Page 34 - AAA Hudson Valley – AAA Every Day – March/April 2019

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Recently I went on my first cruise. I consider myself to be a well-traveled individual but had yet to experience what it was like to explore the seas or to
go south of Florida. I made an impulse decision to set sail, and about a month later was boarding the ship. The chosen itinerary was the Western Caribbean out of Miami with two port stops in Mexico, one in Belize and another in Honduras.
Boarding the ship I was a bit
overwhelmed. It was hard for me to
picture what an entire city on water
would be like. Once I got to explore a
bit it I started to understand why people
like to travel in such a way. There was
so much to do on the ship there is no
way you could be bored. Plus it was all
conveniently located in walking distance
from your room. Early on, my travel mates
and I found a mojito bar on the ship with
an indoor and outdoor bar which quickly
became our hangout. My drink of choice throughout the week was the Pineapple Coconut Mojito, arguably the best cocktail I have ever had.
Besides plenty of places to grab food or drink, there also were several activities for us to choose from at any given time. Throughout the trip, we also got the chance to see two Broadway-style shows in the main theater, as well as several bands playing a variety of different genres of music hits. The adults-only area, was the perfect place for us to go to catch a couple rays, take a little dip and get some quiet.
Of course, cruising is just as much about the destinations as it is about the ship itself. We picked a few excursions that we felt were unique and would give us a good feel for each place. In Costa Maya, Mexico, we chose to take a salsa and guacamole class. We were driven into the city of Mahahual where we also got to relax on the beach after tasting our creations and
getting our dance on. Our day in Belize was spent on a beautiful private island. That was the perfect day of relaxing by the ocean.
Roatan, Honduras, was probably my favorite place we visited. I had no expectations for
this port and perhaps that is why I liked it so much. We got to visit the locally owned and operated Roatan Chocolate Factory, enjoyed a suspension bridge nature walk and got some time to shop. Our last stop was in Cozumel, Mexico, where we boarded a bus to take us
to the famous Mayan ruins in Tulum. It was certainly breathtaking. Beyond the fact that the
structures are ancient and full of history, the beach was the most spectacular one we saw on our entire journey. The cruising experience, in general, was unique. It was nice to be able to explore during the day and come back
to the same room every night. Something that I really enjoyed was the ability to go to sleep after visiting one place and waking up in another. Even though we were doing so much, it was the first vacation I have ever taken where I came back relaxed. I will definitely cruise again!
Emily Gnacik is the Editor of AAA Every Day magazine.
By Emily Gnacik
34 I MARCH/APRIL 2019