Panama Canal - April 1-16th, 2023

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. 🛳

Puerta Vallarta

 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!

Mazatlan

 Port #2 is Mazatlan. 

We have been to Mazatlan a few times and love to go back to our favorite hidden gem, Stone Beach. 

But first we go to town because my sister's love to go to the central market to look at the food. When you get off the ship you will get a shuttle to the entrance of the port where there are indoor shops and out door vendors. The outdoor vendor has the best tequila, but we buy some when we are coming back. My favorite?  Cinnamon tequila. I love cinnamon flavored things and know this is hard to get, and it's a reasonable price. I think I paid $36. There are other flavors available and he has plenty of samples. A few more hundred feet there is another indoor market with plenty of vendors. But you can always stop there on the way back. As soon as you head out you will see a ton of Taxis.  This is what they look like and what they are called. 

Pulmonia taxi

Only in Mazatlan will you find the Pulmonia taxi. Mazatlan's Pulmonias -- the open-air "golf cart" looking taxis -- were invented here; are unique to The Pearl of The Pacific; and make a very enjoyable way to get around Mazatlan Mexico.

They are usually around $20 to get to town. However, one of my sisters makes friends with a local and now we are following him down the block to his Pulmonia hoping we don't get into a Dateline episode. So my sister makes a new best friend and he only charges us $10 to get to town. Then we go into the local market just a few blocks from The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. 

The Mercado Pino Suarez is the main open-air market in old town Mazatlan. Easy to get there as many bus lines pass by the front or back of the market. One of the market has a number of meat vendors who have everything you might want (and probably a few things you don't, like whole pig's heads).

I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm a vegetarian and can't stand the meat smell or looking at all the dead things. So I bypass that to more interesting stalls. My sisters like to look and say "wow, look at size of those green onions!" 

I decided to check out some vendors for some slip on sandals that won't slip on water, because when I was in the Enclave on the ship, I almost bit it like 10 times. Between the small pool/jacuzzi and steam rooms the floors are pretty yet. If anyone is going to fall, it's me! And I'll probably do a cartoon fall where my legs will spin around a few times before I'm flat on my back. 

I hate to bargain! There I said it. Some people love it, some people hate it. That's why I hate car dealerships and turn into a Karen because I don't trust anyone. So there are some cute slip on sandals and the seller starts out at over $20, and I'm thinking ...Dang, I can buy these cheaper at Penneys. 😀 Since I'm not in the mood to haggle, and can't speak Spanish, I walk away and go into "3 Hermanos" a block away. It's a shoe store on the corner and I find some cheap slip on sandals for...... Wait for it........$2.50. No haggling, great price and out the door. I showed my daughter when I got home my best bargain and she said...."Oh, those are prison sandals" . 😐 In case you are wondering, they look like this. 

I wear these in the Enclave, at the beach, to the ship's pool. I definitely got my moneys worth! And I don't slip or fall anywhere. Bonus. 

Now onto Stone Island which is right by the ship. The Pulmonia's are everywhere, so $10 to get back and he drops you off at this rocky driveway. There are no signs pointing so just start walking to the right. You will see a little booth which sells tickets for $2 roundtrip. You get on a little motorboat, put on a life jacket and go across this little canal which takes about another 5 minutes. When you get off, someone will try to sell you lounge chairs and umbrella for $10  for a day. But we want to just walk down to the beach and pick a restaurant. So you turn to the left, look for the walkway, walk past a few houses and wha-lah, you are at the beach. Probably a 5 minute walk to the beach. What restaurant to pick? Well we just walk a little ways and don't want to pick the crowded one because we think it might be the ships shore excursion. So we pick a random one where the locals are. We order Margaritas, Chips and Guac, and sit back, relax and listen to the waves. 

The weather is in the 80's and we just enjoy the relaxing afternoon soaking it all in. The vendors will come to you while you are sitting at the table, but I have to say, we got the best deals there more than anywhere else. I like to buy earrings and just put them on right there. I think we all bought jewelry because it was such great prices. Even entertainment comes by and we know they are trying to make a living or just extra money and so we love to tip them to show we appreciate it. 

There are many vendors on the beach and one has these GI Joe looking action figures with a parachute looking attachment, so my one sister decides to walk down and get 3 for her grandkids. After eating, drinking, laughing, relaxing and shopping, we decide to walk back to the ship. Down to the beach, walk along the water, take the motorboat back and we decide to walk back to the ship. It's literally a couple blocks. Then into your last shopping experience and this is where we buy the tequila. Try his samples as they are very good. 

The ship has a production show called "Rock Opera" which is amazing to say the least. Princess has the best shows for sure. Tried a new drink tonight. "The Butterfly"  Changes colors as they pour it and you stir it, found at "Good Spirits at Sea" . 

#Travel #Cruise #vacaylife #podcast #Cruisingtheworldpodcast #MexicanRiveria 

Cabo San Lucas

 First stop....Cabo San Lucas.

This is a tender port, which they now call "water shuttles". It's always a bumpy fun ride to shore. 

This is my 3rd time to Cabo by ship and I've always wanted to do the boat ride over to the famous landmark Arches. So I decided to wing it and go with a vendor when I got off the ship. A friend was there to help negotiate the price from $20 to $10 and our other friends from the ship joined us. 

Louis, Esel, Kristine

We did the "Glass Bottom Boat" so we could see the fish. 

Along the way we see Playa del Amor (Lover's Beach) and El Arco, a natural archway in the seacliffs, and Scooby Doo!

And a lot of wildlife along the way. 

The boat tour will ask you if you want to go to El Médano beach where there are great restaurants to eat at, and they will pick you up later to bring you back. Not bad for $10.00

Seas the Day

 Sea Day and we are going to chill in the Sanctuary. 

Biggest secret ever! When you get on the ship on embarkation day, RUN, don't walk, to the Sanctuary, which is at the front of the ship top deck. This is what happens if you don't. They are sold out and there is a waiting list. 

The chaise lounges are $20 for a half day and $40 for a full day. It's adults only, no kids, beautiful view at the front of the ship, and you have a healthy menu you can order special items from. They have changed it to Bento boxes and healthy drinks. There is a private jacuzzi at the front with the best view of the ocean right in front of your eyes. You really feel like you have escaped. 

Sooooo.....the chaise lounges were sold out. Usually you wait in line, someone comes to take you through the Sanctuary so you can pick out your lounge and reserve a particular space. I put ourselves on the waitlist and then had a lightbulb moment. How much are the Cabanas? The Cabanas are $140 for 1/2 day and $20 more for extra loungers. Max is 4 people, so $140 + $40 (for 2 lounge chairs) would be $180 for the 1/2 day. I'm like....hmmmmm.....$90 a couple. That's do-able. I asked my  sister "Hey, you wanna do 1/2 day for $90 a couple. 

Here's what you get.

• Couch
• 2 Chairs
• Mini Fridge Fully stocked 
• 1 bottle of wine/ Perrier water and various sodas
• T.V with Head Sets
• Secret Healthy Menu
• There were actually 4 lounge chairs in our cabana. The photos were the day of reserving them. 
• Secure area for locking up your stuff.
• Robes and slippers
• And the best of all...... dah dah duh (horns blowing)  AFTERNOON TEA!!!!

Afternoon Tea is my favorite. Tea, scones, finger sandwiches, desserts w/chocolate chip cookies. 

For 4 hours you have escaped to a whole new world with calming music, excellent service, great food and the beautiful blue ocean as your view. 

Don't judge our empty plates. 

After a relaxing afternoon, we get ready for the night and try out some of the fancy drinks around the ship. Our favorite? Spirits at Sea where the uber cool bartender tells stories about the exotic drinks they are making. My mission is to try every one of them. I came pretty close. 

Oh the Menu? Your welcome. 

#GoodSpirits #cruiselife #Cruise #travellingtheworld #vacaylife