We had not planned on taking a cruise this year, but in checking on trips that give discounts to airline employees, the price for this cruise was very low so we went for it. The kids stayed with Grandma Erickson and Karen's sister Janet (THANKS!!!). This is a Premier Cruise line cruise that left from Houston's ship channel, so we just drove over and got on the boat. We stopped in Veracruz, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel on a 7 day trip. These pictures were taken with a Polaroid Photomax digital camera.
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1. & 2. The Big Red Boat taken from snorkel boat
3. Boat at night
4. The moon from the deck
5. Sunrise seen from the deck
6. Sunset
1. Tugboat pushing Big Red Boat away from the dock
2. Cargo crane in Veracruz looms over the Big Red Boat
3. "Horse Racing" on deck (you could bet on the outcome)
4. FANTASTIC steel drum band, "Island Magic." These guys were from
Trinidad and were VIRTUOSOS of the steel drums!!!
They gave a concert at night that blew us away!! We bought
their CD.
5. Pool games on deck (Mike & Karen did not participate)
6. Skeet shooting - the first time Mike shot a real gun...Mike got 2 of 5
skeet!! (the picture is not Mike)
1. Formal dinner night - we had our own little table in the
corner
2. Karen & Mike at sunset
3. The Blues Brothers from Las Vegas "Legends in Concert" show -
evening entertainment on the Big Red Boat
4. Garth Brooks clone; we also saw a Shania Twain look-alike at the show
5. Karen relaxes with one of the "towel animals" that appeared
in our cabin each night
6. Mutant swan made from towels (I think they forgot the fabric softener)
1. Docking in Veracruz
2. A band welcomes us to Veracruz - I've always wanted to try one of those giant
size guitars
3. Our tour guide...the ancient fort in the background was made from blocks of
coral
4. & 5. Sunset over Veracruz
6. The glow is a sign made of fireworks that said "Adios Amigos" as we
left Veracruz
1. Veracruz set off fireworks as we sailed away
2. In Playa del Carmen (near Cancun) we went to a gorgeous park called
Xcaret. We floated down an underground
river and relaxed on the beaches.
3. Mike & Karen at Xcaret
4. & 5. Perfect beaches and crystal clear water at Xcaret
6. Toucans and Pink Flamingos at Xcaret which is partially an ecological
preserve
1. In Cozumel we took a Catamaran on a snorkeling and beach
excursion. There were 4 catamarans
2. Front of our catamaran, docked for snorkeling
3. & 4. Snorkeling at a Cozumel beach
5. Karen comes up the steps after snorkeling
6. Karen in hammock on a Cozumel beach / Mike played beach volleyball there and
we tried a 2-man kayak which
we of course tipped over
1. The "limbo" on the catamaran
2. Karen shopping at Cozumel's waterfront shops
3. Mike, bored with shopping, takes a picture of the shops
4. This darling little girl came up to Mike while he was waiting for Karen...her
mother worked at one of the shops
5. The Cozumel Pizza Hut used mopeds for delivery!!!