The English Maximalista

Our 7-day cruise had stopped in Mexico and Belize, with the final port of call being the island of Roatán, on the Honduran coast.

As with the other stops on this particular cruise, Mr Maximalista and I had both been to Roatán before, which is why we decided to not take one of the daily excursions. We felt confident enough to step out independently, considering we had previously toured the area.

Last time, I had docked in Mahogany Bay, which I remember as being a really nice port. This time, we docked at Coxen Hole. The port itself wasn’t bad: it’s clean, and caters to tourists with lots of the usual shops and restaurants. But our experience at Coxen Hole deteriorated once we left the safe and regulated confines of the port. 

We followed some of the other passengers along the footpath into town, whereupon we were so intensely pestered by street hawkers and peddlers that within less than half an hour, we decided to turn back. 

It’s not that we were afraid of their aggression, because that wasn’t the case; we were simply irritated by their constant persistence. It was horrid.

And no, we did not succumb to the pressure. We didn’t buy anything.

The rest of the day wasn’t a complete bust, since we had a nice enough time lallygagging around the shops on the quay, followed by a relaxing afternoon on the boat. It’s just that Coxen Hole was exactly that. A hole.

In the end, our time in Honduras marked our least favourite day of what was otherwise a lovely cruise.

The best part of Roatán was the double scotch I had on the stern that evening, watching the wake as our ship pulled out of port.

*****

The remaining two sea days spent on board the Norwegian Dawn were rejuvenating. We read a lot. I had a couple of massages at the Mandara Spa, and took advantage of the relaxation room tucked away at the back of the ship.

Then, before we knew it, it was time to pack our suitcases and head back to Tampa Bay.

One of my packing hacks when I fly anywhere is to bring along some items of clothing from my donation pile at home; these items then get left at our hotel — or in this case, on the cruise ship — at the end of the trip. This vacation was no exception.

Leading up to a vacation, I generally set aside lingerie that has seen better days, which I can dispose of after wearing it on the trip. This also eliminates the burden of bringing home dirty socks and knickers!

For this cruise, I brought along a Cynthia Rowley blazer, a white Ralph Lauren shirt, a Nike cap, nightwear, and two dresses, all of which I intended to leave behind in the cabin. My other clothes got a reprieve, and came back home with me.

Mr Maximalista has been converted into this habit, as well — he now jettisons his boxers, sleepwear, old sweatshirts and t-shirts whenever we go anywhere!

This travel tip also creates room in our luggage for, let’s face it, the new stuff I know I shall be accumulating whilst we are on holiday. Thus we had plenty of space for the blanket I bought in Mexico, three fragile Christmas tree ornaments we bought at each port stop, and two pieces of artwork from Mexico and Honduras. 

(Couldn’t find anything in Belize. Although believe me, I tried!)

*****

Our holiday didn’t end here, though! Surprises awaited us upon our return to Tampa… which will be the subject of my next blog post — stay tuned!!!

Lots of love,

M xo