Live: 1st w/Princess, FLL-Panama-SF, Pix?s, Terry/Ohio

[AF-1]

I continue to see the wow factor in your pictures. Thanks

[TLCOhio]

I continue to see the wow factor in your pictures. Thanks

 

riclop] Thanks for sharing.

 

Appreciate these kind follow-ups and nice comments. YES, do have more factors and information to share on the Island Princess, our ship experiences, etc. My camera was busy with lots of "eye candy" to capture during this cruise.

 

As might have been mentioned earlier, I have Cleveland friend who was a top editor at their major newspaper there and is a super experience cruise traveler who called the Island Princess his favorite ship. After this cruise, I can see why and how he has this love for this specific ship. Yes, there was some "glitz" on this ship, but it was not the "over-the-top" stuff with bad colors and excess egos involved. Lots of art and nice design touches around on the ship. Below are some examples. Or, "evidence" as I like to note for proof to back up my opinions/views.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 176,117 views for this posting.

 

Here is the customer service desk for this ship on their 5th floor. This shows some of the visual designs used here. Next are the graphic/art near where you entered for the two main dining rooms on this ship. Nice naming with Bordeaux and Provence as their titles. It's not art work by Renoir or Monet, but it is more interesting than either being boring or too over-the-top. Worked for me!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

In the main atrium of the ship between the 5th and 8th floors, there was often music being played. Here is the piano performer, often before dinner. Nice touch!:

 

Here is Andrea from the San Francisco area who was very active on our pre-cruise roll call board. Her room was right near the elevators and we loved walking by on the 10th floor every day as she had a different, cute, creative posting on her door. She had only a limited number of letters and figures, but it was a fun highlight for every one of our 15 days on the ship to walk by, see your her unique expression for that day's activities and potentials.:

 

On the main Lido pool deck, they had a Love Boat-themed 70's night and they welcomed folks doing a little dancing. Here is my wife Penny on the right with Jean and Carol in our group having a little fun!:

[TLCOhio]

As I have "threatened", yes, I have many more visuals to represent and reflect some of the on-board experiences from being on the Island Princess for 15 days. Lots more to share!

Hope these are of benefit for those planning to sail on this ship in the future and/or to bring back memories for those from being on this nice Princess vessel.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my highly-detailed live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 30,890 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

 

The 7th level, called the Promenade Level, was one of our favorites on this ship. They had a nice wooden deck and old-style lounge chairs. The deck did not wrap around perfectly for walking, but you could make it work out OK. It was also handy and quick to reach from our room C227 location. This level just had that "old-school" ocean cruising feel that was so super comfortable and interesting. It is not flashy and high-tech in its style, but that what made it so special and appealing.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

Here is a nice sunrise view from our 10th floor balcony as we sailed along the Pacific Ocean coast of Central America.:

 

Here is international opera singer Jennifer Fair doing a performance in the central atrium area of the Island Princess. Her voice and skills were excellent! And she grew up near us in Dayton, Ohio.:

 

 

The card room (shown here) and library were right next to each other and were fairly popular during our sailing. Nice walk graphic/map on the wall. Plus, pleasant woods and design touches used.:

 

Whether you needed shopping or not, the ship offered many "opportunities" for passengers to lighten their wallets by buying more "stuff". Here is one example for the sales locations on this ship.:

[TLCOhio]

Here is more fun and excitement sampling life on the Island Princess. Details and visuals below. Any questions and/or needs for added information. Happy to share as much as needed.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 35,978 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

 

Here are three different, additional views from in and around the Island Princess' central atrium area that had some nice angles, glass elevators, varied art/design touches, handy services offered, etc. Plus, of course, places to get drinks, chat, relax, etc. The two main dining rooms were also right off of this central "heart" of the ship.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

Bingo was popular on this cruise with nine of 15 days being sea-days.:

 

For their "Stars under the Stars", they did a series of movies on their large-screen that could be seen and enjoyed on the pool/Lido deck. Fun option!! But, for one of the nights as we were sailing up the Pacific Ocean, the weather got a little cooler that night. Here is Carol and her husband being a little "bundled up" as we were watching the movie.:

 

Here is an interesting angle of the ship exterior while we were docked in Aruba. In the foreground is part of the luxury cruise ship used by the Tom Cruise/Scientology folks in this port to "educate" their members from this location.:

[AF-1]

Terry, did you just say you were onboard this cruise with a scientology group?

[TLCOhio]

Terry, did you just say you were onboard this cruise with a scientology group?

 

Sorry to our Cincinnati friend with that "cute" (maybe) question as to me boarding that Scientology ship. We all know that they have much higher standards than to let a "devil" like me on their ship. For background, this "Freewinds" ship was built in 1968 in Finland, holding up to 540 passengers. In 1985, the Church of Scientology gained controlled and uses it for what they call are "higher level" courses for their members. Below are some added pictures from seeing this ship in Aruba.

 

Below is a picture of ship lecturer/destination expert Humberto Neto in action. We attended all of his programs. He did a good job. My major complaint/suggestion is that for a cruise with so very many sea-days, we needed more than just this one expert speaker. Not everyone wanted to pour money into the pockets of Princess by buying jewelry, playing bingo, purchasing drinks, considering the "investment" in so-called "art", etc.

 

His performance, including doing an all-day narration of the Panama Canal transiting was good enough, but we have been spoiled by past cruisers with more and/or a better range of speaker offerings. Hint! Hint!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 49,404 views for these postings.

 

Here are three added pictures in connection with the 540-passenger Freewinds ship used by Church of Scientology out of Aruba. We had seen this ship in Aruba also in February 2015.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

Our ship lecturer/destination expert was Humberto Neto. He was along for our full cruise and offered a decent variety of programs on the Panama Canal, key ports visited, Captain Cook, rum's history, etc. He is originally from Brazil. He used the Princess Theater visuals well, including here when he was sharing a view of the "hole" that we would see and enjoy in Cabo San Lucas.:

[AF-1]

Good commentary to go along with your pics. Where are you going on your next cruise?

[TLCOhio]

Good commentary to go along with your pics. Where are you going on your next cruise?

 

Appreciate your continued posts and wonderful questions. YES!! Now shifting gears to finish planning for our June 2017 sailing on the Silversea Silver Spirit. We will be doing Lisbon/Portugal to Rouen/France, including our first experiences for key parts of Spain, Bordeaux, Brittany, etc.

 

Then, for late January 2018 we will be doing our first visit to Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vietnam and Cambodia, including Angkor Wat, Hue/Danang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Been to any of these location? Any tips to offer?

 

Have many more pictures from our cruise to post. Just been busy on work, family, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 177,261 views for this posting.

[AF-1]

Terry I have been to Lisbon , Barcelona, Malaga, Madrid, and Vigo Spain, Gibralter, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, And a bunch of others. I was in the Air Force for 29 years and traveled a lot both in Europe and Asia, to include Australia and New Zealand. I have been on six of he seven continents (no Antartica; yet). I travel in my current job which takes me all over the world. I get great insight as to where I want to cruise; since I see most of the world by flying in for a few days then heading out somewhere else. My Headquarters is located in your city; at the airport. Netjets. You might have seen our world Headquarters building at the airport.

[TLCOhio]

Terry I have been to Lisbon , Barcelona, Malaga, Madrid, and Vigo Spain, Gibralter, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, And a bunch of others. I was in the Air Force for 29 years and traveled a lot both in Europe and Asia, to include Australia and New Zealand. I have been on six of he seven continents (no Antartica; yet). I travel in my current job which takes me all over the world. I get great insight as to where I want to cruise; since I see most of the world by flying in for a few days then heading out somewhere else. My Headquarters is located in your city; at the airport. Netjets. You might have seen our world Headquarters building at the airport.

 

Appreciate this nice follow-up from our "neighbor" to the SW in Cincinnati. Yes, am very familiar with Netjets. Wish I had their gift certificates for free flights, but that service is out of my price category.

 

Sorry for my delay in responding. Been busy with various work projects, getting ready for our June 14-25 Lisbon/Portugal to Rouen/France cruise, battling (and beating) some kidney stones in the past couple weeks, etc.

 

This live/blog has gone over 10,000 views. So glad many have tuned in, asked questions, made comments, etc. Keep it coming!! Happy to share more. Still have lots of pictures and details to share from this interesting and exciting "adventure" for exploring during our first trip to Central America, Colombia, Mexico, etc.

 

We depart June 9 for our first visit to Portugal. This is bring us up to having visited 23 different countries in Europe. Many of them more than once. This cruise will also allow for the first time to explore some key, historic parts of NW Spain, Bordeaux and Brittany. Looking forward to lots of good food, great wine, interesting history, special architecture, etc. Will plan on doing a live/blog with lots of pictures, travel background, etc. Will post here a link to that live/blog. Early next year, we will be exploring, for the first time, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Bangkok and Cambodia. This includes a cruise for seven days up the Mekong River. Might want more background and info from AF-1 on these special areas.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 214,785 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[exbiologist]

Thanks for the review. Island Princess has been given, in my opinion, an undeserved bad rap on here. I however, loved her, her staff and dining options, never felt crowded, never felt like she was in disrepair and she sailed some occasionally rough seas with aplomb. Great photos, glad you enjoyed her.

I had followed some of your other reviews and am interested in your opinions on value of princess compared to seabourn, silver sea and some of the other lines you've traveled with.

[AF-1]

Terry, you will appreciate Lisbon; you sail under a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge and up on a hill in the harbor you will see another replica of Christ the Redeemer Statue; like in Rio. The bridge is nice. Have fun on that cruise

[Alaska05]

I can't thank you enough for all the information and photos you've provided in this thread.

 

We are doing the reverse cruise (San Francisco-Ft. Lauderdale) on the Coral in October 2017. Your information is saving me a lot of research time. Since you and your wife are such seasoned travelers, I figure if it's good enough for you, it's good enough for us. Besides you're a fellow Buckeye (we live in the Cincinnati area).

 

We're going to be staying in San Francisco for 5 nights prior to the cruise, so your description of what you did there has also been very helpful. We'll be staying at the JW Marriott also (using Marriott points). How did you find the hotel?

Edited May 29, 2017 by Alaska05

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for the review. Island Princess has been given, in my opinion, an undeserved bad rap on here. I however, loved her, her staff and dining options, never felt crowded, never felt like she was in disrepair and she sailed some occasionally rough seas with aplomb. Great photos, glad you enjoyed her. I had followed some of your other reviews and am interested in your opinions on value of princess compared to seabourn, silver sea and some of the other lines you've traveled with.

 

Appreciate these nice comments and your very good follow-ups above. Yes, the Island Princess is a nice ship that worked well for us and our needs on this trip with my wife's high school friends.

 

In comparing Princess versus some of the smaller, more luxury ships, that is possible, kind of, but very hard to accomplish in simple words. Lots of differences, details, etc.!! Some are important factors. Other are of less of value or importance. Clearly, pricing can be a very significant difference and factor to consider.

 

For us, it is first and foremost about the desired destinations and ports. We, personally, do not sail just to . . . "float on a boat". The ship experience can be very nice, but for us it is not our top, highest priority. As an example, we depart next week for Lisbon. It will be our first time in Portugal. We have wanted to visit there for a long time. Then we will sail north along the Atlantic Coast, seeing part of NW Spain, Bordeaux and Brittany that are highly desired and new for us. Silversea is a very nice, luxury line with many items or extras included as a part of the basic price. Plus, nicer and larger rooms, wine and tips included, etc. On this cruise, they are including the airfare as a part of their price. On a per day basis, it was actually a fairly decent "deal" that has a wonderful, port-intensive series of locations to explore. It is harder for Princess with their much larger ships and more "mass appeal" to reach some of these great smaller ports and special locations that we will experience later this month with Silversea.

 

From our experiences, most cruise lines generally do a fairly good job. Even with the luxury lines, there can be little 'slip-ups" and/or meals that are not totally perfect. The main downside with Princess and some other larger cruise lines is that feeling of being "nickel-and-dimed" to death and irritation with those extra charges/fees. And on larger ships, it is also harder to make the "personal connections" with some of the fellow passengers and crew. Many pro's and con's to consider.

 

For us, it is about getting out there, traveling to special locations and in the words of Nike . . . JUST DO IT!

Does this help answer your wise questions?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 225,055 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

Terry, you will appreciate Lisbon; you sail under a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge and up on a hill in the harbor you will see another replica of Christ the Redeemer Statue; like in Rio. The bridge is nice. Have fun on that cruise

 

I can't thank you enough for all the information and photos you've provided in this thread. We are doing the reverse cruise (San Francisco-Ft. Lauderdale) on the Coral in October 2017. Your information is saving me a lot of research time. Since you and your wife are such seasoned travelers, I figure if it's good enough for you, it's good enough for us. Besides you're a fellow Buckeye (we live in the Cincinnati area). We're going to be staying in San Francisco for 5 nights prior to the cruise, so your description of what you did there has also been very helpful. We'll be staying at the JW Marriott also (using Marriott points). How did you find the hotel?

 

Great to receive these wonderful comments and follow-ups from both of you from the Cincinnati area. Ou are both very good "neighbors" being highly helpful. Yes, the JW Marriott in San Francisco worked very well for us. Great, helpful staff. Excellent location!! Close and handy. Glad we did not stay in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Too touristy there. Nice rooms and property at the JW Marriott. Nice, classy feel with the room and service quality. Other questions where I can help? Try the Italian dining place that I mentioned earlier for the dining place that is close to this hotel.

 

Great added info on Lisbon from AF-1. Just six days till we depart. Getting really excited for our first visit to Portugal. This will bring us up, UP to having visited 23 different countries in Europe. Will post here a link to see my live/blog and allow folks to follow along for our later June adventures along the Atlantic Coast of Europe.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 32,064 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

 

Here is an angled view that I captured of "our" JW Marriott hotel in San Francisco near Union Square. Not a perfect outside design, but it is different and kind of interesting. The key is the very good staff, comfort and service on the inside.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

Nearby to Union Square is this "local-style" place, called Sears, that can be good for breakfast or lunch. Kind of a "throw-back" style with good food.:

 

 

As a bonus, here is another example of the many, many nice views we enjoyed on the Big Bus top level while touring around scenic SF.:

[jimbri]

Love the photos of San Francisco. We ate at The Stinking Rose - good food and atmosphere.

[TLCOhio]

Love the photos of San Francisco. We ate at The Stinking Rose - good food and atmosphere.

 

Appreciate these nice comments and the follow-up about the San Francisco pictures. BUT, credit must given to the town and its wonderful character/architecture. SF makes a photographer look very good and creative.

 

Wanted to post some added pictures and details regard our pre-cruise fun in Fort Lauderdale. Really enjoyed our day there prior to boarding for our cruise. Great weather, sights, experiences, etc. Well worth the time in FLL. Nice sized city, airport worked well for us, lots of good food and options.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 68,547 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

 

Here is the view out of the window as we were landing of our Southwest Air non-stop flight from Columbus (for only $74) that took us to Fort Lauderdale.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

In Fort Lauderdale, here is the view of our GalleryOne Hotel from its pool area next to the Intercoastal Waterway. Second was the view from our top-level suite that allowed us to see the Atlantic Ocean. Third was one of the enjoyable flowers that helped to landscape this hotel. Great and scenic location.:

 

 

 

From our suite, here is the view of the Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi that docked right at the GalleryOne Hotel.:

 

During the Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi tour of residential and commercial areas, here is one sample for typical views. It was a perfect weather day to be doing this sailing tour.:

[TLCOhio]

Here are some more "photo evidence" to prove that we super enjoyed Fort Lauderdale, doing the Water Taxi, etc. Excellent fun and super sights!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 180,954 views for this posting.

 

Here are some more examples of the interesting sights during our Water Taxi tour. Like my new private yacht? Not quite ready to buy right now! Won't fit on the credit card!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

As the sun was setting, here are some examples of the views of the port/shipping "action" as we traveled south towards Hollywood. Plus, views of houses along these canals, etc. Notice in the first picture, the jet airplane taking off as it crosses over the port shipping cranes?:

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is the wrap-up for some more of our fun in Fort Lauderdale and nearby. Even a little "food porn" below. Yes, it was very good!! Needed the "fuel" to hold us over until we got on the Island Princess and could eat there. Don't want to forget to eat when a cruise is involved, right?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 225,084 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

When we arrived on the Water Taxi in Hollywood, we walked to their Boardwalk and enjoyed some beach views. It was nightfall, but it was fun and the weather was nice, warm and enjoyable. Here is the view of the beach at Hollywood, just south of Fort Lauderdale:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

On the morning of our ship boarding, we had to have breakfast. We went to this location near our hotel that overlooked the beach. What did I have? See this picture? YES, it was very good. Nice to dine at a "locals" place. Fun and perfect location.:

 

[creel5857]

Thanks for all the pictures and wonderful description of this trip. We are taking PC trip in Dec and trying to make some final plans and wondering something about the Costa Rica excursion for one of our friends who are going with us. You mentioned the numerous narrow steps related to fort and wondered if people had option to not go up and down them or if the whole crowd had to do these AND if the vans the cruise line used were easy to get in and out of. Thanks for any details you can provide as we have a friend going who is well traveled but slowing down a bit and climbing in and out of a small van might not work well on his knees.

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for all the pictures and wonderful description of this trip. We are taking PC trip in Dec and trying to make some final plans and wondering something about the Costa Rica excursion for one of our friends who are going with us. You mentioned the numerous narrow steps related to fort and wondered if people had option to not go up and down them or if the whole crowd had to do these AND if the vans the cruise line used were easy to get in and out of. Thanks for any details you can provide as we have a friend going who is well traveled but slowing down a bit and climbing in and out of a small van might not work well on his knees.

 

Appreciate your follow-up and nice question. Sorry, but in Costa Rica, I do not remember doing a fort and/or having to climb up many steps. In Colombia, there was a large fortress there where our time was limited during this brief visit. All we could do there during this ship tour was for a "photo stop". That worked perfectly for our interests. Did not have the time or interest to do that long climb up. Does this help a little? On cruise ship excursions, generally, the buses or vans used worked well for those with some physical limitation. Of course, being in a wheelchair is very different and such vehicles will not be effective for people in that situation.

 

LATEST ADVENTURE??!!: Just got back from three weeks in Europe doing five days in Lisbon, sailing from Portugal, seeing for the first time NW Spain, Bordeaux, Brittany, etc. Great sights and sites! Below are a few "samples" to prove the value for exploring these wonderful areas. For many more pictures and full details, check out this live/blog:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 32,521 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

 

For Sintra north of Lisbon, here is one small visual sampling. Yes, as we told our grandsons, these are "Real Castles!". Really have learned lots on the unique history of Portugal.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

From Porto, during our first trip to Portugal, we loved doing a small-craft sailing along their historic town areas near where Port wines are stored and sold.:

 

At the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the art is mostly about the building. Lighting and time of day when photo shooting allows for much creativity as to how you can capture this structure, its outdoor art, the inside drama, etc. Not your grandfather's museum! Like?:

 

Here is one quick visual sample from being in Bordeaux. If you love history and architecture, this is the super place to be!!. Like the little boy enjoying the water experience?:

 

During our Guernsey Island visit off of the French coast, we did our ship's "Powerboat Seascape Expedition". Great fun and sightings! Isn't this puffin cute?? Plus, lots of seal, beach, sea gull, etc., actions and activities.:

 

After the cruise concluded in Rouen, we finished with in-depth time in Brittany and to finish with a stop at Monet's Giverny before flying out from Paris' de Gaulle airport.:

[dmg1956]

Why is this old review back on the board? Stop it.

[zazou]

Don't bother with the previous poster, so rude. Thanks for this details review, I really enjoyed it. We are going on a Panama cruise in October. I would like more information about your Costa Rica private tour. Can you share with me your itinerary as you didn't seem to have done the 10 in 1 tour by Odyssey. I also love to take pictures and I wish to be able to see a Toucan. Do you have tips for me? Would you have done something differently?

 

Thanks!

[7leagueboots]

Enjoyed the photos.

[TLCOhio]

Don't bother with the previous poster, so rude. Thanks for this details review, I really enjoyed it. We are going on a Panama cruise in October. I would like more information about your Costa Rica private tour. Can you share with me your itinerary as you didn't seem to have done the 10 in 1 tour by Odyssey. I also love to take pictures and I wish to be able to see a Toucan. Do you have tips for me? Would you have done something differently? Thanks!

 

Enjoyed the photos.

 

Appreciate these nice comments and the kind follow-ups.

 

For zazou, no, we did not do the "10 in 1 tour by Odyssey". We wanted to do and did have more of a "custom" tour. That included doing the Rainforest Aerial Tram.

 

In hindsight, that part of our private tour was the least exciting and less interesting aspect of our wonderful day in Costa Rica. That excursion sounded good on paper. Others had said that they really loved the Rainforest Aerial Tram. For us, however, it took too much time and was a little too "average" for our interests. Not sure on getting Toucan pictures. With Odyssey and/or any other private tour, ask questions!! Tell them your interests, ideas, desires, goals, needs, etc. Ask them for the pro/con aspect on the various options, how it will fit logistically, etc. The better firms, such as Odyssey, will be responsive IF you ask questions, outline your personal interests, etc. On the Toucan pictures, much might also depend on whether you want to see and photography them in the "wild" versus in some type of "zoo" setting.

 

Keep up the great sharing and asking of excellent questions, etc. Now over 13,000 views on this live/blog. Appreciate ALL who have dropped by, make comments, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 183,274 views for this posting.