Morning: I decided to sleep in a bit the morning of our call in Cozumel. We wouldn’t be docking until 10 am, so we still had a few hours before we would even be allowed to disembark. After waking up around 9:30, it was time for breakfast. I quickly got ready and climbed the 6 flight of stairs to the Lido Restaurant. For breakfast this morning, I went a little bit off course, opting for a Nutella crepe with a raspberry topping. Combined with the scenic sail in to Cozumel, my unique breakfast was fantastic. Soon, though, the Nieuw Amsterdam was approaching our pier and our ropes were being thrown ashore. I quickly made my way back towards the stateroom to watch the docking activities. For the first time, our starboard stateroom was on the side of the action in port. I sat on the balcony, watching our ropes being tied up and the gangway being pulled out. We had arrived in Cozumel.
Afternoon: Our excursion for the day didn’t depart until 1:00 pm, but we opted to walk around the pier area before anyway. As we walked down the pier, we had noticed that the waves were still a bit choppy, similar to the night before, and the weather was a bit unfavorable. While it was still sunny and bright, the clouds around Cozumel looked ominous and dark. We ended up walking down to the excursion meeting point and was soon told that our excursion, the Fury Catamaran snorkel and beach day had been cancelled. He explained that most excursions with snorkeling components had been cancelled due to the adverse wave and weather conditions. While disappointed that our excursion wouldn’t be running, we opted to return to the ship and grab a bite to eat for lunch. Shortly after, we made our way down the pier again to walk around the port area and see what was going on. The port area of our particular pier featured a large shopping center, filled with local shops, bars, restaurants, and even a Starbucks. The area was perfect for a cruiser looking for local shopping without leaving the port area. After walking around for some time, we returned to the ship.
Evening: Tonight, the Nieuw Amsterdam would be hosting a Fiesta deck party, complete with an outdoor Mexican buffet, a mariachi band, and of course, tequila. The party began around 6:00 pm and opened with the outdoor buffet. Featuring fruit salad, grilled corn, barbeque chicken, and a buffet of chocolate delights. The Lido soon filled with the sounds of the mariachi band, but the party was just beginning on the aft Lido. Later in the evening, the stars of Dancing with the Stars showed off costumes and outfits worn in the television show in a late night fashion show. Guests and fans of the show alike were thrilled to see their favorite dancers wearing the real outfits from the show. As the show continued, the moon continued to rise over the Nieuw Amsterdam. It was soon 11 pm and our ropes were released. Our gangway was pulled in and we cast off from the pier. The Nieuw Amsterdam set sail into the night, sailing towards another day at sea.
