Together for Good Caribbean Cruise
Join Together for Good on a fun-filled family friendly volunteer vacation aboard the Norwegian Spirit. Our cruise visits the exotic ports of Costa Maya, Mexico; Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico. Enjoy visiting beautiful destinations, participating in fun activities, and assisting with local community projects to benefit schools, orphanages, and children in need. This is a wonderful way to make a difference, meet new people, and have fun on an exciting vacation.
Day 1: New Orleans, LA
Arrive in New Orleans and transfer from the airport to our ship. Get settled in and enjoy exploring your new home for the next seven days. A welcome get together will be held this evening to talk about our activities for the upcoming week and make final shore excursion plans.
Day 2: At Sea
Our leisurely day at sea provides the perfect opportunity to relax and get to know each other. The Norwegian Star offers lots of fun activities at sea as well as plenty of opportunities to take a dip in the pool, get a spa treatment, play bridge or bingo, see a show, or hit the gym. At our meeting later in the afternoon, we'll organize our materials and review our plans for our upcoming ports of call.
Day 3: Costa Maya, Mexico
Beaches and doing good combine beautifully on our day in lovely Costa Maya. Our group will stop at a small kindergarten to provide books, school supplies, crafts, and other items to help underprivileged children in the local community. You’ll watch the children’s faces light up when you visit. Then, it's on to the Uvero Beach Club where we will spend some time cleaning up one of the beautiful beaches near the area. Because of the tidal currents, large quantities of plastic garbage wash up in this area. The local people do their best to keep the shores clean, but more help is needed. Approximately 85 percent of the litter that washes ashore in this area comes from countries other than Mexico. After we finish, we'll enjoy a magnificent lunch, play in the Caribbean Sea, and relax in the sun before heading back to the ship.
Day 4: Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala
Today, our Together for Good team will be taking a leisurely 5-hour trip up the Rio Dulce by water taxi to visit communities and a local school in the Livingston area. As part of our humanitarian tour, we'll be bringing much needed school supplies and other items for students in this region. Schools in this area suffer from a severe shortage of basic materials. Watch the children’s faces light up with smiles as you get together with them and hand out school supplies. Our group will have the opportunity to meet and interact with members of the local community, have lunch, purchase locally made handicrafts, and enjoy the beauty of the Rio Dulce region. Our activities will do good, promote cultural exchange, and give back to communities in need of assistance. When we return to the port area, there will be opportunities to shop for handicrafts and souvenirs before reboarding the ship. Don’t miss tonight’s memorable sail away, as the taxis and tour drivers line up their vehicles and flash their car headlights and community members wave to wish us a heartfelt goodbye.
Day 5: Belize City, Belize
In our Belize port of call, our Together for Good group will be bringing personal care items, crafts and school supplies to a local orphanage. The orphanage is home to up to 45 abandoned, abused or orphaned children between the ages of 1-15. Here, we'll spend time volunteering and playing with the children and drop off donations of clothing, shoes and personal care items. Then we'll visit the ancient city of Altun Ha, once a key link in the Mayan trade route through Mexico's Yucatan region. This site was made famous by the discovery of the world's largest carved jade head, depicting the Mayan sun god Kinich Ahau. Altun Ha contains the 2000-year-old remnants of 13 key structures surrounding two major plazas. Stone steps will enable you to climb to the top of three of the main temples. At the end of our tour, you'll arrive back at the Belize port facility where you can shop, enjoy local drinks, or return to the ship to relax.
Day 6: Cozumel, Mexico
Today we'll deliver much-needed items to a local orphanage that provides a family-oriented living environment for over 20 children in Cozumel. We’ll spend time playing with the children, doing crafts, and dropping off supplies. Next, we'll stop in to visit with a community-based non-profit organization that provides school-related materials to low-income Cozumel families. Since Mexican public school students must provide their own uniforms and school supplies, many Cozumel families lack the financial resources to send their children to school. Here, we'll drop off school supplies such as backpacks, pens, pencils, scissors, and other items to help children in need. Then it's on to a local beach club for some well-deserved R&R. We'll spend the afternoon at the beach club, where we'll enjoy beach chairs, umbrellas, hammocks, and the use of non-motorized water toys. Lunch, snacks and drinks are also available for purchase.
Day 7: At Sea
Free day! Check out the ship's daily bulletin and choose from a wide variety of exciting activities - or just lounge around enjoying the sun by the pool. Our fantastic Norwegian Spirit crew fills the day with contests, sporting events, fitness programs, shopping opportunities, and fabulous meals. You'll have plenty of time to get together with friends for group discussions and camaraderie. Later this afternoon, we'll get together for a farewell cocktail event and then it's on to dinner, live shows and evening entertainment.
Day 8: New Orleans, LA
Our program ends today as we arrive back in New Orleans. If you can, take some time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city before heading to the airport on your way home. You'll leave with new friends and fond memories of the many ways you've helped others on this trip.