Day 8 of Carnival Glory Experience

Thursday, February 1

I wake up feeling happy.  It is my baby's 21st birthday today.  I am so blessed to have two perfect children, the most beautiful grandson in the world, and a son-in-law who treats my Princess, well, like a Princess.

And, here we are in Cozumel, Mexico.  My sweetie and I exchanged our deal breakers very early in our relationship so there would be no surprises.  One of his deal breakers was that he was never going to Mexico.  I get that and know that there will be enough activities for him on board.

We enjoy our breakfast and to my surprise, my sweetie is rushing me because he wants to go to Mexico !!  This ship is magic !

Cozumel is beautiful and we encounter the most security going ashore, which is actually comforting.  Next to our peer, there are four all inclusive resorts all with lovely beaches.  My sweetie thinks he would love to come back here and stay in an all-inclusive.  I have to sit down for a few minutes.

It is about 10 am so, of course, we sit down in an ocean front bar and have some cerveza.  Somehow we expect to see Kenny Chesney come in to serenade us with "Beer in Mexico".  (See, now I know this song thanks to Country Music trivia.  This experience is not only relaxing but educational !)

We start walking around shopping what is exactly like an outdoor outlet mall.  I'm sort of sick of shopping so I am positive I can persuade my sweetie to forego this, but, no, he wants to stay shopping.  Who is this man that I am with and what has he done with my sweetie?

We find a perfect compromise.  I find a lovely coffee shop to enjoy an Iced Cap and he goes off shopping.  He finds me about every twenty minutes to get my advice on what he has found and what he wants to buy and all I hear is wah-wah-wah-wah. His final purchase is a hand-woven backpack.  Great, now my sweetie is a Bohemian.

When we get back on ship, there is a sail away party on the Lido Deck.  There is my Leo dancing in shorts.  It is about 30 degrees out and his legs are white as alabaster.

It is elegant night again and we just have enough time to change and make Sports Trivia.  It is there that I find out that my Leo/Leona used to be a pole dancer.

When we are seated for dinner, something doesn't feel quite right.  The couple sitting with us are superficially polite but for some reason, I want to tell the Stepford Wife that she has drawn on her eyebrow crooked.  Also, we are in a weird little alcove that seems like the worst seats in the place.  The Stepford Wife tells me that they request this table every night because of the wait staff, as do most of the diners in this corner.  The wait staff are alright, but, I wouldn't specifically ask for them.  This was the only meal that I didn't get the lemonade I ordered.  The couple keep talking and I keep wondering what is rubbing me the wrong way.  Then, I get it.  The wait staff and all the diners.  A lack of diversity.  All caucasian.  I don't know how I was let in with my golden tan.  I am sitting with a bunch of bigots.  Every diner is over 50.  It is sad.  The man we are sitting with says this will be the last Carnival cruise that he will go on.  He will stick to Holland or Royal Caribbean because they "leave them alone".  He explains that they don't have the constant announcements and they don't play all these silly games.  There is no constant announcements, there is two announcements every day from the amazing Dustin.  It is worth the cruise price just to hear his smooth voice.  And the games aren't silly !!  They start talking about how lucky "those people", you know the ones from Zimbabawe and Phillipines who would never have an opportunity to get a job if it wasn't for cruise lines.  I'm feeling my blood boil and I am about to tell that I am a Ninang to a beautiful Filipino boy who has unlimited possibilities when we are going to be entertained again by the wait staff.   Everyone in my section rolls their eyes.  They dance to Bruno Mars Uptown Funk.  I would love to get up and dance to my favorite song but don't because I don't want to be judged by these bigots.  I don't even enjoy the performance because I'm ashamed that I don't stand up for humankind.  I atleast want to ruin their dinner so I talk non-stop about corruption in their government.

I leave dinner sad that the world is not as perfect as I would like it to be.  I don't Carnival will be sad to lose their business.

We attend the Playlist Production of Epic Rock.  I have never been to a Broadway Production but I am quite confident this was better.   The costume changes, the talent, the lighting, the digital sets.  It all left me breathless for 30 minutes.  Truly extraordinary.  Why haven't we gone to all of these Productions?

After the performance, the cast comes in to the lobby for pictures and introductions.  When they leave, I thank each one individually and tell them how talented they are.  They seem sincerely grateful.

And, right after comes the 80s music trivia party.  It is another amazing time.  I am dancing and shouting and having a great time.  Cruise Director Dustin stops the party to announce that he wants to buy a drink for someone who is rocking it and keeping the party lively.  It is me !!!! Yes, you read that right.  Four exclamation points.  Next to the births of my prodigy, this has to be the most exciting thing ever.  Dustin dispatches Fun Squad member Alex to get my drink.  When I get my strawberry margarita, I hug Alex and tell him I love him and he tells me he loves me too.  I don't have a clear view of Leo so I can't tell if he is jealous.

We danced the night away and some other things may have happened, but the important thing was that I got the first drink of the night !!!