Cozumel

 

Thursday morning we stopped at Cozumel. Susan and Jenn shopped a bit, then went back to the ship.  

We had eaten at the Hard Rock Cafe in Cozumel back in 2017, so didn't need to go back. I did stop by the shop and bar near the port, but the bar appeared to be closed due to covid.  

Bryan and I took the ferry to the Playa del Carmen on the mainland. It took just under an hour to cross, then we spent about an hour looking around.

We had a drink at the Hard Rock Cafe there (No. 33), then took the ferry back to Cozumel and reboarded the ship.

After another day at sea, on Saturday morning we cruised back into Miami, disembarked, and headed home.

Castaway Cay

Our first stop was on Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. We were lucky to snag a cabana for the day, and although it was pretty pricey, we enjoyed it and having someone come by to bring us snacks and drinks. 

We spent most of our time hanging out in it, although we did find time to swim, eat at the BBQ, and go for a bike ride.

That night many guests wore costumes to dinner. Jennifer wore a Rapunzel outfit, and Susan and I went as Carl and Ellie from Up. 

Wednesday we were at sea. We spent most of the day lounging around, then had a formal dinner that night.

Dream Cruise

Monday morning, all four of us drove down to Miami. We had lunch at the Hard Rock near Miami Beach (No 32), then headed to the Port of Miami, where we boarded the Disney Dream for a five night cruise. This summer Susan had transferred to a job with the Cruise Line, so we are now able to get a great rate on last minute cruises.

The Dream is the sister ship to the Disney Fantasy, and we once again enjoyed veranda staterooms, rotating through the ship's three dining rooms, and sitting by the pool and eating at the buffet. We also enjoyed visiting with the DVC representatives on board.

It was a Halloween cruise, so there were decorations and special activities, and the characters wore special costumes at times. There were also three live shows in the theater: Golden Mickeys, Beauty and the Beast, and Believe. The projection sets of the Beauty and Beast show were pretty cool. 

Dinosaur World

At the end of September, Hurricane Ian blew through central Florida. Disney closed their parks for two days. The wind really howled the night it came through, and the next morning we found several of our plants blown over. 

Epcot celebrated its 40th anniversary on October 1st. We also spent some time at the park last week.

Jennifer celebrated the release of her second book with a trip to the Magic Kingdom.

Today Susan and I had to run out to Tampa, so we stopped at Dinosaur World on the way back. It's a rather simple place, consisting mostly of walking paths with statues of dinosaurs along them.

At about 20 acres, it took us about two hours to walk all the trails.