Day 5 of our cruise was my moment of truth. It was the moment I had been worrying about for weeks and the anxiety came on strong that morning.

It was the day we would be zip-lining in Honduras, but more than that, we would be doing the first-ever forward-facing zip-line. To say I was nervous would be an understatement.

I had a really bad feeling about the day, but when you have anxiety, that usually means absolutely nothing. I had to remind myself, “Steph, you sometimes have a ‘bad feeling’ when driving to work. You can’t trust your bad feelings.” And I knew I couldn’t. I have bad feelings all the damn time, and nothing ever comes true. It’s just who I am as a person and I’m learning to accept it about me.

So, stomach churning, I got ready for the day in our cabin. We went to the lido deck for breakfast and then got off the ship and into Isla Roatan, an island off the northern coast of Honduras. We met up with our tour group and I started feeling a little bit better about the excursion, mostly because there were young kids in our group (the youngest was probably 8!) and because some of the other people mentioned that they were a little scared about the forward-facing zip-line. Whew… glad it’s not just me!

We made our way onto the bus that would take us to South Shore Zip-Line Adventures, where we would enjoy our excursion. It was a 45-minute drive to the park, but it went by fast as our tour guide told us all about life in Honduras. Some interesting facts:

• Honduras has two official languages: English and Spanish
• The last hurricane to hit the area was 1998. Hurricane Mitch came wailing onto the island, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. As if that wasn’t terrible enough, the hurricane went back into the ocean, gained strength, and hit the island for a second time. Can. You. Even. Imagine. It killed 7,000 people in Honduras alone. I dearly hope hurricanes stay out of their path from here on out.
• High school students take classes in shifts: 7AM-12PM, 12:30PM-5:30PM, or 6PM-11PM. This was super interesting to me, and it made me wonder which shift I would want if I was a student in Honduras. Probably the first one!

Once we got to the park, we were told we could rent a locker for $5 to put our belongings for safekeeping. I opted to also leave my phone in my bag because I was too nervous about dropping it, which means I don’t have any photos of the forward-facing zip-line.

Anyway, we were suited up for this zip-line, which they adorably call the “Zuperman” because of the fact that you’re basically flying in the air like Superman when you take off. (Superman + zip-line = Zuperman!) It was basically like a full-body harness that allowed the guides to clip you in at various spots: your upper back, lower back, and around your legs.

My mom and I were last in the group to go, which means we got to see everyone else do it! That was really helpful for my nerves because I got to see everyone else make it to the next platform without dying! 😉

We got clipped into the harness and then off we went! And, guys, it was incredible. It’s so hard to describe how amazing it felt to fly through the air like this. And I think it was because of all the worrying I did beforehand that it felt even more awesome. Like, I had conquered this major fear and punched my anxiety in the teeth. It’s just another example I can turn to when my anxiety wants to rear its ugly head and tell me not to do something.

They have two Zuperman zip lines at South Shore, so it was fun to get to do it again! This time around, I wasn’t nervous at all… just incredibly excited to fly through the air for a second time. (Honestly, I wish I could have done another round of the Zupermans! They were just way too much fun.)

Once we were done with the Zuperman zip-lines, we boarded a bus and headed back to the top of the park where they took off our full-body harnesses and put on a regular zip-lining harness. This was my fifth time zip-lining, so I kinda felt like an old pro at it! We had to wait for another group to head out before we started, so there was some time and sit around and take pictures.

Oh, and at this moment the guides suggested bringing our phones along for zip-lining. They said that they would make sure we didn’t lose them, so I decided to trust them. Until my mom and I were standing at my locker and she kept telling me that I should just bring my phone because I “never drop it.” She kept repeating that phrase until I said, “Okay, you’ve totally jinxed me. We’re bringing your phone.” LOL. She has insurance on her phone and I don’t, so I figured it was a safer bet. (And spoiler alert, no phones were dropped during zip-lining!)

The next part of our excursion was the regular zip-lining and after conquering my fear of the Zuperman, I had no fear of this part. We would traverse eleven zip-lines, which is way more zip-lines than I’ve ever done on an excursion so it really felt as if we got our money’s worth. With some zip-lining excursions, I feel like I want to go back and do it all over again, but with this one, I felt pretty satisfied and tired and ready to be done by the time we came to the end.

Zip lines come in two forms: the ones that stop on their own and the ones that require the individual to slow themselves down using a glove. This one was the latter and I was a little concerned about it because I remember how difficult it was to stop the last time I had to use this method. This time, though, it was easy-peasy! I think the lines were easier to navigate and I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

And I just need to take a second to talk about the zip-line guides at South Shore. They are amazing. They just had a blast the entire time and made me feel super comfortable and safe. One of the guides even held my mom’s iPhone for the majority of the excursion and got some great pictures of us! I was so grateful to him for doing that.

This adventure was one for the record books, too, because not only was it my first time doing a forward-facing zip-line, but it was also my first time zip-lining upside down! The guides offered this option for one of the lines and I was the first one to volunteer to do it because when else am I going to get a chance to do something like that?! I felt completely safe because I was strapped in with another guide. He told me to let go and I did and there I was, zip-lining upside down through the jungle. WHAT. It was such a cool experience, made even better that the guide captured it all on my mom’s iPhone. (My mom also zip-lined upside down because she’s ridiculously cool like that.)

Anyway, I think it’s safe to say that South Shore Zip-Line in Honduras is my favorite zip-lining experience to date. There was very little hiking involved (just some stairs to navigate from time to time, but there was always a rail to hold onto) and all of the zip lines were so different and made each experience feel unique. I already know that I want to go back soon and do this adventure again.

After zip-lining, we boarded the same bus from before to go back up the mountain, but our excursion wasn’t over – nope, we still had a nature walk to do. It’s funny; I was actually more nervous about this than the normal zip-lining because it would involve some hiking and walking on suspension bridges. And the nature walk began by walking down 200+ steps, ack! I knew I held a lot of people up as I walked down those steps, holding on tightly to the rail and taking my time. Oh, well. I’ve learned my lesson and it’s that I cannot trust my feet. 🙂

Anyway, the nature walk was okay, but nothing spectacular. I wouldn’t have minded skipping it because I don’t feel as if I learned anything new and our tour guide was a little underwhelming. Plus, we had to climb up those 200+ steps at the end and I was not a fan of that, especially since my legs were tired.

All in all, though, I want to shout about this excursion from the rooftops. It was perfect and everything I wanted it to be. I’m so glad I faced my fear and did the forward-facing zip-line because it was an experience I’ll never forget. And I highly recommend South Shore Zip-Line if you’re ever in Isla Roatan and want to do something completely out of the ordinary.

South Shore Zip-Line Adventures offers various zip-lining and eco-park tours. They are the only zip-line company in Isla Roatan that is fully certified by the Association of Challenge Course Technology (ACCT), which means all of their zip-lines and gear undergo yearly inspections. It is located on the southwest tip of the island, just five minutes from West End and West Bay.

In Belize, cruise ships have to drop an anchor a few miles away from the port and then guests are taken by boat to the island. It’s a pretty common practice, something my mom and I are very experienced at by now, but it’s always a little annoying because it means a lot of sitting and waiting. They try to fill up each boat with hundreds of guests, so it takes a while as they load up the boats and also when the guests depart the boats.

Since we had an excursion, we left on a boat that was specifically set aside for guests with excursions. It took about 40 minutes to get to the island, but the views were outstanding and it was such a beautiful day that I couldn’t complain. Once we finally got off the boat, Mom and I hightailed to our tour group where we were funneled onto a bus to take the journey to Bacab Eco Park.

The ride to the park was fairly long – probably around 45 minutes. During the ride, our tour guide told us all about Belize and its culture, as well as pointed out some interesting sights along the way. Here are some of the things I learned:

• Public education is not free in Belize after middle school. Parents have to pay to send their children to high school, so if they have multiple children, they have to make a decision on which one to send.
• Doctors and nurses aren’t in high demand, as most people practice bush medicine (i.e., natural healing). During our horseback riding, the tour guides pointed out different trees, bushes, plants, etc., and told us the natural healing properties of them.
• The official language of Belize is English, but in social situations, most Belizians speak Creole.

Once we got to Bacab Eco Park, we were met by our tour guide for the horseback riding adventure. He took us on a very slow walking tour through the grounds. At this point, I was beginning to regret wearing long pants because I was so damn hot in them. It was probably not my best decision, but I wanted to be properly attired for horseback riding.

After that, it was onto the horses! We were told to put on a helmet (dorky bicycle helmets, sigh) and then, one by one, we were assigned to horses based on our experience. I was given Sydney to ride and she was a pretty low-key and easy horse. She was a little slower than I would have liked, but she kept up a good pace for the ride. We stayed near the middle of the pack for most of it.

When I went riding in Puerto Rico, I remember feeling a bit uncomfortable in the saddle and feeling grateful when we finished the ride. But this time around, I felt so comfortable and at peace on my horse. I could have ridden for hours, I think! It was just so much fun to be in the jungle on horseback and enjoy all the sights. We spent about an hour riding and it was seriously the greatest time. I took way too many photos!

Once we were finished horseback riding, we trekked over to the pool area where our lockers were. My mom and I wasted no time getting something to eat and drink! We had definitely worked up an appetite after being in the sun all morning long. My mom got the local beer (she loves sampling the local beer and always really enjoys it!) and I got a soda, and then switched to a mixed drink that was very strong. Our excursion included lunch, which was a traditional Belizian feast of beans and rice, chicken, and plantains. I decided to get that while my mom ordered something off the menu. And then I proceeded to eat half her lunch, too, because when on vacation, right? Obviously, I was one hungry girl!

After eating, we hightailed to the bathroom to change into shorts, and man, did that feel great! We brought our swimsuits in the hopes we could take a dip in the pool, but there just wasn’t enough time. We had maybe 30 minutes to relax before we would have to leave and it just didn’t feel worth the effort. Instead, we relaxed in the hammocks and put our feet in the water for a short time.

Then, it was time to go back to the bus. My mom and I were some of the first people on the bus and I was all settled in and ready to take a short nap on the way back to the port when my mom started rummaging through her bag in a panic. You know, that panic. The “omg-where-is-my-phone” panic. She turned to me and said, “I think I left my phone by the pool.”

OY VEY.

So she had to rush back to the pool to get it and mind you, this is a woman who is notorious for tripping and falling over herself. On our last cruise, she tripped while walking and bruised her knee badly. So, I was worried that a) she would fall; b) that she wouldn’t find her phone; and c) that the bus would leave without her.

More and more people were getting on the bus, and soon, they were ready to depart but my mom was still nowhere to be seen. AHHH. The tour guide came on board and started counting the people and said, “Okay, somehow we’re missing two people.” And I had to stand up and say, “My mom had to run back to get her phone. Please don’t leave without her.”

Thankfully, the tour guide was super nice about it and just said, “Hey, I live here. No skin off my nose.” HA.

After what felt like HOURS, I finally saw my mom running back to the bus with her phone in hand. Thank the Lord! She got back on the bus and sat down next to me, breathing heavily. She told me all about her experience trying to find the pool again (her sense of direction is laughably bad, haha) and then how one of the little kids who was helping us during our horseback riding excursion had to help her find her way back.

Never a dull moment with my mom. 🙂

It was a fun day, though, and I’m glad we picked this excursion. Our tour guides were fantastic and the horses were great for beginning riders. I wish I had more time to spend at the pool because it looked super fun with a waterfall and loungers placed in the shallow end of the pool. Next time!

Bacab Eco Park is located 20 minutes from Belize City and features a wide range of adventures: horseback riding, jungle biking, kayaking, nature trails, and more. They are open every day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

While I typically do day-by-day recaps of my cruises, I decided to do something differently this time around. Mainly because our days at sea and life aboard the ship weren’t all that interesting! There was a lot of sleeping, eating, reading, and playing cards. So, instead, I’m breaking these recaps into four separate posts: one post detailing the ship and some of the things we did on board, and then three posts about the different excursions we did in Cozumel, Belize, and Honduras.

Carnival Magic

We sailed on the Carnival Magic, which is one of their newer ships and I could immensely tell the difference between this ship and some of their older ones. It was built in 2011 and features some really cool water slides and a ropes course, as well as an Italian restaurant and balconies on the lower floors. While I wasn’t too impressed with the food choices (I’m such a picky eater and didn’t feel like I got my money’s worth in food this time around), I think those who are more adventurous eaters would really enjoy the menu.

Embarkation Process

Our check-in process was seriously mind-boggling easy. It took us 15 minutes from the time we parked the car to the time we were walking onto the ship. Usually, you have to stand in two long lines: one to get your boarding pass and passport scanned, and another to get your room keys and picture taken (which is your ID to get on and off the ship). Instead, Carnival used our passport picture as our ID on board, which meant we only had to stand in that first line and then we were shuffled on board (well, after the security checkpoint). Carnival, slow clap for you. That process could sometimes take an hour and nobody enjoyed it. Instead, we just got our passport scanned and then our room keys were sitting in a little box next to our room. Pretty darn easy!

Internet on Board

Unlike previous cruises, I decided to purchase the Internet package. When I first started cruising (in 2011), Internet on board was notoriously unreliable and insanely expensive. But recently, they’ve revamped their Internet service and now offer a variety of packages that are much more reasonably priced. I selected the social media package for $35. I really only used it to post to my Stories, as I wanted to have a highlight on my feed from my vacation. Now I can relive my vacation anytime I want through my “Cruisin'” highlight. Woo! (I also posted a photo a day to my regular feed, which was fun!) I tried not to use the Internet for anything else, though. No mindless scrolling or checking in with other people – I really like being away from all of that on a cruise. As far as the actual Internet service goes, it was okay. It’s definitely not lightning fast and would take forever to post a video, but that’s Internet while sailing in the middle of the ocean! I was just grateful for anything.

Our Room

For the first time ever, we got a room with a balcony and I am soooo glad we made this upgrade! Having a balcony seemed to open up the room and it was nice to just sit outside and enjoy the fresh air and oh-so-gorgeous views. Our room itself was pretty nice, although I had to laugh at the way they separated our beds where there was maybe an inch of space between them. Ha! We had a couch, plenty of closet space, and a decent-sized bathroom. I was really happy with the room, and even happier with where it was since it was so close to the action. We only had to walk up one floor to get to the dining room or walk down two floors to reach the gangway to get off the ship in port. Pretty perfect!

Days at Sea

Our days at sea were pretty low-key. We slept in (typically not later than 9) and I would usually go out to the balcony to read while waiting for my mom to get up. Then, we’d go down to the dining room to have brunch before heading out to the deck. We didn’t spend too much time on the decks this cruise, but that’s fine by me. The Lido deck is so, so overwhelming for me (I’m definitely going to write a post about how to cruise when you have high sensitivity very soon!), so I stay away from it as much as possible. We could usually find deck chairs a little ways away from the action, which was nice. There were lots of naps before dinner in the room (my faaaave) and we played bingo twice, which is one of my favorite things to do. It’s not cheap (we got suckered into doing the $40 package), but it’s a lot of fun. I also liked to sit in the atrium around dinnertime to listen to the violinists play. It was so soothing and relaxing!

Entertainment on Board

My mom’s not one for musical theater, so we didn’t see any of the shows, but they seemed to be pretty fantastic. I’ve been a little turned off by shows on Carnival’s older ships (so corny!), so I didn’t push her too hard to go to a show. So I can’t blame her here – I really didn’t think they were going to be all that great, but I may have been wrong in that respect. We went to one of the PG-rated comedy shows and it was pretty damn awful. I’m pretty easy to make laugh and this guy couldn’t do it once.

Dining

Just like our last cruise, my mom and I opted for Your Time Dining. On previous cruises, we did the specific dining time where we would be seated with other couples and families. Usually, that was fine and even great, as we got to meet some really cool people. Until our Bahamas cruise when we were seated with a very unfriendly couple that made dinnertime really really uncomfortable. Now, we just go to dinner whenever we want and always ask to be seated by ourselves. (Like I kept telling my mom, “I’m not here to make friends!” ;)) It’s so nice to have that flexibility to eat at a time that suits us. I really love that! Also, I asked for a second bread basket at almost every meal because there is no shame in my carb game. (This fact is made even more impressive when you consider that my mom doesn’t really like bread and would only eat one roll from the basket.)

Oh, and one night, we made a reservation at the Italian restaurant on board. We picked a night when the menu in the main dining room was a little lackluster and had ourselves a fancy Italian meal. It was an extra $15 charge, but I feel like it was worth it! I really enjoyed my meal (I got chicken parm) and the dessert was to-die-for delicious. I definitely left dinner feeling thoroughly stuffed!

Fighting Neighbors

One of the more interesting parts of our cruise was our neighbors. Y’all, I don’t think they’re going to make it. They fought the entire time, and we could hear them through our wall. (I’m not sure why… we had a connecting door, so maybe that’s why? I’ve never been able to hear my neighbors that clearly before!) I’ve always said that a cruise is such a great vacation for a couple because you’re forced to have lots of time together, away from the stress of regular life. But, boy oh boy, it is not a good vacation if your relationship is a little rocky. Can you imagine being stuck in a tiny room together when you’re in a terrible fight?! Yikes. So, lesson learned, only cruise with a partner that I would actually want to be stuck in a tiny room with for days on end. Got it.

The Best Cruise? The Best Cruise.

But that was the gist of what it was like on board! Truly, I think this was one of my best cruises. It’s hard to top my first cruise because it was such a special experience and I remember how magical it all was, especially being in a different country for the first time ever, but this one was truly great. My mom and I didn’t fight once and nobody got injured either. My mom did end up getting a cold around day 5, which was no bueno, but she was a trooper! (And it just meant that I didn’t have to feel bad about us going back to the cabin early every night because damn, even on a cruise, all I want is to be snuggled up in bed by 9 pm.) We had fun and got to enjoy some awesome experiences, which I’ll be talking about next week.

I think seven-day cruises are my sweet spot. By that seventh day, I was ready for my own bed and dependable Internet and a regular routine. I was so happy to come home and get back to my life. And I love that. I love that I can immensely enjoy my vacations, but also enjoy getting back to my regular life. That’s the sign of a truly content life.