Day 14 - last day

I just noticed that I said that yesterday was our final sea day, but that was an error. Today was officially our last sea day - we'll dock in Long Beach about 8 am Sunday morning. We've just finished packing up most of our things. No small feat after spending 2 weeks in this same cabin! We'll put our bags outside of our cabin tonight before we go to bed and then we won't see them again until we get to customs in the Long Beach terminal.

As for today, another lazy day. I spent about 3 hours in the gym this morning and then we lounged around reading. Andrew had his last burrito from the burrito bar, and we said goodbye to some of the crew we have gotten to know over the past 2 weeks. They have catered to our every need and made our voyage memorable!

Tonight we'll have dinner at the buffet, as we've packed up all but what we're wearing and clothes for tomorrow. Then we'll turn in early and in anticipation of our long trip home tomorrow. Unfortunately, we were not able to get a direct flight home that left LA late enough in the day. This means that we fly out of LAX at 1:30 pm, and don't arrive home until about 10:30 pm. I'm looking forward to seeing the boys and, especially, to sleeping in my own bed. "Carnival Comfort Bed" is a misnomer, as I'm sure you've heard me say before!

Thanks for following along on our trip. Our next scheduled voyage will be in Europe in October 2011. We fly to Venice on October 15th, and 3 days later, we will embark on a 18-night cruise to various ports in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. Then 6-days of sailing across the Atlantic to end in Fort Lauderdale. In all, it will be 22 day trip - watch and see if everyone comes out alive!

Day 13 - Final Sea Day...continued

Well, it's almost 8 pm now and still no sign of rough waters. Looks like we've nothing to worry about. We had a relaxing day. Maybe a little too much relaxing for me. Despite spending 2 hours at the gym and reading almost a whole book, I'm getting a little stir-crazy. Andrew is already voicing concerns for our October trip when we'll have 6 sea days crossing the Atlantic.

We had a light dinner at the buffet tonight, with an ice cream cone for dessert. When we returned to our cabin we found this little gift from Carnival...


...another "Platinum" thank you. Lots of Platinum perks for us on this trip. In addition to the priority tendering and the special line at guest services, we had a bottle of champagne, a fruit basket, a plate of canapes, the treats tonight, AND free laundry. Andrew has sent a bag of laundry pretty much every day, so we've definitely enjoyed that perk! Finally, we will be in the first group of passengers to get off the ship when it docks on Sunday. No panicked rush to the airport!

One more sea day to go...I hope we can both survive! :)

Day 13 - Final Sea Day

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we have not felt any effects from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. We are just passing Cabo san Lucas heading toward California. The captain announced around noon that he has moved us further west toward the sea as a preventative measure should waves increase. As well, he is monitoring the weather in California and will keep us posted. So far, he reports, conditions are safe.

From appearances on the ship, everything is fine. The seas are some of the calmest we have seen - almost no whitecaps at all today. We even saw dolphins playing a few hours ago. Temperatures are about 65F with 20 MPH winds - a lovely day and we're enjoying it. If we hear more from the captain, we'll let you know.

Day 12 - Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta today – our last port for this trip. We docked just before 9 am, and we were off this ship about 15 minutes later. PV is a “regular” port so no need to wait for the tenders and it is quick to get on and off the ship. It is much warmer and more humid in PV than it was in Cabo and, within a few minutes we are soggy. I wonder, as I often do in warm climates, how the people around me can manage to appear “dewy”, while I just look wet.

Our plan today was to go to the Malecon, which is the main boardwalk in PV. Andrew had done a bit of research and we planned to take the city bus. The cost for the bus is great – a mere 50 cents per person. The trade off is that they are hot and can be particularly crowded. As we were to learn later, Mexicans on public transportation have a different sense of personal space than we are used to. Luckily, despite the size of the buses, the drivers are able to zip them around through rush-hour traffic like they are a scooter, so the ride is only about 10 minutes in each direction.

We got off at the Malecon and shared a fresh donut from a street vendor before continuing on our way. Though it was still early, the Malecon was already quite busy with tourists and many of the performers were already going. We saw a group who spun by their feet from ropes tied to a 40-ish foot pole, men who stacked rocks to look like Stonehenge, and sandcastle artists. There are also many sales vendors both on the boardwalk and in shops and flea markets alongside. We walked to the end (about 2.5 miles) and back, then took the bus back to the area around the ships. We stopped at a Supermercado near the ship and bought more pop to have on the ship.

After we cooled off on the ship for a little while, we decided to head back down to the Malecon for a late lunch. We found a spot on the beach where we had margaritas and shared some nachos while we listened to a terrible singer cover Elvis, Eric Clapton and the Beatles. On the way back to the bus stop, we bought “shrimp on a stick” that vendors grill on the beach. Everyone here is very friendly and we are able to practice our extremely limited Spanish which consists of “Hola! Como esta? Bien, gracias!” Fortuitously, that is just enough to make people smile.

So - two more sea days left to finish off our trip. While the ports are fun, it’s always nice to have a couple of the very relaxing sea days at the end of the trip. We’re looking forward to a couple of days of noting before we head home on Sunday

Day 11 - Last Cabo day

The last of our four days in Cabo, and the weather was perfectly cooperative. We were awakened at 6:30 am by our wailing alarm clock next door so had eaten breakfast and were ready to go when the first tenders started just before 8 am. We met our tour group about 40 minutes later, and were loaded in to a small tour bus. We headed through downtown and north out of the city. As we have learned is customary in Mexico, posted speed limits are optional - even in a tour bus – and we were at our destination in a mere 30 minutes. Climbing off the bus, we found ourselves at what looked to be a large roadside stand just off the highway. Numerous ATVs reassured us that we were in the right place. We signed waivers, paid our $3 park entrance fee, and took our turn being “suited up” by the staff. For this particular tour our gear consisted of a bandana, goggles, and a helmet. Being a Sabey, the later item was foreign to me, but I was told it was required so I acquiesced.

Andrew had signed us up for the longer of the two tour options, and we ended up being the only two doing the long tour in the large group. Our guide took us to our quads and, after a brief orientation (basically: here is the gas, here are the brakes) we were on our way. We spent the next few hours motoring (albeit a little slowly for my taste) through the hills of the Baja desert. It was very dry and dusty, without any signs of water. The landscape was cacti, eucalyptus, and also mesquite trees. Many of the residents there use the mesquite wood to cook with creating a delicious smell throughout the area! Frequently, we’d come across a small herd of very skinny cows and, every few miles, we’d pass a small ranch. We also drove through a very small village where they were holding mass for Ash Wednesday.

After about 2 hours we reached what our guide told us was the “river bed”. I did not see any river, nor any evidence that water had ever flowed in that area, however he insisted that in September (the rainy season) it would be lush. I’ll bet those cows can’t wait! The sand in the river bed was quite soft and drifted in to small, hard ridges. For several miles the ride was so rough that it was difficult to keep your feet from bouncing off the foot rests. At one point I think at least one kidney shook loose from its fat pad. Good thing I have two!

Finally, the trail smoothed out and we rounded a corner to see the ocean come in to view! Our guide led us up to the beach and then told us we had an hour to zoom the quads up and down the beach while he waited for us. It was fun to race up and down the beach, finally at a much faster speed. The view was beautiful and the day was cloudless and 75 degrees! Eventually, it was time to return to the “corral” where they fed us a sandwich and a Pepsi before they loaded us back on the bus to town. Andrew loved this tour and I will add that it was fun to get outside of the city and away from the crowds!

Tonight it is dinner in the steakhouse, and tomorrow is our last stop in Puerto Vallarta.

The beach

Look Barb - a helmet!

The dusty trail

Andrew at the beach

Day 10 - Cabo

Another lovely day in Cabo today! Because of my new Platinum status, we were escorted to the front of the line for priority tendering and docked in Cabo in just a few minutes. We stopped in at one of the cafes on the boardwalk that offers free WiFi, bought a coffee, and spent a few minutes checking emails. While sitting there we noticed some vendors advertising van tours of Cabo, so we decided to check it out. After some discussion with the gentleman we approached, we agreed on a private 90-minute tour for the two of us for $50, and we were off. I am sorry to say that I never did catch our guide's name, but he was a perfectly lovely man who knew the answer to every question we had. He took us to some great panoramic photo spots, around the downtown area, to a cactus garden, and the glass-blowing factory. We were able to watch the glass master blow a turtle figurine, and then he let me give it a try. I think his job is safe from me!

After the glass factory we toured around a bit more while our guide provided narrative. We both agree that we now like Cabo much better after getting away from the uber-tourist areas around the boardwalk. After a little more than 2 hours, our guide dropped us off downtown, per our request, and we headed over to "El Squid Roe" for lunch, at the recommendation of our friend Melinda. In the evening, El Squid Roe is a hoppin' night club, but during the day they have fantastic fish tacos and shrimp! While we were waiting for our food, they made us a batch of fresh salsa at our table. Stuffed full of seafood, we meandered our way back to the tender dock via the shops downtown.

Once back on the ship we changed clothes and headed up to the 12th deck. Andrew laid out on the serenity deck with his iPod and I walked for an hour on the track. It was a picture-perfect day in Cabo today; about 75F with a slight breeze so it was great to spend it outside!

Just before 5 pm we headed back to the cabin and fell asleep for about an hour. With such a big lunch, we opted for a light dinner at the buffet. Afterward, we managed to make it to two of the comedy shows - a rare event for us! We rationalized that, since the crying baby kept us up until after 11 pm last night, we might as well take advantage of some of the planned entertainment instead.

View of the arch from the east side of the island

The ovens and our "glass master" at the glass factory

It will be a tortuga when it's finished!

They gave me a turn!

The rocky hills in Cabo

View from a hotel on the west side (Sea of Cortez side) of the Baja

Table side made salsa at lunch


Big ol' dog in someone's yard - I miss my boys!

Day 9 - Sea Day

We had a fun evening last night. After dinner they showed Toy Story 3 on the big screen on the Lido Deck. They have shown a movie every night so far, but we didn’t make it the first week. They pass out blankets for you to use on the deck chairs and there is popcorn. It’s like a floating drive in!

Today is our single sea day before three back-to-back port days so we’re making the most of it. Sadly, it’s completely overcast and raining off-and-on today and, according to the captain’s daily noon announcement, it is only 57F/14C with 6-8 foot waves. This means lots of reading, the gym, and a nap for Andrew. Or at least attempts at a nap for Andrew…

As you would expect, we have new neighbors this week. To the forward side of us is a couple. The woman laughed near hysteria for the first hour we boarded the ship, which was concerning. However, and blessedly, we’ve yet to hear another peep out of them. The larger issue is to our aft side, where there is a family who, from the sounds of it, has at least 15 or more crying children. Ok, so it’s possible that there are only 2 or 3 children. However, I am not kidding when I say that the baby has been crying since we got on the ship. Really – SINCE WE GOT ON THE SHIP. YESTERDAY. NON-STOP. Andrew commented after we returned from lunch to more crying that it doesn’t seem normal for it to cry all the time. I agree, but am running out of empathy as we approach the 26-hour mark, with 6 days still to go.

Oh - and the crying isn’t the only issue. We have one of those doors in our cabin that, when unlocked on both sides, would allow someone to create adjoining cabins. The other cabin has the same door. I know this because, approximately once every thirty minutes, one (or more) of the other children opens their side and tries their best to get in to our cabin. Even more annoying is that, at no time, do I hear either of the parental units (of which I have seen two) tell the children to knock it off. I am sorry to say that I may soon be forced to pass off some of my Mexican mystery medicine as candy to these little angels next door!

P.S. Shelby, we found out on Saturday that we’re not going to Mazatlan this week either –sadly, there is no word on when any of the cruise lines will go back there. Passengers we’ve talked to are, for the most part, frustrated with the decision and feel that the cruise lines are punishing the tourism-dependent economy of Mazatlan as on over-reaction. They also note the irony that we can’t go to Mazatlan because two locals were shot, but that this ship sails out of a port that is only about 5 miles from Compton, the gang-shooting capital of the US. Hopefully things will settle down by the time you leave in a few weeks. We really do love Mazatlan!

Day 8 - Groundhog Day

And so it begins again...

We disembarked about 9:30 am today and purchased a combo ticket for the Queen Mary and the Aquarium. We boarded the free shuttle for the 5 minute ride to the Aquarium first and spent about an hour wandering around there. It was small, but nice, and you could touch lots of things - sharks, rays, sea anemones, and birds. Touching and feeding the animals is Andrew's favorite part! When we were ready to head back to the Queen Mary we thought it would be nice to walk, as it's a perfect 65F in Long Beach today. The only visible problem with this is that there is water between the two locations and, aside from the freeway, not an apparent way to get across it on foot. We asked a guy staffing one of the booths in the marina who told us that it would take us "at least an hour an a half" to walk back. I found this difficult to believe since the shuttle ride had literally been minutes. We decided to forge on anyway and, after missing the stairs the first time causing a 20 minute delay, we found a foot-path along side of the highway and had a lovely walk back to the QM. If we would have seen the stairs up to the footpath the first time past, the walk would have totaled less than 30 minutes. We should have known better than to ask someone from LA about walking anywhere!



We started our tour of the Queen Mary with the "Ghosts and Legends Tour" which is a campy scripted live tour to some of the areas of the ship that are reported to be haunted. We enjoyed it as we got to see the famous swimming pool (see photos), the boiler room, and a few other areas of the ship that are not available for the general public. We spent another hour wandering around the QM. It is a little creepy, yet amazingly preserved with the original marble and other art deco features. We both agreed that we'd definitely like to do an overnight there in one of the hotel rooms!

The stairs down to the pool area

The pool itself (with one of the original ladders)

After finishing on the QM we walked over to the VIP area to re-board the ship. The process was smooth and we had cleared security and were back on board in less than 20 minutes. We had a bite of lunch and are not back in our cabin to start all over again. Andrew is delighted that this is my 10th cruise with Carnival so I have earned "Platinum" status. This means we get a few perks such as free laundry, priority boarding/VIP check-in, priority tendering, and a special "Concierge" line at the Guest Services desk. I'm sure we will get our money's worth in free laundry alone! We also had a bottle of champagne in our cabin - which we think may be because we did a back-to-back, rather than because of my platinum status.

Again on this cruise, we will not see Mazatlan and will have two days in Cabo, starting Tuesday. We were not impressed with the diving in Cabo, and were told that the diving in Puerto Vallarta is also not very good so, sadly, we won't be doing any more dives on this trip. We'll have to figure out other things to do and will keep you posted!

Day 7 - Sea Day

Last day of round one – another sea day. We slept in until about 7:30, which is great for us! We both woke up feeling much better so I headed up to the gym for about 90 minutes. Couldn’t run without coughing but was able to walk 4 miles and then do 30 minutes on the bike, which felt good. After a light breakfast we headed up to the Promenade deck to get a coffee and read. It was very foggy and cool today so the inside areas were crowded. At times the fog was so thick that you could barely see the water and the captain was blowing the fog horn every few minutes. Fortunately, we did not hit any other ships or icebergs!

After lunch we got some information about our process for tomorrow. This back-to-back will be different than others we have done because we are staying on the same ship, in the same cabin. This means we just have to take ourselves off the ship (our clothes and other things can stay in our cabin) and go through customs with our declaration cards. Then we can return to the ship, should we choose. However, we are planning to take the shuttle from the port to the Aquarium and then come back for a tour of the Queen Mary. When we walked around the QM before we boarded the ship last Sunday we noticed that they have a tour “package” price to do both.

Now we’ve had dinner and are back in the cabin. As I type this, Andrew is watching a documentary on a man who was found guilty of drowning his wife while they were scuba diving. I hope he’s taking particular note of the fact that the guy is now in prison for the rest of his life! :)