2024 Feb 4-10, Five-Day Carnival Valor Cruise to Cozumel and Progresso, Mexico (5 Day Crusie) Cozumel, (Mexico) Pregresso (Yucatan) 3 Sea Days

 Sunday, Feb. 4: Travel to Slidell, LA.

We stopped at Jack's for breakfast, where we enjoyed gravy, sausage, and biscuits, and then at Murphy's in Petal, MS, to fill up on gas.

We stopped at McDonald's for some pies and used the restroom.

We checked in at Hampton Inn by Hilton Slidell, LA, room 213, and then went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. I ordered grilled chicken and a baked sweet potato with rolls, while My Hubby ordered a Caesar salad, steak, and a baked potato.

Grilled chicken and baked sweet potato

We returned to the hotel, where we met a man unloading his car. He asked us if we were cruising with Carnival. I think he saw the Carnival luggage tag on my carry-on baggage. He and his wife were from Birmingham, AL. He said they had been cruising since the 90s. They had been on about 30 different cruises on different ships. We saw them leave the following day.  

Monday, Feb 5, Travel to New Orleans 

Ate breakfast at the hotel with 2 waffle rounds with whipped cream, sausage, and cranberry juice. 

Checked out of the hotel and headed to New Orleans around 10 A.M. 

Paid for parking at Erato St Cruise Terminal $125

We parked the car and walked to the elevator for the boarding process. For lunch, we ate at Guy's Burgers. 

And ordered a cheeseburger and fries. Our room, 6434, was ready by 1:30 P.M. 

The ship left port around 3:30 P M. Let the party begin. 

It was too cold on the Lido Deck, so everyone met in the American Lobby. 

The Crimson Trio 

We listened to the Crimson Trio in the American Lobby. 

We ate dinner in the Lincoln Room. I ordered a shrimp cocktail, a crawfish strudel (savory baked phyllo, sweet corn remoulade), Szechuan Shrimp (scallions, garlic, angel hair noodles, peppers, and bok choy), and a cheesecake with strawberry sauce. 

We sat next to a couple from Washington state. Said they lived on an island and watched cruise ships come up the Pacific Ocean. 

We also sat next to a mother and daughter from Columbus, Mississippi. 

Tuesday, Feb 6, Sea Day 

Watched the sun come up from my balcony. 

sunrise

At the Omelet Station, I ordered a made-to-order loaded omelet with bacon and a side of chocolate milk for breakfast.

9:00 A.M. made two necklaces at Creativity at Sea in the American Lobby. 

We attended the Fun Ashore Giveaway at 10:30 in the Ivanhoe Theatre, but unfortunately, we didn't win anything. 

Lunch was at the Mongolian Wok, where I ordered shrimp stir-fried veggies.

Mongolian Wok Asian flavor, your stir-fried rice noodles,  veggies, sauce, and shrimp (double) cooked in unique culinary creations. 

I met a woman from Louisiana who was passionate about Mongolian food. She had several food bowls available for crew members because they didn't have time to wait in line.

Took a long nap.

Dinner at the Lincoln Diner, where I ordered Herb-crusted salmon with asparagus, sweet potatoes, and a shrimp cocktail, as well as Carnival's Chocolate Melt Cake with Ice cream. 

We sat next to the mother and daughter from Columbus, Mississippi, again. 

We visited the VIP Show at 7:00 P.M. in the Ivanhoe Theater. 

Wednesday, Feb 7, Cozumel 

Breakfast in Lincoln. Dinner ordered waffle, omelet, sausage, and water. 

Went ashore in Cozumel around 9:00 A.M.

We walked around to several shops and bought Ron a pair of Crocs. 

Took several pictures. Walked up the street to Margaritaville, where we ate lunch. 

We ordered three tacos, one Pepsi, and a Sunrise Margarita. We walked back to our port area, stopping to take several pictures of the Coral Reef display. 

Stopped to take pictures in front of a couple of donkeys at the 3 Amigos. 

I had dinner in the Washington Dining Room, where I ordered a Shrimp cocktail, Chicken, Veggies, and a chocolate melt cake with ice cream. 

We listened to the Crimson Trio in the American Lobby. 

Chac Mool ("Red Claw") 

Thursday, Feb 8, Progresso 

Breakfast: Omelet, bacon, pastry, and Chocolate milk. 

All-inclusive Shore Excursions are at 9 A.M. and will take you to Mi Casa Es Su Casa Private Beach, your way. 

Back on the ship by 3:30 P.M. 

Lunch consisted of avocado dip, chips, a pina colada, and Coke. We watched our host make the dip using Mangoes and tomatoes. Cilantro, salt, pepper, and avocados.

Dinner: Stuffed mushrooms, Fried Mississippi Catfish(cornmeal-crusted), spinach, mac & cheese, tartar sauce, and a banana split. 

Excursions to a private beach with around 40 people took place on a bus with 2 children. A nine-year-old named Sabrina. Our host prepared a delicious lunch for us, which included Mexican Avocado dip, chicken tacos, and more. We had a bartender who mixed drinks. I ordered a Pina Colada and my Hubby a margarita, both virgin. 

I walked along the beach, and the water was cold. Monday, a storm had come through with 50 MPH winds, so the water was a little choppy and dirty. Not many people went into the water. Most everyone sat in beach chairs, and some under umbrellas. Lunch was served around 10:30 A.M. 

Around 10:30-11, we heard a mother call out  Sabrina, where are you?

She was nowhere to be found. Everyone joined in the search for Sabrina up and down the beach, inside the house. Going from one neighbor's house to another. A neighbor called the police. Five showed up at the beach. A detective went along the coast, circling Sabrina's footprints. Neighbors called their friends, and several reported seeing a small girl walking up the beach, crying. 

She had walked about 1 1/2 to 2 miles up the beach to the nearby hotel. When they found her, she said, "I thought my family had left me, so I walked back to the ship. You could see the boat from the beach. 

They took her to the hospital to be checked out for dehydration. 

The family was returned to the beach house, where everyone enjoyed eating and drinking the rest of the day. 

Everyone was so proud to see the little girl, Sabrina.

I overheard the mother ask Sabrina about her adventure, but she said, "I don't want to discuss it." 

The mother's feet were covered in scratches from running through the thickets while searching for Sabrina. 

Everyone loaded onto the bus and began our journey back to the ship. Thank God we were able to return with everyone. 

We were back on the ship by 3:30 P.M. The ship's departure time was scheduled from 3:30 to 4:00 P.M., but we didn't leave until almost 5:00 P.M. because a bus carrying a group of people was running late returning from an excursion. 

The bus drove straight to the ship, letting people off at the boarding area. This was a very eventful day. 

Welcome to Yucatan

Friday, Feb 9, Sea Day 

Breakfast with Doctor Seuss' Cat in the Hat, thing one, thing two, in the Lincoln Dining room.

Hubby ordered Green eggs with ham and funny Belgian Waffles. I just ordered Funny Belgian Waffles with Moose Juice.

At the Ivanhoe Theater, we created a bulldog and an elephant out of towels and purchased the Towel Art Book. 

Lunch was #6 Cuban Mixto: a roasted pork, ham, yellow mustard, Swiss cheese sandwich, accompanied by 3 cookies and vanilla ice cream. 

Bought Build-A-Bear for St Jude on the Lido Deck. 

Hubby took a long nap while I watched TV.

Ate a salad for dinner. 

We watched 90s music and We Are the World in the Ivanhoe Theater. 

We did the Debark process in the Carnival App.

funny Belgian Waffles

Saturday, Feb 10, Travel Home

Breakfast Lido Deck 9 Omelets, chocolate milk, pastry. 

Waited for our app to tell us when to embark. 

We went through the immigration process, loaded our car, and started heading home. 

We stopped in Petal, MS, to fill up with fuel. 

Stopped at the Welcome Center  for a break

Ate lunch at Cracker Barrel in Meridian, MS

I ordered Fried Shrimp, Pinto Beans, cornbread, chow, and tartar sauce. 

I bought some chocolate candy and a shirt for Hubby. 

It began to rain in Russellville and continued to rain all the way home. 

 

2021 Nov 14-20, Carnival VALOR 5 Day Caribbean Cruise to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico

2021 Nov 14, Sunday Day 1:

Monday, Traveled to Slidell, Louisiana. We stopped in North Port at Mapco and filled up with gas for $29.49. We ate lunch at Cracker Barrel in Meridian, MS. I ordered pinto beans, fried okra, and grilled chicken. $6.53 We also had cornbread, biscuits, jelly, and water. Bought gas at 2.99 a gallon at Mapco in Northport, AL, for $29.49, and bought gas at Texaco Carrier, MS, for $3.09 a gallon. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Slidedell at 4:40 P.M. We watched TV and went to bed early. We skipped supper after a packed lunch. 

We stayed one night at the Hampton Inn, located at 56460 Frank Pichon Rd, Slidell, LA. 

Carnival Valor Cruise Ship Stateroom   Deck   Muster Station  

2021 Nov 15, Monday Day 2: Sea Day

Took a shower, ate a Reese's cup, and finished my Sprite. We ate breakfast at the hotel. I ordered scrambled eggs, sausage, muffins, and cranberry juice to drink. We checked out, loaded the car, and headed into New Orleans. We encountered work traffic on I-10 heading into New Orleans. We parked on 4A in the parking deck, walked to the elevators, and proceeded to the ground level to wait in line for processing, along with everyone else. A woman called out Have your boarding passes ready for inspection (not folded) We walked through several lines. We handed the inspector our passports, boarding passes, COVID cards, and the results of our COVID test, which showed we were negative. After several more lines, we were finally seated, waiting to board the ship at 10:40 A.M. Our rooms would not be ready until after 1:30 P.M. After boarding the boat, we walked to Guy's Burgers, where we ordered a hamburger and fries. I got lemonade to drink. The dressing for the hamburger was on a buffet; I got onions and fried mushrooms. When we finished, we walked around the ship carrying several bags. (Camera bag with Nikon D7200, medicine bag, my purse, and overnight bag) Wanda had her backpack and her purse. Around 1:30 P.M., we walked to our cabin, unloaded everything, and rested. We went back upstairs to watch the ship leave the dock, and that's when the party began. (4–5 P.M.)We watched the sunset as the boat rolled down the mighty Mississippi, and it was dark when we reached the ocean. We returned to our cabin and changed into nicer clothes to dine in the Lincoln Room. I started with a shrimp cocktail, followed by a Caesar Salad; the entrée was Sweet & Sour Shrimp, and I finished with a Strawberry cake. (5–6 P.M.) At dinner, we sat next to a couple from Tennessee near Cookeville; they had left their 13-year-old daughter at home with her grandparents because she refused to get the COVID-19 shot. After dinner, we went to cabin 9268, which had a balcony, and went to bed early. 

Leaving New Orleans on Carnival Valor 

Sunset leaving New Orleans on the Mighty Mississippi River 

 Nov 16, Tuesday, Sea Day Day 3:

We showered and went upstairs so Wanda could get herself some coffee. I also got some cranberry juice. We watched the sunrise around 6 A.M. and then went to the Washington room for brunch. I ordered a Parfait with nuts, Blueberries, strawberries, and yogurt. They cleaned our cabin while we were at brunch and left a towel on the bed. I ate a small taco for lunch. Today is a sea day, so we sat outside and watched schools of flying fish. Today was very windy, and the water was very turbulent. Walking was hard; at times, everyone looked like they were drunk. We had dinner in the Lincoln Room, and no one sat next to us tonight. I ordered prime ribs with gravy and potatoes. My appetizer was cocktail shrimp, and I finished with a custard pie for dessert. 

 

Sunset Gulf of Mexico (Sea Day)

Nov 17, Wednesday, Excursion: Mr. Sancho's Cozumel, Mexico Day 4:

Watched the sun come up and then went to breakfast. I ate cantaloupe, French toast with syrup, eggs Benedict (which I didn't like), and chocolate milk for breakfast. Today, we docked in Cozumel. We took a taxi to Mr. Sancho's, which cost us $ 17 each way. It is a fifteen-minute ride south of Cozumel. At Mr. Sancho's, it cost us 55 dollars for all-you-can-eat and drink. We sampled a Margarita and a daiquiri while sitting under a bamboo roof. There was a rain shower while we were there, but we didn't get wet. We watched people swimming, snorkeling, and engaging in other activities, but we decided to enjoy the view under our umbrella.

We saw several birds scavenging for food. We were brought fried jumbo coconut shrimp with orange sauce, guacamole, salsa, and chips. We also sampled a Pina Colada, Miami Vice, Banana Mama, and Mr. Sancho's special. Our waiter was Aldo, a charming young man who said he was married with a young son. He said that we were queens for the day. He introduced us to his co-worker and told the son of another mother that he was very gracious and helpful. We took the taxi back to the shopping area in Cozumel. I bought a pair of pineapple teal shorts and a Burgundy top, spending $34.50. We went through security and boarded the ship around 2:30 P.M. We watched the boat depart from the port at 4:30 P.M. We ate dinner in the Lincoln Room. I ordered Caesar salad, steak with gravy, potatoes, & broccoli. My appetizer was a shrimp cocktail,  and the dessert was chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Tomorrow, we will dock in Progresso. 

Day trip to Cozumel 

Our waiter, Aldo, at Mr. Sancho's Beach

Nov 18, Thursday, Progresso, Mexico Day 5:

Ate breakfast and saw towel art everywhere around the pool area. We docked at Progresso and embarked around 9 A.M. with my boarding pass around my neck and my iPad in my hand. We loaded into a van, and there were 14 of us. We rode about an hour to Celestron, where we used the restrooms and loaded into three boats. There were 4 in two boats and six in one boat. Wanda said, "I hope we don't turn over because I can't swim," and our guide, Misael, said the water is only two feet deep. We saw pink flamingos at a distance. Flamingos eat small shrimp that live in shallow waters. They also eat algae & crustaceans that contain pigments called carotenoids. These pigments are found in the shrimp and blue-green algae that they eat.

Next, we rode a short distance and saw Blue Herons, osprey, American Anhinga, and pygmy kingfisher. We rode through a tunnel of mangroves, where we saw several termite mounds in the biodiversity of the mangrove Yucatán peninsula. We stopped at a boardwalk where we saw a pygmy kingfisher. We rode back to where we had parked the van, exited the boat, used the restroom, and browsed the trinkets for sale. We loaded into the truck and rode to the beach area where our meals were being prepared. We ate chips & guacamole dip, smoked fish, veggies, and a margarita at the restaurant. We stayed on the beach for about 30 minutes. 

Loaded back into the van for an hour-long ride back to the ship. Our guide played the movie "The Big Year," a nature documentary about two bird enthusiasts competing against the cocky, cutthroat world record holder in a year-long bird-spotting competition.

We loaded onto the ship and watched it leave port at sunset. We dressed for dinner: cocktail shrimp, Cajun shrimp, bread, and dessert. We then went to a show for about 60 minutes. 

Island of Progreso 

                                                                  

Some of the birds that we saw at Progreso 

 Nov 19, Friday, Sea Day Day 6:

Sea Day, we are on our return trip to New Orleans. We ate brunch in the Washington room; I ordered bread and sausage with cheese grits. We went upstairs and got in line to purchase an item that benefits St. Jude, where I bought a Build-A-Bear. We watched the Carnival Valor Family & Mardi Gras giveaway with Matt, the cruise director. I ordered fried shrimp, salad, ribs, green beans, potatoes with gravy, and a dessert in the Lincoln room that night. Watched a Dean Martin special on TV, then went to sleep. 

Friday's Sunrise 

Nov 20, Saturday, Travel Home Day 7:

 Packed the night before, making sure we had everything. We ate breakfast, consisting of a couple of pastries and two chocolate milks. Grabbed our bags and met the Silver & Platinum sailors in the Lincoln Dining Room. Loaded into the elevators and walked to our car on level 4A. Began our journey home. Filled with gas at Love's in Sandersville, MS, for $28.31, we ordered a sausage and cheese muffin at McDonald's. We stopped at Arby's for a beef & cheddar sandwich with curly fries and a Coke for lunch. We were at Wanda's by 4:30 P.M., but Hubby had not gotten home from work, so we sat around and talked until Hubby picked me up.

Hampton Inn 56460 Frank Pichon Rd, Slidell, LA

Carnival Valor Cruise Ship Stateroom   Deck   Muster Station 

2018 March 17, & 2016, 2015 My thoughts

March 17, 2018. Today, I went to the Florence Lauderdale Visitor Center, where I saw a little Bird (Killdeer). As I started walking past her, the little Killdeer's feathers flared out. I took my cell phone and took a couple of pictures. I noticed 4 eggs were lying on the ground near her. She had made a nest in the grass near the sidewalk at the visitor's center. That was why there was an orange cone sitting there. I hope she guards them well.

Killdeer 

March 17, 2016: Today was a beautiful day, and the sunset was fantastic. I did a little work outside this afternoon. I sat looking out my window, watching all the varieties of birds eat from the four feeders. My husband said to look, and we saw a long-eared rabbit sitting in front of the tractor, eating grass. I looked out the window on the other side of our RV and saw a groundhog waddling down the field, looking for his dinner of fresh clover. Well, I lay on the sofa watching Wheel of Fortune (we watch it every night), and when it ended, I went to work on my computer. Every evening, I check to see what color the sunset is, and tonight it was awesome. I will post some pictures later. While taking photos of the sunset, I turned around, looked behind me, and saw a herd of deer (doe). I counted at least eight. They just stood there while I snapped their picture. I was careful not to make any sudden moves. I have not seen any deer for some time. This warm weather has brought out all the animals, and climate change has caused us to have such an incredible sunset.

Rabbit 

March 17, 2015, was such a beautiful day; the sun was shining, and there was no rain, snow, or sleet. I enjoyed it very much; we didn't go anywhere, just worked a little in the yard. The older that I get, the less I want to do any manual labor, for it makes me hurt all over; that is old Arthritis working in my bones.

2021 Mar 9, Day trip Oak Mountain State Park Pelham, Alabama

Today, we rode to Pelham via hwy 43 through Russellville, ending on I-22 going into Birmingham. We filled up with gas at Love's Gas in Jasper and took a restroom break. We traveled through Birmingham on I-65 to Pelham. We stopped at the Interpretive Center and then the Treetop Nature Trail, where we saw a Eurasian Eagle-Owl and Shelby the Bald Eagle. Most of the Interpretative Center was closed for renovations. We also saw several hawks and owls in another area.

Bald Eagle 

owl 

As we were coming back inside the center, we met a Park Ranger with a red-tailed hawk that was blind in one eye. We spoke with her for several minutes and watched as she fed the hawk. She said that the food comes to them frozen, so they just thaw it out for them. She was returning the hawk to its cage. We thanked her for taking the time to show us and tell us about the habits of the red-tailed hawk.

Red-tail Hawk 

We began our journey back home, having not eaten dinner, and both agreed that we would like to stop at O'Bryan's in Hartselle. I ordered a petite Sirloin steak with a sweet potato. Hubby ordered a Delmonico Steak, baked potato, and salad bar. After we ate, we took pictures of the Blues Brothers statue and other memorabilia at the steakhouse.

Oh' Brayn's Hartselle

We stopped at Kroger's in Hartselle and headed for home. We traveled from Hartselle to Decatur, taking Hwy 20 Alt 72 to Wheeler Dam. The sun was setting as we approached home.

Sunset

We had a great day; both of us were worn out from all the traveling.