Salsa, Salsa, & Margaritas in Costa Maya - 03.06.26

Today was an extra special day because it was our last port day as well as my mom's birthday! Before my sister and I went to bed the night prior, we secretly decorated her door with a birthday banner, underwater creature cutouts, and streamers galore. She woke up to the festive surprise, and we went to get a quick bit to eat before going ashore to Costa Maya, Mexico. I had a simple breakfast of toast with peanut butter, hard boiled eggs, and fruit. After breakfast we got ourselves ready for departure.

In Costa Maya, we prebooked the excursion Salsa Cooking & Dancing with Beach Break through Norwegian. During our excursion we made authentic Mexican salsas and guacamole. We also learned how to dance the Salsa and did tequila tastings. Upon our arrival, we were given complimentary margaritas, Mexican beer, and water. We then were guided through the steps of slicing and dicing our fresh ingredients to make delicious creations that we were able to eat with tortilla chips. After our hands-on cooking class, we were taught how to step, sway, and get into the groove of Latin America's most famous dance, the Salsa. After our step-by-step instructions we were ready to audition for Dancing with the Stars. We put in a morning full of work so that we could have an afternoon to relax in the sun and swim in the sea. The ocean had a lot of seaweed, so it wasn't my favorite, but naturally I stayed in the whole time.

Unfortunately, our tour was over (after several hours) and we were transported by bus back to the ship. Once on the ship we got our daily post excursion snack. I had some salad, chicken, potato salad, and vegetables. We then got ready for dinner at the Venetian.

At dinner, I ordered the Caesar salad (romaine lettuce, focaccia crouton, parmesan cheese, Caesar dressing), chicken and seafood paella (chicken, shrimp, mussels, clams in rice flavored with saffron and paprika), and Snickers pound cake (Snickers pieces, peanuts, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate curls, fresh strawberries). My sister ordered the bruschetta (grilled ciabatta bread, ricotta cheese, Roma tomatoes, garlic, basil and oil oil), braised lamb shank (roasted carrots, shallots, rosemary potatoes), and Snickers pound cake. My mom ordered the Caesar salad, herb-crusted rotisserie chicken (mashed potatoes, broccoli), and chocolate eclairs (vanilla custard, chocolate glaze). My mom also got a piece of birthday cake. My dad ordered the Italian beef meatballs (spicy marinara sauce, parmesan cheese), shrimp fettuccini alfredo (parmesan cream sauce, mushrooms), and chocolate eclairs. We split a bottle of wine during dinner amongst ourselves, and we had a nice time dining and celebrating.

After dinner, we had our nightly entertainment to attend to. We went to the Majority Rules Game Show, Production Show: Women of Rock, and Glow Party. The Majority Rules Game Show gets the whole audience to participate as the most common answer to various questions amongst the room full of small teams wins. Needless to say, our group consisting of my mom, sister, and I did not win but we had a lot of laughs. The Production Show: Women of Rock saluted fierce female trailblazers of classic rock from Big Mama Thornton to Heart. There were show-stopping vocals and iconic hits like "Edge of Seventeen" and "Piece of My Heart". It was a high-voltage tribute to music's boldest women. My mom and I then briefly attended the Glow Party before heading off to bed.

Today was an amazing last port day filled with culture, education, relaxation, and celebration. Stay tuned for tomorrow as we spend the day at sea, enjoying one last full day in the sun.