Back from the Infinity...A few months later

[mikeyg0]

Awesome review! :D More please! :)

[bbeltmom]

Love your style! Looking forward to the rest of the story. This itinerary is on my wish list. Considering for 2015.

 

Can't wait for the next installment!!

 

:):):):):)

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

 

I'm quite envious! When I learned she was sailing on a TA next I tried to concoct a scheme to stay onboard for the crossing and do a back to back. For some odd reason work actually expected me to return from vacation and interfered with my plan.

 

Work has a nasty habit of being that way. :D So I decided to give up work.

[Hydrokitty]

I wonder if we were on the same cruise? We sailed from San Diego on April 16, 2013. I have the exact same picture of the arch, the seal and the Infinity! I don't think we were on the same glass bottom boat though because we booked that excursion before we left (it was our first big ship cruise) and it was filled. We had lunch at Senor Frogs and it was the most fun I've had in a long time thanks to the couple we met who insisted we go there with them for lunch. I'm loving your review because it's bringing back wonderful memories. Thank you.

[desertcreature]

How wonderful to see your review! Earlier today I booked my first cruise with Celebrity. I am also going through the Panama Canal on the Infinity from San Diego to Florida! But I have to wait till November 2014!

I love your review so far and look forward to reading more of your adventures and seeing your photographs!

[Kalypso619]

How wonderful to see your review! Earlier today I booked my first cruise with Celebrity. I am also going through the Panama Canal on the Infinity from San Diego to Florida! But I have to wait till November 2014!

I love your review so far and look forward to reading more of your adventures and seeing your photographs!

 

DC...we'll be the perverbial 2 ships passing in the night :D I'm booking the Infinity Panama Canal cruise this weekend for November 2014, only I'll be going Ft. Lauderdale to San Diego. I live in SD and would rather end the trip in my hometown than leave from it...much nicer to just go home at the end of the trip than getting on a plane for a transcontinental flight.

 

And to Lefty Blue, like everyone else on this thread, I'm lovin' your review. Please keep posting. I can hardly wait to read you post of the canal transit and see the photos.

[Jane2357]

Lefty Blue - please come back and finish your review, I was enjoying the heck out of it. I'm doing this cruise in March, '15 - west bound and this review is going to be so helpful. Come back please!

[nojoke]

don’t stop now!! I’m so much enjoying your humor and great photos!

[Lefty Blue]

I wonder if we were on the same cruise? We sailed from San Diego on April 16, 2013. I have the exact same picture of the arch, the seal and the Infinity! I don't think we were on the same glass bottom boat though because we booked that excursion before we left (it was our first big ship cruise) and it was filled. We had lunch at Senor Frogs and it was the most fun I've had in a long time thanks to the couple we met who insisted we go there with them for lunch. I'm loving your review because it's bringing back wonderful memories. Thank you.

 

Indeed we were! This was the 4/16/13 sailing out of San Diego. I don't believe we were on the same excursion but it was a lot of fun. We didn't stop at Senor Frog's but we spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out what it was. This mostly ranged from guessing it was a line of clothing to a night club. Or maybe a night club that doubled as a clothing store.

[Lefty Blue]

Apologies for the minor delay in updating. To those who have booked or are thinking of booking this cruise, you will love it!

 

Our next stop was Puerto Vallarta. This lovely resort area looked fine indeed. I assume it was lovely as myself and two others did not get off the ship. We were feeling lazy and enjoying the ambiance on board. Sometimes the best thing to do on vacation is nothing at all.

We had a wonderful view of the port, including such exotic locales as Walmart and Sam's Club. One member of the group planned to purchase athletic socks here. I was sorely tempted by the excitement of such an incredible excursion but forced myself to calm down and remain on the ship.

 

 

 

 

I took the opportunity to partake in the pool while the ship was quiet. The water was lovely and the area was quiet. Unfortunately I remembered that I cannot swim. I then proceeded to shriek in a desperate panic. This was met by several blank stares of passing crew. This may have been because I was in the shallow pool designated for children.

 

The four members of the group who did depart the ship spoke enthusiastically about their day. They had taken a private tour in an air-conditioned van. This took them through the city and past some of the more expensive resorts and homes of the rich and famous. They assured us they had greatly enjoyed staring longingly at houses they could never afford and resorts they would never be able to stay in.

 

On a side note, we did attend several enjoyable shows in the evenings during our voyage. I didn't attend this particular show but the men in the group especially remarked on a female performer who wore a form fitting cleavage inducing dress. We heard about this many times. At breakfast, at dinner, at lunch, in the casino, at the bar, in the restroom. I inquired what exactly her performance had consisted of but none of them could recall. They assured me that no doubt it had been spectacular.

 

We departed Puerto Vallarta and headed off to Guatemala.

 

We're excellent planners which is why we scrambled around at the last minute and booked a tour through the ship. Three members of the group opted to stay on board. Who can blame them? They had to endure my company after all. I grew tired of myself after only one day.

 

We purchased the on your own tour. The bus would drive us to a random spot in the jungle and leave us. From there, we would have our survival skills tested in a death defying race of wit and intrigue as we made our way through the mountains to rejoin the ship before it departed. The winner would receive a million dollars.

 

It's possible I'm making this last part up, but it does sound like it would be an exciting excursion.

 

Somehow we actually ended up in Antigua. We hit a bit of a delay on the way as the bus broke down (I am not making this up) on a steep mountain road. We had to wait for another bus to come along and transfer over. The new bus was so enthusiastic that the driver hit a building (I am not making this up) on the way into town. We had a good natured group on the excursion and we were not deterred by the minor inconvenience.

 

Armed with a map provided by the tour guide on the bus, we made our best attempt to get lost. Remarkably, we arrived at our desired destination in the form of the town's central square.

 

There, we visited the Cathedral de Santiago and ruins.

 

 

 

 

 

Defeated by the tropical heat, we decided to dine at a local establishment and tried the local beer. It was so delicious that I immediately forgot the name. In retrospect, I should have carried a notepad to jot down such information. But that would have involved doing something intelligent and I prefer to be as much of an imbecile as possible at all times.

 

I excel greatly.

 

 

 

 

 

We headed over to the textile market near 4a Calle Poniente and purchased several colorful souvenirs.

 

We made our way back to the bus station to head back to the ship. We did not recognize the surroundings as we drove higher and higher up a mountain road,. The bus finally stopped and proceeded to make a fifty point turn on the steep narrow road. We began to head back to Antigua. We assumed perhaps a passenger had been forgotten. The tour guide announced (I am not making this up) that the bus driver thought he knew a shortcut but became lost. Apparently even with a bus full of passengers men still refuse to ask for directions.

 

We had a hearty laugh with the tour guide over our continuing saga of the bus. We eventually made it back to the ship.

 

Our left behind group members had behaved with dignity and class when they returned from their day in Puerto Vallarta. Being above such petty ideals as grace and politeness, we flaunted our photos from Antigua in their faces in an obnoxious attempt to make them feel bad they had not joined us. After all, if your friends can't make you feel bad about yourself who can?

 

Next, I lose all sense of sanity and rationale as I zip line through Costa Rica and watch an insane boat captain feed a crocodile (possibly with some unruly tourists).

[Jane2357]

Laughed my way through this installment! I just love Antigua - fell in love while on a cruise and went to the Number 4 Darkwood Beach - so beautiful that we went back and spent a week at a most fabulous resort. Antigua is a small slice of heaven! Looking for further installments!

[Azulann]

The local Guatemala beer is Gallo ( Rooster).

It is delicious!!!

 

We did the same ship tour, and our bus driver got lost on the way back too.

We would go through these small side streets of little villages and people would be on the curb waving and laughing and pointing at us. We laughed back.

It must be SAP for the buses.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Lefty, you're giving Sailor Jack a run for his money for hilarious cruise reports. Keep up the good work!

[cruisingcanadian]

Please come back to finish your review! We are doing the same cruise in November-great to read about your experience. And I LOVE your style:D.

Thanks a lot!!!!!!!

[Pluto_fan]

Looking forward to reading the rest! :)

[CSGuy44]

Love your review. My wife and I, along with five other couples, will be on Infinity next March on a canal cruise originating in Santiago, Chile. Your review only increases our anticipation of a great cruise.

[desertcreature]

Defeated by the tropical heat, we decided to dine at a local establishment and tried the local beer.

 

Ok, about the heat. How hot was it exactly? :confused:

I'm not trying to hijack your thread, I just thought this might be a good place to ask since you and several of your followers have done this cruise.

I've lived most of my life in the desert in Arizona, so I know heat, but since hitting menopause last year, I don't do as well in the heat as I used to. I'm starting to wonder if I picked the best time to go. The destination isn't optional.

Available dates for this cruise were November 2014, March 2015 and April 2015 (I want to sail West to East, with Celebrity, and can't go till after the fall of 2014).

I picked November because it was during Thanksgiving but have since learned it's the rainiest month (at least for the Panama Canal portion). I'll take rain over heat since at least rain lets up every now and then.

Can anyone let me know if I have chosen a good time to go or if another month would be more comfortable for me?

Thanks, and Lefty, I look forward to your next installment!