We had 13 people in our group which included my wife, Bobbie. and me; Mel & Patty Gallia with sons, A.J. & Philip, and Patty's mother, Mary Waldbillig; Mike & Shala Glennon with son, John; and Brian Gallia with daughter, Allie, and her friend Carlos. Quite a crowd to try to keep track of on the 855' long Fantasy.

We left the Port of New Orleans on a cool, crisp Saturday afternoon and slowly sailed down the winding Mississippi River...about 100 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. By Sunday morning we were far at sea sailing south to Yucatan. After a day and another night and about 1000 miles we awoke Monday morning to our arrival at our first stop, the port of Costa Maya (Mahahual), tucked between the resort town of Playa del Carmen and Belize on the eastern coast of Yucatan. Gorgeous emerald green water! Everyone had different ideas on how to spend the day's shore leave. After docking, we all disembarked and Patty & Mary went shopping, Mel & Brian went snorkeling, and our group (Al, Bobbie, A.J., Philip, Mike, Shala, John) took the excursion to the Mayan ruins of Chacchoben. Chacchoben is an abandoned Mayan ceremonial center west of Costa Maya once reserved for ruling families and noble people circa 200-700 AD and has been open to the public for about four years. The bus ride through the rural countryside and the ruins were a fantastic experience. We were all back on ship by late evening...hot, tired, sunburned...and the Fantasy hoisted anchor.

From there, we sailed north overnight about 250 miles to Cozumel Island and early Tuesday morning we anchored off Puerto Maya, one of three main cruise ship piers on Cozumel. Due to 2005 Hurricane Wilma damage, we had to take shuttle boats a short distance to shore. Again, all had different ideas about how to spend the day. Bobbie and Shala were "under the weather" and stayed onboard; Patty, Mary, A.J. & Philip went sightseeing; Brian & Mel went snorkeling again. And Mike, John, and I took a cab to Chankanaab National Park a few miles away. Chankanaab is a beautiful, world renowned ecosystem and very likely the best known place in Cozumel with its lagoon and crystal clear water. All were back aboard by late evening again.

Leaving that evening, the Fantasy weighed anchor and sailed north for home, around the tip of Yucatan, past Cancun, and back to New Orleans. After two nights and a day at sea, we arrived back at home port early morning on Thursday, Dec 7. A truly great trip for all, one all would like to repeat in the near future!

Click here to return to the Carnival Fantasy Cruise Galleries

We had 13 people in our group which included my wife, Bobbie. and me; Mel & Patty Gallia with sons, A.J. & Philip, and Patty's mother, Mary Waldbillig; Mike & Shala Glennon with son, John; and Brian Gallia with daughter, Allie, and her friend Carlos. Quite a crowd to try to keep track of on the 855' long Fantasy.

We left the Port of New Orleans on a cool, crisp Saturday afternoon and slowly sailed down the winding Mississippi River...about 100 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. By Sunday morning we were far at sea sailing south to Yucatan. After a day and another night and about 1000 miles we awoke Monday morning to our arrival at our first stop, the port of Costa Maya (Mahahual), tucked between the resort town of Playa del Carmen and Belize on the eastern coast of Yucatan. Gorgeous emerald green water! Everyone had different ideas on how to spend the day's shore leave. After docking, we all disembarked and Patty & Mary went shopping, Mel & Brian went snorkeling, and our group (Al, Bobbie, A.J., Philip, Mike, Shala, John) took the excursion to the Mayan ruins of Chacchoben. Chacchoben is an abandoned Mayan ceremonial center west of Costa Maya once reserved for ruling families and noble people circa 200-700 AD and has been open to the public for about four years. The bus ride through the rural countryside and the ruins were a fantastic experience. We were all back on ship by late evening...hot, tired, sunburned...and the Fantasy hoisted anchor.

From there, we sailed north overnight about 250 miles to Cozumel Island and early Tuesday morning we anchored off Puerto Maya, one of three main cruise ship piers on Cozumel. Due to 2005 Hurricane Wilma damage, we had to take shuttle boats a short distance to shore. Again, all had different ideas about how to spend the day. Bobbie and Shala were "under the weather" and stayed onboard; Patty, Mary, A.J. & Philip went sightseeing; Brian & Mel went snorkeling again. And Mike, John, and I took a cab to Chankanaab National Park a few miles away. Chankanaab is a beautiful, world renowned ecosystem and very likely the best known place in Cozumel with its lagoon and crystal clear water. All were back aboard by late evening again.

Leaving that evening, the Fantasy weighed anchor and sailed north for home, around the tip of Yucatan, past Cancun, and back to New Orleans. After two nights and a day at sea, we arrived back at home port early morning on Thursday, Dec 7. A truly great trip for all, one all would like to repeat in the near future!

Click here to return to the Carnival Fantasy Cruise Galleries