This is my first time doing the Panama Canal, and boy am I ready for this vacation.
15 days on the Emerald Princess from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale.
8 sea days and the 5 ports/itinerary is below. Nicaragua was taken out due to civil unrest so they added a sea day. We are going all the way through the locks, so I've been watching some YouTube videos to help me understand what I'm going to be doing.
I have shore excursions booked in every port except Cartagena. I will probably go to the "Old Town" and may do a walking tour.
I booked everything from a snorkeling sea day with a private tour operator in Huatulco Bay to a Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica and a Monkey boat ride through Gatun Lake.
It's been raining for about 4 months straight here in L.A. and I heard it will be about 90 degrees down south. I'm ready for some sun!
Here's the Emerald Princess with a guest capacity of 3,080 lower berths and 1,200 number of crew.
This is an older ship built in 2007, but was refurbished in 2019.
The Christener was Florence Henderson and Susan Olsen from the Brady Bunch, and Erin Moran and Marion Ross from Happy Days. 🛳
I've done the Mexican Riviera a few times and I never get tired of the ports. There is always something new to do and you become more familiar with the area the more times you go. You learn the tricks, shortcuts and best places to go. So I'm going to tell you one of the best kept secrets at the end.
But first, let me show and tell you how we started our day. We chose the ....
Mahajuitas Cove, Yelapa & Lunch Shore excursion
We board the catamaran for an hour scenic boat ride to tranquil Majahuitas Cove, an unspoiled area of natural beauty on the southern coast of Banderas Bay. Only accessible by sea, Majahuitas is the deserted island beach of everyone's dreams. Swaying palms and a sheltered cove with crystal clear waters, offer ideal conditions for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking.
On the boat ride to the Cove
They gave us the option to use the snorkeling equipment on board, or buy the sealed one for $10. Being that it is December I thought the water was cold and opted out. We drop everyone off here and then they swim to the island section.
This is where everyone is dropped off to snorkle.
They motor us over to the island where we get out and wade in the water over to the island. And guess what? The water is actually pretty warm. So now I was really wishing that I did the snorkeling. The people that did said they saw all kinds of fish and leisurely swam over to the island. Lesson learned.
Here we are on the little island where we spend about an hour. Complimentary beer and lemonade, and really cute hut style bathrooms.
After a buffet lunch onboard the catamaran, which is actually pretty good, consists of Mexican style Potato salad, Deli sandwiches with authentic Mexican bread, fruit, and drinks, we head off to Yelapa, an old charming Mexican fishing village set in its own natural cove. Long a famous day trip from Puerto Vallarta, Yelapa has become a must on most tourists' lists, but since there are no roads in, this tropical paradise is only accessible by boat.
The tiny village is a true escape from civilization. If you love the outdoors and want to spend time exploring nature, this idyllic spot is perfect for you. Hike through the jungle to the Cola de Caballo waterfalls, swim in the cove's protected waters, or just relax on the expansive sandy beach.
We followed our guide up to the waterfalls where the water was cold, but that didn't stop everyone from getting in and doing a photo op. The walk up to it is uneven cobblestone, past houses where people are selling various items and even a tequila stop where the guy makes his own tequila. I think he was selling it for $5.00 a shot. I was thinking he should do free shots to see if people want to buy it. Rumor is, it's like moonshine and you can really get a high from it, so buyer beware.
As we walk back down the cobblestone path and we are waiting for a guide, a nice little old man wanted to show us his church and was saying , "Follow me". So I wandered in, took a quick photo, gave him a dollar and rejoined my tour.
When we get down to the sandy beach we stop at a restaurant and have the obligatory margarita and Guac and chips. A few vendors stop by to sell us things, but we don't find anything we want or need. One even lifted up the cover his jewelry was laying on and said, " I have marijuana".
Laughing and saying "no thank you" , that's the last thing I want to do in this remote village.
It's about an hour back to the ship after a fun, discovering adventurous kind of day and the boat let's us see a little whale watching.
But the best part? Their crazy antics 80's show.
And here's the BIG SECRET!!! SSSHHHHHH........
We start to head back to the ship and run into some friends who told us they just came back from WalMart where they scored on the booze. I've heard about people going over there to grab a taxi to get to town because it's cheaper. We aren't sure how much time we have left so we hot foot it over there as fast as our feet can take us. Conveniently located in the front of the store, (probably for all the cruisers stocking up) is all the liquor and booze at prices about half off what you pay in the states. They take US dollars or Pesos at the ckeckout. If you use US dollars there will be a small surcharge which I think was 8%. There is also a Sams next door but I don't have a Sams Club Membership. When you come back to the ship you will see the guy sitting at the desk collecting and surrounded by everyones Walmart bags full of booze that will be stored away and can be picked up on dismebarkation day. Have fun shopping!
