2022 Disney Cruise Report Day 3 - Sailing Away from Cozumel

Day 3 the 2022 Disney Cruise Trip Report continues, as we explore Cozumel a little more before enjoying another evening on the ship.

Monday, June 6 (Continued)

We walked back down the street toward the shore, still stopping here and there to see the houses and trees. One house’s courtyard had a bird in a cage, and the bird started singing and calling when it saw us. One house had plants hung on the chain link fence near the street. And many of the houses and other buildings were quite colorful.

A bird in a cage singing us a song

A colorful street view in Cozumel, Mexico

Most of our group decided that they were ready to head back to the ship. But Laura and I decided to stay behind and do some more exploring, just to see what else we could find. We had seen some interesting statues along the street that ran near the shore, so we went to check some of them out. The statues were interesting enough, but what we found turned out to be even more interesting - a small beach. 

We found a beach! But maybe not quite as big as this makes it seem.

Laura puts her toes in the water at the beach in Cozumel

And when I say small, I mean small. As in it was maybe only 20 to 30 feet long. Some steps led down to it from the road, and there were palm trees on either side of the steps. A couple of cab drivers were hanging out there enjoying the shade, and they did not seem to be bothered by our presence. Laura took off her shoes and waded out into the water. And now we could say that we had been to a beach at Cozumel. If you take photos at just the right angle, you can’t even tell in the photos how small the beach is. So it was perfect for stopping in for a few minutes. 

This photo probably gives a better idea of the size of this small beach

One more beach photo from Cozumel before we move along

Along the way, we found another park, which included a statue of Benito Juarez. Laura thought it was funny that a bird was sitting on Benito’s head. Obviously not a part of the statue. But it made us laugh.

Benito Juarez with a bird on his head. One of the hazards of statue life.

And we did some more shopping. We found a clothing store that was somewhat off the tourist area. Laura found a dress that she liked that was made in the area. So she bought it as a reminder of our day in Mexico. Just another fun little find from our explorations.

By that time, hunger was calling us. Except not literally because my phone was still on airplane mode. But anyway, it was time to head back to the ship for a late lunch. So we walked back that way, stopping to take some photos of the Disney Fantasy from a distance. After all, it is hard to get those photos when you are actually standing on the ship. 

The Disney Fantasy docked at Cozumel, Mexico

Laura and the Disney Fantasy

We headed immediately to Flo’s for lunch. I got a burger and fries, and it was delicious as always. Jaylin and my parents wandered up and found us. Not sure how they stalked us since Find My Friends was disabled due to airplane mode. But they did. So we had a little time to sit and chat for a bit. 

We went back to our room for the afternoon. Except that I decided it might be a good time to do a walking tour of the ship and take some photos. So off I went with my camera, looking to see what all I could see. I liked the views of Cozumel, and I always like the views of the Deck 4 Promenade, too. Plus, the red funnels in the sunlight on the top decks were especially nice against the blue sky. It was a good afternoon for a walk. 

The walkway to the port of Cozumel as seen from the top deck of the Disney Fantasy

Red funnels of the Disney Fantasy under the Cozumel sun

I also enjoyed hearing all of the Mexican-flavored Disney music that played in the corridors. The Three Caballeros and Coco were represented, but they also played songs from Mariachi Cobre, the band that plays in Epcot. Good choices! I like how they change the background music to go along with the port of the day.

Cozumel as seen from under the lifeboats on the Deck 4 Promenade

But then it was time for the ship to cast off, and it was time for us to shower and change for the show and dinner that night. As we sailed away from Cozumel, and as we watched from our verandah, we reflected on the fun day that we had enjoyed in the port. And that was only the first of several ports on our cruise!

Our evening dress was to be cruise casual once again. That always means a button down shirt and khaki pants for me. Laura chose to wear her new dress from Mexico, since we had just sailed away from Mexico!

But now it was time for some entertainment. The second stage show of the cruise was Frozen: A Musical Spectacular. I thought it was a little funny that every title included “A Musical Spectacular”, with every title actually being just Aladdin and Frozen. We (all 9 of us, by the way, Burnses and Luttrells) tried to get there a little earlier than we had for the Aladdin show the night before. And so did everyone else, apparently. So we sat a few rows from the front on the right side of the theater, opposite where we sat the night before. Once again, Cruise Director Anthony came out and went over the next day’s activities with us, and then the show began.

A photo from the Walt Disney Theatre before the show started, because you can’t take any photos during the shows. It looks like Statler and Waldorf’s box is waiting for them.

Interestingly, this show was completely different from the previous show in its execution. Young Anna and Young Elsa were portrayed with puppets, and the grown-up versions of the characters were the puppeteers. As you might expect, Olaf and Sven were also puppets, and they were quite well done. And it was fun to try to figure out who each actor was in the Aladdin show the night before, too. The theater troupe is a very versatile group, as you might imagine!

As had become our custom by this point, we took a few more photos with the backdrops to add to our collection. And it was nice to know that we would not have to choose favorites since we had gotten the unlimited package.

The Burnses in a fairy hollow. Or maybe Tiana’s swamp? We were not quite sure.

The Burnses on the pretend deck of a Disney Cruise ship

All of the girls of our group

Our dinner restaurant for the evening was Enchanted Garden. While it is not quite my favorite restaurant in terms of setting, it has some of my favorite menu choices!

Our seats were off to the side away from the Mickey Fountain. Not that I am complaining. Randy and Yuni soon came to bring drinks and take our order for the evening. I knew exactly what I wanted, too. Lobster Ravioli for an appetizer, Tomato Soup, and Pan Seared Sea Bass, my favorite on the Disney Cruises. I was glad that they had not changed their menu since our last cruise. And as always, the food was delicious. I topped it all off with a Chocolate Fudge Sundae, and of course Coca-Cola to drink, too. 

When Nolan came by to talk to us, he laughingly said, “We don’t talk about what happens on shore!”, referring to our chat in the grocery store. But it was great to have that connection with him. And as usual, we stayed and talked until most everyone else had left. Why change a good thing?

I took a couple of photos of the Mickey Fountain as we were on our way out of the restaurant. And then we took our customary walk around the Deck 4 Promenade to work off some of the large dinner that we had eaten. As usual, it was a nice night out for a stroll, and we enjoyed taking our time and walking around the deck. We never really go for any specific length of a walk, but just to get out and walk some in the fresh air.

The Mickey Fountain in the Enchanted Garden restaurant

A nighttime walk on the Deck 4 Promenade

We also stopped back in the Atrium Lobby for a few photos in there before heading back to our room. It is always interesting to be in there when there are no other people around.

Laura in her dress from Mexico

The nearly-empty Disney Fantasy Atrium Lobby

Back in our room, Reeda had left us a towel rhinoceros. I do not think we had ever had that one before! And of course, we kept the chocolates for a snack later on, too.

Goodnight from our towel rhino. I am glad he did not eat all of the chocolate.

It had been a great day exploring Cozumel! And our sleep that night was well deserved.

Up next, Day 4 and Grand Cayman! Check back soon for more from our 2022 Disney Cruise!