So I have found out that if you hang out with your daughter long enough, your bad Dad jokes rub off on her. The title for our day in Roatan was hers. This is the day Madison has been looking forward to for a long time. Today she gets to go horseback riding, zip lining, snorkeling and shopping. We decided in the interest of time to forgo the sloth and monkey encounter.
Our day started out early, well early for vacation anyway, at around 6:30 am. We decided that we were going to bypass breakfast and get out to our tour guide as soon as we could. Upon arriving in Roatan, I was greeted with a nice surprise. Also, in port today was the MSC Meraviglia and we parked right next to her. This is a nice surprise because my mother and I will be on this ship in less than two months and I can’t wait to experience what the Meraviglia has to offer. I quickly took in the sights and off to find our guide.
We booked our tour through Roatan Anderson Tours and were supposed to meet him out in front of the port. As we walked out to the street, I quickly located Shervin Anderson who directed us to our guide, Leonardo. Our first stop for the day, Jungle Top Zip Line. This business is within walking distance of the port and would make for an easy off and easy on excursion without having to get a taxi. They also offered photos for $25 of the zipline experience which was not bad. So again, we signed out life away, this time I got to sign Madison’s life away also, we geared up and headed out with our guides Wilson and Darvin. We went over 17 zip lines I believe and 24 platforms and three bridges, or something like that. I was just glad I did not die, or my wife would have killed me. Actually, for someone who hates heights this went better than I expected. After making our way through the course, we saddled back up in the minivan and headed for the stables.
As we arrived at the sables, you could tell things were going to change and not for the better. Right after we saddled up, down pour. We were instantly soaked from head to toe. And better yet, I found where the Mosquitos fly to for the winter. Apparently, they like Roatan and have not forgotten what Minnesota blood taste like. Yes, I brought bug spray with, no I did not put it on. It was in the stateroom, safe and sound where nothing would happen to it. We headed out on a nice ride through the mountains and back to the ocean. Once at the ocean, we were able to ride in the ocean. It was kind of neat, but watching the horses do their business in the water made me rethink snorkeling. After approximately an hour or so of riding, it was back to the stables. Our guide Ivanna was very nice and the daughter of the owner. She advised she has been doing tours since she was 11 and she turns 19 next month. All and all it was a fun experience minus the mosquitoes.
We loaded back up with Leonardo and headed to the West End for some snorkeling on the reef. We arrived at The Buccaneer and waited for the boat to return. Once it returned, we climbed aboard and off we went. We took a short trip out to the snorkel site and then headed off following our guide. The GoPro while working for horseback riding and zip lining decided it did not want to get wet again and would not work. I decided that instead of fighting with it, I would leave it in the boat. Boy was that a mistake. The reef we snorkeled around was astonishing. We saw all sorts of different fish and sea life including another edible lobster. The coral was fantastic stretching into the deeps of the ocean and at times raising close to the surface. This was the best snorkel/scuba spot we had seen by far. I can’t wait to come back and dive this area someday. We snorkeled for about an hour and then headed back to shore. Upon arriving back at shore, we were again greeted with rain. It seems like the rain will never stop. Most of the last two days were the same way, rain, sun, rain, sun, and so on. The good news was each time during our activities we rarely had rain.
Once we loaded back up, it was off for some shopping and then to return to the ship. The shopping was okay, but I am not sure we were taken to the best spot. It appeared as though we were brought to a location where Leonardo would get a kick back if we purchased anything. Not the end of the world, but a little disappointing. We did see these Mahogany doors in the shops. Price at only $2,200 each. Once we finished our shopping, we headed back to the ship and the port area. By this time the port area was completely full of people. There were three ships in port at Coxen Hole, the cruise terminal, the Meraviglia, Harmony and we were joined by the Oceana Riviera which had to tender their guests. We decided to bypass shopping and head to the ship.
Once back on board, we dropped our stuff and headed out in search of food. It wasn’t a long search as there is food everywhere on this ship. We decided to try the Boardwalk Doghouse, a nice little hot dog stand on the Boardwalk. After grabbing a quick hotdog, we headed to Sorrento’s for a few slices and then to the Windjammer Café to finish up. It was like a three-course meal. Windjammer was not as bad today, but that could have been because we were still in port and we were up there around closing time. After finishing lunch, it was back to the room for some down time. Madison got some reading in and I was able to catch up on some work. And of course, got a little nap in, always important to get a nap in.
Tonight we were headed to our second specialty restaurant 150 Central Park. This is the signature restaurant on the Oasis Class ships, the Harmony, Allure, Oasis, and Symphony. The atmosphere in the restaurant was very nice. We were seated in the royalty chairs and treated like kings and queens. Unlike Chops which seemed to stuff a bunch of people in, 150 Central Park was more spread out and very pleasant. Tonight was about fine dining and going outside of our comfort zone. This was our first experience eating in what you might consider an upscale restaurant. We ordered Seared Honey Glazed Scallops and Braised Short Ribs. Everything was delicious. For our main course Madison went for a Gordon Ramsey specialty, Lamb Wellington, and I sprung for the Lobster Thermidor. We also added the Roasted Tenderloin for one, which we shared. Madison decided she wanted to have a deconstructed Lamb Wellington and cut it down the middle. It promptly fell apart. After filling up on the main course it was time to move onto dessert. Madison tried the Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart and I went for the Hazelnut Passion Fruit Bar. Both were excellent and finished the supper off nicely.
After supper it was back our room for some more down time. Madison read some more, and I worked on several different projects. It was lights out from there. The ship was moving quite a bit this evening and they had to cancel the Aqua Show. This is now the third time the show has been cancelled due to weather. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
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