Four Days of Paradise: Baja Mexico - Aug. 8, 2011 Review with Photos

[Inklight]

This is one of the best reviews I have read. You and your husband are just adorable and you seem so happy and fun. Thanks for writing this!

 

Thank you so much! Yes, it helps that we have common interests ... we do have fun! :)

 

 

Nice review and pics ... thanks for taking the time to put it together.

 

 

We were on this same cruise as you a few years back ... and the first thing we did after getting off the tender was to walk over to the Casino to win some money. Yep, we soon learned we were just stupid tourists.

 

BTW, good luck in your mixed marriage. (You shoot a Canon 7D and Hubby shoots a Nikon D300S.) :D

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

LOL ... that's funny. I'm sure a lot of people mistakenly go to the Casino in Catalina hoping for a big win! Also, we are well-known around here for our 'mixed marriage' so thank you for being concerned! :D

 

 

 

The funniest thing about going to Catalina is it is only 26 miles from Long Beach and about 1.5 hours on the Catalina Express, but if you look at a Carnival map, it shows 116 miles and 15 hours to get there. And on clear days, you can see Catalina when the ship leaves Long Beach.

 

Inklight - Love your review so far. If you haven't taken the Casino's "Behind the Scenes" tour, I highly recommend it. It takes you to Wrigley's viewing room, behind and onto the stage and also the Ballroom.

 

http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/avalon/tour_casinoBehindScenes.php

 

Also, we've like to play at the mini golf course there. Some real fun and challenging holes. Otherwise, we do exactly what you do, just walk around.

 

 

We have gone on the tour in the Casino and yes, it was very informative and interesting. I would recommend that tour for anyone. My favorite part of the mini-golf area is the guy's dog who likes to sleep in the window sill of the golf stand. (At least he used to!).

 

Thank you for your comments! :)

[Inklight]

Ensenada Fun

 

While looking online at the different shore excursions Carnival offers for Ensenada, I kept bypassing the City & Shopping Tour because, quite frankly, the name didn’t sound very interesting at all. I am glad that I pressed further and read the description because once I did I found we would be traveling by bus to three different stops in three hours. The first stop was the Riviera Del Pacifico, “a glamorous resort and casino during the roaring 20s.” Our second stop would find us visiting Bodegas de Santo Tomas, “the oldest winery in Mexico and taste its famous wines.” And finally, our tour would leave us some time for “browsing around the city’s main shopping district” before returning to the ship. Now, that sounds way more interesting than the name of this excursion implies. So, the day we embarked the ship, we purchased tickets for the City & Shopping Tour in Ensenada.

 

The ship docked in Ensenada sometime before 9 a.m., though I am not really sure about that, I didn’t hear nor feel anything ... and if it wasn’t for room service, we probably would have slept through our excursion!

 

 

 

We got off the ship and easily found our excursion group. The shore excursion met right on the pier at the base of the ship. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that. We checked in and waited for everyone on the tour to arrive.

 

 

And before we knew it we were boarding our lovely air-conditioned bus and settling in for the ride ... which lasted about 5 minutes.

 

 

A short block across the street and we arrived at our first destination -- the Riviera Del Pacifico.

 

 

 

From the front lawn, can you spot the Whale Tail? Yes, we were that close!

[Inklight]

Riviera Del Pacifico - Scandal, Intrigue and a Great Drink

 

The Riviera Del Pacifico was built in the late 1920s and is another one of those great Art Deco era buildings we had the opportunity to visit during this cruise. Are you beginning to notice a theme here?

 

The hotel and casino was opened during Prohibition times and had names like Al Capone and Jack Dempsey associated with it. Unlike the Casino in Catalina, this one did have gambling back then and offered a playground for the wealthy and Hollywood set. Starlets such as Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth and Lucille Ball visited often.

 

 

It was really beautiful and the outside was decorated with hand-painted tiles.

 

 

We toured a number of rooms inside, including the Grand Ballroom.

 

 

The hand-painted murals were interesting as well including this one of the California Missions inside the entryway.

 

 

In the center was a courtyard filled with vendors selling plenty of souvenirs.

 

 

Margarita Story

There are many claims to how the famous Margarita drink came to be and the Riviera Del Pacifico holds one of them. According to the history of the hotel, the Margarita is said to be named after a young woman, Marjorie (Margarita) K. Plant.

 

In 1948, Jerome Utley (one of the original shareholders, an American and a very old man) fell in love with a young woman, Marjorie K. Plant (another American) and transferred all of his interests in the hotel to her. She soon married a lawyer from Mexico, Alfonso Rocha, under the guise that she needed Mexican citizenship to run the hotel. Later, it would be found out the marriage was real which angered old man Jerome into pursuing criminal charges against the couple. Enter scandal, intrigue and mayhem. Sometime in there, the Margarita drink supposedly was concocted and named after Marjorie.

 

I don’t know if this Margarita claim is really true - nor, for me, do I think it really matters all that much. But, what I do know is that at 10 a.m. the kind folks at the Riviera Del Pacifico served complimentary Margaritas to everyone on the tour to commemorate the story.

 

Let the party begin!

[Inklight]

Bodegas de Santo Tomas

 

Back on the bus and off to the oldest winery in Mexico, Bodegas de Santo Tomas. Although it’s a non-working winery now, it seemed to be pretty active. I think they have moved their wine-making facility elsewhere in Ensenada.

 

 

We went into a large warehouse sized room ... more like a museum of really cool old wine-making stuff!

 

 

 

I loved the barrels. And there is nothing that says wine more than a bunch of oak barrels lining the place. Hey, where is he going with that barrel?

 

 

You know, just one of those in the garage would be kind of cool, don’t you think?

 

 

 

Next, we paraded into the wine tasting room. The decor was cool with the black & white tiled floors and all of the wines organized so neatly.

 

 

 

Wine tasting time! We were able to taste six different types of wine ... which will maybe explain what comes next.

 

 

 

In the end, we left with five bottles of reasonably priced wine ... a white, a rose, a cabernet and two dessert wines!

 

 

Disembarking and Customs

Having never bought alcohol in a foreign port before, we were a bit naive about customs and what could be brought back. While we did know we may have to pay Duty on a few of these bottles, we were assured it wouldn’t be that much. As we disembarked in Long Beach the Custom’s Agent made the comment, “You have three bottles of wine there.” It was really more of a statement.

 

I spilled the beans with, “ No, we have five.” He looked at me a moment and then said, “That’s fine” and sent us on our way into the United States.

 

See, the truth will set you free.

[Inklight]

Shopping and Bargaining

 

 

Our Tour Guide, Sara, was awesome. She was very engaging as she told us about the sights in and around Ensenada as we made our way to Downtown Ensenada.

 

 

 

We drove through some residential sections as we headed to the shopping area.

 

 

 

The main shopping street was lined with plenty of shops and restaurants and seemed pretty safe, though I will admit ... deviate from this one street and it gets pretty sketchy really quick.

 

 

 

While there are Pharmacy’s all over Ensenada, we were warned not to bring any medications back on board the ship. I know a lot of people buy over-the-counter antibiotics, heart medicine and well ... other types of medicinal perks.

 

 

 

There were vendors in store fronts and set out on the sidewalk. Be prepared to be asked to visit their shop and inspect their goods.

 

 

 

The area is depressed and the people rely on tourism to make it. I bargained with this woman at her cart for a mask for my son at home. I really don’t bargain well ... especially when the item seemed cheap enough to begin with. Hubby had to whisk me away pretty quickly before I started giving this woman even more money than she was asking for.

 

 

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the ship. The tour was over.

 

 

Lunch and a Two-Hour Nap

Bringing wine back onto the ship was easy. We simply had to go to the Security table and trade our five bottles of wine for two slips of paper. Seemed like a good deal. We immediately headed up to the Lido for our fill of food ... at this point we were pretty hungry. We then decided to go back to the cabin and relax a bit. DH put a movie on and then looked shocked as I changed into an oversized T-shirt, pulled the blankets down and got under the covers on the bed. “What are you doing?”

 

“I’m taking a nap.”

 

I will always relish that blissful two hours in our cabin.

[CupKayke]

Absolutely enjoying your review!! You brought back some old, fun~fun memories of my times on the Queen Mary!! :);)

 

I also want to thank you for the information on the Ensenada City & Shopping Tour ~ I had also glanced over it and went straight for the winery tours ~ I had yet to pay for the winery tours as it was on my list of "things to do" this week (we are leaving this weekend) but thanks to your review, I just purchased DH & I tickets to the City & Shopping Tour Excursion. Half the price and looks more interesting. Gracias! :):)

[jimjamxx]

Love your review and photographs. Thanks for leaving the EXIF data in tact. What lens(es) did you shoot with? Thanks.

JimmyJames

[Inklight]

Absolutely enjoying your review!! You brought back some old, fun~fun memories of my times on the Queen Mary!! :);)

 

I also want to thank you for the information on the Ensenada City & Shopping Tour ~ I had also glanced over it and went straight for the winery tours ~ I had yet to pay for the winery tours as it was on my list of "things to do" this week (we are leaving this weekend) but thanks to your review, I just purchased DH & I tickets to the City & Shopping Tour Excursion. Half the price and looks more interesting. Gracias! :):)

 

 

Thank you, I'm am happy you are enjoying the review! It's so hard sometimes to know which excursion to pick. Even the descriptions often sound the same and are sometimes vague. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! De Nada! :)

 

Bon Voyage! :)

[Inklight]

Love your review and photographs. Thanks for leaving the EXIF data in tact. What lens(es) did you shoot with? Thanks.

JimmyJames

 

 

I'm happy you are enjoying the review and photos. I actually brought quite a few lenses this trip. I had a 50mm f/1.4, 16-35mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 and my fish-eye 15mm f/2.8 (which is loads of fun in the confined spaces of a ship).

 

Thank you! :)

[Inklight]

Deck Party and Cameras

 

Tonight was the Deck Party and late-night Mexican Buffett ... woo hoo! We decided to grab our cameras and photograph some of the festivities.

 

 

Shooting at night allows for some slower shutter speeds ... which really helped bring out the impression of movement from the dancing below, don’t you think?

 

 

 

The ship was absolutely beautiful at night. I loved all of the colors as they changed on the Lido Deck.

 

 

 

Nothing beats a late-night Mexican Buffet, am I right? Check out the carved watermelon ... pretty fancy, wish I could do that!

 

 

 

 

Whale Tail!

 

 

 

 

Backside of Whale Tail!

 

 

 

Yes, this is what we like to do ... and a cruise didn’t stop us from making a spectacle of ourselves, either. We got so caught up with our night shooting, we decided to bring it indoors and paint with lights in the elevator banks. People stopped by and watched, we gave a mini-class or two on the how-to’s and we had a great time together like we usually do.

[Inklight]

More Night Photos ...

 

We had fun this entire cruise take photos of the ship ... shocking, isn’t it. The Carnival Paradise looked simply elegant and divine in the evenings. Here are a few more night shots we took of her.

 

 

Here is the trick for getting a lounge chair ... just go to the pool late at night! Though, I wouldn’t jump right in, you might startle the guy cleaning the pool!

 

 

 

I wonder if I can save this lounge chair until tomorrow. Look at me ... the ultimate Chair Hog!

 

 

 

Inside, the Paradise Atrium was all lit up. I love how open the Atrium is on the Fantasy Class ships.

 

 

 

I could stand and watch the scenery for hours. People are on each deck doing their own thing. I love cruising!

 

 

 

Time to call it a night ... tomorrow is Behind the Fun Tour and Chef’s Table! Good night Mr. Stingray!

[Inklight]

Thursday Fun Times -- Fun Day At Sea!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jimjamxx]

I'm happy you are enjoying the review and photos. I actually brought quite a few lenses this trip. I had a 50mm f/1.4, 16-35mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 and my fish-eye 15mm f/2.8 (which is loads of fun in the confined spaces of a ship).

 

Thank you! :)

 

That is quite a collection and a few L lens as well. You have given me a new perspective with the 15mm fish-eye.

 

I don't have a fish-eye, but do have UWA 10mm-20mm. That will definitely be in my camera bag next cruise. Thanks again.

JimmyJames

PS> For what its, worth I also use Canon.

[Inklight]

Behind the Fun Tour

 

We booked the Behind the Fun Tour when we embarked the ship on Monday. It’s a ‘first-come, first serve’ type situation so we made sure to sign-up at the Shore Excursion desk right when we got onto the ship. It was here we were told that we weren’t allowed to bring any cameras, cell phones or other recording devices and that we needed to wear closed-toed shoes. It pays to be a member of CC to get the heads up on this!

 

 

We met in the Blue Riband Library at 9 a.m. where we were offered coffee, juices and pastries. Once everyone arrived we were asked to give up any cell phones we may have on us, we were wanded by Security and then the tour began.

 

 

We were led through the Elation Dining Room, through the large revolving waiter doors and then we entered one of the coolest parts of the ship ... the Galley. Chef Jorg Schneider met us and gave us a tour of the kitchen, explaining how they make meals and how much food they order each week.

 

Just think (being Chef Jorg) if you had to run to the store for the basics - bread, milk and eggs - you would be buying 45,000 eggs, 850 gallons of milk and enough loaves to give you 16,000 slices of bread. And for those keeping an eye on the Bacon Police ... here is some ammunition for you. Each week the Paradise has on hand 35,000 slices of bacon!

 

Once leaving the Galley it was as if someone turned off the glitz light and opened a reality window. It was about then we realized ‘we weren’t in Kansas anymore.’

 

The famous I-95 passageway runs the length of the ship and was a lot wider than I expected (there were crewmembers moving some palettes using a forklift!). The walls are painted white and it’s brightly lit down there. It was also pointed out that you could see both port and starboard sides of the ship. So, while I-95 was wider than expected, it was also smaller than I imagined ... if that makes any sense at all.

 

We were led into a storage area that held many of the drinks for the ship. In a week on the Carnival Paradise, guests would go through 12,500 cans of soda and 11,950 bottles of beer. Wouldn’t if be fun to have a key to that room!

 

We visited the Laundry Room and saw all of the large industrial machines used to clean everything. There were crew feeding wet sheets into this long machine that both dried, then pressed the sheets flat. Then came the folding machine where the sheets were folding into nice sized rectangles, easy enough to handle ... fascinating!

 

We also went into the Engineer Room and spoke with the Chief Engineer. There were so many knobs, buttons, lights and schematics on the walls I felt like I was on a Star Trek episode.

 

Next we were led up some stairs (steeper than stairs but not quite ladders) and before we knew it we were heading toward the Bridge. The first impression was the incredible panoramic view of the world and the reverent quiet that surrounded us. My father was in the Navy and worked on the Bridge of aircraft carriers, so this was an immediate familiar sight for me. However, the instant change of atmosphere was very surreal.

 

We learned we had a new Captain onboard. Captain Domenico Cilento arrived from Miami the night before to take over so Captain Pierluigi Lanaro could go on vacation ... even the Captains need a vacay sometimes! Captain Cilento was very accommodating and patient as he spoke with us and fielded questions about what he does. We learned Carnival employs 35 Captains, some of which stay with specific ships while others rotate around.

 

A Ship Photographer showed up and Captain Cilento graced us with a photo on the Bridge with him. This really was a highlight of the tour.

 

 

Next we went down to the Bow of the ship, saw the ship’s bell and then we toured some of the Crew areas. We saw the Crew Training Room, the Crew Bar, the Crew Dining rooms (there are three!) and the Exercise Room. This part was particularly comforting for me because my oldest daughter just started working on the Carnival Valor. As a mom, seeing the types of areas below the passenger decks and learning how Carnival provides a variety of options for the crew’s off times, really has helped me in knowing my daughter has made a good choice.

 

And finally, we were led backstage of the Normandie Theater where we had the opportunity to speak with the head Lighting guy and the Dance Captain. The interesting thing I learned here was that the 12 people in the cast stay together throughout an entire contract.

 

After about 3.5 hours, the tour was over and we were led through the backstage curtains back into the comforting and glitzy world of the audience.

 

 

 

This tour was well-worth the $55 per person it cost. On other class ships, the tour is more ($95) and maybe lasts a bit longer. Although I don’t know what more we could possible see, it seemed like we saw everything! We received some gifts after the tour ... hats, lanyards and a delicious plate of chocolate-covered strawberries, compliments of Chef Jorg, himself.

[Inklight]

That is quite a collection and a few L lens as well. You have given me a new perspective with the 15mm fish-eye.

 

I don't have a fish-eye, but do have UWA 10mm-20mm. That will definitely be in my camera bag next cruise. Thanks again.

JimmyJames

PS> For what its, worth I also use Canon.

 

 

That 10mm-20mm would be a lot of fun to shoot with on the ship. The wider angle of view really encapsulates those tight spaces. You'll have fun with that! :)

 

Canon Rules ... LOL! :D

[Inklight]

Thank you all for hanging with me. Theses reviews do take awhile :o but, I am enjoying writing it and reliving my cruise! I will work on wrapping this up by tonight. Next up is Chef's Table and then Final Thoughts.

 

Thank you again! :)

[Puffinater]

Thanks for the review. We are looking at a port hole room on the Inspiration would it be similar to the one you had on the Paradise? Also is the ship set up the same? Thanks.

[Inklight]

Thanks for the review. We are looking at a port hole room on the Inspiration would it be similar to the one you had on the Paradise? Also is the ship set up the same? Thanks.

 

Yes, the two Fantasy Class ships ... Paradise and Inspiration ... are both set up the same. They will just have a different decor and theme. We really enjoyed the location of the Empress Deck because it was so close to the Atrium. And we didn't hear any noise from the Normandie Lounge above us.

 

We are looking forward to having the Inspiration come to the West Coast and can't wait to cruise her as well! Have fun on your cruise. :)

[Inklight]

Chef’s Table

 

We already felt like VIPs with Chef Jorg’s visit to our table in the MDR on Elegant Night. Then we had the pleasure of meeting him again during the Behind the Fun Tour earlier and he acknowledged us and our Chef’s Table reservation for later in the evening. Chef Jorg also spotted us at the Lido Buffet as we were getting lunch and reminded us not to eat too much because he had a special meal planned for us. Wow, that’s special!

 

 

We all met at the Atrium Bar - our home away from home - and at 6:15 p.m. Chef Jorg came to whisk us away for an evening we soon wouldn’t forget.

 

 

Want to feel like a VIP AND a Celebrity?

 

Simple, just participate in the Behind the Fun Tour prior to Chef’s Table!

 

The Chef’s Table experience began in the Galley with Chef Jorg giving us a tour and enticing our palettes with Starters and Champagne. Because we had been there earlier in the day, Chef Jorg made it a point to confirm with DH everything we was saying, including asking him if the food was to his liking. Well, by the end of this (as well as throughout dinner) some of the other participants were convinced hubby was some kind of food critic. Yes, we were VIPs among the VIPs ... LOL!

 

 

 

No Seafood ... No Problem!

 

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t care for seafood and Chef Jorg made sure not a stitch of it came my way. We were seated at a beautifully set table in the Blue Riband Library ... the boys on one side and the girls on the other. At our place setting was a Place Card and a Menu Scroll.

 

 

I unscrolled my menu and got a peek at the tantalizing dishes I would be eating that evening. Yummy! There wasn’t a piece of fish anywhere. I had already eaten a substitute dish as a Starter. The Tomato Mozzarella was delicious. But, now I spotted my other substitutes. In place of Fried Calamari I would be eating Fried Vegetable Tempura (delicious!) and in place of Filet of Chilean Sea Bass I would be eating Roasted Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast (again, delicious!).

 

 

 

The regular menu is quite spectacular and I believe hubby enjoyed his seafood dishes a lot. I do have to say that probably the best dish was the Fire Roasted Tomato and Poblano Chile Bisque ... yummmmmmmy! I didn’t know any one thing could taste that good.

 

 

Chef presented each course and there were a number of waiters being very attentive to us all. It was a fun meal and getting to know the people around us helped make the experience even more memorable. Throughout dinner there was free-flowing wine ... watch out for that though, it sneaks up on you! ‘Nuff said. LOL!

 

 

 

So, how was the whole Chef’s Table experience? I will give you hubby’s (you know, the food critique) review, “It was the coolest four hours I have ever spent eating dinner.”

 

Yes, I am sure we will be reserving Chef’s Table again.

[ccruisequeen]

Yes, the two Fantasy Class ships ... Paradise and Inspiration ... are both set up the same. They will just have a different decor and theme. We really enjoyed the location of the Empress Deck because it was so close to the Atrium. And we didn't hear any noise from the Normandie Lounge above us.

 

We are looking forward to having the Inspiration come to the West Coast and can't wait to cruise her as well! Have fun on your cruise. :)

 

We booked an inside room on Empress Deck for the Paradise & OV on Empress for the Inspiration. I can't wait!

[Inklight]

We booked an inside room on Empress Deck for the Paradise & OV on Empress for the Inspiration. I can't wait!

 

You will like the location, I'm sure ... it was so handy. I can't wait to cruise the Inspiration. I love exploring new ships (well, it's new for us at least). Enjoy your trips! :)

[Inklight]

Hey, Who Switched Off the Fun Button?

 

There isn’t anything sadder than waking up on Debarkation Day.

 

So, the night before we were given the option (as usual) to pack and place our bags outside the door or keep our bags and self-debark. Given the timing we finished with Chef’s Table (and all that free-flowing wine) the decision really was no longer up to us ... we would keep all our bags and self-debark. Which would have been fine if I had at least started packing the bags that day.

 

It was the crack of 7 a.m. when that annoying noise came over the P.A. system (I don’t remember announcements being annoying during the cruise). “Those choosing to Self-Debark are requested to do so at this time ... blah, blah, blah” I got up and was immediately hot (where did the air conditioning go?). I walked through the cabin and felt the first pang of stress (where is that happy, warm fuzzy feeling?).

 

I honestly believe there is some large lever or button down at the bottom of the ship that is labeled ‘FUN’ and it’s one crewmembers job to switch it ON at Embarkation and switch it OFF at Debarkation. Clearly it is held in a highly classified area because I didn’t spot it at all during the Behind the Fun Tour ... and I looked.

 

Enter frenzied shower and packing and somehow we were off the ship within the hour.

 

Goodbye Towel Animal friends ... I will miss you!

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

 

This was a cruise of firsts. Our first Port Hole Cabin ... I would book it again. The best part (besides the price) was being on the Empress Deck. I would book an Ocean View over the Port Hole if that was the only way to get on that deck. I liked the location that much.

 

Our first try at Your Time Dining ... I will do it again, depending on the type of cruise we are taking. For example, our Alaska cruise next May will find us with Your Time Dining because we don’t want to miss a thing from our balcony (I wouldn’t be surprised if some dinners were from the Lido that trip!) But, I will do Traditional Dining again. I just really love the pomp & circumstance of it all ... and the singing waiters!

 

Our first Behind the Fun Tour ... DH wants to see the Bridge from every class ship, so we now have a checklist. I enjoyed the tour a lot and am humbled by the inner workings of our great cruise.

 

Our first Chef’s Table ... What an extraordinary experience! Yes, we will absolutely do Chef’s Table again. In fact, hubby wants to reserve it for every cruise.

 

Our first cruise together without kids ... DH and I had a great time this cruise. We love the kids (please don’t get us wrong) but we needed this time away together. Thank you, hubby!

 

 

And one last first ... this has been my first review! I had a great time sharing our cruise with you. I hope you have enjoyed it and I hope I have answered some questions you may have about the Carnival Paradise. To those of you in Tampa ... you are getting a beautiful ship. Thank you all again for following!

[Defendem]

My GF and I will be sailing on the Paradise this Monday...and staying the night before at the Queen Mary thanks to your wonderful review. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to post this. I discovered your review the first night you started and have been checking back eagerly ever since then to see all the beautiful pictures and read about your trip.

Thank you very much!

 

 

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=36.848810,-119.888072

[Defendem]

Thank you for this wonderful review. I've been reading it every day since you started it. My GF and I are sailing on the Paradise this Monday and thanks to your review we're booked also to stay the night before at the Queen Mary.

 

My hope is that we board early enough to get a spot on the Behind the Fun Tour as well. Also the Chef's Table looks amazing. My GF, like you, doesn't do seafood of any kind so I wonder if Chef would mind accommodating my GF the way he did you.

 

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed your beautiful photos and review. They are much appreciated and helped heighten the fun for me of this coming cruise, my second ever, and the last one was Song of America in 1992. I am very excited,

 

Thank you again,

Mike

 

 

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=36.848730,-119.888067

[Defendem]

Thank you for this wonderful review! I've been reading it since the first night and have enjoyed checking back several times each day to read the latest.

 

My GF and I are sailing on the Paradise this coming Monday...and thanks to your review (I never would have thought to look for it) we're staying the night before on the Queen Mary with the Stay, Cruise & Park package.

 

My hope is that we board early enough to get a spot on the Behind the Fun tour...I bet that'll sell out fast, huh? Also, the Chef's Table looked amazing. Coincidentally my GF also cannot stand seafood of any kind. I wonder if Chef is willing to accommodate another non-seafood eater the way he did for you.

 

This will be my second cruise ever, and the last one was a 1992 cruise on Song of America when I was 18. I am very excited already, but reading your review updates (and looking at your beautiful photos) these past several days has heightened my anticipation.

 

Thank you again,

Mike