Thoughts, impressions, and observations for the World Cruise.

[island lady]

9 minutes ago, pstone1 said:

Jim just read that the there is a huge (estimated at 22K) population of Manta Rays off the coast of Ecuador!  Some have wing spans more than 20 ft.!  Will be watching for those this afternoon too, as we are sailing north!  Honestly, who would have thought - Manta Rays off of Manta, Ecuador!  🤣🤣

 

Thanks!  Was just out scanning the super flat seas with the binoculars...nothing yet.  But when there is...we should have a good view of them.  🙂 

[island lady]

11 minutes ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

Booking flights has all to do with schedules and fares.  When we can, we really like using Long Beach (LGB) for cruises out of LAX.  Hop, skip and jump from ship to airport and usually in morning you’re driving opposite rush hour traffic.  Long Beach airport area?  Wasn’t that where Steven Douglas worked?

 

Have never cruised out of LA before.  Not sure what to expect.  Apparently LAX is about 20 miles away...which could take 2 hours in traffic?  😬  Our flight is 12:45 pm.  May be tight?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 1 by island lady

[orville99]

1 minute ago, island lady said:

She said there is no guarantee of the condition of the buses...yikes.

We had no issues with the condition of our tour busses - they were clean and the AC worked. The tour guide was a bit wonky, however, and our noon tour was about an hour late picking us up .

[island lady]

1 minute ago, orville99 said:

We had no issues with the condition of our tour busses - they were clean and the AC worked. The tour guide was a bit wonky, however, and our noon tour was about an hour late picking us up .

 

Since I was all for cancelling, but we are still going since Bucky still wants to go....he won't hear the end of it .......should it be the tour from hell. 🥵 😄 

[ILCTCRUISER]

11 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Have never cruised out of LA before.  Not sure what to expect.  Apparently LAX is about 20 miles away...which could take 2 hours in traffic?  😬  Our flight is 12:45 pm.  May be tight?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

It will depend largely on rush hour traffic on 405.  Do you disembark Sat or Sun?

[Jimbo]

26 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Definitely taking my big hat.  Just checked with GS desk.  She said there is no guarantee of the condition of the buses...yikes.  Remember that movie Romancing the stone...I now have visions of that bus in my head.  😱

 

Went back up to talk to Bucky, he seems to want to still go...so if it is a mess...guess who's fault it is?  😉 

Hot Mess *

[Jimbo]

6 minutes ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

It will depend largely on rush hour traffic on 405.  Do you disembark Sat or Sun?

Don't forget the 7 inches of rain on more that is due there in the next 7 or so days.

[Jimbo]

26 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Have never cruised out of LA before.  Not sure what to expect.  Apparently LAX is about 20 miles away...which could take 2 hours in traffic?  😬  Our flight is 12:45 pm.  May be tight?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Better close your eyes on the ride from the port to the Airport then. All I remember is multiple lanes(5 or more) of fast moving cars like their hair was on fire. 😲Everyone in a rush!

Edited February 1 by Jimbo

[Jimbo]

13 minutes ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

It will depend largely on rush hour traffic on 405.  Do you disembark Sat or Sun?

Super Bowl Sunday

[ticketsunlimited]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

Current position just a bit ago....another day at sea, another night, another day at sea and one more night to get to Central America.  Puntarenas Costa Rico next port.  Have a tour booked to visit a Macaw and Jaguar sanctuary there.   Will be very...very hot and humid.  Jungle time!  🦜

 

Time to apply the bug spray heavily!  😮 

 

One of favorite stop on our Panama Canal Cruise.  One of the best Zip Line Tours we have ever gone on.  Went on forever.  Have a great time.  Mind over matter on the heat, you will both be fine.  Drink your water!!

[ILCTCRUISER]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

Have never cruised out of LA before.  Not sure what to expect.  Apparently LAX is about 20 miles away...which could take 2 hours in traffic?  😬  Our flight is 12:45 pm.  May be tight?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday disembark.   You should be OK with a 12:45 flight.  I’d disembark as early as I could, which is what we tend to do anyway.

[island lady]

1 hour ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

It will depend largely on rush hour traffic on 405.  Do you disembark Sat or Sun?

 

Sunday...so hopefully that helps a bit.  

[island lady]

20 minutes ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

Sunday disembark.   You should be OK with a 12:45 flight.  I’d disembark as early as I could, which is what we tend to do anyway.

 

Thanks...we have suite/Pinnacle escort...so hopefully that helps.  🙂 

[Hoopster95]

19 hours ago, pstone1 said:

 

I can’t say enough good things about Haku!  The guides and tour were top notch!

 

Really glad to hear they were great for you.

 

2 hours ago, Jimbo said:

What did they end of doing in place of MP if they didn't get there?

 

I am hopeful that they toured Cusco and the Sacred Valley as much as possible.

Jimbo/anyone, if you have a minute google photos of Sascayhuaman, Puka Pakara,  Pisac.

Sacred valley google Ollantaytambo, Moray, Maras

 

And the food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG, the restaurants are all outstanding in Peru. They'll probably not want to eat anything on the ship anymore.😉

 

[Jimbo]

18 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

Really glad to hear they were great for you.

 

 

I am hopeful that they toured Cusco and the Sacred Valley as much as possible.

Jimbo/anyone, if you have a minute google photos of Sascayhuaman, Puka Pakara,  Pisac.

Sacred valley google Ollantaytambo, Moray, Maras

 

And the food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG, the restaurants are all outstanding in Peru. They'll probably not want to eat anything on the ship anymore.😉

 

I know I was hoping to find out what they got to see in place of MP but not much on here or FB about what they did or any pictures that I can find?

Edited February 1 by Jimbo

[Jimbo]

40 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

Really glad to hear they were great for you.

 

 

I am hopeful that they toured Cusco and the Sacred Valley as much as possible.

Jimbo/anyone, if you have a minute google photos of Sascayhuaman, Puka Pakara,  Pisac.

Sacred valley google Ollantaytambo, Moray, Maras

 

And the food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG, the restaurants are all outstanding in Peru. They'll probably not want to eat anything on the ship anymore.😉

 

Those ruins and valleys are amazing, those salt ponds in Maras  are just something else. I do hope they got to see some of the places you mentioned above and got plenty of pictures while there.

[island lady]

Plenty of large pods of Dolphins going by.  They are a different type than the ones that shadowed us further south.  These are not the dark grey and white belly Dolphins, but are more like what Atlantic bottlenose Dolphins are like.  They seem to have a lot of fun jumping in our wake.  

 

Still a few Humpback whales along the way as well.  

 

We are picking up more wind now, but still quite calm.  

[doghog]

3 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Have never cruised out of LA before.  Not sure what to expect.  Apparently LAX is about 20 miles away...which could take 2 hours in traffic?  😬  Our flight is 12:45 pm.  May be tight?  

Exactly why we always fly into and out of Long Beach when doing left coast cruises. Close and small airport. We always get better airline rates too. Delta and not Jet Blue!! 🤬 🤣We also always stay at a Hilton property hotel pre cruise in Long Beach. Check it out next time if cruise from LA, which really is San Pedro. 

Edited February 1 by doghog

[delmom18]

2 hours ago, Jimbo said:

I know I was hoping to find out what they got to see in place of MP but not much on here or FB about what they did or any pictures that I can find?

 

 

Passing on a link     https://mattichan.com/2024/01/29/uwc-day-051-cusco-peru-exploring-the-incan-capital/   He's very photo heavy. 

 

Edited February 1 by delmom18

[island lady]

34 minutes ago, doghog said:

Exactly why we always fly into and out of Long Beach when doing left coast cruises. Close and small airport. We always get better airline rates too. Delta and not Jet Blue!! 🤬 🤣We also always stay at a Hilton property hotel pre cruise in Long Beach. Check it out next time if cruise from LA, which really is San Pedro. 

 

Thanks...wish I had researched it a lot better!  Will next time, though not sure how many times in the future we would ever cruise in or out of LA.  

 

No, I don't think it's a good idea for you to try Jet Blue again....you would need a whole lot more duck tape for one thing.  🤣

[island lady]

Well at least Super bowl is not being played in LA.    And by Sunday, I should think everyone going to Las Vegas is already there and not clogging the traffic in LA.  😉  Will be an interesting ride to the airport.  

[Oceansaway17]

9 minutes ago, island lady said:

Well at least Super bowl is not being played in LA.    And by Sunday, I should think everyone going to Las Vegas is already there and not clogging the traffic in LA.  😉  Will be an interesting ride to the airport.  

yes and if you wanted to watch the super bowl you need to get home fast.

 

Hoping no issues with Red Sea and you next segment and no changes or delays.  I am thinking the the Dubai to Athens section could get remapped but I hope not.

[island lady]

24 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

yes and if you wanted to watch the super bowl you need to get home fast.

 

Hoping no issues with Red Sea and you next segment and no changes or delays.  I am thinking the the Dubai to Athens section could get remapped but I hope not.

 

Nope, no arm chair quarter back here.  If I would watch the super bowl at all...it would be for the funny TV ads. 😉   So...... no worries on missing it.  😇 

 

I am of course leaving the ship in LA, and not rejoining the ship until the last quarter in Barcelona.  Have Viking booked instead for Australia (after two cancellations from RCI in a row for Australia).  The first RCI cruise I booked that was cancelled, did a total circumnavigation of Australia with a visit to Taz, which is what we really wanted.   The Viking trip I have booked does that, this next leg on Serenade...does not.  

 

And I won't go through the Suez canal or have any desire to visit the middle east...especially now that has become even more scary there.   

 

Sooooo rejoining in Barcelona was the choice we made over a year ago.  😉 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 1 by island lady

[Oceansaway17]

1 minute ago, island lady said:

 

Nope, no arm chair quarter back here.  If I would watch the super bowl at all...it would be for the funny TV ads. 😉   So...... no worries on missing it.  😇 

 

I am of course leaving the ship in LA, and not rejoining the ship until the last quarter in Barcelona.  Have Viking booked now instead for Australia (after two cancellations from RCI in a row for Australia).  The first RCI cruise I booked that was cancelled, did a total circumnavigation of Australia with visit to Taz, which we really wanted.   The Viking trip I have booked does that, this next leg on Serenade...does not.  

 

And I won't go through the Suez canal or have any desire to visit the middle east...especially now that is has become even more scary there.   

 

Sooooo rejoining in Barcelona was the choice we made over a year ago.  😉 

oh I hope you do a thread for Viking then?

And as far as Barcelona I hop parts of the 3rd segment get worked out and no delays to Barcelona.

 

After doing ICON in May, I sail out of Barcelona on NCL Escape doing the Med for 10 days with a port each day.   Better itinerary than say what Symphony did last year or Oasis this year.  They never change it and price was way better on NCL>   

 

toodles  I will miss this Segment from you.   Hoping someone starts a new segment On Feb 12th and I have an idea whom many of us would like to see, but it is like that movie about Bruno song  ..... We don't talk about .......  get my drift.

[CSHS1979]

5 hours ago, island lady said:

 

They did not get to see the ruins.  The peaceful protest was still going on, which shut down the train. 

 

But everyone I talked to told me that RCI did a great job of creating a new itinerary for them, of which they loved.  Once again....get creative.  🙂 

 

John's tour was awful. His group was just unlucky I guess.