Our departure date of January 27th finally arrived and we boarded our Qantas flight ready and eager for a new adventure in South America!
Our pre- cruise visit to Las Vegas was fun and even better than the last time we were there because it wasn’t so crowded at that time of year.
Our stay at Harrah’s was enjoyable and more than we expected for $69 per night.We had a nice room in the quieter Mardi Gras Tower and the hotel facilities were good.. The reception staff were very friendly and efficient and the hotel was in a great position in the centre of The Strip.
It was fun visiting some of our favourite hotels such as the Venetian, Bellagio, Paris, the Mirage and Caesar’s. I think the Venetian is our favourite. Bellagio had a beautiful display for Chinese New Year.
Our red eye Delta flight to Ft. Lauderdale was full and our carry ons were stowed way back from where we were sitting.
Once there we settled into our pleasant room at the Fort Lauderdale Grande for two nights pre-cruise. The first night we went out to eat with friends Deb & Joe from a previous cruise who live nearby. We had a nice meal at the Cheesecake Factory and swapped cruise stories – it was a fun evening!
The following day we met Gail & Murray who were sailing with us on the Splendor and went out for breakfast downtown in Las Olas Blvd. We joined them for a drive around Ft. Lauderdale to pick up necessities for our long cruise. Later in the day we joined some of the Cruise Critic members( Salsa 49ers) at the Bimini Boathouse for drinks and dinner.
Carnival Splendor cruise itinerary:
January 31st – March 21st 2009 – 49 days
First leg:
Jan.31st – Feb.17th 2009 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Buenos Aires, Argentina
Day 1
Embarkation day arrived and we woke up to sunny but windy weather. We walked along the road to the French Bakery for breakfast – good coffee in a giant mug and a delicious toasted panini!
We took a cab from the hotel to the cruise terminal ($10 with tip) and arrived there at 11.15am. Check in was smooth and we were onboard just after 12.00pm. Our suitcases were delivered early so we unpacked after lunch in the Lido.
It was just as well we boarded early because we found out later that there was a bomb scare. This meant that people who arrived later on were kept waiting in the arrivals hall until 8.00pm or later whilst everything was checked out. We were so lucky to have missed all the aggravation by arriving early!
We were on a table of ten in the Gold Pearl dining room. Luckily Ken, our wonderful maitre’d, had given us a table in the middle of the restaurant with good company and great servers too!
After dinner we went to a short show with the Carnival singers and dancers and the piano man.
We enjoyed a good sleep in our cosy balcony cabin for the first of forty nine nights on this exciting cruise!
Days 2 & 3 – Fun Days at Sea
We enjoyed two full days at sea to further explore this ship which we had first sailed on in the Baltic last September. The Carnival Splendor is113,300-tons, is 952 feet in length, has a cruising speed of 22 knots and carries 3,006 passengers. She’s a beautiful ship and we were happy to be sailing on her for a second time!
It was good to relax for two days and meet up with friends from Cruise Critic.
Day 4 – Dominica – Feb. 2nd 2009 (12pm-7pm)
Dominica is set halfway between Guadeloupe and Martinique and is the largest and most mountainous of the Windward Islands. The landscape is lush and green with rivers, waterfalls, rainforests and the Morne Trois Pitons National Park.
We went on a tour to the Emerald pool and Trafalgar Falls but it was raining so we didn’t walk to the falls. We enjoyed our drive around the island but unfortunately we didn’t have the time or the weather to get out much and explore further.
Day 5 – Barbados – Feb.4th 2009 (7am-4pm)
Barbados is a beautiful island with British traditions. It has wonderful panoramas of oceans and valleys, and pink and white sand beaches.
We had a really interesting tour here with Colin from Cameron Reid’s tours. He was an excellent guide and took us to a wide variety of places.
First we explored a local street at Cape Hill and then went on to Highland Park lookout where we tasted some rum punch. From there we visited beautiful Bathsheba to admire the views and on to Nicholas Abbey, Speightstown, the very interesting Church of St. John and Holetown. After the tour we spent an hour or so in Bridgetown and then walked back to the ship. We enjoyed Barbados and would like to go back there someday.
Days 6 & 7 – Fun Days at Sea
It was good to have two relaxing days at sea following our visits to Dominica and Barbados. We joined in some of the activities onboard but we also just lazed around on our balcony.
Day 8 – Crossing the Equator – Feb.7th
Crossing the equator is a rite of passage for cruisers who have not crossed the legendary line before. To make it more memorable, a ceremony is performed with King Neptune to mark the occasion.
We have crossed the equator before so we are referred to as “Shellbacks”. Those who have not crossed the equator before are referred to as “Pollywogs”.
Day 9 – Fortaleza, Brazil-Feb. 8th (7am-6pm)
Fortaleza with its lovely beaches, restaurants and nightlife, is a popular destination. The city has a Gothic style Cathedral with beautiful stained glass windows.
The Central Market offers delicious exotic tropical fruits and fine lacework, embroidery, leather goods, and ceramics. There is also an interesting market in the old prison.
Our Brasilian friend Marisa met us at the port and took us on a tour of the city. She took us to the market in the old prison where we purchased a bag for our waitress Martina who had to stay onboard. Marisa’s cousin was there to greet us in his shop where we bought cappuchino and caramel flavoured cashew nuts – yummy!
We visited Dragon de Mar with it’s colourful squares and buildings and met some of the passengers who were on a Carnival tour. We felt very lucky to have Marisa as our local guide!
A big surprise was a special lunch arranged for us at the L’O restaurant by Marisa. She has her own PR agency and as she was promoting this restaurant we were invited to a wonderful lunch there!
After lunch she took us to a supermarket to buy wine and to change some money into reals.
Marisa seemed to know everyone and phoned a friend to take us to Beach Park which is a seaside resort about half an hour’s drive from Forteleza.
When we returned to the ship we said our goodbyes and set sail once again. After sailaway I went to the Spa for a facial, mini manicure and a foot massage – a special for $69 which I had booked earlier – it felt so good! What a wonderful day!
Day 10 – Fun Day at Sea
We slept in and had a late breakfast in the Lido. We walked around the jogging track for almost an hour and then did some laundry and ironing. Later on we met some friends for a drink and went to bed early as tomorrow is a port day in Recife.
Day 11 – Recife, Brazil – Feb.10th (7am-6pm)
Recife is known as the “Venice of Brazil” because of its rivers and bridges. It is a modern city and a tropical beach resort. The city is a centre for culture and the arts.
Olinda, Brazil’s old colonial capital declared World Historical Monument by Unesco, is a few miles from Recife. It is a fascinating place to visit!
Our guide Carlos took us to Olinda first. It was very interesting with colourful historic houses and shops full of Carnival costumes.We visited the cathedral and admired the lovely views over the bay. Then we went to the market in a prison – a similar idea to the one in Foreleza. We looked around at the unusual giftware and bought some souvenirs.
Downtown Recife had some interesting public buildings and we strolled around for a short time before returning to the ship. We really enjoyed our tour and Carlos was an excellent guide.
Day 12 – Fun Day at Sea – Feb.11th
We slept in late and had breakfast in the Lido. We played Scattergories in the Cool Lounge and then joined in with a dance class. We went to the talk on Rio de Janeiro in the theatre and afterwards we joined friends at the Liner bar. Just before bedtime we walked around the top decks to enjoy the night sky and the sea.
Day 13 – Salvador, Brazil- Feb.12th (7am-4pm)
Salvador de Bahia is Brazil’s third largest city with a large population including Afro Brazilians as well as Portuguese. It has been designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco and has a pleasant tropical climate, miles of lovely beaches and lush tropical vegetation.
We were up early and had breakfast delivered to our room as we were on an early tour. We visited the historic area and also the colourful and vibrant Pelourinho district. T-shirts and other souvenirs seemed to be quite expensive in this popular area of Salvador so we didn’t buy anything.
Day 14 – Fun Day at Sea Feb.13th.
Day 15 – Rio de Janeiro- Feb.14th (8am-5pm)
Rio de Janeiro is a beautiful city with many beaches, including the famous Copacabana and Ipanema, set against a mountainous backdrop.Two of the main attractions are a cable car ride up Sugarloaf Mountain and a cog train ride up Corcovado to see the views and the wonderful statue of Christ the Redeemer. Rio is famous for its annual Carnival, an amazing five-day celebration that draws tourists from everywhere in the world.
A rainy day for our tour with Marcelo Neves but he helped to make it a great day despite the weather. We didn’t go by cog train up to Corcovado as it was crowded so we drove up to the elevator. There was a strange beauty in the mist-shrouded views from the mountain top and Christ the Redeemer statue was awesome! We took lots of photos here.
We visited Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. We stopped at Ipanema for lunch with Marcelo and then he took us to a supermarket to buy wine.
Sugarloaf Mountain was our next stop and we bought T-shirts before riding the cable car up to the top. We saw some little monkeys with cute-looking faces.
On the way back to the ship we stopped off to see the Carnivale preparations. Unfortunately we were there just a little too early for the celebrations!
Back at the cruise terminal we used up our last 20 real to buy cashaca, a local drink made from sugar cane alcohol with limes.
Rio de Janeiro is a place we would love to go back to – preferably when it’s a sunny day!
Days 16 & 17 – Fun Days at Sea
Time to do our laundry! There were long lines most days but we struck it lucky and only had a short wait for the machines.
We spent the two sea days relaxing and made good use of the hot tub!
Day 18 – Buenos Aires, Argentina September 17th. ( 8.00am – overnight)
Buenos Aires combines South American flavor with European style. The city shows French influences in its architecture, cafés, beautiful parks and boulevards.
The Italian district of La Boca and the artists’ quarter of San Telmo are two of the interesting areas to visit.
You can take a flight excursion to Iguassu Falls from here but we didn’t have time to do that on this occasion.
We were looking forward to our morning tour of Buenos Aires but there was a hassle getting off the ship and we had to wait in long lines for more than two hours! Eventually we joined our tour and were pleased to get an overview of this beautiful city. We planned to visit some of the more interesting sights the following day.
We went back to the ship for lunch and we were delighted to meet up with our friends Marilyn & Steve who had just joined us for the second leg of this cruise. They had moved into the adjoining cabin so we opened the balcony door to make it into one big balcony.
In the evening we went on a privately arranged tour with other cruise Critic members to La Ventana Tango show in San Telmo. It was a wonderful evening with a great show, good food and wine for only $72.50 per person!
2nd leg:
February 18th 2009 – March 3rd 2009 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Santiago (Valparaíso), Chile
Day 19 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – February 18th
We decided to explore the city on our own instead of taking a tour.
Together with Marilyn, Steve, Ada, Richard, Mei and Ed we headed for Recoleta sharing two taxis. We all wanted to see Eva Peron’s Duarte family mausoleum first! We were very impressed with the opulence of Recoleta cemetery and its varied mausoleums of the rich and famous – mostly crafted from marble. It would have taken days to see everything!
We took a taxi from Recoleta to one of the famous historic meeting places – the Café Tortoni. The décor was very original and interesting and we enjoyed our huge toasted sandwiches and delicious coffee!
Afterwards four of us went to the Italian La Boca district by taxi. We were captivated by the colourful buildings, architecture and liveliness of the Caminito area – especially by the tango dancing in the street cafes. We stopped for a while at one of the cafes to watch the dancers. Then we took a taxi into the main shopping street of the city to window shop and to buy some wine before returning to the ship.
Day 20 – Montevideo, Uruguay – February 19th.( 8.00am – 5.00pm)
Montevideo is a clean and very pleasant city. It has an old and a new town featuring many historical sites as well as restaurants, cafes, nightclubs and casinos.
The city is situated on the north shore of the River de la Plata. Statues of the country’s heroes are scattered throughout the town. An impressive equestrian statue sits in Independence Square, while the others fill the local parks.
On that hot, sunny day we took a tour with our very knowledgeable guide Marta. We travelled all around the city and then looked at some beach areas along the river (the ocean beaches are about 120 miles away from the city) We saw the contrast between the old and new areas of the city. Marta showed us a Gothic style church and also the palatial mansion of Reverend Moon as we explored one of the upmarket neighbourhoods.
We had lunch at a winery which was a welcome break! We thought it was very expensive although the tour itself was very good value for only $45 per person.
When we left the restaurant we had a bit of a drama because the van would not start due to a flat battery! Luckily Marta phoned to get another van to take us back to the ship so we all breathed a sigh of relief!
Day 21 – Fun Day at Sea – February 20th.
We were quite ready to relax on our sea day after three port days in succession!
Day 22 – Puerto Madryn, Argentina – February 21st – (9.00am – 6.00pm)
Puerto Madryn is situated on the Golfo Nuevo in Patagonia, Argentina. The city is the gateway to many natural splendors, such as Punta Tombo National Reserve (home to the world’s biggest colony of Magellanic penguins), as well as the Península Valdés (the world-famous wildlife sanctuary). The city also offers several attractions, from its beaches to its historic sites.
It was a nice day for our walking tour of the town. Together with Marilyn and Steve we went shopping for souvenirs which were really good value here compared to other places we had visited. We would have liked to have seen the penguins at Punta Tombo( especially as later on we missed our tour to see the penguins in Punta Arenas due to bad weather!) but it was a long drive to get there so we preferred to explore Puerto Madryn on our own. Another good day!
Day 23 – Fun Day at Sea – February 22nd
Another relaxing day at sea!
We enjoyed Dirk’s travel talk on Ushuaia, Punta Arenas and Cape Horn. It was very interesting!
Day 24 – Cape Horn Cruising – February 23rd
Cape Horn,named after the city of Hoorn (in the Netherlands) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile. It marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage and for many years it was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world.
We were looking forward to rounding Cape Horn and had planned a small party on our balcony to celebrate the occasion. We had the balcony door open between Marilyn & Steve’s cabin and ours so we invited Gail & Murray and Linda & Mike to join us for the afternoon. It was a cold, blustery and rainy day so we bundled ourselves up in warm clothes and enjoyed a few drinks and laughs together!
Luckily the sea wasn’t too rough that day so we all enjoyed the experience!
Day 25 – Ushuaia, Argentina – February 24th (6am-6pm)
Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world and one of two main cities on the island territory of Tierra del Fuego. It is very scenic with a National Park framed by the sea, forests, lakes and mountains. Once a small fishing village,Ushuaia is today a welcoming, busy town with a growing population, at present numbering about 50,000 inhabitants.
Ushuaia is a departure port for Antarctic cruises. It is considered the capital of the Argentine Tierra del Fuego province. Located on the Beagle Channel and backed by the Martial Mountains, the city offers an abundance of eco-tourist activities and access to Tierra del Fuego National Park.
We had an early start to join our private tour of the Tierra del Fuego National Park with our guide Karina.We enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the sunny weather which warmed up as the day progressed.
We stopped at Ensenada Bay at the cute little post office on the edge of the lake.We bought postcards and had them stamped there.We had lunch at a lovely restaurant with great views over the park. The cheese pie and fruit tart was delicious!
At the end of the tour we had time to look around the pretty city of Ushuaia. We did some shopping and then met up with Terry at the Irish pub before heading back to the ship. It was a very good day!
Day 26 – Punta Arenas, Chile- February 25th -(6am-5pm)
Unfortunately this was one port that we had to miss out on due to strong winds. We were disappointed that we couldn’t go to the Otway Peninsula to see the penguins but Gail very kindly gave us some of the photos that she had taken in Punta Tombo!
Punta Arenas lies at the entrance to the Strait of Magellan and is the gateway to Antarctica, a land of snowcapped mountains, icebergs and frozen fjords. The city overlooks the Strait of Magellan and Otway Sound, home to colonies of sea lions and Magellanic penguins. We docked there to let the customs officials off the ship and continued on our sightseeing voyage through the Strait of Magellan.
Day 27 – Feb. 26th. – Strait of Magellan (cruising)
On a voyage through the wild untamed beauty of the Strait of Magellan you can observe the rugged nature and indigenous wildlife, trying to exist in often harsh and unpredictable weather conditions.
Day 28 – Chilean Fjords Cruising – Feb.27th
The Pacific coast of southern Chile is a fjordland which is very sparsely populated, with only a few towns and cattle ranches to be seen along the shores. The Chilean fjords extend south into Tierra del Fuego, the territory at the southern tip of South America that is divided between Chile and Argentina.
Day 29 – Puerto Montt – Feb.28th – (6am-6pm)
Located in the lake district of Chile, Puerto Montt is a city amidst snow-covered volcanoes, lush jungle ferns, hot springs, forested hills and narrow fjords. The city’s early German settlers left their mark with distinctive European-style architecture that gives this city a unique feel. Their legacy can be seen in the rose gardens of Puerto Varas and the village of Frutillar.
We tendered early to join our tour together with Ruth, Grace, Marilyn and Steve.
First of all we had a quick drive around the city of Puerto Montt but then drove on to the much prettier Puerto Varas. We visited the tourist center by Lake Llanquihe and walked around the main streets and the lake.
When we reached Petrohue Falls the weather had warmed up and we enjoyed the sights. We visited a Llama farm on the way and took some photos there.
After our visit to Emerald Lake we would have enjoyed a lunch break but there didn’t seem to be enough time! As we had made an early start to the day we were starving by the time we stopped at a German style café for coffee and cake at 3.15pm!
Back near the port we shopped at the nearby markets to buy alpaca scarves and a shawl as they were incredibly cheap!
Then the downpour started and we had to run to the cruise terminal! Unfortunately we had a long wait in dripping wet clothes to get the next tender. The weather was so rough that it was difficult getting close to the ship and we had to make a big jump from the tender boat on to the ship. It was pretty scary!
Day 30 – Fun Day at Sea – Mar. 1st
It was nice to relax in a warm dry place after yesterday’s wet and windy end to the day!
Day 31 – Fun Day at Sea – Mar.2nd
I stayed in bed until noon as I had a bad cold and didn’t want to miss out on the following day’s tour in Valparaiso. Marilyn and Steve packed everything for their disembarkation the next day. We were sad to say goodbye to them but also looking forward to the last leg of our voyage!
3rd leg:
March 3rd – March 21st 2009 – Santiago (Valparaíso),Chile – San Francisco, California
Day 32 – Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile – March 3rd.(7am-5pm)
Valparaíso, founded in 1536, is Chile’s oldest city. It is the gateway to Chile’s central valley and the beautiful Viña Del Mar, the popular seaside resort only a few miles away. Santiago, the nation’s capital, can be reached with a 90-minute ride across rolling valleys. With a population of over five million people, Santiago sprawls at the foot of the snow-capped Andes.
We said goodbye to our friends Marilyn and Steve, who were disembarking, before we went on our private tour of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Our guide, Eduardo, was very knowledgeable and it was obvious that he loved his city. The tour was well-paced and included some walking time in the upper level of the city which was reached by funicular. The views from the various flower-bedecked terraces were quite spectacular!
The area was really interesting with lots of old buildings needing restoration and many covered in artistic grafitti! We climbed up and down steps to explore the back streets and saw many cats and dogs roaming the neighbourhood.
We returned to the main square and had coffee before proceeding to the modern seaside resort of Vina del Mar. We joined up with some of our group to have lunch at a Chinese restaurant and afterwards we walked in the area. After stopping at a supermarket near a lovely park square we headed back to the ship.
Days 33 & 34 – Fun Days at Sea – March 4th and 5th
We enjoyed the company of our Maitre d’ Ken at dinner.
We enjoyed two relaxing days at sea. There was a formal night when we also attended the Captain’s cocktail party.
On the second sea day a male passenger went missing and the ship had to turn around and go back to a place where he had been seen during the early hours of the morning. We found out much later that his body had been washed ashore so it was a sad time for his friends and family, some of whom were travelling with him.
Day 35 – Arica, Chile – March 6th (8am-6pm)
Bordered by desert sand dunes and fertile valleys and founded in 1570, Arica is Chile’s fifth-oldest city and a commercial gateway for neighboring Peru and Bolivia.
Cruise passengers can visit markets or such sites as the Church of San Marcos and El Morro de Arica. Excursions visit Lake Chungara, surrounded by volcanoes and high-country wetlands or you can view the huge geoglyphs of animals and humans that line the walls of the Azapa Valley.
We docked in Arica at 12.30pm which was later than planned due to the search for the missing passenger. We explored the city with its markets and main street restaurants and shops. The church was light and bright and very different from the ornate churches we had seen elsewhere on our journey.
On our private tour we travelled through the arid desert landscape outside the city with views of green valleys where crops were grown. We tasted an Azamara cocktail (pisco sour) with our tour guide and afterwards we viewed some geoglyphs and petroglyphs on the valley walls.
We bought a lovely hand-knitted jacket for our granddaughter when we got back to the markets before heading back to the ship. It was a beautiful sunset sailaway!
Day 36 – Fun Day at Sea – March 7th
Another relaxing day at sea!
Day 37 – Lima (Callao), Peru – March 8th (7am-5pm)
Callao, founded by Pizarro and the Conquistadores, is the gateway to Lima and it is where the ships dock.
The Peruvian capital of Lima is the cultural and economic heart of the nation and once served as the seat of power of the Spanish Empire of South America. In 1988, its historic center was declared World Heritage Site by Unesco for its historical buildings from the Spanish colonial era. You can visit the catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco and the monumental Plaza Mayor with its 16th-Century Cathedral and the Presidential Palace. Lima is the gateway for tours to Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas” that sits high in the Andean peaks.
Some passengers flew to Machu Pichu from here instead of Arica as planned due to the delay in reaching that port on time.
We drove through Callao on our private tour to the Pachacamac ruins. We visited the museum and the little market close by.
Some people split up to go to Lima but we decided to go with our guide to the modern seaside resort of Miraflores where we had lunch at Mango’s in the mall near the beach. It was a good place to eat and I had a pisco sour special cocktail! It was very strong!
On the way back to the ship we visited the Inca market which was quite large and had some unusual souvenirs for sale.
Day 38 – Fun Day at Sea – March 9th
Day 39 – Manta (Quito), Ecuador – March 10th (9am-6pm)
The small port of Manta is the gateway to Ecuador and its capital, Quito, the second highest capital in the world. Ecuador has one of the world’s most varied terrains: the Galapagos, 600 watery miles to the west, and to the east, the Andes, home to Ecuador’s important cities, including Quito. Founded in 1534 and one of the best-preserved cities in South America, Quito was designated a World Heritage Site in 1978 by Unesco.
This place was a lovely surprise and our private tour turned out to be very interesting and quite different from what we expected! The tour with our charming guide Carolina was nine and a half hours long and included a variety of new experiences.
It was a fine and sunny day as we drove along past lovely beaches along the coast towards the Machalilla National Park. We admired the colourful fishing boats and frigate birds in flight along the way. People were looking for octopuses on the beach and we waved as we drove along. We saw a house where they were making Panama hats that were later to be finished off in Montecristi.
Wildlife, and especially birds, were in abundance. We stopped en route to watch howler and capuchin monkeys playing in the trees on the roadside. We saw donkeys laden with palms or bamboo being led by their smiling owners. It was a wonderful drive!
Our lunch stop was at a pretty blue and yellow painted hotel in a magnificent garden setting. For lunch we ate cerviche, shrimp and ice-cream for dessert with a glass of wine – it was good!
We visited an historic village with its museum and jungle walk. At a hot mud pool on the way back we took some photos of the children playing and daubing themselves with mud.
On the way back to the ship we visited Carolina’s home to view the howler monkeys. Her husband has his own restaurant there and we were introduced to him and their little son. Afterwards we visited the small town of Montecristi, where the panama hats are made, before heading back to the ship. It was a memorable day!
Day 40 – Crossing the Equator – March 11th
Once again we crossed the equator but we didn’t go to the ceremony this time!
Days 41 & 42 – Fun Days at Sea – March 12th & 13th
Another two lazy days at sea! We had fun walking around the ship, meeting up with people and sometimes just relaxing and reading.
Day 43 – Acapulco, Mexico – March 14th (8am-6pm)
Acapulco is a place where the rich and famous come to escape. The scenic highway has a striking panoramic view of the beaches and mountains, and you can view the beautiful homes and lush gardens as you pass through Las Brisas.
It was a hot and sunny day in Acapulco and also a public holiday so it was crowded with lots of traffic! We met Roberto, the port operations manager and Oscar, our guide, at the cruise terminal. It was good to meet them again and especially to have the same guide as we had the last time we visited.
First of all Oscar took us to see the thrilling cliff divers show at La Quebrada. From there he took us to the Casablanca, Los Flamingos and Princess hotels for the views and gardens.
We visited the lovely Peace church at Las Brisas and looked at some of the fabulous homes with excellent views. Then we went to the flea market where we bought a polo shirt and a cap for Les. We got a bit lost in the market but we eventually found our way back to the van finding Mei, Ed and Josie on the way! We had fun at Senor Frog’s for a late lunch and then stopped at a supermarket to buy some wine before heading back to the ship.
Day 44 – Fun Day at Sea – March 15th
Another lovely relaxing sea day.
Day 45 – Puerto Vallarta – March 16th (8am-6pm)
Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful beach resort that offers activities including sport fishing, golfing, horseback riding, hiking and whale watching. The mountains, jungles, beaches, rivers and waterfalls make Puerto Vallarta the perfect vacation destination. Since this port was discovered as a prime vacation spot in the ’60s, it has become home to luxury resorts and beautiful villas, but the city’s tranquil past is still evident in its charming courtyards, cobblestone streets and markets.
Another warm and sunny day to enjoy this port on our own. We had visited this resort before so we relaxed and enjoyed a walk along the Malecon admiring the wonderful sand sculptures on the beach.
We shopped along the way to the old town and re-visited the church and the square. Before lunch we stopped at a beach café for drinks. I had a huge Pina Colada which took me a long time to finish!
We found the Cafe San Angel where we had lunch the last time we were there and it was just as good this time around!
The shopping was excellent here so we bought a couple of beach bags and shirts plus an extra suitcase for the return journey home!
Days 46 & 47 – Fun Days at Sea – March 17th and 18th
It was St. Patrick’s day on the first of the two sea days so we celebrated with our Irish Maitre d’ Ken and our tablemates on a formal night in the Gold Pearl dining room.It was a fun evening!
Day 48 – Los Angeles (Long Beach) – March 19th (9am-6pm)
Long Beach is located on the Pacific Coast about 20 miles south of Los Angeles. The ocean liner Queen Mary retired to Long Beach in 1967 and now serves as a hotel. You can visit the Aquarium of the Pacific, home to more than 12,000 animals, and featuring a shark lagoon. Next door is Rainbow Harbor and Shoreline Village, offering restaurants and arcades. Los Angeles is served by both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.
We joined Terry and Maureen, cruising friends from Canada, who had rented a car for the day. We drove to Fisherman’s Village at Marina del Rey and then decided to drive back down along the Pacific Coast Highway.
We enjoyed a nice lunch of clam chowder, crab sliders and shrimp baguettes at Joe’s Crab Shack in Redondo Beach and then walked along the seafront. On the way back to the ship we drove past some beautiful homes overlooking the sea at Palos Verdes.
In the evening we all had drinks on our balcony and watched the sailaway as we headed towards San Francisco.
Day 49 – Fun Day at Sea – March 20th
Day 50 – San Francisco – March 21st
We sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge into this beautiful city set on a wide bay. Some of our favourite sights here are Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, Alcatraz and Union Square. The cable car rides up and down the steep streets are good fun and an exciting feature of this city by the bay.
We were a little sad to disembark from the ship that had been our home for the past seven weeks and to say goodbye to the friends we had made onboard. However, we were looking forward to spending two nights in San Francisco and another three nights in Hawaii on our way back home.
Our stay at the Chancellor Hotel in Union Square was most enjoyable and some of our cruising friends stayed there as well. The room was very comfortable and the hotel staff were friendly and helpful. It was very good value for San Francisco – especially as we got a group rate which included a voucher for meals or drinks.
We travelled on the cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf and had lunch at the famous Boudins – delicious clam chowder in a breadbowl!
In the evening we had dinner with some cruising friends at an Italian restaurant nearby.
Post –cruise – San Francisco – March 22nd
We took the ferry to Sausalito – one of our favourite things to do when in San Francisco. When we got back we looked in at Ghirardelli Square before catching the cable car back to our hotel.
That evening after drinks in the hotel we walked into Chinatown to have dinner with Diana and Paul who were also staying at the Chancellor. We had a good time in San Francisco and were now looking forward to our stopover in Hawaii!
Hawaii – March 23rd – March 26th
Our stay at the Aqua Waikiki Wave in Waikiki was really good. The hotel is close to the International Marketplace and only a short walk to the beach. The room was large and very comfortable with modern décor and a balcony with a partial sea view.
On our second day we rented a car and drove around the island. We had been there before so we knew our way around. The rest of the time we just walked along the beach or shopped in Waikiki or Ala Moana shopping centre.
In the evenings we enjoyed the sunsets and the ambience of Waikiki beach lit up at night with flares along the beachfront. It was a very pleasant stopover on our way back home and a good end to a wonderful holiday!
