Food & DINK
We travel. We eat. And we travel to eat.
Day 6
Wherein we wage a fierce debate whether to get off the ship
For some reason, we wanted to get a very early start to our day in Cozumel, so we set an alarm for 7:15 (that’s A.M., blah). We very seriously considered just staying on the ship, as it had been so nice and relaxing throughout the week. Kathleen put it best when she said we really struggled to go from our all-inclusive ship to our all-inclusive resort.
We somehow made it out of bed, and following another in-room mini breakfast, we were some of the first off the ship. Escort off the ship when in port is a lesser-known, but very nice, Haven perk. We navigated the confusing Cozumel port area (escalators, stairs, corridors that supposedly lead to elevators but actually lead nowhere, etc.), and we eventually found a taxi to take us to Nachi Cocom Beach Club.
This would be our third time at Nachi, and, sadly, will likely be our last. We first visited back in 2014 and had an absolutely unbelievable time. I’d put that first day at Nachi up toward the top of the list of our best vacation experiences.
Things have gone downhill, however. They used to let only 100 people in per day, but that number has since gone up. I’m not sure what it is now, but it feels much more crowded. What’s more, the service there used to be impeccable—with each couple or group receiving personalized service from one attentive waiter. Our first visit, our waiter checked with us regularly, bringing us many drinks and much food. This time, one person came by to ask us to place our food order. I think, since they built their new beach bar, the expectation is for people to order their drinks there rather than have them brought by a waiter.
Now, believe me, I realize how this sounds. I’m certainly not complaining that we have to get our own drinks—I’m not a monster. I just feel like it’s such a remarkably different experience than what it once was, it’s worth noting for folks who may be used to the old version and have that expectation for future visits.
Another, more substantial change, is we were told we could no longer order whatever we want from the food menu, but were limited to one appetizer and one entree per person. This was VERY different from our previous visits, when we spent the day sampling all sorts of items with no restriction. Again, not a big deal, but something to know before you go.
We spent a few hours at Nachi. We enjoyed some drinks in the hot tub (the pool was freezing cold). We swam in the ocean just a little bit, as it was rather seaweedy that day and that tends to irritate my skin.
We ate lunch, which was just okay. Again, the food on previous trips was fantastic, but everything we ordered this time was cold. Kathleen still enjoyed the ceviche, however.
Around noon we eventually decided that we’d have more fun back onboard a quiet ship, so we packed up and grabbed a taxi back. We made a couple stops in the port area to buy some hot sauce and chocolate, and we then made our way back onboard.
Speaking of chocolate, Joseph left us some seriously delicious chocolates for our afternoon treat. We then spent some more time reading and lounging in the Haven courtyard. We sampled a hotdog, which was surprisingly good, and generally just enjoyed the final hours of a cruise that was rapidly coming to a close.
Because we hadn’t had enough steak yet this trip, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision and made a reservation for Moderno for later that evening. This was no problem, with the help of the Haven concierge, and it seems like if you book the Haven, you have no need to worry about making advance reservations, as they handled every reservation for us with zero problems.
That night we went to the only show we’d booked for this cruise, Million Dollar Quartet. The show was very good. The musicians were fantastic, even if their acting needed a little help. Except for the guy who played Jerry Lee Lewis, who was insane and hilarious. It was probably the best show we’ve seen at sea, and I’d highly recommend it.
Moderno turned out to be a disappointment. This restaurant, more than any other, really seems to vary from ship to ship. We had it on our first Getaway cruise and thought it was average. We visited again on our Escape cruise the previous September and thought it was great. This cruise, the food was pretty bad. The chicken and sausage were both fantastic, as was the salad bar, but the steak (you know, the main event at a steak restaurant) was almost inedible. On the whole, definitely not worth the $70.
We toyed with getting a post-dinner drink, but we instead just headed back to our cabin because…old.
Up next, Day 7 – The final day. Booooooooooo!!!!!!
Food & DINK 