When Our Cozumel Excursion Turned Into an Unexpected Adventure

I'm not usually the spontaneous type. My husband Mike likes to joke that I plan our vacations down to the minute, which is probably why I booked our port excursion through Carnival months before we even stepped foot on the Carnival Magic. It was supposed to be a straightforward snorkeling tour in Cozumel, one of those standard reef dives they advertise in the daily program. Safe, predictable, exactly what I'd researched. But here's the thing about the best cruise memories—they almost never happen the way you plan them. We were supposed to meet our tour group at 9 AM sharp at the Carnival Magic's gangway. I had our sea passes ready, our underwater camera charged, and we'd eaten a light breakfast so we wouldn't get seasick on the boat ride out to the reef. Mike was wearing his new rash guard (which I'd bought for him, obviously), and we were both mentally prepared for a morning of pointing at tropical fish and taking mediocre underwater photos. The tour operator, a guy named Carlos with kind eyes and sun-damaged skin, seemed fine. His boat was clean, the other tourists looked pleasant enough—mostly families and a few older couples. We motored out toward what Carlos said was "the bes…