Embarkation Day! And April Fools Day.

 The day has arrived. 

✅ Bags are packed. 

✅ Most important Passport and Phone

✅ Medallion device

✅ Instructions for the dog, like feeding and walking and all the special little treats. 

✅ Money! One credit card and cashola. 

Of course I'm going to forget things, but I'll tell you later.

My new Medallion with the "Emerald" crest. I later buy a clip on because I'm wearing 3 watches and would like to get it down to 2. 

My daughter drops us off at LAX airport and we take the transfer to San Pedro Pier. The Princess reps are at their little kiosk and tell us to just wait until a bus shows up as they say they is no more room on the truck. There is no order or lines, so we are just a little concerned. We only have to wait for about 30 minutes or so and they call us to go board the motor coach. Our driver is full of jokes and keeps us entertained all the way down. He's working hard for his tips! 

When we get off, we give our big suitcases to the porter, so all we have to do is take our carryons to board. I meet up with my sister and friends to say "Hi" and hugs, and then get to march over to the "Platinum and Elite" status area to board early. We are still 5 cruises away from elite status, so we have to wait patiently for all the Elites to board first. Lucky them. 

Once on board we are told our rooms aren't ready yet, so we decide to head up to the "Sanctuary" to reserve some days. Remember last time on the Mexican Riviera we got up there too late and nothing was available? Except the Cabanas, which we gladly took, but trying to go budget this time, and there weren't any Cabanas that I saw on this ship. You get a number like at the Ice Cream Store, and wait your turn. As we were waiting, my husbands spots the couple in front of us and says, "I went to high school with him". My husband has one of those weird "Facial recognition" things and after 25 years of not ever seeing him, walks over to him to say, "Hi Mark, I went to high school and grade school with you". We actually hung out with them during the cruise, had dinner with them and even excursions. Anything can happen on a cruise. I reserved 3 half days which were afternoons to just hang out for 6 people. I would of done the Panama Canal Crossing day but they were charging $60.00 for the day, versus $20 for the half day, and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to hang out there the whole day. 

Back to our room and meet our steward. I LOVE the Plaza deck. It's very quiet because you are behind the wall, close to the International Cafe,  you can go up 1 floor to the theatre and 1 floor down to the gangway. Plus you get to walk by all the Art when you are going to the Piazza or IC. 

Up to pool deck for Sail Away Party and meeting up with friends and family.

Roll call:

• Sister and friend

• 2nd sister and husband

• One more couple of friends

• One more solo traveler 

• And now new friends from high school we met in Sanctuary. 

After Sailaway drinks we meet up for dinner .

Dining room for dinner and we have no problem getting in. Then off to the production show which is the comedian. Usually the comedians are awesome. This one was definitely not the best and people were falling asleep and leaving. Needless to say we didn't go the second night, and from what I heard, not too many people did either. 

Off to bed so we can have Sea day tomorrow. 

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