With yesterday’s stop at Costa Maya, Mexico called off on account of weather, many onboard Carnival’s Mardi Gras were hoping that today’s stop in Isla Roatan, Honduras would not be met with the same fate. While the weather was not cooperative, the ship was able to dock and spend the day at the Mahogany Bay cruise port. Gloomy skies, some heavy downpours in the morning, and light showers the remainder of the day didn’t stop those looking to spend some time at the only beach stop on this 7-day Western Caribbean cruise.
In 2007, Carnival Corporation purchased 40 acres of land on the island’s southern coast and developed a cruise ship terminal and private resort that caters exclusively to ships belonging to brands under the Carnival umbrella. This includes not only Carnival Cruise Line but also their sister lines like Holland America, Princess Cruises, and Costa Cruises. These ships dock right at the port, making it super convenient for passengers to hop off and enjoy everything Mahogany Bay has to offer.
The area includes a 20-acre white sand beach as well as a variety of amenities such as restaurants, bars, shops, and water sports facilities. To get to the beach you can take the walking trail or hitch a ride, for a fee, on a slow-moving scenic chairlift. This, of course, is after you pass through the main shopping area of Mahogany Bay which includes the standard cruise port shops such as Diamonds International and Cariloha, as well as small shops run by local merchants selling their wares.
When it comes to getting a bite to eat or a few cold beers, there are several different bars and restaurants not only in the shopping area but along the beach as well. These are not Carnival-run food and beverage outlets, so you will be paying extra for anything you eat or drink.
Once at the beach, you can grab one of the many lounge chairs both in the sun and shade for free, while you can pay for some upgraded lounge chairs closer to the water. If you want to do more than just swim in the ocean and work on your tan, the activities team has a menu of things you can upgrade to for a fee, which includes:
- Snorkel Mask & Fins – $20
- Fun Cat – $40 for a half hour, $60 for an hour
- Aqua Cycle – $26 for a half hour, $46 for an hour
- Hobie Kayak – $30 for a half hour, $50 for an hour (2 passengers)
- Floating Mat – $10
- Sea Clam – $60
- Aqua Cycle Boat – $60 for a half hour, $80 for an hour
- Hydro Bike – $20 for a half hour, $30 for an hour
- Clamshells – $30
- Paddle Board – $16 for a half hour, $66 for an hour
- Sea Hammock – $34
- Paddle Boat for Two – $26 for a half hour, $46 for an hour
- Paddle Boat for Four – $35 for a half hour, $61 for an hour
- Umbrella – $30
- Kayak for One – $19 for a half hour, $34 for an hour
- Kayak for Two – $26 for a half hour, $46 for an hour
If you just want to wander around for a while, there is a nice nature trail that you can take but it involves climbing steep inclines and gravel paths, but you may just spot some of the island’s native wildlife.
For a better look around Mahogany Bay when the weather was much better, check out my Carnival Celebration Day 5 Cruise Review from April 2023.
All aboard was 5:30 pm and we departed right on time at 6:00 pm beginning our trek back to Port Canaveral for a return on Saturday. While the day wasn’t a complete washout, it wasn’t the ideal beach day and many missed the opportunity to get some beach time in. Unfortunately for this cruise, the weather hasn’t been the best so I feel for those who were looking forward to spending some time in port which we got very little of.
Back on board, things were set for the evening and the theme was “’Tis the Season” and all the holiday celebrations were happening at the Center Stage – the main performance area in the center of the ship. This three-level theatre with horrible views of the stage hosted Jingle Bell Jam at 6 pm, with the ship’s band and singers performing both classic and pop Christmas songs while they did some friendly banter back and forth.
Later in the evening, at 9:30 pm, more holiday-themed musical entertainment was on tap, this time with crew members from around the world taking part in the celebration singing traditional Christmas tunes. This was the warm-up for the Ugly Sweater Competition that took place at 10:00 pm.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Hanukkah is also being celebrated on board, with a Hanukkah and Menorah Lighting Service being held every night of the cruise at 5:30 pm.
For dinner, I headed over to the ship’s teppanyaki restaurant. Bonsai Teppanyaki is a small venue with just three tables but offers three different dinner times – 5:30 pm, 7:15 pm, and 9:00 pm. As one of, if not the most popular specialty dining spots on board reservations fill up quickly despite the $42 per person + 18% charge for dinner and $38 per person + 18% charge for lunch.
Having experienced Bonsai on several different Carnival ships, I always say the restaurant packs the most value for the price out of all the specialty dining locations. You never walk away from this restaurant hungry, are guaranteed to have a great time interacting with the chef and other guests, and the food is just fantastic.
Dinner starts with four different appetizers. The first is spicy tuna served over ice, the second is pork belly, the third is miso soup, and the fourth a salad with ginger dressing.
For the main course, you can choose from lobster, filet, salmon, shrimp, chicken, lobster tail, cod, or tofu. Pick one of those or you can make your own combination of two. Each comes with a few shrimp, some darn good fried rice, and vegetables. I went with filet and chicken and asked for my filet to be cooked blue, which it was. Both meats were tender, and deliciously seasoned, and were presented with three different dipping sauces.
If all that wasn’t enough, for dessert you’re presented with a bento box with six different types of desserts that make for a deliciously sweet way to end a fantastic dinner.
With all that food, I did some walking around to try to get rid of at least a few calories before calling it a night. The next two days will be spent at sea while we make our way home and word has it that the weather will not be in our favor, so stay tuned to see how that plays out!
Thanks for following along.
Fun Times for Day 5:
The Fun Times for December 13, 2023 can also be downloaded as a PDF by clicking here.