Cozumel, Mexico

After a peaceful night with only a little motion, we docked on the island of Cozumel early. Over the next couple hours, other ships joined us. Eventually there were five major cruise ships tied up at our pier, the other for being Carnival's PARADISE, SUMMIT and VALOR plus Celebrity's APEX. Down the coast were two more. Compared to the others, we were the runt of the litter.

With such a major tourist assault (which the port of absorbed quite well), Pam and I were glad that we had no particular plans for the day. We just wanted to get off the ship and poke around a bit while stretching our legs.

After a couple of hours ashore, we'd had enough. Loaded down with our finds—a coffee cup, an SD card, and some candy bars—we wended our way back to RIVIERA, where we had a nice lunch and a relaxing afternoon.

RIVIERA departed soon after 5:00 p.m., turning south into a heavy headwind with building seas. The ship did not pitch or roll much, it mostly shuddered its way through the waves. Compared to some passages we've made, the motion did not rise to the level of being an inconvenience.

Some of our fellow travelers found the motion more bothersome. By dinner time, there were reports of people staying in their stateroom feeling queasy. On the one hand we felt bad for them, while on the other their absence made it easier to get a good table in the dining room.