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LIVE FROM - 9/20/17 Island Princess Coastal, Panama and More Panama


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Our balcony cannot be used during the transit too. Evidently they run a cable/rope? down through that area. We have been give $60 OBC each. This is the price of the Sanctuary for the day. So you could use it for the Sanctuary.....or not.

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Our balcony cannot be used during the transit too. Evidently they run a cable/rope? down through that area. We have been give $60 OBC each. This is the price of the Sanctuary for the day. So you could use it for the Sanctuary.....or not.

 

There is one couple on the ship in the CC group that was given a day pass to the Sanctuary since they could not use their balcony during the transit on the first day - not the second. I will talk to them this morning and see if I can get any information..

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10-10-17At Sea to LA

 

Manzanillowas a great stop for us and a great, but exhausting and hot, cruise day. We didthe Cutulayan Turtle Sanctuary Center Excursion. This goes down the coast about40km to a sea turtle rescue center. The port area is very clean and inviting (afew blocks in it get gritty, like Naples), but is reasonably safe to eat anddrink. The Malecon is a very nice stroll, but it was a clear blue sky day andHOT.

 

Our guidewas Francisco, who also volunteers at the center. Great guide, funny, charming,dedicated to his cause, apolitical, enthusiastic and energetic. Stopped at theSalt museum on the way, where they make sea salt, and bought some for aChristmas present to some of the cooks in the family. Drove through acobblestone street town that had been devastated by a Tsunami the in the 1970’s(if I remember correctly). By some gorgeous black sand beaches and some beachfrontvillas (4 bedrooms, 5 baths, 4000 sq foot, pool, walled compound, brand new,$450k), to the Sanctuary where we got to see three different species of turtlesin the tanks, hold a 4 month old turtle and a baby turtle fresh out of the sandthat they would be releasing in just a few weeks, see some breeding females anda couple of males, two crocodiles and a bunch of rescued iguanas. Very hot, butreally interesting and fun.

 

A snackwas included in the trip – a beer, water or soda, three taquitos and a coupleof guacamole tostados. Tasty. A little shopping, a lot less high pressure sales,which was greatly appreciated. Picked up something to make a magnet out of andsome more salt and we were done with the shopping.

 

BTW,here again having native currency saved a little money. $2 bags of salt for 20pesos. Everywhere paying in Pesos was a better exchange than paying in dollars –because they round the dollars up!

 

Theonly downer was a very visible and armed police and military presence – M4’sand all – including one all-purpose checkpoint – complete with a judge and alllevels of local, state and federal police forces as well as several branches ofthe military – all in one location. It was a little worse than Antigua with theshotguns everywhere. Not enough to cause any issue, just a feeling of ‘we aren’tin Kansas anymore’…

 

Back onthe ship it was shower off the heat of the day and go to a really good comedyand magic show by Farrel Dillon. Callie, the CD and Mike the ED, schedule earlyshows at 1745 in the evening. (Two typically follow at 1930 and 2145.) A greatoption for those of us that want to free up the evening for anything else. Asleight of hand magician with a little comedy thrown in, especially in hisinteraction with the audience. A lot of old favorites everyone is familiar withand a couple of new ones with new twists, but his sleight of hand is very goodand very fast. Only caught him a couple of times from the angle we werewatching.

 

Dinnerin the HC (oh excuse me, the Metropolitan) was very crowded after the show. Butthe cold salads were really good and ice cream is always available if you askfor dessert in the new dessert bar.

 

Afterdinner it was the new and improved Love Boat Disco Deck Party. This of course,the successor to the Island Night deck party and the later Ultimate Deck Party.This one might actually work. The Ultimate Deck Party had a sequence of 9different line dances, 4 to 5 of which were not easy. This one, attended by theship’s dance company in full ship’s disco uniform – wig, epaulets and all – hadsimpler line dances and a Soul Train/Grease stroll lane. It was by far the bestdeck party, or party at all, since the Halloween party on the Crown in 2015during the 28 day Tahiti cruise.

 

And thiswas accompanied by a running sequence of video clips of the Love Boat cast onMUTS.

 

Calliestarted off the party with a couple of simple line dances – he is a fantasticcruise director BTW – and then the dancers came on and did a short discodemonstration – which is very up close and personal – transitioning to a coupleof group line dances with the troupe to another demonstration to the stroll tothe final dance – The Isaac.

 

It wasa good party, lots of fun. Do not miss it…

 

Off tothe coffee klatch!

 

 

Later!

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10-11-2017 At Sea To LA

 

Packing day for most, but not for us – at least another couple of weeks. Last coffee klatch, last breakfast together, last elite lounge. Its been a pleasure sailing with all of the CC people on the roll call. A couple we’ve sailed with before, and will most likely sail with again. Join the roll calls and meet the people during the cruise. Its been a lot of fun.

 

Today we get to see Herb’s (Holomoko) creation sail on the water – if it capsizes he will never hear the end of it! So we’ll be cheering it on this afternoon.

 

Last night was the final production show Encore and one word description would be lavish and the second one would be WOW. They threw everything in it but the kitchen sink in a staged opera-like presentation featuring the 4 lead vocalists and the guest soprano Jennifer Fair. There were also 4 or 5 featured dance vignettes during the show – including a dynamic paso and an intense contemporary/bolero/rhumba fusion. Because I am not a fan of opera, this particular show did not appeal to my tastes - my favorite remains Colours of the World without the LED screen, but I can recognize and appreciate the effort and skill that went into the set, the lighting, the costuming and I thoroughly enjoyed the talent of the singers and Jennifer’s beautiful voice, but for me, the star of the show was the orchestra. It was incredible. The strings from the atrium joined and Gordon, with his other two wind section guys, switched off on so many different instruments (piccolo, flute, sax, trombone, trumpet(s)) that we basically had a whole wind section in the band. For a group of people to have only had a few hours to practice together, they did a great job.

 

And everyone in the cast was giving it their all. You could tell. We sat Row 5 center and could see the strained expressions of the orchestra as they concentrated on their music, the dancers projecting during the backup singing sequences, the vocalists leaving it all out there on the stage. Like I said, even though I don’t care for opera, I can appreciate a great show. And yes, they got a standing O from the audience and us as well. They deserved it. This is probably only the 5th or 6th time we’ve done that – we’re just picky I guess – in at least over a hundred shows. But this was well deserved.

 

I have to mention the lighting and the staging as well because this was such an extravagant affair (chandeliers, marble staircases, the LED back wall projecting a full moon) and very, very well executed. The stage was permanent, but the lighting and timing of the lights to highlight each vocalist from the shadows as they soloed was perfect. I know the timing and type of lighting is pre-programmed from LA, but think about it for a minute…you have music from a live orchestra timed with voices from the backup singers timed with movement from the cast timed with vocals timed with lights…that is a difficult recipe to pull off and they did it wonderfully.

 

DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW.

 

We also did Liar’s Club which was a lot of fun. 4 new words, 4 new misses. We had a perfect score of 0/4. Callie did the MC work, Wally, Amparo and Holly did the lying. Liar’s club, with the card scoring format is one of our favorite game shows. Lots of fun.

 

I am going to do a wrap up of the cruise later today and post it tomorrow morning as we flip in LA. In the meantime, time for the coffee klatch.

 

Later!

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We always try to do the Chef's Table...We enjoy the companions as much as the food. Our last one was with Commendatore Alfred Marzi, Master Chef. It was something we will never forget.

 

One of our "Chef's Tablemates" asked how many at the table were CCL Shareholders. Almost everybody raised a hand. That shipboard credit makes Chef's Table free ...never thought of it that way but it's true.

 

We also look forward to the Elite Lounge Happy Hour and the pub lunches.

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IslandPrincess 19 Day R/T LA Panama Canal Wrap-Up

 

Tips:

 

1 – Thefront viewing decks on 10 and 11 are open during the canal transit and are thebest views on the ship. However, keep track of the sun, as there is verylimited shade unless the sun is behind the ship – as in morning transit, northbound (Pacific to Atlantic) – the sun will rise in the south east and you willhave shade. No chairs – standing room only.

 

2 – Aftdeck 8 is still open for viewing at all times. Much smaller than the forwarddecks, but a very good aft view. No chairs, standing room only, mind the sun!

 

3 –There are indoor spaces on Deck 8 that have good views, as well as the HC onDeck 14, of the Canal crossing and are in air conditioning. Not as good asoutside, but cooler for sure.

 

4 – Forthis cruise, no excursions were offered during the night in Gatun Lake. But itis a perfect night for a UBD!

 

5 – Onthe Island, Sabatini’s becomes Alfredo’s pizza from 11:30 to 14:30. Differenttoppings, but same crust as the Pizzeria in the Lido Deck.

 

6 –Orange/Red striping on cabin deck carpets on Port hallways (even cabins) – butnot everywhere – so beware. Blue striping on Starboard hallways (odd cabins).Hopefully this will be fixed during dry dock – unless they are moving away fromthe color coding – in which case we will all be lost!

 

7 - Thelack of the Universe Lounge is really telling on Zumba and Dance classes. Zumbais held on the open deck, but its hot and the sun can give your hairline asunburn in very little time. Stake out your space in the limited shade underthe edges of deck 15. Same with Line dance class, but its later in the morningand shade is harder to find. Ballroom dance is held in the wheelhouse, butspace is very limited on the dance floor and its hot in the space.

 

8 –Elevators: Forward Elevators from 7 to 14 ONLY. Midship Elevators from 4 to 15.Aft Elevators from 5 to 14. Atrium Elevators from 5 to 8 ONLY.

 

9 –Don’t miss Encore – even if you don’t like opera. It’s a very well done show.

 

10 –Don’t stress over things you have no control over – like the weather. It willbe what it will be and that will be that…

 

10-13-2017– At Sea to Puerto Vallarta

 

Onenote for the GANG – WE MISS YOU GUYS!

 

Keptlooking around expecting someone to show up…

 

Turnaround was relatively painless. There was no in-transit shuffle as it was asimply hurry up and wait. The dozen or so people met in Crooner’s to be sentout to passport control, then out of the building into the street, back upthrough security and into a holding area. Around noon they let us back on theship.

 

Awaitingus in the cabin was a nice surprise. Chocolate dipped strawberries, a bottle ofgood champagne and a note congratulating us on our 500 cruise days. Didn’t knowwe were that close. Nice touch. Thanks Princess!

 

Sailawaywas almost identical to the last sailaway. Not nearly as active as the YVRsailaway – go figure. New band. We got to say goodbye to Solutions on ********** and then hello to Equinox as the new party band. Gordon and the orchestraplayed a set in the Wheelhouse and yes he mixed in the theme song to the BradyBunch in the middle of a cha-cha. (That’s how we got to know Gordon manycruises ago.)

 

Icaught Jim or the other Jim’s cold. So now its Nyquil, Dayquil, soup and sleepfor a few days. Nothing happening in Puerto Vallarta for us but we now haveexcursions scheduled in all the other ports. Will let you know how those go.

 

That’sit for now. Time for coffee – all by ourselves!

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10-08-2017

 

Herb and Jackie (Holomoku) did their first UBD on this cruise and loved it.

 

Lol, Herb and Jackie are two of the nicest people on earth! We have met up with them twice in Hilo Hawaii, both while we were on 15 day Hawaiian cruises. The latest was last May 2017.

 

My Mom originally met them both while on a Sapphire Princess South Seas cruise. Side note, I was up in Lake Tahoe a few weeks ago and a senior blackjack dealer at Harraha's remembered Herb and Jackie as they both worked there many years ago. Moral to this story? It's a small world!

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Appreciate your "Live" review.. contemplating booking the Christmas/New Year version on the Island .. sounds relaxing and easy RT out of LA for us with no flight. ;p

 

We are on the 60 day Coral in September also, so have seen your name pop up many times in that blog.. look forward to actually meeting😎

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10-15-2017 – Puerto Vallarta

 

Still fighting that cold. Nyquil, Dayquil, nap, rinse, repeat. Missed Encore on this cruise so I am glad we did it last cruise. Trying to avoid a lot of public exposure. No need to spread it around.

 

Not going to Wal Mart today. Got everything we needed last time we were here. Nice day. Sunny, clear sky, warm.

 

Met up with Paul and Elizabeth. They have a suite on the back of the ship. The deck 14 new corner suites DO NOT have a wrap around balcony as the deck plans show – it is two separate balconies. And the balconies are not very deep – no 4 top seating on a single table on the balcony. On the other hand, the Vista suites below them on Deck 12 have much deeper balconies than the deck plans show. I will try and get some pictures later in this cruise.

 

Judy did the Glockenspiel (an upgraded xylophone) for Octoberfest last night – playing Edelweiss . We also saw Mike Wilson – comedian/impressionist.

 

The new drink package is a little less than ultimate and we are subject to the new rules – no grandfathering of the old sip and sail. It is not all inclusive. Bottles of wine, canned soda and 1 liter bottles of water are 25% off – not included for free. Drinks are now up to $12, but not more than 15 per day. Gun sodas, milkshakes, small bottles of water, are included. You now have to sign a receipt – like the old days.

 

Tonight is Country and Western Night. Not sure what we will do. We have an excursion in Huatulco, so hoping this cold improves by then.

 

Later..

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10-17-2017 – Huatulco

 

Tequila tasting today, then ceviche, chips and wifi on the beach. Not much happening except normal sea day activities the past couple of days. The service remains top notch, the food in the HC exceptional – especially the cold salads!

 

It is hot! And humid! Almost unbearable on deck for any length of time. Really hot in the HC with the sun beating down on the windows. Sure can’t stand the direct sun for long. Last cruise it was rainy and kept the heat down. This cruise we get to find out what its like in the sunshine!

 

Enjoying Paul and Elizabeth’s suite. It will be a great view of the new locks as we go through the canal – especially with their two balconies.

 

Not only made it to the top 40 luncheon, but also got #3 on the most traveled list. First time for that. Paul and Elizabeth made it to the most traveled luncheon as well.

 

Since Judy is my resident tequila expert, she will get to try Mezcal for the first time today – along with some blanco, reposado and anjeo tequila. Here’s hoping she doesn’t develop a taste for more expensive stuff than Patron Silver!

 

Later!

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10-18-2017 – At Sea to San Juan Del Sur

 

We shall see if we actually get off the ship tomorrow. The last time we ran into the tail end of a hurricane with gusts of 90+ knots – which meant no tendering for sure. Last night we ran into a couple of squalls that closed the deck and created a bit of shake rattle and roll, but this morning things are calm with blue skies and HOT weather.

 

HOT was the theme at Huatulco. This is a very nice and clean community. Security is prevalent but not shotgun toting as in Antigua and very proactive, breaking up a confrontation on the beach seconds after it started. The town of La Crucecita is brand new – only about 40 years old – so no ancient piles of rocks here. The church is very well done and mission style, as is the central park area of almost all Mexican Villages. The selling was not nearly as bad here as in Antigua or Manzanillo. Still there, but not so oppressive. Bookmarks seem to be the selling item of choice.

 

Even being on a Princess Tequila tour, or because of it, we had to visit several “factories” – a weavers shop, a silver factory and a tequila establishment. The weavers shop was the most intriguing of the “factories” with hand made cloth items – NOT made in China – and definitely reasonably priced for the durability and quality of the material. Had we been in a situation in which Judy could have tried on clothes, we probably would have purchased several hand made blouses and table clothes.

 

The silver factory had some good deals, but I doubt the owner ‘made’ all of this stuff. We bought a handmade silver cross in Puerto Vallarta and wanted a matching rough made chain to go with it, but could not find anything that jumped out at me. (I am the jewelry shopper of the family.) Did find one silver chain that came close and before I knew it, he was down to $50 (about 75% off) the tag price. Not a bad deal for the quality of the chain, but clearly machine mass produced items, not hand made as I was looking for.

 

The tequila tasting (305A) was completely different from the Jose Cuervo tequila tasting at Cozumel several years ago (highly recommended as well). We tried smaller pours (pony shots) of 4 tequilas (Blanco, Reposado, a two Anjeo’s), 5 Mezcals (basic, a 2 year reposado, a 4 year reposado, a blended anjeo and an 8 year anjeo), two Mezcal liqueurs (coco and passion fruit), a tequila based margarita and a Mezcal based orange drink. Munchies were home made chips, pico de galleo, guacamole and chipolatas (toasted grasshoppers). Accompaniments of lime and orange slices plus worm salt rounded out the entire setting. As long as you wanted to keep drinking, they would keep pouring.

 

Needless to say we had a really, really good time – especially the people closer to the bar! This was fun and Eduardo, our guide, was a lot of fun as well. The Mezcal was actually more expensive than the tequila and definitely had a distinctive taste of its own. But what shined was the mezcal derived ‘Irish liqueur’ and the passion fruit liqueur. So good we bought 2 bottles each ($14 each) to take home. Two more Christmas presents down and two more for us!

 

If you like drinking something different, this is definitely the tour for you.

 

After the tour we went back to the beach to get some ceviche and wifi. We did get ceviche, but ran into ‘theoretical’ wifi. No bandwidth at all. Could not download anything.

 

So if you do go ashore and want to hit the beach and update your phone, try the wifi first. Order a beer, try the wifi and if it doesn’t work, move to another restaurant.

 

As I said before, this tour was HOT. It was hot until we got back to the room and showered. We did make it to Rollin Jay Moore’s early show. He did pretty well. Some misses, lots of laughs, some old jokes, still funny, some new material – same old Jay. One of our favorites and a really nice guy to meet and talk to.

 

Then we hit Pub night before retiring. Pub night is fun, but I miss the days of the free for all pub nights of Tim Donovan in the Caribbean – and the games of Panama night on our third cruise ever – on the Island in 2004 with then Junior Assistant Cruise Director Samantha Hawker Thomas! While the new Pub night is scripted and includes the singers and dancers, it does lack some of the spontaneity of the old unscripted pub nights and the sometimes tawdry, but funny as all get out, games and jokes.

 

So while my cold is receding, Judy caught it and is now dealing with it while I care for her like she cared for me. Gives me time to update the blog a bit. Going to sign up for something new today. An escape room game. We’ll see how this works out.

 

Later!

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10-19-2017 – San Juan Del Sur

 

Around 0500 this morning. Awoke to a meteor or UFO shower light show off the ship. Still not sure what, but it sure grabbed my interest. We’ll see if we make it into anchorage this time. The winds appear to be a bit strong with some swell, but not sure what’s going on inside the protected waters. Neither the Coral nor us made it in a couple of weeks ago.

 

A couple of interesting tidbits from the Captain’s Circle party. Princess is now celebrating passenger milestones – 100, 250, 500, 750, 1000 days at sea, in addition to the top 40, most traveled, etc. That is why we got the 500 day package special treatment. Can’t complain for sure! Nicely done.

 

Around 68% of the passengers are past passengers, but less than 200 are elite – hence the quicker laundry than last cruise. The most traveled had over 1300 days with the 2nd being over 1100 days and the third, us, at 495. Big gap. Even Paul and Elizabeth, with over 300 days, made the top 40.

 

The most interesting is the new ships. 4 are on order. 1 is currently under construction and will be the Royal Class – probably very similar to the Majestic. But the Captain specifically mentioned that the remaining three, with deliveries out to 2022, will have the designs tweaked a bit – the changes to be announced later. So it sounds like interior upgrades and/or major reconfigurations of services on the inside – maybe some non-structural changes to the outside. Who knows? But it sounds intriguing.

 

We have the Hacienda Excursion today – however, I doubt if Judy will be going. A nasty cold coupled with a hot tender ride on potentially rough waters is not a viable option. So I will probably jump on the tour and see what’s up. Seriously contemplating taking a single point and shoot camera and NO BACKPACK! You know, the way we used to go touristing…no wipes, no bug juice, no first aid kit, no towel, no water, no duct tape, no pens, no backup batteries, no charging cords…

 

We’ll see…Later!

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10-19-2017 – San Juan Del Sur

 

We have the Hacienda Excursion today – however, I doubt if Judy will be going. A nasty cold coupled with a hot tender ride on potentially rough waters is not a viable option. So I will probably jump on the tour and see what’s up. Seriously contemplating taking a single point and shoot camera and NO BACKPACK! You know, the way we used to go touristing…no wipes, no bug juice, no first aid kit, no towel, no water, no duct tape, no pens, no backup batteries, no charging cords…

 

We’ll see…Later!

 

We board the Island for our PC cruise when you finally get to Port Everglades. Been following faithfully and look forward to your report of the Hacienda Excursion. We haven't decided what to do in San Juan Del Sur and the Hacienda tours are still on our "possible" list.

Great "Live".

Thanks

Mark

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10-20-2017 Puntarenas

 

Early excursion this morning to the Cloud Forest. Definitely did not want to wander around this place on our own after our last visit. Judy is going to give it a go.

 

Yesterday was the Amaya Hacienda. This was a very nice relaxing visit to a Hacienda on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. About a 45 minute drive from the port and its on the map so you can see where its at on Google.

 

Nicaragua – the name sends shivers up and down my spine. Having cut my political teeth in the 80’s, this country and El Salvador were top of the list of place NOT to visit ‘voluntarily’ for sure. However, I was very pleasantly surprised. The port itself is a typical third world/first world influx mix of shacks and cinder block houses on one end of the spectrum and brand new luxury villas and condos on the other. The people are friendly and industrious, and while there is a police presence, it is not as prevalent as Mexico, nor is it as heavily armed as Guatemala. There is also not as many high pressure ‘vendors’ as in Mexico – and rather than bookmarks, sun glasses appear to be the sales item of choice!

 

This is a fishing port with boats moored out in the lagoon area. Its not a deep water port and is exposed to the Pacific swell and winds – as is evidenced by the eroded cliffs and rocks around the port entrance. Tendering is required and you can easily see why the port is cancelled due to winds quite often. Beautiful area as you tender in. Relatively clean as well. No piles of garbage around the streets, but definitely the smell of the sea in the air – you know – day old fish!

 

Tendering was running 60 to 90 minutes behind schedule. No big deal. There were 46 on the tour, minus Judy, so the bus had only about 10 spare seats, but the A/C worked. It was hot and humid, but a cloudy sky and a bit of drizzle cooled things down substantially. Our guide was great. Native Nicaraguan, mixed heritage of Spanish and Italian, he grew up in the states during the war and came back after the reconciliation.

 

Very proud of what his country has achieved since the war – and he has a good reason. By 2025 the country will be 100% electrified with renewables: wind, solar, biomass and geo-thermal energy. The agrarian economy exports 40% of its production to the US and Canada and has the fertile volcanic soil typical of the region. They still are considering a sea level canal via Lake Nicaragua to counter the Panama Canal – but no one has stepped up to fund it yet.

 

The Hacienda itself has been converted to a restaurant and entertainment venue, but is still a working cattle ranch with some wind farming. A lot of wind was coming off the lake, and is pretty prevalent as witnessed by the large wind turbines placed all around the Hacienda. The lake was not swimmable as recent rains had turned it muddy brown with large waves and very windy weather. But the Hacienda area had an infinity pool to cool off in. Local merchants with carvings and pottery, a cow milking demonstration, a horse back riding demonstration – Spanish style, a tortilla making demonstration and lunch. You could also wander around the grounds, look for Cayman in the river next door, lounge in a hammock or just kick back with a beer. It was a very nice, enjoyable, relaxing afternoon.

 

The people were inviting and friendly. The owner was there, and they showed off some local dances from the various time periods of the country, including a very entertaining ‘old man’ and ‘old woman’ dance that was particularly funny.

 

So I have to be honest about lunch. It was delicious. Probably the best taco I’ve ever had. And you had to put a dollop of everything in the taco and eat it together. Shredded chicken, pork, ground up pork cracklings, refried beans, sweet plantains, a vinegar based slaw and a nice and spicy hot salsa. All together in one bite, it was fantastic.

 

However, three hours later back at the ship, it was not so comfortable as something did not agree with my digestive system – and I have, what my wife refers to, as a cast iron stomach. And because I had a particularly spicy salsa on my lunch, I knew it was lunch that was the issue – if you know what I mean.

 

So would I recommend the tour? Yes, with the following caveats. It’s a relaxing, easy going tour. Not an exciting zip line tour like a lot of other people took. You can walk or hike around the grounds a lot if you want. There is a lot to see, flowers, trees, birds, the views over the lake and the twin volcanoes on the island in the middle of the lake. There are other tours that also visit the Hacienda, but they don’t stay for long and don’t have lunch. Lunch is great, but you might want to go easy on the hot salsa.

 

So off to Puntarenas! Later!

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. . .

A couple of interesting tidbits from the Captain’s Circle party. Princess is now celebrating passenger milestones – 100, 250, 500, 750, 1000 days at sea, in addition to the top 40, most traveled, etc. That is why we got the 500 day package special treatment. Can’t complain for sure! Nicely done.

 

We have 347 days and haven't cruised on Princess since Jan. so am looking forward to a "gift" of some sort on our next cruise, whenever that may be. We were supposed to be sailing tomorrow on the Royal out of Barcelona, but had to cancel that cruise.

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10-21-2017 – At Sea to the Canal

 

Very cloudy and overcast this morning, some rain, definitely a little on the cooler side. Some wind and swell, but not too bad.

 

Yesterday was a great day in Puntarenas. We did the cloud forest hike up in the mountains – about 3500 feet in elevation, including a tour of a little butterfly garden and a hummingbird garden. Not bad. Not bad at all.

 

Started out a little on the down side. The tour company stuffed the bus, but two people opted for a different bus, so we were 32 on a small bus with only two spare seats on the whole bus. Not a lot of room to stretch out. With a 1.75 to 2.25 hour ride up and back on winding mountain roads, this could have been a complete disaster. On top of that the bus driver would not turn on the bus Wifi. However, those were the only two negative things about the entire trip. The guide, the itinerary, the food, the locations and the sights made up for all the rest.

 

Costa Rica is very interesting. We got a whirlwind discussion from Percy (the guide) on everything from geology to politics to education to Costa Rica’s relationships with Nicaragua – and Nicaragua’s invasions of Costa Rica – twice over the past 15 years. Percy’s English and enthusiasm were both top notch. What other guide have you ever had that would stop the bus to jump out and untangle a baby goat from its lead alongside the road? Or hop out of the bus, hop in the back of a farmer’s truck parked next door, grab some fruit out of it, hop back on the bus and show it to you, then put it back? Or slow the bus down, grab some flowers as we went by to show you and explain their significance? Pretty much one of kind guide and one of the best we’ve ever had.

 

The cloud forest hike was – cloudy, foggy, wet and drizzly. But the vegetation, the birds, flowers, insects, were all fascinating. Varieties of orchids clinging to trees everywhere. Ferns growing on trees, wrapping the trees and killing them, leaving a hollow center. Five swinging bridges, a trek down into the river gorge, slower than the bungie or zip lines of course, a trek back up to the center and lunch. It was fun and ate gigabytes of still and video. They did split the group of 32 into two groups of 16 and we went with a different guide who collected orchids as a hobby. He presently had 160+ varietals in his garden.

 

Lunch was beans +rice, a slaw, pork, chicken, fish or vegetarian. Judy had the chicken, I had the pork and we shared. A very spicy hot sauce and a slightly spicy hot sauce, but two local brews rounded out the meal. The local brews were too hoppy for our tastes – but that is why you try local stuff – you never know. The meals were great – although once again I had a similar reaction to the food that I had in Nicaragua later on in the evening – so it is me, not the food. Still did not keep me from enjoying the spicy salsa!

 

It was a long day trip. We did not get back until around 1530 to the room. Then it was shower time.

 

Last night’s activity highlight was the Magician’s Escape Room! A new game show for long cruises. This one is great, for teams of up to 8 persons, it is a puzzle game, a story game, a team challenge and a lot of fun.

 

A couple of tips. Take reading glasses if you need them and a camera or phone to take pictures afterwards. Do not miss this one!

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