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I live in Jamaica, but my daughter lives and attends college in the United States. Last week, while she was on spring break, we went on a 7-day cruise out of Miami, Florida. We sailed on the MSC World America, a new ship launched last year. The ship’s godmother and godfather were Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom, respectively. The port stops were Mexico, Honduras, and MSC Ocean Cay, which is MSC’s private island in the Bahamas. This was my fourth cruise, but I was nonetheless amazed at how enjoyable it was. I like to call a cruise an all-inclusive hotel on steroids. There is so much to do on this floating machine that sails on an endless ocean.

First, I want to describe this magnificent ship. It was beautifully crafted with 20 decks, multiple restaurants (both free and paid), large theatres, lounges, bars, pools, hot tubs, and many other amenities. We stayed in a partial ocean view cabin on the inside of the ship overlooking the promenade but with a limited view of the ocean. Looking out at the ocean every day was such a calming feeling. The ship was beautifully decorated, especially on decks 6, 7, and 8, where all the stores, theatres, specialty restaurants, and lounges could be accessed. These decks had winding glistening stairs and screens with videos of the ocean on the roof. It was gorgeous. The top decks hosted pools, waterslides, and many activities for children and adults.

Ports of Call

Except for Ocean Cay, I had never visited any of these cruise ports before. Our first stop was Roatan, Honduras. It is an island on the coast of mainland Honduras. It felt very much like Jamaica, and surprisingly, the residents spoke a mix of Spanish and English and a broken English that was very similar to the Jamaican patios.

Our tour guide told us that the people on the mainland mostly speak Spanish and do not speak broken English at all. We toured an animal sanctuary that mainly consisted of monkeys, sloths, birds, iguanas, and deer. We took pictures of the monkeys and birds and found the experience to be very enjoyable. After the tour, we walked around the cruise port and visited shops. The cruise port, like many others, has many shops, bars, restaurants, and swimming pools. The other thing I like about cruising is that the cruise ports are full of activities, so if you do not want to go on an excursion, you do not have to.

Excursions, such as the Mayan ruins, were over an hour away. We decided to go to the beach, which was 15 minutes from the cruise port. While on the beach, we could still see our cruise ship in the distance. The beach was a vibe, and we enjoyed the few hours we spent there, even though we did not go in the water. Instead, we lay on beach chairs under an umbrella and read from our Kindles and enjoyed the scenery. The beach was quite packed.

The third port stop was at Cozumel, Mexico. This island off the coast of Mexico is inhabited by approximately 160,000 people. Although small, the island was vibrant, with walkable attractions just outside the cruise port. We took a taxi and went on an island tour. On the way, we stopped at a tequila brewery, where the process of making tequila was explained. We bought tequila and took it back to our ship. Unlike other cruises we have been on, they did not take our alcohol at all and returned it the day before debarkation. We were allowed to take it to our rooms.

The second port stop was Casta Maya, Mexico. Because of the recent upheavals in Mexico, I was a little apprehensive about going to Mexico prior to the cruise, but my research revealed that we were on the other side of the country and were not in harm’s way. The cruise port itself was beautiful and entertaining, but it was isolated from the town’s walkable areas.

Excursions, such as the Mayan ruins, were over an hour away. We decided to go to the beach, which was 15 minutes from the cruise port. While on the beach, we could still see

“The beach was a vibe, and we enjoyed the few hours we spent there.”

our cruise ship in the distance. The beach was a vibe, and we enjoyed the few hours we spent there, even though we did not go in the water. Instead, we lay on beach chairs under an umbrella and read from our Kindles and enjoyed the scenery. The beach was quite packed.

The third port stop was at Cozumel, Mexico. This island off the coast of Mexico is inhabited by approximately 160,000 people. Although small, the island was vibrant, with walkable attractions just outside the cruise port. We took a taxi and went on an island tour. On the way, we stopped at a tequila brewery, where the process of making tequila was explained. We bought tequila and took it back to our ship. Unlike other cruises we have been on, they did not take our alcohol at all and returned it the day before debarkation. We were allowed to take it to our rooms.

Our final port stop was Ocean Cay in the Bahamas. It was a beach day, and we had reserved our spot on the beach beforehand. The water was cold and ice-cold. However, we enjoyed it and stayed in the water for quite some time. There is not much to see on the island. It is a relaxing beach resort-type island. It was a nice calm day that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Fun at Sea

We engaged in many fun activities throughout the cruise. Each night, we dressed based on the theme and attended events such as the glow party, Caribbean night party, theatre shows, and even watched the Formula 1 movie. On our port days, we bought souvenirs from the different countries we visited and captured numerous pictures and videos.

Overall, it was a good cruise; the ship was gorgeous, the food was good, the staff was nice, and the entertainment was good. As always, we look forward to our next cruise.