Our Day in Cabo

We were surprised to have our breakfast arrive at 6:50 and we had ordered it for 7:30 and a wake up call was for 7:00. But it was not a problem because we were already awake enjoying the arrival into Cabo.It was bather in sunlight so we got  great pictures.

We were amazed at how cool it was after the blistering heat. A few degrees of latitude make a big difference.

It was cool in the morning but by afternoon it was bearably hot. Good for tanning.

We went to Explorers where our excursion group was to meet . We sat with a couple who had just retired and he was on his first cruise. Their names are Judy and Joe. We spent the entire pre excursion time chatting with then and giving them some tips. We ended up sitting near them on the beach and we had lunch with them as well. We invited them to come to our room for a drink of wine before dinner. They seem to be very nice. Talking with them brought us back to our first cruise and how excited we were then.

But back to the tour: When we disembarked we ended up on a Cabo tender rather than a Princess tender. It was much smaller and that meant we were loaded and on the move before the other Princess tender.

When we arrived on shore we waited for the entire group to assemble and then we walked to the 3 waiting vans which drove for about ten minutes and left us at Casa Dorada. It was the same resort that we were at in December.

 Amazingly the guide remembered us. Last time there were only about 9 of us this time there were at least 40. We were given our wrist bands and our coupons which entitled us to a meal and a beverage. The hospitality suite was very beautiful and it actually reminded us of our time share at Westgate Lakes. It also had a Grecian tub and a wonderful patio.

We chose recliners on the sand and went into the water right away. Ken went deep but I did not. I sat in the water for awhile. By the way that was not wise. The wave action meant that sand was in places it was not meant to be in.

Back at the loungers we discovered that drinks were very reasonable. We got 2 Bahama Mamas for only six dollars which we thought was very reasonable after a month of ship prices for drinks.

The vendors were very respectful of the rope that separated us from them. Some people were shopping but when you went to the water a simple no thank you did the trick. Judy bought a silver ring and Joe got a temporary tattoo. He is going to tell his friends that he got drunk and does not remember where or when he got it. He will not tell them it lasts only 2 weeks.

Lunch was not as grand this time. It was a buffet. We used our coupons and had a second beverage.

We were expecting to see a lot more signs of Cinco de Mayo but except for a few lantern you would not know it was a special day.

Soon our 4 hours was up and we were in a van and on our way back to the pier. We roamed through a couple of markets but the pressure from the vendors makes it not suitable for browsing so we went to the tender pier.

This time we were on a Princess Tender back to the ship.

We got back to our room around 3:30 so there was just enough time to clean up and dress for dinner because we had invited Joe and Judy to stop by at 4:15. We showed them our room gave them a few more tips and generally had a great visit.

We went to the dining room and had a very nice dinner. The maitre d came by and spoke to us again. He is really am amazing officer. We all like him. The entrance to the dining room and the bars all had decorations for the Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

On the last cruises on the Regal we made a point of collecting a set of those liqueur glasses. We choose blue. On this cruise they tried to sell them to us and we said we would buy them if they had red ones. They did not. Caesar, our waiter wanted us to buy but I kept telling him I would only buy if the glasses were red.

You buy Baileys to go in your coffee and it comes in one of these beautiful glasses and you get to keep the glass. Well much to my surprise last night the red glasses appeared. We will be having Baileys with our coffee during each of the next 3 nights so we will have our set of 8 red glasses when we disembark the Island Princess. Yeah!!

After dinner we went to the show. It was billed as a funny magic . Lorenzo Clark was labeled a comedy Magician. I was not expecting much. He was much better that I expected. But for some reason I was very tired and it was hard to appreciate him.

So when the show was over we returned to our room and even though it was early we called it a night. Tomorrow is a sea day, yeah!!

A funny thing happened the other night that I forgot to comment on. Pam is a walker and the other day she walked the deck. She has a smart phone and she set an app before she began. It was supposed to tell her how quickly she walked that mile. When finished she looked at her phone and it told her she had walked that mile in 3.61 minutes. A WORLD RECORD !!! Wow. After a confused few minutes she concluded that the app had registered her speed combined with the speed of the ship. So a tip: don’t use a GPS app to record your speed when you are jogging or walking on a ship. I wonder what it would have recorded had she been on a plane??

Exclusive Beach Resort Getaway/May 5th

This is the official description of the tour we are taking today!!

Tour Overview

Cabo San Lucas is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Your half-day tour provides ample opportunity to bask in the warmth of the sun, swim and relax on popular Medano Beach, one of Cabo's premier resorts. Luxurious amenities, a sparkling pool and a delicious beachside meal provide all the added touches to make this exclusive getaway that much more special.
A comfortable ride takes you to a luxurious beachfront property at Medano Beach. Cool ocean breezes, golden sand and the Sea of Cortez beckon you.
Upon arrival you will be escorted to a specially reserved area of the resort providing a sense of privacy and exclusivity. Receive your complimentary towel and settle yourself into a lounge chair, perfectly positioned for maximum views.
Whether you enjoy water activities or just reading a good book while working on your tan, your needs will be met in this unspoiled stretch of sand. The azure water is suitable for swimming, and there is also a resort pool if you prefer. Take a walk along the shoreline, snap some picture-postcard photos or relax with a cocktail – the day is yours to enjoy any way you like.
When hunger strikes, depending upon your time of arrival, a buffet of either breakfast or lunch is just a few steps away. Bring your appetite, as the bounty is plentiful and includes delicious options. One complimentary beverage is included, and you have the option to purchase additional drinks if you wish (credit cards accepted).
At the completion of your day, take one last swim before meeting the convenient shuttle transportation that will return you to port.
If you wish to remain longer, simply arrange your own transport to the pier

Cabo San Lucas

Millennia ago, Cabo San Lucas was part of the Mexican mainland. Then a massive rupture of the San Andreas Fault sent the waters of the Pacific crashing into the newly formed depression, creating the Sea of Cortez and the Baja Peninsula. Lying at the very tip of Baja, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, Cabo San Lucas - or "Cabo" - is one of the premier resort destinations in the Western Hemisphere. Swim in the transparent waters, marvel at the wealth of marine life, relax on one of the white-sand beaches or try your hand at some of the finest sportfishing in the world.

Port of Cabo San Lucas: An Overview

Cabo San Lucas is an anchor port for all cruises sailing on Mexico's Riviera and Sea of Cortez itineraries, but passengers are a small minority of the tourists who flock there. The heavily Americanized party town serves as one of the most popular beach escapes for Californians and other West Coasters who come here to let loose (spring break festivities are intense and not a proposition for the more ...

Cabo San Lucas is an anchor port for all cruises sailing on Mexico's Riviera and Sea of Cortez itineraries, but passengers are a small minority of the tourists who flock there. The heavily Americanized party town serves as one of the most popular beach escapes for Californians and other West Coasters who come here to let loose (spring break festivities are intense and not a proposition for the faint of heart). One of Cabo's major attractions is Cabo Wabo, a cantina owned by rocker Sammy Hagar. Rocks of a different sort -- El Arco, with its jagged points protruding from the Sea of Cortez, make more impressive photos.
Yet for those passing on the beer-pong tournaments and temporary tattoos, Cabo has a lot to offer. Located at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, Cabo San Lucas -- together with its more elegant and much quieter sister town of San Jose del Cabo -- is an ideal spot for adventure-oriented pursuits. If conditions are right, the clear waters make for great snorkeling kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, parasailing, sailing and jet skiing. The Sea of Cortez is among the biologically richest areas in the world, with pods of whales that winter offshore; if you're here in season (late December through late March), a whale-watching trip is a must.
Cabo also has some of the best sportfishing in the world, and it is the quest for marlin that put the town on the map. After World War II and the advent of private planes, Hollywood royalty such as Bing Crosby and John Wayne arrived to fish. In the 1970s, a highway was built to connect California to Baja, and the travel industry began in earnest. Now, it's hard to open a celebrity magazine without seeing photos of A-listers lounging at the six-star resorts that have sprung up in "The Corridor," as the coastal stretch between the two cities is known.
One of the downsides for most cruise travelers: There's no cruise pier, so all ships must anchor and tender passengers to the port. That means you'll need to factor in extra time getting to and from your ship. Even odder is the fact that some ships only stop for half-day visits, which means that actual on-land time can be extremely limited (although excursion providers usually time their tours to meet the needs of cruisers). However, other ships spend two days in Cabo, allowing passengers to stay out until 9 p.m. before the ship maneuvers offshore to open casinos.

The Celebration Continued

To continue our celebration we spent a relaxing day and then we had the entire group come to our stateroom for Happy Hour.

We brought in the chairs from our balcony, we ordered canapés and we commandeered other food from the buffet. We had a bottle of wine for all to share and it was a lot of fun.

But the highlight of our day was a trip to the Crab Shack. The food was great and so was the service.

It was a memorable way to mark our special occasion.

Tomorrow we are in Cabo San Lucas and it is Cinco de Mayo.

Champagne Breakfast

May 4^th, our special day.

If you haven’t been reading the blog before this day marks 365 Days on a Princess Ship for Ken and I.

 On Princess.com you can tell them if you are celebrating something. Their choices were birthday, anniversary or other. I marked other. At the time I wondered if they would accept that and sure enough outside our door this morning were a congratulations sign and a blue balloon and a white balloon.

Our travel agent Kim gave us a champagne breakfast as a bon voyage gift and we used it this morning.

This is such an amazing treat and we love to do it. Our breakfast arrived at 8:00 complete with a waiter to set it up and take our picture for us

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 We enjoyed the champagne and the quiche and Ken also had his smoked salmon. I was full after the quiche and a tiny bran muffin. The rest of the food will be enjoyed at lunch. Of course we drank our champagne and toasted out travel and our hopes that someday we might just celebrate 2 years on board Princess Ships

May 3rd

Third Sea Day,

This has been another wonderful lazy crazy day. I am making the most of these days because I will be so busy when we get home that I will be wishing I had a few hours to do nothing.

We woke around seven and went to breakfast in the dining room. We were at a table for ten which is too many. One lady at the table is on her 91^st cruise. Her name is Carolyn, I hope that is a sign of things to come.

One couple was from Vancouver Island and the rest of the people were from Florida and Arizona. Our evening assistant waiter was one of our breakfast waiters. I had a wonderful fruit plate and some oatmeal, and of course lots of coffee.

Then I went to the library and answered the questions of the day. This time I answered in the name John. Using Ken’s legal name was a way of having a different name announced should the entry be drawn.

For several cruises now I have notices that they have a Sudoku challenge on most sea days. I have been doing these puzzles for a few years now and I figure I am pretty good at it. I decided to check this out. It was taking place in Crooners and there were about 20 people gathered to play.

Well did I get my comeuppance….. These people finished a puzzle rated as hard in less than ten minutes. I had not finished one number or one square when all three prizes were given to declared winners. WOW they were fast. I guess I have to keep practicing if I want to play with the smart people.

I returned here and got some sun. Then we ordered room service. We decided to share a club house sandwich. We also had iced tea.

It seems as if they have been doing a lot of maintenance this trip. Two days ago someone appeared to change the battery in the emergency lighting system. The next day 2 workers appeared to change the lights over this desk. I think it was changed to LED

Then this morning someone appeared to tighten a hinge on the cupboard door. He had just left when there was a knock on the door and a workman appeared wanting to change a florescence light tube.

I was unaware of any of these problems. But I guess our room steward Randell was aware of them. He really is a great steward.

Before dinner we were invited to have a bit of a happy hour at Fred and Mary’s. That was lots of fun and as usual Fred had us thinking.

At dinner tonight I had a couple of different things including a cold sour cherry soup which tasted a lot like yogurt and a pork dish from Puerto Rico. Fred and Caesar had a great time changing roles. We all had a good laugh.

After dinner we stopped and enjoyed the music of The Charade Quartet. They are very good and they do draw a crowd. I also stopped in the boutique and bought a bottle of OPI nail polish.

The show in the Princess theatre was vocals by Claude-Eric. He was a singer from Montreal. He performed a variety of styles including The Commodores and Josh Brogan. I can’t say that I was impressed by his vocals and I hated his stage presence. He pranced around and the thought that came to mind was a POPPINJAY.

That being said Ken kind of liked him.

We finished our evening with a special coffee.

Tomorrow is another Sea Day and our special DAY

May Second

This is Monday , May 2^nd and it is a sea day.

We slept very well last night. Around bed time we were entertained by lots of lightning. We did not hear thunder and we did not have any rain; just lightning in the distance.

The morning temperature was 28C and the sea temperature is 32C

We woke around seven and we went to the dining room for breakfast. We shared a table with Diane from Langley; Doug and Judy from Sydney, Australia , and a very nice Japanese lady from Tokyo. I can’t remember her name and I couldn’t spell it if I did remember it. We talked and laughed and visited until around 9:15. I love meeting new people and meals in the dining room is the perfect venue.

Next we went to the library and answered the questions for today. It is always a fun activity.

They are looking for inspirational thoughts of the day. Do you have any to suggest? So far I have suggested

“Choose to be Happy ,we are going this way only once”

“Life is short so don’t sweat the small stuff “

And the one I put in today was

“Make the most of every day because no one promised you tomorrow”

We returned to the room and I caught up on some e-mail and then I went down to the EFFY store. They were having a raffle and the prize was a Tanzanite pendant. I did not win. But it is amazing how many people attend their raffles. It is a mob scene for sure.

Tonight is the Captain’s Circle get together. This is the first time I ever remember it being smart casual and not formal dress. Ken and I plan to dress up a little.

Tomorrow night we have been invited to Fred and Mary’s place to have wine before dinner.

Then on Thursday they are coming here before we all go to the Crab Shack for dinner. Thursday marks 365 days at sea for Ken and I so we are planning to celebrate with Champagne Breakfast on the balcony (Thanks a bunch Kim)!

We are becoming quite the social butterflies, at least for the next 3 daysJ.

I sat out on the balcony in the sun for a little while today. The temperatures are getting better as we head north.

We went to the Captain’s Circle get together. I introduced myself to Michael and Micca. I figured they should have a face to go with the name from answering the questions on the Wake Show.

Dinner was great as usual. As a way of getting to know people better Fred has begun asking questions around the table. Tonight he asked:

“What is your earliest memory?”

“How did you earn your first money outside of allowance or money from your parents?”

“What is the first thing you remember buying with your own money?”

The answers were very interesting and fun to hear. Fred is something else.

After dinner we went to the Princess Theatre. The show was Motown and as usual it was very good. But I must say we enjoyed the longer shows much better. There are numbers like the Supremes set that we really miss, and suspicion is another one that we wish they had kept.

To end the evening we went to Horizon Court for iced tea for me and milk for Ken.

We turned on the Wake Show when we got back to the room. I won again and much to our surprise and pleasure Randy and Janeen and Fred and Mary and Pam and Nancy had put in a dedication to us and our celebration of one year aboard a Princess ship. That was so nice of them.

Another Sea Day tomorrow.