Costa Maya, Mexico - Nov 8, 2022 - Celebrity Constellation - Penthouse Experience - Western Caribbean Cruise

 The morning started super early as there was a lunar eclipse that would be visible starting at 4:09 a.m. (eastern time) and last for about 1.5 hours.  I got up just as it looked like someone took a bite out of the moon.  The dew point had to be about the same as the air temperature so it took a very long time for my camera lenses to defog.  And then clouds started to come in.  Here is the one good photo I managed to capture and there is an Instagram Reel on my Instagram account @rebmakla_travel of a short time lapse. 

We were then up again as the sun started to rise and we got closer to our port, Costa Maya.

We enjoyed a full breakfast in our suite at our inside dining room this morning which allowed us a bit more time to get ready before we had to meet for our excursion.

Virgin Voyage's Scarlet Lady followed us which was a bit of a surprise because it was supposed to stop in Cozumel on this day.  I believe the port change for them was due to Hurricane Nicole which was hitting the Bahamas, one of the originally planned stops on their itinerary.  We would see them again tomorrow in Cozumel along with a number of other unexpected ships.

Sister ship, the Celebrity Infinity was already docked.

The Scarlet Lady was making her way in.

Female Magnificent Frigatebird

The Port of Costa Maya

The Infinity is the same class as the Constellation and so looks essentially the same.

This sail boat might have a little better luck if it were actually in the water.

Male Magnificent Frigatebird

Paul trying to find me on our deck (it is about 60' by 50') - does he know the Scarlet Lady is behind him?

Virgin Voyage's first ship, the Scarlet Lady backing in next to the Infinity.

When this port was added last minute to replace Belize, we took advantage of booking a last minute shore excursion back to the Mayan Ruins we had visited on our wedding cruise over 17 years ago, Chacchoben Mayan Ruins.  This also helped me refresh my memory on these ruins and put together a video to add to my Mayan Ruins series on YouTube and soon to be website.  

The site charged a fee of $4 US dollars to video record, which based on the current exchange rate was a bit high.  50 pesos should have been about $2.50.  But it was not surprising.  These archeological sites in Mexico generally set a much higher rate for tourists.  Here is the ticket they gave me as proof I had paid the video recording fee.

The Chacchoben Mayan Ruins were only open to the public in 2001 and most of the site has yet to be excavated.  The jungle has grown around it over the centuries giving lots of shade to those who explore these ruins.  Additionally, we lucked out and it was only about 80*F the day we visited, by far the coolest we have ever experienced Mexico.  

We have a photo displayed at home from our honeymoon in front of this pyramid, Temple 24.

This was a central area in a courtyard with structures (some not excavated yet) surrounding it.  This may have been some sort of alter.  Mom resting a bit, she'd walk almost 4.5 miles this day!

Here we are walking between the foundations of what would have been houses.

Towards the end of the site, there is one area where you can climb some steps to see two additional structures.  You have the option of 32 steep steps or an easier way of about 15 steps.

Here is a video I put together of our time at the ruins.

After the tour, they dropped us off at the far end of the port shopping (I'm sure intentionally), so we had a bit of a walk to get back to the ship.  In the Port of Costa Maya, there are many shops, restaurants, a pool, and even some flamingos.  Back at the pier, I got a few more photos of the ships in port.

From left to right - Scarlet Lady, Infinity, Constellation

Virgin Voyage's Scarlet Lady and the Celebrity Infinity

Once back on the ship, we headed straight for the pool deck as it was already quite late for lunch.  We grabbed some turkey burgers from the pool side grill which are really good and took them back to the room to enjoy.  On our way, we came across the second duck we would find this cruise.

We spent a few hours relaxing in our suite.  I toasted the other ships in port.

We had received an invitation to watch us sail away from the helipad.  It was a bit windy and Paul and his Mom were enjoying the view from the aft so they stayed in the suite while I made my way to the upper level of the theater and out through a crew only access door.  It turned out all suites and all passengers in concierge class had been invited so quite a few people had shown up.  

According to several officers, we were delayed leaving because they were trying to locate two passengers who they didn't believe had returned.  We never saw pier runners though and were later told they were on board and then we sailed away.  The delay meant we got to watch the Scarlet Lady leave ahead of us.  (The Infinity had left at 5 while I was still in our suite.)  I will eventually upload shorts to YouTube (and Instagram) with some of these sail aways.

A crew member was walking around with cold towels.  Others were walking around with drinks.  They had fruit infused waters at the base of the stairs up to the helipad.

I found it interesting how many large holes are in the pier.  I'm sure they serve a purpose but they seem a bit treacherous for the line handlers.  

As the sunset, we were not too subtly ushered off the helipad.  By that point, the crowd had thinned as people lost interest and their stomachs told them it was dinner time.

I went back to the room to relax and then dress for dinner.  We had dinner reservations at 8:00 p.m. that were quite a bit later than we wanted at the specialty dining restaurant, Tuscan Grill.  We don't normally book specialty dining but since it was included I thought it was worth trying it out.  Our butler escorted us up to Tuscan Grill and checked in with the Maitre'D.  We did get a table by the window as I was hoping but it overlooked the pool and they were setting up for a pool party with strobe lights so we had the blinds drawn.

The meal was a bit drawn out.  Some of the food was excellent and some of the dishes not so great but there was plenty of good food.  By the time we finished the meal, we were ready to head back to the room to relax.