The right price………………………………………………………$626
November 14, 2011: 6 days Departure: Galveston, TX, round-trip to Mexico
First U.S. cruise for Carnival’s new Magic
Bonus: $75 on-board credit with Early Saver Rate
Contact: Carnival Cruise Lines or 1-888-227-6482
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On the streets of Cozumel, we were approached this week by a cheery young entrepreneur pitching the usual assortment of souvenirs and Mexican crafts.
“I got the best junk,” he smiled.
“We bought junk the last time,” we joked.
“Yes,” he added, “but now I’ve got better junk…and cheaper!”
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The head physician — in fact, the only physician — on the Ecstasy is Dr. Peter Greiner. Nine years ago, he was retired.
Then his wife went to work…on his behalf.
“She was on the computer at two in the morning, and she got me the job,” he laughs. “She set up an interview with somebody at Mickey Mouse. I was sitting at home. It was not stimulating.”
The job was with the Disney Cruise Line. He was there for a year, then spent five more with Royal Caribbean and six months with Regent before joining Carnival in 2007.
“Now she says: ‘You’ll never quit’,” he adds. “She’s probably right, because I love it…and I like a one-doctor ship.”
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Okay, when you go on a cruise ship and there’s a signature dessert, you have to try it, right? Well, it’s a good excuse for having dessert.
Carnival’s signature dessert is the “chocolate melting cake.” Did we mention it’s low-cal? Showing a rare responsibility in the calories department, we choose to have one. Just one. Two spoons, please.
Our waiter, obviously unaccustomed to seeing such restraint on a cruise ship, was amused: “That’s so romantic.”
Full disclosure time: There was a little extra ice cream on the side.
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Is there a better deal anywhere than a Mexican blanket? Most places, you can buy two of them for $5.
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This weekend, the population of Galveston explodes by about 500,000 and it has nothing to do with the cruise ships that sail from the popular Texas port.
They’re all bikers.
Every year at this time, that’s how many of them — mostly on Harley Davidsons — attend the The Lone Star Rally. The beaches are full with trailers and RVs, and the streets are blocked off a couple of days in advance.
“There’s a tendency to think they’re all bad guys,” said our cab driver after we disembarked from the Ecstasy. “It’s not true. A lot of them are doctors and lawyers.”
The population impact of half a million is about like having 150 cruise ships in the harbor — at once!
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That’s it, we’re done.