We are stopping at our first port on our seven-day cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas out of Galveston, Texas. We stopped here in February on the back leg of our Panama Canal cruise on the Azamara Onward. I shared some background on Honduras then. This time we are actually getting off the ship to enjoy an excursion into the rainforest and see a little bit of the island. We chose this particular excursion because it combined cute animals, nature, and a beach stop at the end.

One of the reasons we chose to stay on the ship on our last visit is that we would have had to take a tender into the port. It was particularly windy that day which makes it a rough ride in a small tender boat. Today the water is smooth and Royal Caribbean has its on dock so we could just walk off the ship. With so many passengers on the mega ships (6,000+ passengers) you have to be organized and the excursion departures have been well done on both our sailings on the Allure. The key is to keep your party all together when in the waiting areas so you end up in the same tour group.

The mini bus ride to the reserve didn’t offer a lot of leg room, but the bus was air conditioned. There is only a two-lane road leaving the port and it was extremely crowded, but traffic cleared after that. There wasn’t a lot to see in the port if you weren’t taking an excursion.

When we arrived at the reserve, we were told to store most of our things in lockers. Since there is a beach stop at the end we had lots of extra things with us. The moneys like to pull things out of our pocket or bag so we were encouraged to take along as little as possible for the tour portion of the excursion.

It was extraordinarily hot, so although I wasn’t that interested in the inside exhibits, I welcomed the air conditioning. There was one building with the preserved animal collection and another with island history, lore, and pirate memorabilia. The next stop was the Iguana Nest with some truly fascinating lizards in residence.

Then it was time to cross the wooden bridge suspended over the water. You could avoid it by taking a different pathway. However that route was called the “chicken walk” which I think discouraged people from taking it. We all did the bridge, but Bonnie who is afraid of heights had a difficult time with it. Don’t hesitate to take the chicken walk if you are unsteady or have a fear of heights.

Once we were across the bridge, it was time for the much anticipated close encounters with the animal residents. We first saw the beautiful macaws with their striking color. There were quite a few. Some were in cages, others in the trees, and a select few were there to take pictures with us. We also met two of the macaw trainers. Each family got a photo. The birds particularly liked Bonnie and got right up on her head.

The trip highlight was next. When the four of us reviewed the excursion options for Roatan together, we all wanted a rainforest activity. The beach portion of this one was also attractive, but what sealed the deal was the monkeys. All of us thought that part would be fun. When we walked through the rainforest to their habitat, before we even got to the visitation area, one of the monkeys climbed aboard Boris’ shoulder. It is not unusual for animals to gravitate to him.

The monkeys would climb all over you, loved to dig in your hair and through your pockets, and balanced by wrapping their tails around your neck. It was so much fun to see them hop from one person to another. In the end, the monkeys hopped back on Boris before we took the trail back to our lockers.

Back at the lockers we took the opportunity to enjoy a cold drink at the bar and put swimsuits on in the changing rooms. We only had 45 minutes. The beach was a real bust. There was not a sufficient sandy area to just enjoy sitting and there was plant growth on the stagnant water. I opted for the pool; Boris got a short massage on the beach.

After our ride back to the ship, we walked through the small marketplace at the pier but didn’t find anything too interesting. We had planned to eat ashore, but decided to try one of the ship’s specially restaurants instead. Sabor offered good Mexican food with great margaritas and we could use our free drink credits here. It was an added expense, but it was a fun change from the other ship restaurants.

Tonight is the ice show. Some segments were particularly good and fun; others not so much. So I would say good but spotty. I do recommend going though. It is a unique opportunity and it is impressive what they can do on such a small patch of ice. Its a little cooler than some of the other venues so dress accordingly. Passengers have a chance to get on the ice for free skates during the day and you can even take skating lessons. Ice rinks are found on many of the Royal Caribbean ships, even beyond the Oasis class.

Tomorrow is another port and excursion day. We will be visiting Costa Maya.