Overview
Back in early spring of last year, we decided we wanted to do something different in the late fall and early winter — something we’d never done before. Neither Nancy nor I had ever been to Central America or South America, and when we found an Oceania itinerary that not only explored both but also dipped down to Antarctica. We couldn’t resist, even though the trip was during Christmas and New Year’s which meant no family time. This was a 54 day adventure so we need to break it down into manageable chunks.
This blog is the first in a 6-part series that will follow our voyage, stop by stop, with each post focusing on the places we visited and the excursions we took along the way.
The Complete Series can be found here:
Part I — Central America & the Panama Canal: The Journey Begins
Part II — Across Ecuador & Peru: Markets, Monasteries, and Lost Civilizations
Part III — Chile: Ten Days Along the Edge of the Andes
Part IV — Argentina, The Falkland Islands & Antarctica: To the End of the World
Part V — Uruguay Beach Resorts and Wineries
Part VI— Brazil: The Final Stretch North
Embarkation – Miami, Florida
Arrival in Miami
We arrive at the Miami cruise port about an hour and a half before boarding. With time to spare, we wander over to the waterfront area and grab lunch at Bubba Gump’s with our son Carl. The whole area is lively — shops, restaurants, music — clearly designed to handle the constant flow of cruise passengers.
Boarding the Ship
After lunch and a short walk, we head to Terminal J, where the boarding process is incredibly smooth. Compared to a previous cruise where embarkment felt like a full-on cattle call, this is a breeze. We are onboard in minutes, exploring the ship and settling into our cabin. Our luggage arrives quickly, we unpack, relax on deck, and sail just after sunset.
Cozumel, Mexico
Revisiting Cozumel
We’ve been to Cozumel years ago, so this stop is all about re-exploring the town at our own pace. No excursions for us today – just wandering. Cozumel is undeniably a tourist trap, but it’s fun in its own way: shops, bars, music and plenty of people-watching.
Dick’s Dive
We walk around taking photos and checking out different streets before ending up at Dick’s Dive. For what it’s worth, it is a Green Bay Packers themed bar. We meet a couple, Sarah and Josh, who come to Cozumel twice a year! We spend several hours chatting, snacking, and enjoying a couple of beers. The appetizers are surprisingly awesome.
Shot Glass Shopping
We collect shot glasses from our travels, so naturally we have to hunt one down before moving on. Sometimes we collect Christmas ornaments, and one just calls out to us.
Thirsty Cougar
Later, we stop at the Thirsty Cougar, a cute little waterfront bar & grill. Per our style, we want to graze on more food and engage in people watching. We order jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheese that are so massive we swear they are the size of a beer can. We aren’t sitting there 15 minutes when we notice Sarah and Josh at a nearby table.
By late afternoon, we are back onboard and getting ready for the next port.
Costa Maya, Mexico
Journey to the Kohunlich Ruins
The next morning, we arrive in Costa Maya, where our main goal is to visit the Kohunlich Maya ruins. The drive inland takes a little over two hours, with some rough roads along the way—but the ruins make up for it. Several of the other passengers are not paying attention to our guide and we tire quickly of the same questions being asked several times. Lunch is a very disappointing basic baloney sandwich and an apple that we have to eat in the van—not great. The ride back is also bumpy but we enjoy seeing the Mexican countryside with all its small villages, roadside food stands, farms, and clusters of homes. This is definitely not the excursion experience we’ve come to expect, but hopefully it is a one-off and not a sign of things to come.
Puma Signs
We see puma warning signs, something one definitely don’t see back home in Virginia.
Kohunlich Maya Ruins
Kolunich sits deep in southern Quintana Roo, surrounded by thick subtropical rainforest. The site covers more than 20 acres and includes nearly 200 mounts, many still unexcavated. Its remote location gives it a peaceful, off-the-beaten-path feel. We climb staircases, wander through plazas, and explore structure after structure before reaching the main attraction. We have 3 hours to walk through this historic area.
The Temple of the Masks
Built around 500 A.D., this temple features massive stucco masks — some over eight feet tall — representing the Maya Sun God. They’re remarkably well preserved thanks to being buried under later construction.
Return to Port
Back in Costa Maya, the port area is a full-blown tourist maze. You literally can’t reach the ship without weaving through sops, bars and restaurants. We find a small spot to grab a couple of beers, people-watch and pick up an engraved shot glass – $15, a bit steep, but it’s one of kind. Around 6 p.m., we head back onboard to rest up for the next day.
Belize City, Belize
The Drive Inland
The drive inland from Belize City is long but fascinating. We pass farmland, villages, and stretches of countryside that make it feel like we are halfway to Guatemala.
To reach the site, we cross the Mopan River on a hand-cranked ferry, a charming and memorable experience in itself.
Exploring the Site
Xunantunich sits atop a natural limestone ridge, offering sweeping views across the Belize Valley and into Guatemala. The city flourished during the Late and Terminal Classic periods (700–900 A.D.) and served as a major civic and ceremonial center. There are a number of carved stone markers and panels that bring the site’s history into focus.
Here we meet a couple named Barb & Bob from Oregon that are also doing the full trip from Miami to Rio and we wonder how many others there are. We later learn only 22 people are doing the entire route.
El Castillo
The site is dominated by El Castillo, a 130-foot pyramid – one of the tallest in Belize. After climbing the steps, we are rewarded with a 360-degree panorama of jungle, farmland, and distant mountains. We will say though, you had to NOT have a fear of heights here as there are no railings and it has plenty of uneven steps. The top ledge is narrow and if you fall, it’s likely certain death. We have always wanted to hike up to the top of one of these pyramids and now that’s been accomplished!
Big iguana on the shore
We spot an iguana hanging out near the ferry crossing on our return and of course there are plenty of little vendors trying to sell you things.
Lunch
Our tour includes lunch at a delightful small restaurant where we sit with a couple named Mary & Bob. The authentic food is wonderful, but even better – the beers are only $2 (that compares to $7.40 on the ship). The restaurant sells Harrison and Bob a few beers to take back to the ship – a nice Belize beer. Back at the dock, we stop at the duty-free shop to pick up a bottle of Grand Marnier—we are wondering how much Oceania keeps track on alcohol brought on board. It is allowed and folks screening bags on the ship don’t seem to care about quantity. With $7+ beers and $16 glasses of wine – we plan to spend most of our “extracurricular adult beverage” time on our balcony rather than at the ship’s bars.
Once again, we have dinner in the Main Dining Room and it is wonderful to only share a 4-person table this time. We dine with Irving and Lorraine, an elderly couple from New York that now live in Naples, FL. He is 83, a retired lawyer whose father had owned the firm he inherited. She is 85, gracious and warm. As it turns out, Nancy had “met” Lorraine prior to the cruise via one of the roll call chat rooms on CruiseCritic.com. Conversation is pleasant, the dining room lively, and afterward Nancy and I return to our cabin, watch a few minutes of television, and drift off to sleep.
Harvest Caye, Belize
A Relaxing Day on a Private Island
Harvest Caye greets us with sunshine and a resort‑style vibe – it is in fact, a private island owned by Oceania’s parent company, Norwegian Cruise Lines. The island has a small zoo with iguanas and parrots, but the real highlight is the enormous pool with its swim‑up bar. We spend most of the afternoon there, talking with fellow travelers.
Poolside Conversations
We meet Graham and Indica from British Columbia — she is originally from Holland and he is the artist in residence on the cruise. We meet a couple from Texas, Julia and Archie, and run into Mary and Bob from yesterday’s tour lunch. Easy conversation, cold beers, sunshine and warm water—perfect after 2 days of intensive Mayan ruin exploration.
Later we walk the beach before returning to the ship. Dinner tonight is at our first of four specialty restaurants, the Polo Grill. It is a steakhouse and is excellent—Nancy has her filet mignon, Harrison has a big rib-eye steak, and we enjoy lively conversation with Ann and Randy.
Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala
A Hot Morning in Santo Tomás
It is already hot when we arrive in Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala. The ship is docked in a very industrial area — cranes, containers, cargo ships — and not much to do right at the port itself. So we sign up for a tour that will take us deep into the countryside and along the Río Dulce River. It’s nice and warm outside and we have breakfast on the Terrace Cafe overlooking the docks.
The Long Ride Inland
The bus ride lasts about two and a half hours. Along the way we se daily life unfolding: families in small shacks, laundry hanging from porches, kids playing in dusty yards, and trash scattered here and there. Poverty is everywhere, but so is resilience.
In other stretches, the land opens into farmland — fields stretching toward the mountains, cows and horses grazing, and pockets of green where the soil is rich.
Crossing the Rio Dulce
We cross the Río Dulce bridge, then walk down to a small harbor to board a boat. The ride carries us across the river to the Catamaran Island Resort, where we stop for lunch.
Lunch at Catamaran Island Resort
Lunch is simple but delicious — traditional Guatemalan dishes that look a bit like tacos but aren’t quite, plus fresh juice. After eating, we wander the resort grounds for about forty minutes before reboarding the boat.
Castillo de San Felipe
A ride upriver brings us to Castillo de San Felipe, a beautiful stone fortress built in the late 1500s. A Spanish colonial fort located at the entrance to Lake Izabal, it was built to protect the port of San Antonio de las Bodegas from frequent English pirate attacks, but today it stands restored and picturesque. The fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a popular tourist destination. As we tour, a group of six women in colorful dresses are using the castle as the backdrop for what looks like a wedding photo shoot.
Colorful Cemetery
Nearby, a cemetery reveals another cultural detail: above-ground burials in concrete block containers, stacked like Legos and painted in bright colors.
Return to the Port
The bus ride back follows the same route, but from the opposite side of the road we catcu new views and snap plenty of countryside photos.
Back at the marina, we browse a small shopping area and pick up a Guatemala shot glass before heading back to the ship.
We cool off at the pool for a bit, then dress for dinner.
Roatán, Honduras
A Saturday in Roatán
If we had been home on this particular Saturday, we would’ve been parked in front of the TV watching the college football conference championships. The excursions in Roatán don’t really excite us, so we decide to take the day a little slower and find a place to just relax for the afternoon.
Exploring the Port
The port area has been built out significantly in recent years, and it shows. It’s clean, modern, and packed with shops, bars, restaurants, and plenty of swimming and beach activities. It is a pleasant place to wander for the day.
Finding a Sports Bar
It is Saturday, and this time of year for us this means NCAA football conference championships. We are fortunate to find a bonafide sports bar with tons of TVs that is able to show 3 games within our view. This is going to be a day similar to how we spend time on a Saturday in December at home.
We meet Greg who is hunting for the Michigan State game. We end up talking about his life as a stockbroker in Chicago, now living in Mexico, driving a Chinese self-driving car. He even claims the Mormon Church has a trillion dollars in investments—wild. He and his wife Cindy are wonderful to spend a few hours with. They are Chicago through and through. Nancy leaves for a brief while to shop for a pair of sandals to wear at the ship pool and with her evening skirts.
Back to the Ship
After a few hours, we decide to head back to the ship. We spend some time at the pool, cooling off and unwinding before getting ready for dinner. It wis a simple, easy day — exactly what we needed in the middle of a packed itinerary.
Puerto Limón, Costa Rica
Rainforest Extravaganza – Morning Start
We wake at 5:20am to a beautiful sunrise, the wind finally gone after yesterday’s bluster. After packing insect spray, grabbing coffee and eating breakfast, we are off the ship at 8:00am for our big “Wilderness Extravaganza” – an 8 1/2 hour rainforest adventure.
River Cruise Disappointment
The day starts with a river cruise that, frankly, doesn’t live up to the hype. Spirits are high as we board a boat for a jungle river ride – but it turns out to be a short back-and-forth stretch of only a quarter mile, weaving around at least 2 dozen other tourist boats. The guide keeps promising wildlife, but we see only a few birds, a sloth and a distant crocodile. Harrison gets a decent photo of the crocodile. Still, the scenery is lush and peaceful.
River to Mountains
After some fruit snacks, we board the bus again for an hour-long ride into the mountains to the Veragua Rain Forest.
Veragua Rainforest Preserve
The Veragua Rainforest Preserve spans nearly 500,000 acres and is run by a non-profit research organization. Upon arrival, we split into two groups with Nancy choosing the level trail and Harrison on the waterfall hike. Truth is, over 80% of the hike is the same – just the final 20% went on different routes. As we start, our guide warns us to always check the handrails before putting your hand on it as he points out a venomous snake just sitting inches from the railing. This is the first of a number of snakes we see in the wild. It seems like baby snakes are in or around every plant or bush.
Well-marked paths and elevated platforms wind through the forest, leading to a number of exhibits. Costa Rica has around 25 venomous snakes and just as many poisonous frogs, plus spiders and ants with venom. The jungle is beautiful, but it demands respect.
Wildlife & Exhibits
We explore frog and butterfly houses, see toucans and sloths, and admire flowers along the trails.
Lunch
Our two tours have lunch at the same time. The food is a traditional Costa Rican plate of chicken, rice, and beans — thankfully with hot sauce — plus peach tea. Afterward we browse the gift shop. Yes, we overpay for a shot glass, but at least it supports the foundation.
Gondola & Waterfall
We take separate gondola rides 600 feet down into the canyon. Harrison’s group then hikes farther to a waterfall. Compared to others we’ve seen around the world, it isn’t spectacular, but the hike is fun and full of snake sightings. Nancy’s group then hikes to a river view where she gets a photo of a Toucan bird. After the gondola ride back up, the tour wraps after about three hours. Only 1 bug bite for Harrison and Nancy escapes unscathed thanks to insect repellent.
Evening Wind-Down
Back in town, we brows a souvenir gallery near security hoping to find some beer for our refrigerator, but the neighborhood outside looks a bit sketchy, so we decide to wait until Panama City.
Panama Canal Transit Day
Entering the Canal
By 8:00am we are already out on deck, and time flew by as nearly three hours pass as the ship slowly enters the harbor. The process of lining up and moving through all three canal locks is mesmerizing — sprinkles of rain, shifting skies, and the slow, deliberate grandeur of the passage. Crossing the Panama Canal takes 8–10 hours from the Caribbean to the Pacific, and this morning we are just at the beginning.
We learn that on average, 35 to 40 ships transit the Panama Canal each day which means between 13,000 and 14,000 pass through each year. The cost to go through varies significantly based on the size, weight and type of vessel. Typically, owners pay between $15,000 and $300,000 in basic fees per crossing. The cost to go around South America instead is significantly higher and adds about 18 days of travel time.
First Locks
Gatun Lake
Once we get out of the first locks we pass by a variety of ship types as we ride through Gatun Lake. Gatan Lake’s water level is carefully managed to ensure the canal’s functionality, especially during dry spells. Water is collected in the adjacent Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks and then actively recycled to refill Gatun Lake as needed.
Through the Cut
Originally known as the Gaillard Cut, Culebra this is an artificial valley cutting through the Continental Divide in Panama. The name was changed in 2000 when the canal was handed over to Panama. It connects Gatun Lake to the Gulf of Panama and the Pacific Ocean. The cut is about 8 miles long and is 85 feet above sea level. The excavation of the cut was one of the great engineering feats of its time.
Approaching Panama City
By the time we reach the final locks, Panama City rises before us — an astonishing skyline of white skyscrapers gleaming in the sun, reminiscent of Miami but somehow even more dramatic. The canal transit ends in brilliance: Panama City leaning into the Pacific sun, a vision of white towers against a deep blue sky.
Evening Plans
Tomorrow we have a morning tour to explore the city properly.
Panama City Excursions – Lost Passes, Pirate Ruins and Prosciutto Magic
A Chaotic Start to the Morning
We are jolted awake at quarter to five by the racket of crew repositioning the gangway planks. For reasons known only to them, they chose that exact hour to move them — right outside our cabin. Convenient when we want to watch the fanfare on shore, but not so convenient when the noise rattles us awake.
Some passengers are heading out at 8:45am for the long train ride across Panama (8.5 hours, round-trip). Having just crossed the canal by ship, we don’t understand the appeal, though perhaps the jungle views make it worthwhile. Thankfully, Nancy and I had ordered room service the night before, knowing we had to catch our tour bus at 7:15am. Breakfast in the dining hall doesn’t start until 7:00am, so room service is our only option. Sure enough, at 6:10am the phone rings: breakfast is on its way. Time to get moving. Trays arrive; we eat quickly, dressed, and head out.
Panama City Skyline
Our driver is Miguel and our guide is Jorge. The half-hour ride reveals Panama City’s astonishing skyline – huge towers, nearly all built in the last thirty years. Growth here has been explosive, and the city looks every bit like a modern metropolis.
Old Panama – Pirate Ruins
Our first stop is the ruins of the original port, built in the 1500’s and later burned to the ground by the pirate Henry Morgan. The museum and cathedral tower remain, stone relics of a violent past. We tour for about an hour before heading downtown to the “second city” where colonial architecture blends with modern life.
Old Panama City
We spend several hours walking around this area. We see the presidential palace (heavily guarded, no entry), wander narrow streets, snap photos, and browse gift shops. This is a really nice area to hang out in.
Panama City Pier
The pier area around where the ship is anchored is really nice and when we get back from Panama City, we explore it while looking for somewhere to catch a late afternoon lunch.
Lunch by the Water
Lunch is a highlight! We find Plaza Causeway, an upscale interesting collection of several restaurants with varying cuisines. It is along the harbor, and we sit at a small table overlooking the water. We start with some exceptional croquettes and finish with an open-faced prosciutto sandwich – bread brushed with olive oil, topped with fig, prosciutto, balsamic vinegar, and a touch of lettuce. Sweet, salty, tart and rich – all at once! It is truly incredible. We take photos and talk about making it for our annual Super Bowl Party back home. After lunch, we visit the Duty-Free shop to enrich our supply of adult beverages in the room – exceptionally low prices!
Back Aboard
Back aboard our ship, we relax at the pool and have a laid-back evening.
Summary
The adventure will pick up again the next blog when we begin exploring South America with our first stop in Ecuador. It has been great getting to see parts of Central America, although in the grand scheme of travel life, Central America is a once and done region for us. Still, the history, the people, the food and the sheer variety made it a memorable start to our journey south.
The Complete Series can be found here:
Part I — Central America & the Panama Canal: The Journey Begins
Part II – Across Ecuador & Peru: Markets, Monasteries, and Lost Civilizations
Part III — Chile: Ten Days Along the Edge of the Andes
Part IV — Argentina, The Falkland Islands & Antarctica: To the End of the World
Part V — Uruguay Beach Resorts and Wineries
Part VI— Brazil: The Final Stretch North
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