I’m On A Boat

SPORTS NOTES (quick-hitter to get me caught up going into 2022 before I reconfigure the template)

• Please remember I have been on a ship for a week, so some of these are high level or dated.
• I am not a Broncos fan at any level, but I still have lived here in Denver since 1997 and know the landscape.  The death of Demaryius Thomas shook me harder than I expected.  Yes, he was way too young.  But, it was the days after of watching Twitter, listening to the talking heads on the radio, and reading stories that got me.  I just remembered him as a WR with an incredible 5 year run in the league, and one who broke my heart when I was at the Steelers-Broncos playoff game way back when.  But, I heard stories that truly moved me.  He literally is how we ALL want us talked about when we pass.  He was nice to kids, he gave to the community, he lit up rooms, and he was respected in the locker room.  It sounded like he lived his brief time on Earth to the fullest for people around him.  I think I will take lessons from his death, as should everyone else out there.
• Monday night, Big Ben played probably his last home game for the Steelers.  He had some off the field hiccups, and has looked like a moving statue over the last few years, but he gave Pittsburgh all he could, bottom line.  No city can complain about two Super Bowls with many almost ones.  Heck, Green Bay hasn’t even gotten two from Aaron Rodgers.  Winning the title is tough during the time of Mr. Brady.  He clogs up most of the years.  Anyway, Big Ben will never have a legacy that you can put in children’s books, but he DID shape up, he did care about the team win more than his stats, and he did win…a lot.  Thanks, Ben.  Glad we have a QB-in-waiting plan to take over your spot (that is sarcastic).
• I think I am getting used to boring semi-final college football playoff games.  Now, we have the rematch of the SEC which we want to hate, but which still end up there in the end.  I think UGA gets over the hump this time, and I will be all over that money line.  Their defense is too damn good, and they will fix whatever the heck happened in the SEC title game.  They might still lose, but it will be a game.
• As with breaking any long-standing record like the three-point record, the buildup got old.  BUT, Steph “deciding” to do it at MSG added to the legend of the old arena.  He is obviously the best shooter of all-time and he might as well have that record too.  Scary also, how fast he did it.  He should have the record because he is literally the reason why the entire game changed once he left Davidson after that Elite 8 run.
• Speaking of the Warriors… Be scared, rest of the NBA.  Klay Thompson is almost back, and the Warriors are already the best team in the NBA.  Want some fun?  Google “Klay 24 in a row.”
• Speaking of impact players returning, so Kyrie really is going to do this split-time thing?  What a joke…  So, does that mean that the Nets should try and NOT get home court advantage for the playoffs.  He might be able to play more if they aren’t in NY.
• Is the world really mad that Jokic won the MVP last year?  People rarely talk about him.  They steer away from him in early MVP talk.  They forget he is keeping the Nuggets afloat with a bunch of role players minus Murray and Porter.  They forget HE is changing the way the game is being played.  They somehow don’t see his ridiculous (again) stats of 25, 14, 7, and 32 PER.
• I could make fun of Antonio Brown as a Steeler fan, but I won’t.  I hope the guy gets help.  Running off the field after throwing your jersey in the stands is new territory for the NFL.  Dude was on a contending team that lacked healthy receivers and needed him, and he STILL managed to jack it up.  He had to take an Uber home (seriously) and was seen a day later at the Nets game.  Obviously, hitting up his doctor wasn’t first on his list.  Get that guy help.
• John Madden died.  For us 40 year old plus people, Pat and John WERE the sound of football for years and years (Dick and Merlin were probably second for me).  John so became the sound of football announcing that we forget his ridiculous .750 winning percentage and Super Bowl title as a coach.  And, of course, there was some video game that took over some of our lives.  Happy trails, John.
• Dan Reeves died also.  He is a Ring of Fame member and always will be embraced by Broncos country.  Getting to two consecutive Super Bowls is not an easy task. He helped manufacture the trade that acquired John Elway in the draft, but also fired Mike Shanahan for creating a wedge between the two.  Good and bad.  Later, Mike won two Super Bowls with John.  Dan is a big part of Broncos history and will be missed as a man and coach.
• Here are my two cents on the Broncos situation.  Some people are just made to be coordinators and not head coaches.  Vic might not have a clear QB solution, but he will go 7-10 with the easiest schedule in the NFL and a top tier defense.  Clock management and in-game decisions were sketchy the whole year.  His pressers indicate an attitude of a guy who has already won something rather than a coach taking the blame for stuff.  Let that guy coach defense (probably somewhere else) and bring in someone new.  Sorry, Vic.
• The Aggies pulled their FOURTH five-star commitment.  I believe Bama is the only other school with multiple.  Jimbo will be running out of excuses in another year or two.
• I like the new UVA football coaching hire (Tony Elliott).  I love even more how Bronco explained his departure.  Nothing about his health.  Nothing about his performance.  It was just time to do different things in life.  I can accept that.
• His history off the course had a negative event or two.  His car crash, although scary, seemed to also be a little shady.  But, no matter how you slice it, it was beyond cool when Tiger and his son played together in an event. Tough to root against the dude who changed PGA Golf forever.
• Purdue might still win the hoops championship, and that Wisco loss is exactly what they needed.  I didn’t predict the upset itself, but I knew it wasn’t going to be a 12.5 point win.  Took those points in a heartbeat.  Purdue will be a #1 or #2 seed come tourney time and be a legit title contender.
• Baylor is still the best hoops team after sending multiple guys to the NBA and starting mostly reserves from last year.  Scary.
• I loved Houston’s hoops team coming into this year.  They made the Final Four, and brought many players back.  And, they were destroying most foes early in the year.  But, losing Marcus Sasser for the year makes them a Sweet 16 team as opposed to a title team in my opinion.  He was the tires on that car.  Or the gas.  Yeah.  That makes more sense.  They can operate until late in the game when they need him.
• So happy for Becky Hammon.  But, I wish she had gotten one of the men’s sports jobs.  If there was a female to blaze that trail, it would be her.  At least for the next 5-10 years.
• I honestly believe that Damian Lillard wants to stay in Portland and loves the town.  I also think that the roster, as constructed, can’t win a championship anytime soon.  So, given the two items above, it will be saddening when Portland still pulls the trigger and sends Lillard somewhere else.
• Please tell me Aaron Rodgers wins the MVP.  If Brady wins the SI Sportsperson of the Year AND MVP after winning the Super Bowl last year, it will just be saddening in certain ways given his age.  He can’t have everything dammit.
• No one is rooting for injuries to a player obviously.  But, sometimes the situation seems inevitable.  Lamar Jackson has been in and out of injuries all year long.  Isn’t this season a microcosm of what most of us expected?  A running QB is going to take a hit here and there that will sideline them.  Guys on defense are too strong and fast in the NFL.  And, as he gets older and the hits add up, it will happen more often.  Their design of the offense makes their championship window SOOOO tight.
• I can’t wait for Manu to Euro Step to the Hall of Fame podium to make his acceptance speech.  He also changed the game in two ways.  He made the Euro Step common and legal.  Two, reserves CAN be just as important as starters.
• So, let me get this straight.  Deion Sanders makes history by getting the #2 CB recruit in the land, and then they get smoked in a bowl game…by a DIRECTIONAL school (South Carolina State).  Talk about a week that had its highs and lows…
• Wednesday ends in the letter “y,” so I guess it is another day of OU football having someone enter the transfer portal.
• Steve Kerr will take over USA Basketball.  Funny to me.  Kerr won that Golden State job over Mark Jackson years ago, and I wonder if Jackson loses sleep still on how many titles HE would have.
• The list of what Urban Meyer was able to accomplish (not positive) in the short time he worked for Jacksonville is sort of an accomplishment in itself.
• Is it me or is LeBron doing some things this year that kind of make us forget he is getting old?  His team might not be winning as much as we expect them to, his aged friends on the team might not be contributing as much, and he might not be front and center in best players in the NBA discussions…BUT.  Last time I checked, that old guy is still averaging 28.5, 7.5, 6.5 with a 28 plus PER.
• The keys to the Lakers winning this year are two things.  AD’s health.  Russell’s turnovers (he had ZERO last night in a win).
• You all know this NIL snowball that is rolling down the slope has many, many more chapters and we can’t even predict what is next.  Pandora’s Box has been opened, and the college kids are going to push the envelope as MUCH as possible. 
• WFT will choose a new team name on February 2^nd.  I like what Mina said about this.  Mina Kimes on Twitter: “How about the Washington Fixyourdamnstadiums” / Twitter
• More games for NFL teams has led to more money for the league obviously.  Next, we need to talk about turning over a new page in history for records.  We now have three levels of records in the NFL.  14 games.  16 games.  17 games.  Something to think about…
• The Titans lost the best rusher in the NFL and then STILL won their division.  Quietest title contender in a while…since the last time Tannehill and Co. were underrated.
• Speaking of the Titans… How can you be a free agent signee (from the Steelers) on a #1 conference seeded team and be getting in 8pm fights at Walgreens?  That question is for you, Bud Dupree.
• But, that is less trouble than the Raiders players are getting into after games…
• I haven’t hung out IN Cincinnati, but I am sure there are SOME things to do late night, Cigar Boy.  And if you can’t find something, I am sure they will create a club for you with a few more division titles and 525 yard games.  Or keep winning divisions beating the hottest team in the conference.
• UVA hoops took down Clemson last night on the road and quietly has won 3 of 4.  Our two transfers are now carrying the load, and Tony has realized he doesn’t really have a bench or go-to scorer beyond them.  Anyway, rubber hits the road on Saturday with a road game at UNC.
• Professional athletes in the Olympics is kind of weird anyway, if you ask me, but the hockey Olympics made the most sense to me.  Sad to see they were cancelled because of COVID.
• COVID is affecting everything and we are in 2022.  This is freaking crazy.  Players are in protocols right and left.  Isaiah Thomas got a ring, and Joe Johnson was probably at the YMCA with two knee wraps as a 40 year old when his cell rang.
• I mean, Wyoming football put an AD in the local paper to find a QB.
• It is amazing how COVID is still affecting our regular lives, sports, schools, etc.  When games used to be cancelled, it was a big deal.  Now, it is mainstream and we accept and move on.  Kind of scary actually.  I wonder when we will hit that moment where we just accept COVID as the cold or flu and a part of our lives. I am just not buying that enough people will get vaccinated or that the variants will totally stop.  I won’t get deeper on this, because that is not what this blog is about.  And, some of us are over talking about COVID endlessly.
• Finally, hide your loved ones.  OJ might be older, but he is officially a free man again.  Off parole now!
• I am not watching Man in The Arena yet.  When Tom retires in the year 2029, I will tune in.  

Some random notes:

• I get supply problems during the pandemic, but how does every grocery store around me carry every OTHER flavor of Special K, but not the original kind? 
• I love my new company.  How am I releasing this during the day in a work week?  Because we are off until the 10^th.  Myself, and the other 10 people who work there. 
• I never have had the time off between Xmas and NYE, so my wife and I took a trip using a voucher we purchased pre-pandemic 2020.  Anyway, my notes are below from my travel journal.  Not written to be exciting.  Written to remind us of our adventures years from now, and to help others enjoy places we have been.
• We finally finished Ted Lasso before we left (been saving the end episodes).  Yup, best show I have seen in years.
• When I got back from the cruise, I was excited that we are behind on the new Dexter.  New Blood is sort of awesome thus far.
• Seinfeld’s The Contest turned 30 recently.  The brilliance of the episode lies in the fact that they never ever SAY the word.
• We caught up on Shark Tank.  Some geniuses figured out a way to hollow out a banana and put chocolate and other stuff in it.  Freaking brilliant.
• I love my iPhone.  Three small things that blow me away are the camera pics, the ability to quickly discard voicemails, and the battery power.
• I abuse the info on it, so I admit I actually gave to Wikipedia.  $5.  Now, I can feel better from using their free info.
• Betty White, you were a badass.
• If you are a fan of the Mirage in Las Vegas, you better book quickly.  That will be transitioned into a big guitar here shortly due to a purchase.
• The new Ghostbusters was decent.  I give it a B+.  Given the high expectations, it had a high probability of failure.  But, they pulled it off pretty well.  All of the old characters make an appearance, they navigate Harold’s death well, and all in all…good job.
• Nightmare Alley is the next movie I want to see.
• I find it odd that I suddenly travel and sit in only aisles when I was a window guy for the other part of my life.
• If you go to Universal in the Highlands, I live and die by the Wild Boar Scramble.  Get it every time.
• If you need a card in the Highlands, go to Word Shop.
• I went to a store and they were out of 2% milk.  I got the whole milk.  I remember loving that as a kid, but now it tastes like…too much…too creamy.  Weird.
• Does anyone else just combine OJ and milk to try and recreate an Orange Julius?  Just me?  Ok.
• San Manuel bought The Palms, making it the second tribal entity on or near The Strip.
• If you want the best lasagna and pizza in Denver, it is at White Pie in Uptown.  The Lil Sal salad isn’t too shabby either.
• I have decided that if you don’t include Diehard, my favorite Xmas movies are Elf, Grinch, Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Santa Claus (Tim Allen).
• Zoo lights was cool.  The lights at Elitches was better this year.
• I like quoting that insurance commercial in conversation by saying…”and Doug!”
• The mac and cheese burrito from Qdoba is not all it seems.  And that is coming from the President of the Mac and Cheese Club.
• The Last Duel was OK.  I give it a B.  It was too long.  I get you having to tell the story from three different perspectives, but you could have shortened them.  Plus, was I supposed to be confused or clear on who to root for in the final scene?  I was on the fence.  Lindsey was hoping they both died.  I just rooted for Damon because he is Jason Bourne in other movies.  Very ambiguous mission, this movie had.

• MY TRAVEL NOTES (combo of general travel notes, general cruise tips and tricks, and MSC review)
• Our initial brush with MSC was their check-in site.  Also, I spent hours on the phone with both agency and MSC trying to sort out details.  I needed a vacation from my vacation set-up by the time the cruise came along.  Thankfully, the fact that no one apparently can complete the questionnaire successfully or the hours on the phone did NOT bother our experience the rest of the way.  It was a great cruise with a rough beginning.
• Flights that leave at 505am are not optimal, but they are better than the true red eye.  We wanted energy to do stuff when we got on the ship.
• Check out flights before you book a cruise.  Don’t seal yourself into a cruise where you overpay for flights to nullify any value.
• Port Canaveral Quick Shuttle to get from MCO to Port Canaveral was smooth and efficient.
• Bring sunscreen in your carry-on in case you are in the hot sun in line to get on the ship.
• We waited in three long lines.  One to get on the ship.  One to get through security.  One to get through COVID protocol.  We should have eaten before we did this.
• Yes, it is a pain getting on the ship during COVID times.  We needed a negative test within 48 hours, negative test before getting onboard, and then all of the other standard security protocols.  Eat BEFORE you enter the process.
• COVID is not fun.  But, processes are new for everyone still, and they are doing their best.  MSC did their best at check-in aside from not putting out tents in the long line to get onboard while people were in the sun.  All solid aside from that item.
• From airport through all three lines, we were with this NYC couple, Izzy and Cathy.
• We ate as soon as we got on to the ship.  You sort of realize what is ingrained in you when starving.  Mine apparently is mac and cheese, a hot dog, and multiple slices of pizza.
• No suitcase yet, so we walked the ship.  This ship is monstrous.  5500 capacity, 1500 employees, and it was at 50% capacity (we found out later).  Their promenade was a combo of 16^th Street in Denver and Fremont Street in Vegas.  Very impressive for future good times.
• The only thing you had to do after boarding was attend a mustering attendance drill and watch a safety video from room.  We did both, and then were delighted to already find a passed out woman at the main pool who probably did not do both.
• Our mustering station was by the casino.  Pretty impressively sized casino, I will say.  For a ship…and I have seen a few of them.
• (Note:  Since I sell to casinos, I found it sort of useless for me to play cards.  We didn’t play one single hand.)
• As far as the casino goes, do NOT play slots on a ship, folks.  Slots are designed to be competitive with other casinos for payouts.  They have you stuck on a ship.  They have no competition for your money.  Think about it.
• We learned early that MSC likes the guest to figure things out on their own.  Not the worst thing, and we did figure things out, but we definitely were tossed clues rather than givens on what happens next.  This was for events, clothing, drinks, announcements, etc.
• Our room was awesome, as we went with a balcony room.  It was large for a cruise ship, meaning it was about the size of an average hotel room.
• We got the balcony for the Aurea Package (highly recommend) and so my wife had a better shot at fighting seasickness.
• The Easy Plus package ended up being perfect for drinks.  Unless you NEED the top shelf stuff, it covered everything up to $9 (needed to simply cover Tito’s for wife).
• I will not go on one single other trip, especially a cruise with a foreign company, without taking small bottles of hot sauce.  Big oversight for my eating habits.
• For you sports gamblers, don’t forget that foreign waters necessitate you keeping that Bovada offshore account open.  I keep a little in there and active for trips like this.
• We learned from our last cruise.  Hibachi is a hot item.  We booked it for that night at 8pm.  It was fantastic.  We enjoyed the six other strangers in our group, tricks were solid, the meat was great, and the rice was mind-blowing.
• Before Hibachi, we got a tour of the Thermal Spa, which came with our Aurea Package.  Mind BLOWN.  You can try and think about such a thing would be on a SHIP, but the fact that this thing existed at all was amazing enough.  Light and dark sauna, salt room, light and dark steam room, one hot tub with roller chairs, one regular hot tub, 6 different versions of cold showers, heat seats, walking variable shower module, and an ice room.  The ice room was the best.
• We started drinks at the Irish Pub with Danilio.  This would be our starting spot the other days when we had no plan.  Cool spot, sports on TV.
• We had some pool drinks.  We actually never got IN the main pool.  There were many other pools to chill at, and this was just the main hub.
• I get why the pools shut down early, but it still saddens me.
• Off The Record is the boat’s band.  We went to the Carousel Bar to check out tonight’s theme.  Funk was the theme, and Timberlake being played was my highlight.
• We were going to bust out karaoke, but the line was full.  And, everyone sounded like a professional.  Some Irish dude did Billy Joel’s Piano Man better than Billy.
• Breakfast is just awkward in other cultures I have learned.  We went to Waves, the ship’s restaurant where everyone can have a sitdown meal.  Everything was on the menu, but just off.  Damn, no hot sauce.
• Bring more hooks on any cruise you go on.  We blew it off this time, but it definitely helps.  Between clothes, swimsuits, shower towels, and pool towels, know you will need a few more.
• Bring those plug expanders.  I did and made two plugs five plus two USB’s.
• We had a port the next day and forgot reef-safe sunblock.  Bring that if going to a place where diving or reefs exist.
• Day 2:
• The port was early and all day.  Ocean Caye is an island owned by MSC.  Unlike the other cruise-owned islands, it is left as is for the most part.  No water parks or man-made cities.  Just some bars, some restrooms, a beach spa, and rental areas for paddleboards and kayaks.  It was natural, relaxing, and legit.
• Plus, the ship has three awesome water slides on it.
• Get a spa massage by the ocean wherever you go.  We both got one and they were glorious.
• Oh, some COVID stuff.  If your ship is green, then you have no cases.  In that case, you wear a mask indoors unless eating or drinking, and don’t need one outside.  Pretty similar to our home cities at this point.  Aside from the fact you knew you might get turned away from ports, I felt safer on the ship than at home honestly.
• We didn’t do the Yacht Club, which is the fancier package.  I didn’t see much advantage or selling points.  They got picked up faster, were forward in the ship, had a special place on Ocean Caye, probably had fancier rooms, but nothing blew me away.  I honestly wouldn’t WANT to be fully separated from the rest of the ship’s guests.
• Linds rented a paddle board on Ocean Caye.  I explored private hills and beaches.  Then, lunch and to the bar for rest of day.
• That reminds me to tell you to bring your waterproof clear cell phone case.  Highly useful on days like this.
• We hit the lighthouse bar on the way out.  Beautiful view…and obviously a lighthouse.
• Aside from a subpar lunch and a broken ice machine at the tiki bar, fantastic day.
• We headed back and beelined it to the water slides to beat the kids who were still at this cove on Ocean Caye.  Two tube ones that were decent, and one toilet bowl one that was fast and fun.
• Nap time!
• Dinner time.  We did the Aurea Package only dining room.  Better than buffet, and you pick your app, entrée, and dessert.
• We saw two dogs on the ship.  How does that work?!  They must have been Yacht Club and bringing them to poop in the regular person’s area.
• There was a Sail Away Party, which we missed the first night.  We just grabbed a drink at this one, but we are not into the whole group activity thing overall.  Just a couple of drinks at the pool bar and we moved on to the Irish Pub again.
• The Sail Away Party occurred even though two people were holding up the departure.  How are you late on a cruise ship-owned island with no obstacles of getting off?
• We handled some WIFI problems.  Initial device problem, but we had no problems after that (aside from slow internet…because…you are in the ocean in the middle of nowhere, which makes sense).
• I love the vacations where I kind of don’t care about watching sports.  I did my daily bets, but really didn’t ask to watch any game.  I think we only a few parts of the College Football Playoff games, and OU of course.
• Linds kept taking the meds, and is fighting off true seasickness thus far.
• We did the Aurea restaurant for dinner.  Crab cakes, prosciutto and melon, and shrimp ravioli.  Nothing that knocked my socks off, but decent overall.
• Met Kat and Tim.  Nice folks.
• We skipped the classic rock band at the Carousel Bar on this night.
• Room reenergize.  Pizza snack.  We were tired from long day.
• I love pizza anyway, but I have decided that getting pizza on an Italian-branded cruise ship means it is even better.
• Xmas music in the background continues even though the actual holiday is past.
• The social distancing inconsistencies were good attempts, but so funny sometimes.  For example, you had to wash your hands before meals in the morning, but not at night.
• At this point, you get in your groove as far as what drinks you order.  I settled on Beck’s, as finding an IPA would be impossible.
• Beck’s bottle as opposed to draft.  I don’t do drafts on ships.  I firmly believe they make some of their money back from watering down the draft beer and giving you cheap toilet paper.
• Day 3:
• This was our first entirely at sea day.  That meant:
• Buffet breakfast.
• THERMAL SPA!!!!  It was off the hook amazing.
• We wandered around for a bit, had some drinks, and then hit Waves for food.  I had the shrimp pasta (not ravioli this time).  I like shrimp and pasta.  We planned our Cozumel day, as it would be on a Lindsey-like schedule that would be packed and fun.
• We watched a flair bartending exhibition.  Fun stuff, and it was on the main pool deck.
• Enough with the masses.  We headed back to the Horizon Pool.  Chilled by the pool until we decided to nap again.
• Nap time!
• Weird that there is no interactive map on the fancy MSC app.  That is the main thing we needed…was to know where the heck we were going.
• The restaurants change their menu each day, so you missed some stuff, but randomly struck gold too sometimes.
• Cruise people work like 12-hour shifts and average about 50k a year (with room, board, and meals paid for).  I almost did the gig years ago.  Had the application in front of me.  Still wonder where I would be if I had pulled the trigger…
• Wake up.  Indecisive.  So, Irish Pub…
• It was elegant night.  I threw on a jacket.
• Note to pack a few more nice clothes the next cruise.  Not only can you re-wear raggedly stuff around the ship, but at night, it is nice to have a change of gear ready.
• Aurea restaurant again.          Lobster bisque, and lobster ravioli.  Decent meal.  I like lobster too.
• Drinks and then early night.  We packed for a busy Cozumel day that started early.
• They seem to be running out of things early.  Tito’s was gone already from places, and Beck’s was starting to be switched to Heineken.
• Things start getting fun.  We read about other ships out there being canceled, ports being canceled, etc.
• Day 4:
• Buffet breakfast.  We have learned that the omelette bar is the way to go.  Close as you can get for a traditional breakfast.
• Debark ship.  Cozumel.
• They really created a man-made gauntlet of shops before you can get into town I see.
• Lindsey had rented us a car.  I had a more thorough check-out than American rental car places.  He noted every single nick on the thing.
• Driving in Mexico wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  When we came back through town to return the car, it got a little dicey, but overall it was harmless.  I adapted.
• First stop.  Chankenaab.  This is a park with snorkeling, scuba diving, dolphins, manatees, etc.  We snorkeled, walked the property and saw some history, looked at the dolphins and manatees, saw a sea lion show that was cool, and then headed out.
• They had a croc place, but that cage was empty.
• This park was more strick on masks than ever.  Again, everyone on ship and at ports was pretty respectful.
• We then drove around the western and southern coast of island.  We saw many small beaches on the drive, with diving seeming to occupy one coast, and huge waves on the other one.  We stopped for lunch at Coconut’s, a local and tourist place.  Great views off the cliff, ok food, and a great vibe overall.  Worth the trip.  It was one of those places with signs ALL over the place.  Couple of parrots too, including one behind the bar.
• We then crossed back over the island and drove a little downtown.  We then proceeded to Money Bar, another great vibe place on the water.  Here we drank, ate, and snorkeled.  More tourist-y, but cool place regardless.
• Snorkeling at both Chankenaab and Money Bar was solid.  Nothing like a shark, but we saw plenty of fishes, turtles, and stingrays.
• We went back to town and returned car.  We walked along the row of shops.  It reminded me of St. Thomas.  Didn’t buy anything.  Took some pics at town center/plaza, and headed back to ship along the water.
• We had a view of a cruise ship totally engulfed by ours.  Pretty cool.
• Back to room.  Drinks from pool bar in room while we got ready for night.
• We did the buffet for dinner.
• We went and watched Born to Rock in the Broadway Theater.  It was fun, but for some reason it had Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner.  I love those two artists, but they shouldn’t be mixed in with The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Queen for the five selected rock bands.
• We got in line for karaoke.  Wife did Bohemian Rhapsody, and I did Sweet Child Of Mine.  Both performances were quite different than the elegant songs everyone else was picking. 
• A random dude named Cory joined us.  We thought he liked our personality, but in reality he had just “broken up” with his wife and was down there for a karaoke dare.  He ended up doing the dare.  He went up to Sound of Silence by Disturbed, and pretended the microphone didn’t work.  Odd way of doing a dare.
• Tonight was proclaimed as the White Night, and Lindsey and I were decked out in white, so we then went to the White Party.  It was fun for a short bit.  We then got tired of yelling our conversation and headed out.
• We were in bed a little later than we wanted to this night, especially with a short port visit coming tomorrow.
• Day 5:
• We hit the buffet at 630am and debarked the ship.
• There were no real plans we needed for Costa Maya.  The plan was to get to the beach and adjust if needed.  The excursions were ruins, boat stuff, and tours…not interested this time around.
• There was another gauntlet of tourist shops.  We skipped past these and headed to the taxis.  Off to the beach for $4.  I wanted the golf cart, but that would have been a waste at $60 for the day.
• I noted a place called Krazy Lobster on our ride, as I firmly believe that if you don’t know where to go, go to an adjective-animal place and it will create happiness.  No one names their place that if they aren’t a fun person.
• We arrived at Mahahual Beach and walked the strip.  Lots of shops.  Lots of seaweed on the beach.  And we were tired from the night before.  Wind was fierce that day also.
• We needed a home base.  A place to camp out before things got crowded.  It was 730am.  We chose the one place before we hit the rocks on the beach that had NO seaweed.  We selected chairs by the beach.  The owner came up and said the chairs were free, and that he only charged for food and drink.  PERFECT.  The place was…the Krazy Lobster.  MORE perfect.  We took a 90 minute nap and then started our beach festivities.  Great day, great pics, and we swam to the sand bars way out. 
• Gabriel was our server, and he was great.
• Linds saw a Lion Fish on her swim, so that is exciting.
• A woman did her singing church on the dock next to our chairs, so that was nice too.
• One thing.  Krazy Lobster is reasonably priced and fun for drinks.  NOT good food, or at least what we had.
• The only thing we bought ON the beach was a dri-FIT my wife suckered me into.  We were weaker from the Coronitas.
• We headed back to the port in another $4 taxi.  1130am.
• We had until 1pm, so we had drinks in the lazy river in the port tourist area. 
• We really WANT to believe in working out on vacation, and the ship had a magnificent fitness room, but that obviously wasn’t happening today.  It didn’t come close to happening the whole trip actually.
• We didn’t pack workout clothes.  We were honest with ourselves pre-trip.
• Water slide was busy.  We took a nap.  A BIG one.
• The rough seas also weren’t helping Lindsey’s fight with seasickness.
• We woke up.  Oh yeah.  It is New Year’s Eve.  Lindsey threw on her light-up mask (app where she can write in scrolling text content like “Happy New Year.” (big hit that night), and we put on some decent clothes and headed out.
• We watched some football in our room while getting ready.
• We went to the Aurea restaurant for dinner.  I had bacon-wrapped shrimp.  Again, decent, but nothing revolutionary.
• We timed dinner so we could catch the magic show afterwards.  We LOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEE magic.  Someone had told us it was decent.  They were wrong.  Maybe it is because we just love magic, but the show was fantastic.
• Luckily, during all of this, Michigan was getting beat by Georgia.
• Off The Record was doing the classic rock gig again.  We went after magic.  She got Queen, and somehow they ended up playing Whitesnake (without me asking for it) for me.
• Irish Pub to finish the football watching and decide the plan.
• After this, we were somewhat on fumes.  We watched the countdown in the main hub/pool area, said hello’s to some people we knew, and then went to bed to crash.  1230am.
• Day 6:
• We slept until 10am.
• We did the buffet for breakfast and then hit the…
• THERMAL SPA.  Man, was this amazing, especially after NYE.  Not sure how there were only like 5 other people in it each time we went.  I am pretty sure some people didn’t look to what their package for balcony rooms included.
• We did also hit the included and personalized Aurea pool during the trip, but it was pretty boring each time we peeked in.
• We were now into 2022.  Christmas music was still the ship’s background music.
• We did a light lunch at Waves.  I had chicken and a cheese plate.
• We hit up the Horizon pool.  We had an afternoon hanging out with some Florida folks (Margie, Alex, and Linda) and it was a great time.
• Nap time!
• I nixed the F1 simulator.  It sounded really cool, but I am not a great driver anyway in games, so I would have stunk up the joint.
• We had our other specialty dinner planned for this night (one we have to pay extra for).  Butcher’s Cut was worth it and the best meal of the cruise.  Mind-blowing.  I had the best deviled eggs I have ever had, and a filet that was cooked to perfection.  They even had an IPA.
• We didn’t know plan after, so we did one more trip to the Irish Pub.
• We nixed other plans.  Ship was pretty quiet anyway after a later NYE and an early debarkation time.  We went to bed early.
• Debark, shuttle to airport, flight to Cleveland, very delayed flight to Denver, and basically a 20 hour travel day after stepping off ship.  I will take that as lucky considering the amount of hardship we heard about.  I forget the name of the place, but I had an awesome overstuffed sandwich at some place near gate A11.  I was in and out of sleep aside from that sandwich.
• That’s it.  That is probably our last cruise given Lindsey’s war with the waves.  Doing MSC and having the interesting twist of the foreign brand definitely brought a great experience to the table, without the amount of cheesiness of some of the other brands.  I would recommend MSC and that ship in particular (Meraviglia).