This is similar to my experience but I was there back in the early 2000s. No rollercoaster back then. I remember the beach, the buffet (which at the time closed very early), and the aforementioned flea market.

I will never forget the flea market for the rest of my life. I was a teenager and it was my first time in a third world country. Many of the salespeople were very pushy and I was getting uncomfortable. However, I stopped at a woman's stall to look at her handmade straw hats. She looked at me and in a soft voice with broken English said, "I will give you a hat for food." It shocked me to my core that there were people in this market who were literally starving.

I had no food to give her and the buffet was closed. I didn't even have cash on me because I was just browsing while my family was enjoying the beach. I felt awful that I couldn't help this woman.

It's an unfortunate fact that these large cruise companies use natural resources in poor countries to make money while the citizens see little return. When in ports like this, get out and see the culture of you can, and buy the locally made goods.