I went to the Caribbean for the first time on the world's largest cruise ship and wish I had more time in these 2 ports

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I recently took my first cruise on the world's largest cruise ship to the western Caribbean.

The ship, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, stopped at four ports during the seven-night cruise — Roatan, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; as well as Royal Caribbean's own private island in the Bahamas.

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At each stop, cruise passengers have the option to plan their own day or join a Royal Caribbean excursion at an extra cost. The latter includes fully-planned itineraries with activities like hikes, tours, and beach time.

The ship stopped at each port for about seven hours. I thought it was only enough time to get a small taste of each place, and the first two ports left me wishing I had more time to explore.

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The first was Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras surrounded by one of the largest barrier reefs in the world, according to the Roatan Tourism Bureau.

I spent my day in Roatan on a Royal Caribbean excursion that went to Mayan Eden Eco-Park, a nature preserve with hiking trails and wildlife.

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To get there, a tour bus drove us from the port through Coxen Hole, the capital city. Passing through so quickly made me wish I could explore the streets on foot.

After a short drive, we arrived at the park, where our first stop was a butterfly sanctuary.

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Here, I observed more butterflies at once than ever before. Different species fluttered around the enclosed natural space, and I also noticed plants I'd never seen before.

After visiting the butterflies, we spent the next hour or two hiking a trail on Ocelot Mountain.

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The jungle terrain was lush and shaded with rich green grass, leaves, and vines. It was beautiful.

If I wasn't on a guided tour, I'd probably spend all day hiking these trails, I thought.

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I wished I had time to relax in one of the hammocks placed periodically throughout the hike.

During the trek, we crossed two suspension bridges, which was a new experience for me.

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The first one was short, preparing me mentally for the second bridge, which I thought might be scary since our tour guide said it was longer.

I ended up loving the feeling of being suspended above the forest. I wish I could have crossed it again.

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On the way back to the port in Roatan, we stopped at a gift shop. Instead of shopping, I chose to explore the area outside the store to get a better sense of my surroundings until it was time to go back to the ship.

Back onboard, I longed for more time in Honduras and went to the ship's top deck to get a better look at the island before departing.

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As we started to sail away, I saw houses and streets at the foothills of the mountainous jungle and wondered about the lives of the people inside them.

I now want to plan a trip back to Roatan on my own to see more of the island and take a longer hike.

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The next day, I woke up in port in Cozumel, the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean, according to the Tourism Promotion Council of Quintana Roo.

The island is known for its large and untouched wild nature area and surrounding coral reefs, according to the same source.

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Since I'd never been to Cozumel, I was excited to see what it looked like outside of the port.

But I didn't realize until I got there that the excursion I booked through Royal Caribbean took the entire day in Tulum, which was a 45-minute ferry ride away.

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The ferry made me seasick and I was disappointed that I wasn't going to have any time in Cozumel, but I'll come back, I thought.

The ferry took us to Playa Del Carmen on the coast of mainland Mexico, and we took a bus to ancient Mayan ruins and the beach.

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Our first stop was the Mayan ruins. In ancient times, Tulum was a successful trading hub and one of the last Mayan cities, according to their website.

The ancient walls were next to forests. I was glad to be able to enjoy some nature on the way.

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We entered the ruins through a small tunnel in the ancient wall surrounding the grounds.

Inside, there were several preserved stone structures and temples from the 13th century.

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Some of the temples were rebuilt on top of existing temples, the tour guide said.

I noticed some of the structures had to be supported with modern technology, but most stood alone.

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To me, the coolest part of this experience was knowing that archaeologists were able to learn so much about the history of this site only by observing what's left of it.

After the ruins tour, we went to the beach where I swam in the clearest water I'd ever seen.

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The beach was a relaxing way to end the day after a history lesson. And although I enjoyed my time in Tulum, I was still left wondering what it would have been like to spend the day in Cozumel.

I also had fun at the last two ports, Costa Maya, Mexico; and CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas. But neither stood out to me quite as much as the first two did, where I really felt like I was experiencing a new country.

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After my cruise, I added Roatan and Cozumel to my travel bucket list. I'll definitely be back.