Last month, my family and I went on a 7-day cruise on the Carnival Jubilee. We sailed from Galveston, Texas to Honduras to Mexico. Here’s a day-by-day travel log of my trip.
Day 7: Cozumel (Thur. May 8, 2025)
Our last port of call was Cozumel, Mexico. A lively port town where tourists hurry here and there to shop, dine, and, in my case, venture off onto a shore excursion.
My shore excursion was the Aqua Trio: Snorkel, Shark, Stingray, and BBQ. My sister and I boarded the catamaran and we ventured to a coal reef at a nearby nature sanctuary. I went snorkeling. She stayed on board.
I brought along my underwater camera to take underwater pictures. The overall experience was fine. However, my mask would not seal because of my facial hair. And I forgot to apply Vaseline. The coral was not as colorful as I anticipated it would be, but I saw plenty of fish up close.
We then went to a beach to swim with sting rays and sharks. I had the opportunity to feed, touch, and even hold a stingray. During the feeding, several rays swam up really close begging for food. They acted almost like underwater dogs and cats.
We then swam in an enclosed area to see sharks. I saw one. It stayed at the bottom of the pool.
Afterward, we were served street tacos: grilled chicken on corn tortillas and served with guacamole and nacho chips. They were all right for what they were.
The downside was that I forgot to apply sunscreen to my back and shoulders. So, my back became burnt really bad. So, I stayed in my cabin for the rest of the afternoon.
I didn’t even want to go to dinner. I was so sunburnt and not in the mood. I went out later to have some buffalo wings. They were decent, even though they cost extra.
Then I went to a comedy show. The comedian performing that evening was Happy Cole. Interestingly enough, he lives in Tampa. So, he’s a Florida native. His performance was really animated. He also spoke to the frustrations I had with the cruise: how much the first few days suck, how difficult and cumbersome getting on the ship is, especially with all of the children who cannot shut up.
Day 8: The Last Day on the Cruise (Fri. May 9, 2025)
This was our last day on the ship. The bad news is that I was unable to get on the roller coaster. The good news is that I had sushi with my nephew. We went to Bonsai Sushi. I had miso soup with a Band Bang Bonsai Roll: salmon, cucumber, spicy tobiko, crab, shrimp, and wasabi mustard. I also had a bowl of ramen soup with mushrooms and an egg. Again, nothing compares to Sabu Ramen at the Joinery in Lakeland. That will always be my gold standard for ramen.
I went to another singles mixer. I originally did not want to go, but Joey encouraged me to give it a try. Good thing I did. Because this mixer turned out better than the first. I managed to talk to three people. It was a friendly chat with two women and a guy. We talked about our trip and the movies that we watched. The one lady I talked with said she was initially shy about the experience, so it’s nice to know my being shy and introverted wasn’t just a me problem.
My family and I went to dinner at the Pacific Restaurant. I ordered frog legs. I normally would not have ordered them, but this meal offered me an opportunity to try something I otherwise would not have. At the risk of sounding cliché, they tasted like chicken. I also ate some enchiladas in sauce and chocolate melting cake. I had ordered baked Alaska, but somehow the order got mixed. No problem. The chocolate was good anyway.
So, that was my trip. Was it worth the price of admission? Personally? Not really. There were some fun moments here and there. And I had the opportunity to see more of the world than I had previously seen. But a lot of the trip didn’t really live up to expectations. Being crammed on a boat with a ton of strangers and being cramped inside narrow hallways and elevators proved to be especially overstimulating for me.
Would I recommend it? If you love cruises, you’d probably love the Jubilee. It’s a really big ship with plenty to do on it. Would I do another weeklong cruise? No! Trust me. Going on vacation for a whole week sounds dreamy, but the reality is that there are many days when you find yourself wondering what to do with your free time, especially when you’re stuck on a ship for days on end. A four or even five-day cruise will suffice.
Personally? While the trip wasn’t half bad—well, let’s just say I’m not looking forward to another cruise anytime soon. Give me five years and I may consider going on another. For now, let me enjoy dry land.
