, he had taken pictures and we were able to resolve the issue without any problems. Rasta Bar was great and there were several other beachside bars on the Eastern coast that looked great as well. We look forward to seeing more of the island on our next trip to Cozumel.

You are welcome, it was my honor.

I don't care about the big cities, either (except maybe Heidelberg, which isn't really "big") - I just want to go back to my little village in the Pfalz and the surrounding area.
I'm tempted by the river cruises, but then again, I want to be in control of where I go and they don't have that kind of flexibility.  
 

That is lulu! Just not the right Lulu!

It's hard to describe, really.  Best I can say is that it simply smells like relaxation.   I sigh the biggest sigh of all when I cross the plank, get a squirt, and "smell the smell".
 
Kinda like the warm, enveloping feeling when you sip a good whiskey or gluhwein.

Hahaha    When we all have to get up and go to work tomorrow, we can check out your blog and live vicariously through you!!

I'm not buying it   (I see a guy in short sleeves).   Nice try...?
In other news, I hear it's rather cool in Labadee today...

Since it was nearly two years (I know, I suck) since our last cruise, I had completely forgotten the smell.  OHMYGOSH - when we boarded a few weeks ago, 
it all came back to me and I was literally overwhelmed.  I really did feel like I was where the Lord meant for me to be.
 

And you eat it with mayo.
 
Ooops, that's the pommes!   

Since it was nearly two years (I know, I suck) since our last cruise, I had completely forgotten the smell.  OHMYGOSH - when we boarded a few weeks ago, 
it all came back to me and I was literally overwhelmed.  I really did feel like I was where the Lord meant for me to be.
 

And you eat it with mayo.
 
Ooops, that's the pommes!   

Since it was nearly two years (I know, I suck) since our last cruise, I had completely forgotten the smell.  OHMYGOSH - when we boarded a few weeks ago, 
it all came back to me and I was literally overwhelmed.  I really did feel like I was where the Lord meant for me to be.
 

I'm really enjoying your blog, Sabrina!
 
Thank you for taking the time to show lotsa pictures (the twangsterbot needs to up it's game!) and great dialogue.
 
Here's hoping y'all (that's southern for "you Canadians") find some good, warm weather soon.  It was pretty darn cool 
and windy here in Charleston today, but not as bad as NC.  I'm sure you'll find it!

A word of warning if you ever find yourself in Germany or Austria... real apple pie and also apple strudel always have raisins 

How's this to satisfy your hunger? ?

@Floski It's actually very rare that guests will buy something like this. It's often found cheaper in the Duty Free shops in port, like Jamaica.
We actually don't get individual commission! We have a sales target at the beginning of every cruise, and anything achieved more than that, will result in a bonus on our salary.

Hey Chris - has anyone ever bought one of these (or similar)?
Do you guys make any kind of commission or incentive if you were to sell one?

This was posted by Ken Kozak, the admin for the Anthem FB group:

I think we may have seen it. I'll check with Sandra tomorrow to confirm. Don't remember the condition of i t so hopefully she remembers.

As promised here are some photos from St. Martin. So to start the tour we went to a rental property that had been ruined.

We then headed to the national flag pole on the dutch side. The sites you get from this are quite nice.

On our way to Maho we stopped at a flipped over boat and say a few others damaged near by.

We then worked our way to Maho beach (sorry forgot to take pictures but I did a scope from here you could see).

After Maho we went to the French side and worked our way through the French streets to Fort Luis. Really neat place with amazing views. Its crazy how different the island is depending which side including languages.

After the fort we went to Friers Bay. The had a small little restaurant to grab a quick lunch. A little warning the food wasn't that good in our opinion and the prices were higher then I expected (5€ [yes the French side is based on the euro] for fries). I couldn't get too many photos here as people were sunbathing topless here.

After Frier Bay we went Orient Bay. The tour took us to the clothing optional area so I was not able to take photos here (nor did I want to.....) This is definitely the area that looks like it got hit the hardest. There are a few places open however, many converted shipping containers as temporary bars or shops and others using tents. There were also a few temporary options for the bathroom facilities. Not the perfect solution but is definitely a start. We got back on the ATVs and went back to the start where I visited Great Bay Beach (right near the port and is the many shopping district). These conditions where really good in my opinion. Everything is pretty much operational and even saw a hotel open here. We walked back to the port after getting a new shot glass. 
One thing I forgot to mention is that if you plan to use bubbles (tour company) then you are best just to confirm with the information desk as there are no actual signs.

I would actually recommend this tour to anyone who's up for a nice drive with some wind in your hair.

What a great blog!
 
I'm sure that each of us who love to cruise are interested in the lives and experiences of those who make our voyages so wonderful.
Thank you, Chris, for your insight; please keep posting!
 

We've been to these ports several times.  The following are my recommendations:
San Juan - We simply walk around Old San Juan and around the fort.  BUT...we always have a drink and bite here:  https://chocobarpr.com/ 
Also, every time I am in this port we go to Mi Pequeno San Juan (store in Old San Juan) where I buy a new piece of art (hand-painted house front of Old San Juan) to hang in my house: http://www.mipequenosanjuan.com/handpainted-houses-old-san-juan.html
The address of the store is:
Mi Pequeño San Juan
152 Calle Fortaleza 
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico 00907
Tel. 787-721-5040
St. Maarten - Before the hurricane(s) last year my favorite beach in the whole-wide world was on this island.  Maho Beach.  The hurricane washed it away.  There is no more beach and this makes me SO SO SO sad.  However, the bar/restaurant next to the beach (Sunset Beach Bar) is still there and they have fabulous drinks and a perfect view of planes landing in the island's airport.  Check it out.  Here is a link to the place:  http://sunsetsxm.com/
Labadee - Relax here, relax here, relax here!  Scoop it up quick but renting a beach bed for the day is what we always do!  It will be too late to book on the Cruise Planner I think?  Look into it.  Worth it.  The roller coaster thing they have (I forget the name) is a blast too.  A must do. 
 
 

What a great blog!
 
I'm sure that each of us who love to cruise are interested in the lives and experiences of those who make our voyages so wonderful.
Thank you, Chris, for your insight; please keep posting!
 

That was me! 
I stayed for two days ahead of my cruise in Old San Juan, and visited St. Maarten for the day. If you're in the Old San Juan area, the damage will not be apparent. We had power and all businesses appeared open and ready for tourists! 
On St. Maarten, the damage is more apparent, but don't let that deter you from going. I can highly recommend Bernard's SXM Tour for an island tour. Be ready to see damage there, but also go and spend money there. The island relies heavily on tourism and people going there can only help their recovery efforts. 
Labadee is beautiful as always. :) 

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