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LIVE from the Grand Princess - 49 days from FLL thru South America to SFO

Pia1913

By Pia1913,
in Princess Cruises

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Pia1913

Pia1913

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WHALE WATCHING IN CABO

Our group of 29 tendered ashore by 8:00 AM. A bit early, but time to look around before boarding our catamaran at 9:15. It was easier, since they hadn’t yet started to distribute tender tickets and we could just go straight down and get on.

　

This excursion was booked by Bob, one of our roll call people. I understand he booked it on the internet and we sure got a good one. We had the entire boat to ourselves; one that easily could hold about 250 people. And a large staff who kept serving us. Included in our low price was eggs, pancakes, rice and beans, nacho concoction (don’t ask me what was in there; it was delicious), fruit (melons, etc) and pastries. And beverages; all you wanted of coffee, soft drinks, beer and booze. I drank, in exactly this order: black coffee, diet coke and margarita. :D

　

Whales? You want to know about the whales? LOTSA’ whales! Can’t tell you how many, but they kept our cameras going for a long time. To say we were satisfied is putting it mildly. The weather was perfect, the boat (we had real wicker furniture with cushions) was great and the staff terrific. We had a fun few hours and Mike even found a shirt. What more can we ask?

　

FYI, the name of the boat/company is Caborey.

Internet still awful. Wish me luck posting this. Yes, there is zumba every sea day morning.

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Cruisin' Chick

Cruisin' Chick

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Fun fact (or maybe not) for those unfamiliar with Princess:

 

The Diamond Princess and the Sapphire Princess were built at the same time in Japan. The intention was that the Diamond would sail first. After a fire in the shipyard damaged the Diamond to the point that the Sapphire would be completed first, Princess switched the names. So the Sapphire became the Diamond and started sailing a month before the Diamond, which became the Sapphire.

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WineCountryCruiser

WineCountryCruiser

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WHALE WATCHING IN CABO

 

 

Our group of 29 tendered ashore by 8:00 AM. A bit early, but time to look around before boarding our catamaran at 9:15. It was easier, since they hadn’t yet started to distribute tender tickets and we could just go straight down and get on.

 

 

　

This excursion was booked by Bob, one of our roll call people. I understand he booked it on the internet and we sure got a good one. We had the entire boat to ourselves; one that easily could hold about 250 people. And a large staff who kept serving us. Included in our low price was eggs, pancakes, rice and beans, nacho concoction (don’t ask me what was in there; it was delicious), fruit (melons, etc) and pastries. And beverages; all you wanted of coffee, soft drinks, beer and booze. I drank, in exactly this order: black coffee, diet coke and margarita. :D

 

 

　

Whales? You want to know about the whales? LOTSA’ whales! Can’t tell you how many, but they kept our cameras going for a long time. To say we were satisfied is putting it mildly. The weather was perfect, the boat (we had real wicker furniture with cushions) was great and the staff terrific. We had a fun few hours and Mike even found a shirt. What more can we ask?

 

 

　

FYI, the name of the boat/company is Caborey.

 

Internet still awful. Wish me luck posting this. Yes, there is zumba every sea day morning.

 

Hi Pia,

 

Glad you had fun watching the whales. Beautiful creatures.

 

It's hard to believe that this long, marvelous cruise is almost over. It's been great following along. We're doing the same cruise (though ending in L.A. instead of S.F.) next year and have learned a lot from your comments and observations. Many thanks for your efforts.

 

Craig

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waltd

waltd

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WHALE WATCHING IN CABO

Our group of 29 tendered ashore by 8:00 AM. A bit early, but time to look around before boarding our catamaran at 9:15. It was easier, since they hadn’t yet started to distribute tender tickets and we could just go straight down and get on.

　

This excursion was booked by Bob, one of our roll call people. I understand he booked it on the internet and we sure got a good one. We had the entire boat to ourselves; one that easily could hold about 250 people. And a large staff who kept serving us. Included in our low price was eggs, pancakes, rice and beans, nacho concoction (don’t ask me what was in there; it was delicious), fruit (melons, etc) and pastries. And beverages; all you wanted of coffee, soft drinks, beer and booze. I drank, in exactly this order: black coffee, diet coke and margarita. :D

　

Whales? You want to know about the whales? LOTSA’ whales! Can’t tell you how many, but they kept our cameras going for a long time. To say we were satisfied is putting it mildly. The weather was perfect, the boat (we had real wicker furniture with cushions) was great and the staff terrific. We had a fun few hours and Mike even found a shirt. What more can we ask?

　

FYI, the name of the boat/company is Caborey.

Internet still awful. Wish me luck posting this. Yes, there is zumba every sea day morning.

 

Pia

I'm curious. Does Mike a special closet for all his shirts. :)

Joe

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DonahCBrown

DonahCBrown

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[quote name='DoulaAnn']Pia, do you know if they charge extra for the zumba classes?[/QUOTE]

They haven't on any of the cruises we've done where it was offered. (saving Pia some time and minutes with the bad internet connections she's been suffering with)
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aaerobear

aaerobear

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Pia, see you in a couple of days. I bet there is gonna be a full customs and immigration inspection but not to bad as the ship has not been out of the US for over three months.

What time are you planning to head off the ship? When is your flight? Look for me at buses.

Ed
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bronxgirl25

bronxgirl25

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[COLOR=darkorchid][B]Whale Watching!! Something I've always wanted to do, and someday will :D[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=darkorchid][/COLOR]
[COLOR=darkorchid][B]Love traveling along with you Pia, really enjoyed this one. Look forward to seeing you and Mike when you get home![/B][/COLOR]
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bmench

bmench

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[quote name='aaerobear']Pia, see you in a couple of days. I bet there is gonna be a full customs and immigration inspection but not to bad as the ship has not been out of the US for over three months.

What time are you planning to head off the ship? When is your flight? Look for me at buses.

Ed[/QUOTE]

Is that why we who are leaving on Saturday will have a delayed boarding?
Becky
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Pia1913

Pia1913

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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Good Thursday morning with only two more sleeps until we disembark. As always on a long cruise, time went slowly at the beginning, but 2 weeks ago the days started to fly. Now we are in packing mode, though still need to wait for some laundry to come back. Nothing other than what came in our big suitcase can go into it. So easy to pack when you don’t fly. So hard to repack when you do.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Since you already know about our yesterday adventure, the only thing to add was that we saw the comedian Doug Funk last night. He’s Canadian BTW. He had some funny stuff and some stupid stuff. Bottom line: we enjoyed the show. We then watched a really silly movie in our cabin; Love, Wedding, Marriage, with James Brolin and Mandy Moore.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]　[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]So what’s happening today?[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]In the morning:[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]1. White Elephant Sale. I don’t have anything to sell, but this is always fun to watch[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]2. Maxtone-Graham Reads the Telephone Book. ??? I’ll give you more info if I attend[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]3. Movie: Trouble with the Curve[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Afternoon:[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]1. Swing Lecture “Can Ya’ Dance”. Production manager will take you on a historical journey through the Swing Era.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]2. Tug of War - at the Neptune Pool. Assortment of staff members from different departments; no passengers.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]3. Passenger talent show[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]4. MUTS movie: Tootsie[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]5. Pop Choir performance[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]　[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]And tonight:[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]In the theater British Invasion, on MUTS, Twilight Saga again and in Vista, same comedian as last night; Doug Funk.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Ed: Our plans have changed; we are taking a taxi instead of the shuttle. Princess buses will depart a lot sooner than we want to get to the airport.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]　[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]　[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Craig: see you in Sept. in Barcelona and you can pick my brain if you so desire[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Joe: LOL. This is an ongoing problem. He brings them in, but none of them ever go out. Mike is a pack rat and not only with shirts. :D[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Becky: We are in no hurry; have redeye flight. Late is due to immigration and the fact that we're coming from SA.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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caribill

caribill

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[quote name='Pia1913'][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]. Late is due to immigration and the fact that we're coming from SA.[/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

Hopefully there will not be a repeat of what happened last year when the Star reach San Francisco from South America.

Authorities were lining up passengers six at a time near the exit from the ship. All hand carried items were placed on the floor. Dogs then sniffed and indicated if they smelled anything suspicious. (Not sure if they were looking for fruit, drugs, or whatever.)

The problem was this took two minutes for each set of six passengers. With 2600 passengers you can imagine how long it took to process them at a rate of six every two minutes.

So if you approach the disembarkation area and see a tightly packed crowd, reverse direction and wait until the sardine packed area clears out. This may take quite a while. It took us over an hour to go the last 30 feet to the exit.
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aaerobear

aaerobear

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I am sure it will not be like the Star as the ship has only been out of the US for 49 days, the Star had been out for almost three months.

About time to stop kicking that dead horse, it has been over a year now. But then some people never stop trying to irritate others.
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enidcruiser

enidcruiser

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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]"Maxtone-Graham Reads the Telephone Book. ??? I’ll give you more info if I attend"[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
Gotta hear about this.

Sounds as funny as the "elevator bingo" or whatever they call it.

Thanks for the entertainment for the last 44 days.
Have a safe flight home on Sat.
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Waynetor "Live from...." Rare

Waynetor

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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Maxtone-Graham Reads the Telephone Book - the tittle come from his wife who overheard a lady leaving one of his very interesting talks commenting that he is such a great speaker that she could even enjoy listening to him read the telephone book. This talk is more a ramdom talk, various little stories he has picke dup over time. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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Pia1913

Pia1913

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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]Internet remains sporadic. Let's see if I can give some answers.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]1. Maxtone-Graham went thru the alphabet one letter at a time and told a small story with a word starting with each letter. Some funny, some corny, some eh.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]2. White Elephant: should have been an auction. They didn't allow enough time so people just laid out their merchandise; like a flea market. Not good.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]3. We will report to immigration in Explorer's on day of departure after 9 AM. All will be done aboard instead of in "terminal."[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]4. We have 11:00 AM departure time, so will just hang around. As Gloria said, we have a redeye.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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trikeman

trikeman

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[quote name='P.A.']Pia~Forgive me if you've already mentioned this somewhere in your updates, but does the Grand offer the International Cafe. I sure hope so, we are scheduled on her next June to Alaska.

Thanks![/quote]

I'm not Pia but the IC is on deck 5 port side. I really enjoy that place.

I guess I didn't type fastest enough, ten thumbs only work so well.:D
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