pppiglet

Cabo is our least favorite port and Cabo Wabo is definately just a tourist trap. We went there on our first trip and felt like we wasted time going there.  Then again, some say that about The Office and we love to eat there!  Or just up the hill is Baja brewing that has excellent food and view of the whole area.

In PV you could go to the Malecon, but if you been before, maybe try the marina. It's closer to the cruise ship.  We did see the famous crocodile on our last trip (it's huge) and we weren't planning to eat there, but we got talked into eating at one from the vendor promoting his restaurant and it turned out to be excellent and one of our favorite meals. 

Haven't been to Mazatlan in years, but we will be there in April.  We're probably going to Stone Island in the AM and walk around town in the afternoon. 

I highly recommend the Botanical Gardens.  So many beautiful flowers, trees, hiking trails down to a river area.  Also the restaurant on site has excellent food and drinks and you can feed the hummingbirds right from your table.  They have a shopping area for souvenirs. It's very humid hiking through the trails.  We were dripping.  We loved it though. 

We weren't off a cruise ship, we were staying in the marina area and just took a cab.  This was about 4 years ago and it was aprx. $500 pesos. I'm sure it's gone up though since then.  It's a nice scenic drive once you get through the city and Malecon area. I want to say about 45 minutes to one hour if traffic in the Malecon area.  The reception area called a taxi for us for the trip back.

I'd do it again.  

We saw the croc in the marina when we were there in May.  It was huge!

Also, most ATM's in Mexico won't accept your ATM card if your pin is more than 4 numbers. Mine is six and I could not get cash out. Luckily my husband's was only 4. 

We love the Office and go every time we are in Cabo.  The easiest way is to take a water taxi from where the tender boats drop you off.  If you like to walk, it's a pretty hot walk and maybe 45 minutes or more (been awhile since we've been there).  We will take the water taxi back or just a regular taxi back.  

I remember walking up a hill to Baja Brewing and having a flight of beers overlooking the whole bay and then walking down a bit to the Office for lunch.  They had the best food! 

Another note on ATM's in Mexico, they do not usually take 6 digit pin numbers.  We just got back from Mexico and ran into this. Luckily my husband's card had a 4 digit pin. 

We also did the San Sebastian tour when we stayed in Puerto Vallarta.  We really liked it.  I think it was in November and it was a bit overcast and drizzly but a great day. 

We stayed in Puerto Vallarta for 7 days at a time 3 different trips.  We stayed at the Westin and the Marriott and took taxi's and walked all over the Malecon and the Marina area.  Never felt unsafe.  Of the 3 ports, Cabo is the one (since 2005) we are always offered to buy drugs on the beach.  My least favorite port of the 3, but we love to go to The Office and eat every time we are there.

We just got back from the Riviera Maya and stayed in Akumal for 10 days, (between Playa Del Carmen & Tulum). It was our 8th trip there and nothing has gotten more dangerous.  The pueblo across the highway was a little more run down due to Covid killing most of their business, but we had a great trip! 

For a summer cruise I would be more afraid of bad weather than crime.  

We had a great time at Molokay's years ago.  If you like shrimp I remember they had a huge shrimp platter we all shared.  Very relaxing and they arranged ATV's for us also.  We plan to go back there on our April cruise. 

Let's just say I feel safer in these Ports than Los Angeles. 😁

We weren't on a cruise but we stay in PV for a week and went to the gardens.  I highly recommend it. Beautiful flowers, tropical plants, hiking trails that lead to water that you can take a dip in if you want, and a great restaurant on site with humming birds everywhere.  We took a taxi from the Marina area.  I don't recall what it cost but it was worth it. 

I have friends on this cruise too.  First time for them going to the Mexican Riviera.  They are a lively bunch!  

We are right on the border of Los Angeles County and Orange County. (we live in LA Cnty) Los Angeles is having mask and vaccine mandates.  Orange County is not.  If we shop down the street from our house we need masks.  If we go 1 mile over we do not need masks. Ridiculous.  LA has lots of Covid cases if you listen to the new.  OC is not reporting anything in the news.  

The open border is not helping anything.  Thousands are coming over from Mexico with Covid every day.  Thousand of these children were housed in Long Beach.  Long Beach cases rose.

  I cancelled our November cruise out of Long Beach.  This is just not the year to cruise with the rules changing all the time.  And IF you listen to Fauci, it's only going to get worse. Another variant coming soon.  Personally I think he has flip flopped so many times he's just not believable anymore. He says you now need to double mask, CDC says no.  Who do you believe any more?   So....we wait to cruise until this is all over.  If it never ends, we are done cruising. 

Here in California we are up to 525 deaths a day.  They say 1 person dies every 6 minutes.  Inside dining still shut down and outside too in LA County.  I have been working this whole time in the office, but 1/2 work from home.  We've only had a few people at work get it or off on quarantine and everyone has not had any major problems.  We don't go out much, but we do have to wear masks in the stores.

Governor Newsom almost has enough votes to be recalled.  What a joke our governor is.  No one in our family or any relatives have had it.  You watch though, Biden will magically make it go away and open everything up as soon as he is in office.  

But I'll go with that since this means my cruise coming up in May might not be cancelled.  😁

May 2021 Panorama if it's a go. Rebooked from last May.  

Read the whole report this weekend. Our May 9th on Panorama was cancelled and we rebooked for next May.  Loved that you posted all the menus and food pictures.  I have to say I did skip the Hollywood pictures.  I have lived in SoCal all my life and I've been there once and never wanted to go back.  Right now it's in shambles because of all the rioting, protesting, and looting.  Glad you got to see it before this all happened.  I did see the Weezer video and watched it.  I love them!   Hope cruising starts again soon.  Can't wait to get on a ship again.  Thanks for all your details on your report.  

We go to Baja Brewing. It's close to Medano Beach.  It's a long walk from the marina, but doable. It's on top of a hotel and overlooks the whole bay area.  Good food and beers.  We too are craft beer drinkers. So glad to hear the Panorama has a brewery on board! 

Cab is best.  Just make sure you ask to be taken to Jardin Botanico and not Vallarta Gardens. We had a miscommunication with our driver and he took us to Vallarta Gardens which is a resort in the complete opposite direction! 

The Botanico Gardens are beautiful and the onsite restaurant is delicious!  Nice hiking trails too. 

The traffic around the Malecon area was bad when we were there in November on a one ship port day. The day that had 3 in port we avoided that area and stayed at our hotel.  I could only imagine how bad a 4 ship day would be. Just think of all the extra taxis, Uber's, buses, etc.... I would allow some extra time just to be sure.  

On one cruise in February when we left LA it was in the 90's and the day we came back it was hailing. 🙂 You just never know.

So far every cruise out of LA we have had smooth sailing.  My husband does take Bonine everytime just in case. 

We just got back from a week in Puerto Vallarta. On two different days we were in vehicles (one a taxi, and one a small van) and both drivers went on the other side of the road to pass slower drivers in front of them. I just closed my eyes and prayed.  Then back home here in California, on Thanksgiving day a jeep passed two slow cars on a two lane road and he almost had a head on collision.  People need to relax and drive a little slower. 

We are 58. We agree the food is better on Princess. The comedy better on Carnival. The singers and dancers better on Princess. The steak house better on Carnival. We got bored on Princess easily. They had a lot of spa talks and nothing really appealing to us. Our 12 day Alaska on Princess they said the average age was 72 on board. No one was out and about walking or doing anything. They were all inside and there was not a lot of inside places to sit. The Alaska ports were great and that's what we went for. (and the fact our friends got married on board)

It was not a bad cruise though. I would go again. It was our 2nd Princess cruise. The 1st one was the Coastal cruise and that I would say the average age was 80.

That being said....Disney is still our favorite (and we have no small kids) Best service, restaurants, entertainment, food and last we went they allowed alcohol to be brought on board. :)

I think you may like Princess though. It is relaxing.

Shop at Caribou Crossings in Juneau. They are so nice! Authentic items/crafts, christmas ornaments, and the Ulu Knife. Easy walking distance from the port.

For Craft beer lovers you know that the ship has crap to drink as far as beer goes. A new brewery just opened in Skagway called Klondike Brewing and they have excellent beer. They are right across the street from the Red Onion Saloon and Brothel. (which is also a neat place to tour)

Then you can go to Skagway brewing for food and beer, but their beer is not nearly as good as Klondikes.

Definately do the Crab Feast in Ketchikan if you can. So good!

Do a Salmon Bake in Juneau or Skagway. Both are good and basically must be run by the same company as the food is almost exact. The one in Juneau has a nice waterfall to walk up to, but the one in Skagway has panning for gold and a neat little show. I absolutely hate salmon but the grill on this and the glaze they put on it was absolutely the best.

Skagway was our favorite port.

We had problems with T-Mobile only in Juneau.

We did the bus up and train back on Princess and I would recommend this as you see a different side of the mountains and scenery this way. Beautiful! I think it was 1-1/2 hours up and then back again.