This was our 10th cruise and we decided to return to the Western Caribbean to check out Playa Costa Maya. We arrived at 11am and I dropped the bags curbside, parked across at Galveston park and Cruise, walked back, and we were processed through and on-board before 12 noon. The newly renovated Terminal 2 was efficient and clean and as Emerald members we were able to walk directly to an open agent.

Thankfully; I am not a stumbling fall overboard drunk, but I do like to drink and have fun while on vacation so I bought the drink package and made very good use of it. However; I was surprised to find ALL of the pool deck bars on decks 11 (Solarium, Pool Bar, The Plaza Bar) and 12 (Sky Bar) closed after 8pm. This made it rather inconvenient when you are in the Jacuzzi and want to get a drink that you already paid for. So there I was, dripping Jacuzzi water on the floor of the 14th deck Viking Crown bar, a rather humiliating way to get a drink.

Where I made up for this was in the dining room. Every night the waitstaff would make recommendations and bring different wines for me to sample followed by Baileys coffees with desert. Toward the end of the cruise I actually asked for them to bring me less. Read more