Carnival Paradise 5-day Western Caribbean Ports of call: Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras and Cozumel, Mexico

 January 2023

This is a brief post, as I have already shared information for both of these ports in several previous posts. I am sharing some new information here, and you can click on the links at the bottom of this post to find more details about areas you are interested in.

Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan from Carnival Paradise

Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

We had a casual day at this port; we walked to the port beach after lunch for a few hours. We were the only ship in port, so there were plenty of loungers available in the shade without having to rent an umbrella. Wifi is available for the day for $5. You can purchase with cash at a booth, or online with a credit card. I suggest purchasing with cash, as the credit card purchases were not working correctly. After I agreed to the terms and payment, the page reloaded and told me to pay $5 [again]. When I went to the booth to get this corrected, I waited behind another passenger being helped who had had the same trouble. The staff member got her account signed in, and then she fixed mine. If you purchase wifi at the booth, you are given a one-time access code to sign in with (which is pretty much what the staff member did after confirming we had actually made the purchase). Local beers were available at the bars for $5. Wine and mixed drinks were available too; however, I do not know the cost, since we did not purchase any. We have previously gone on the Tabyana Beach shore excursion at this port, which I recommend, if you are looking to get away from the ship dock. 

Iguana in the Cozumel port shopping area

Carnival Paradise Cruise: 5-day Western Caribbean from Tampa, Florida

 January 2023

Tampa from Carnival Paradise

Arrival and check-in ~ Tampa

The check-in and boarding process in Tampa was not as efficient as most cruises we have been on. Our early arrival, because the hotel shuttle schedule could not meet our desired arrival time, did not help matters. When we arrived at the cruise port around 9:20 AM, people were still disembarking (passengers are usually off the ship by this time on most Carnival cruises we have been on). We found a place to wait out of the way until all the guests had disembarked, and porters were starting to take new guests' luggage, which was around 10:00 AM. We then walked up the stairs to the check-in lines. There is an escalator next to the stairs; however, it was still roped off when we ascended the steps. There were stations at the top where staff members viewed boarding passes, and then directed guests to the appropriate lines. Several guests were already waiting in the roped queues. A short time later, we were told there was a computer glitch. Around 10:45 AM, our VIP line started to move. We went through security, completed check-in, and then went to the platinum waiting area. We were on board around 11:30 AM.

View from Carnival Paradise heading out of Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida