bigtoeswim'n

My hub/I did an Hawaii helicopter ride several years ago.  He has a fear of heights, but since he was strapped in,he LOVED it.  He loves flying.  Me, I do not have a fear of heights, and to my surprise, I didn't like it much.  I didn't like only one pilot and one engine.  But we are different people.  He would get into another helicopter any time.  Me,  I would have to have a good reason.  Hope this helps. 

We are book on Carnival Sensation for early December 2021 to go to Cozumel, Mexico.  I booked independent cooking class and paid a small, refundable (I think) deposit of $32 for 2 ppl. We are to pay the balance once we meet up with our guide.  The ship's excursions we're interested in all start at 8:30 am.  Too early for us when on vaca.  So I found an 11 am start time cooking class.  We have been to Coz several times pre-covid with Carnival.  

I'm wondering about the mask thing too.  We are to take a local taxi to the local market to meet up with our guide. So, Im wondering about the mask thing then too.  We are both vaxed.  

How does one find out?? Don't want to be denied re-entry to MOB on our return.  We would be content to stay on the ship or get off and just walk around inside the port area. 

Any response would be appreciated. 

Thanks for the great embarcation review.

We leave Dec 8th and this will be about our 7th time leaving out of MOB. Did you notice if people were bringing their own water bottles on board? MOB is a small city compared with other POC, so I was wondering if they were inforcing this new rule. In the past, we carried our own bottle water, in hand, single bottles, one each, and no questions asked. Thanks. Glad you had a great cruise.

Hi!

 

I´m going on a Panama canal cruise with my mother (I´m 30, she´s 60 years old), and I would love to have your ideas and recommendations on which excursions not to miss out on. Also appreciated if you have any tips on things not to miss in the different ports.

 

Our ports of call will be:

 

Cabo San Lucas

 

Puerto Vallarta

 

Puerto Quetzal

 

Hi LRebecca: I just returned from Panama 11/25~28/2012. I was on a 3-day reposition cruise from MIA to Colon. I can only address POC for Colon.

 

My Friend Mario is a popular CC company many folks are pleased with. Locally, MFM is known as Almiza Tours. I used that company for the 3.5 days I was in Panama. In Colon, had pier pick up and did their CL007, Embera Indian Village tour. That was great. THe next day did the Highlights of Panama Miresflores Locks, Great again. Last day was Partial Canal transit, Great again. Also used Mario for transport from our hotel to PTY airport, Great again.

 

There are many other tour companies there. Colon is not a place to walk around. Very dangerous.

 

It might be helpful if you list the times you will be in each POC and what your interests are: such as history, walking, sightseeing, shopping, action activities. Also mention the time of year you will be there. There is a 9 month rainy season and it is usually hot/humid. So keep that in mind.

 

We had a fantastic time in Panama. Our focus was on the canal itself, but there is whale watching, the mountains and other things. Hope this helps in some way.

Hi Kim: Luvd Ur review too. I met U briefly on GOS in MATFROMFL's owner's suite party. The hubbie and me were sitting on the couch near the balcony. I don't believe we spoke to each other.

I read UR Med review bc the other Mat left a link on GOS M&G roll call. I agree with others that U sure have a flare for writing. Made me chuckle quite a lot. I lived in Italy (I was a WAC) in the late 70s, and I know first hand how the average Italian man on the street can be. I didn't appreciate it at the time bc I traveled (or tried to trave) solo in Italy, and I found them way too aggressive.

Anyway, I'm working on my My Friend Mario reviews of our Panama trip, so I know how much time is involved in this typing is. Thx for what you have done.

Christmas is at my door, so I concentrate on that. Plus exercise to stay limber. Happy Holidays everyone.

Yeah! I'm getting kicked off too. I can log in but when I try to explore the POC excursions, I get kicked off. So strange. I want to see about post cruise ship to airport and tours combo. Not a good feeling. This will be my first time with NCL. hmmm. Hope they fix it.

We just got off the Elation. The excellent piano player in the main area where Cust Service and Excursion desk seemed to play nonstop for the entire cruise. She was a very thin woman with a long pony tail. She seemed tireless. How could she do that. Didn't catch her name, but she put her whole mind and soul into her playing.

Congrats on your weight loss! That is great. I lost 80 lb through WW and exercise a few years ago. Unfortunately I too fell off the wagon, especially last year while my mother was sick, and gained about 30 lb back. But I'm training for a triathlon now and trying to get it off again. Why can't it be as easy to take off as it is to put on???!!!!

 

Another clothing brand that I find comfortable and that travels well is Fresh Produce. They have stores in some location and you can also order online. They have a pretty good plus size selection also. They used to have an outlet store at the outlet mall in San Marcos TX and I would visit every time we were there. (Son goes to school in San Marcos.) But unfortunately they closed that store. I find their regular prices to be just a little on the high side, but they run frequent sales and they have clearance prices too.

 

Have fun planning...to me it extends the vacation. I love it. I wish I had a trip in the works now!

 

Aloha,

 

Donna

Thanks again Donna. Now for sizes. I have a pair of Lee jeans in size 12, but recently bought a "little black dress" for a May 2011 wedding in 16W (Liz Claibourne), feel very fluffy in it, but is a great dress. (Bride 2B approves). I find sizes are sooo varied. It is my puffy tummy that is the problem. So, if I order online, guess I'll get everything in multiple sizes and return what doesn't fit. There is an outlet mall that carries big-name brand. Maybe I'll venture the long drive to get there. (Maybe 45 min OW). Having the right travel clothes is a great thing. Thanks for taking the time to post all that you did, especially the clothes. I'm glad someone asked, too. Have a great day. Power walk time.

I'm pretty sure I ordered my Jambus from Athleta. Here is link to their water shoes. Mine are the Water Divas, but I really like that Net Shoe. I'm thinking of ordering those. I normally wear a 7 but I had read reviews on the shoes that said they ran small so I ordered a 7-1/2, but they were a little too big. I just tightened the straps but a 7 would have been right. So if you normally wear an 8.5, that's what I would order. My Gap clothes I usually buy from the Gap outlet store. Gap sizes usually run true. Athleta and Title Nine sizes I find to run a little small. Athleta does have plus sizes in some things. Title Nine does have stores in some locations. Athleta is online only I believe. Another suggestion for my fluffy sisters is compression shorts from Academy. If you go in their stores they have them in different colors (black, white, navy and royal blue I think.) You can wear them under cute knit skirts or sun dresses and they will prevent the dreaded "chub rub".

 

 

Hope that helps.

 

Donna

Hi Donna: This info is great. Thanks so much. Never, ever heard of these brands. I will definately do research and make a decision. Never heard of chub rub, but I googled that and now I know. LOL. I'm really interested in the skorts. I'm fluffy, though I recently lost 40# with Weight Watchers. Sort of slipped off the wagon in 2009, but now am back on. Only 7.2# over my goal. But I tell ya, I be "fluffy." Sands of time, I guess. So, I just live in this bod and try to make the best of it.

Prepping for a trip is just as much fun as being on a trip. Thanks, thanks and thanks again for the info. Very helpful.

Forgot to say, twice now, that I'm a survivor of a POC intensive New England/Canada tour. OMG. Both Dh and I were exhausted each day. A lot of those POC had very, very steep hills once you got off ship and had to walk, near vertical IMO, up the hills to get to their centers of town. Whew!! DH and I are in reasonable cardio shape, but found ourselves worn out each day. Don't know if that was bc we were in On-cruise mode or being in late 50s is catching up with us!!!! At any rate, an Hawaiin intensive POC is daunting to us, but it is a bucket-list thing too. LOL.

I plan to take a cardboard box sign that says: Will cruise for food. and have my pic snapped in the buffet area. Saw that on the CC board. It makes a funny pic.

I saw the oreo cookie pic yesterday but don't see it now. Did you remove it? Yes it was quite blurry.

I was mistaken about the weight. I'm 7.2# overgoal. That poundage is smack at my waist, giving me that mom-of-two-sons look. UGH. Someone recently did me a big favor and sent me a pic of myself sitting in a lawn chair, and OMG I said. Back to WW, especially for the MOG dress and wedding pic coming up end of May. I'd rather walk in reality than deception.

At the early onset of my weight loss journey (2008), we took a cruise. I followed my plan to the tee, went to the gym each morning like you, took the stairs, etc and lost 2# by end of cruise. Amazing!! On the next cruise, I gained bc I was too tired to get up for gym, had 4-5 slices of bacon each morning, etc. So, I gained 2#. LOL. There are no cruises in my horizon until Sep 2011 and then Dec 2011.

I like a daily challenge that works towards a goal. IMO, the closer you get to the "goal" the harder and slower it is to loose weight.!!! I'm hungry all the time, though I eat a pretty good calorie intake, it is just low-fat and all that high-fiber passes thru quickly. So self-discipline.

I have a pretty good idea of our Hawaii excursions, just need to finalize it and make flights. I'm waiting until after May to book flights. You are right about cheap cruise tickets are off-balanced by high-priced plane tickets. I have a next-cruise credit to go to Panama, but I dunno. Might not go bc of flights.

I don't know how I found myself on Princess board. Must have clicked on it by mystake. When I saw your review, I began reading. I will check out that review you mentioned B2B on the Dream. If it is funny, then I want to chuckle , especially after paying my 2010 taxes. Have a great day decompressing.

Feeling hungry, we headed to the buffet for breakfast, second breakfast for husband. I don’t know what everyone is complaining about. I thought the food was hot and pretty good. But, the French toast, pancakes, and waffles were a bit soggy if they had been sitting out for any length of time. They had some good non fat plain yogurt (with Splenda) and the All Bran original cereal too for the fiber die hards like me (I have seen people posting that they only offer the flakes, but that was not the case here). They had a nice selection of pancakes, waffles, eggs, French toast, egg muffins, American bacon, English bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, various prepared potatoes, oatmeal, muesli, and a selection of muffins/pastries. There was wait staff that brought you drinks and complimentary OJ and coffee. Silverware is laid out on the table for you already.

 

Our usual fare. husband loved the eggs and I was partial to the super fresh pineapple:

 

 

 

 

After showering and getting ready, we took some drinks and headed to the Ukulele class at 11AM.

 

This is seriously what he looked like most of the time. Hard core liquid consumption. I was getting tired of waiting for him outside the bathroom 12 times a day! At least all of these are virgin drinks, or else he would have been comatose:

 

The class was taught by Dave the CD and was a very fun time! They provided instruments and little music books for everyone to use and taught us 4 chords and a song. We then signed up for the series of classes (every sea day until the end of the cruise). And it is all free! They were selling instruments after the practice, but I have heard you can get a cheaper one once you get to Hawaii. I have a bit of a musical background, so it came a bit easier for me (they do offer one intermediate class for those with a substantial guitar background). Husband has zero musical background, but was able to catch on quickly. I think it is something that everyone can learn and they go at a nice and slow pace, so it should be comfortable for those with no training.

 

 

 

I must compliment you, Lanie, on your food choices. I am a WeightWatchers Lifetime member, but have gotten away from the plan. Just yesterday, I went back bc I have gone 6# over my goal weight and I have an important wedding to go to in May 2011. I see you eat high-fiber and low fat. I also like how you make allowances for sweet deserts since you are cruising. LOL

I'm a die-hard RCI cheerleader and just couldn't imagine what everyone raves about with the other lines. After looking at your pic and reading your review, I now know why!! Wow.

Also, the DH and I are booked on POA with NCL for a Dec Hawaii cruise. It is sooo POC loaded. I used to think, why would anyone want that many sea days when going to HI. Now I know. If ever I get to go to HI again, I'll go with a line that has more sea days just to relax some and not get worn out. Thanks for taking the time to write the review. Just love your foodie pics.

My everyday shoes were from Jambu and they were perfect. You could wear them in the water, they had closed toes so they were great for hiking. Mine are green with teal stitching so they matched everything I had. For traveling I like clothes from Athleta, Title Nine and the Gap. Donna

Hi Donna: Question for ya. Where did you find the Jambu? Are they the all terrain shoes you mentioned? I tried to shop a few shops and did see Jambu. Did you order online? If so, how did the size run? I normally wear 8.5 American. Also, where did you buy those brand clothes you mentioned? On line or in a shop? How did those sizes run. I'm just a bit overweight, fluffy like you. Not obese. but got a tummy. Sigh. Anyhelp you can give will be appreiciated. I love the skort idea. What was the "name" of the Jambu you bought? Vegan or what. thanks.

I have one question so far. You seemed to be dressed for the occasion all the time. I know you planned your packing as carefully as everything else. Did you find that you had way more than you used or wished you had brought something else? Before restrictions, I overpacked ridiculously, but have learned to pare down pretty well. I've never cruised & have been putting together a versatile, compact cruise wardrobe on paper (using these boards of course) with a less-is-more attitude, but you've actually done it. I'd appreciate any tips in the areas of clothing, technology and anything else.

Here's my two cents on packing. I'm definately in the less-is-more catagory. For all my six cruises and travels, DH and I have a one-bag per person, that be a roll-on/carry-on size that goes in the overhead on a plane. Our travels are just one-week long usually as we are not retired.

We find this works for us and makes for such great breezy get around. DH has his security blanket attache case, maybe a bookbag. I have my fanny pack. If it can't fit inside the one suit-case, it doesn't go. Now we also do casual travel/travel. I learned to pack this way by watching Rick Steves on TV or radio. Compression magic is also great by condensing things. Rick recommends packing cubes, but I've never used them. I usually wear tennis shoes, pack one nice pair of dress shoes, and then flip-flops or slippers. Sparky clothes take up very little room.

For formal night, DH just wears a long-sleeve, button-down shirt, and a black vest and tie and dark black jeans and his black tennis shoes. Never been turned away bc he looks "formal" from the waist up. We plan to do this one-bag thing for our Dec 2011 Hawaii cruise. Though I'm tempted to cancel bc of the high-price of plane tickets from the Gulfcoast to HI!!

Hope this helps. ttyl,

Thanks so much windhunters for posting this. I, too, want to see luau but dont' want to endure long van/bus rides to and fro. DH and I will be in HNL on a Thursday this Dec 2011, so I will definately keep this in mind. This luau has good reviews on the travel sites. I'll have to see how far away this location is from my hotel. You can also check them out on youtube. Many, many thanks.

Now, to get the nerve to buy plane tickets. Yikes. Next time I see them drop below $1000, I'm pulling the trigger. Now all this earthquake stuff. Sometimes, I think of backing out. Hope this simmer down by Dec. My prays go out for the people in Japan.

Once on CCL Fantasy out of Mobile, there was a group of young ladies, early-ish 20s. For unknown reasons a few in the group kept shouting outloud, like WooHoa throughout the trip. We had this group next to us at muster. Though the one beautie didn't look drunk, she was loud. My Dh said she had to have been drinking. She was taking endless pics of everything and shouting the whole time. I didn't bother me, was amusing. I ended up standing right next to her. SHe kept shouting, Hey missy, I see you. or smg like that. The object of her gaze didn't acknowledge her, so I think her companion was embarrassed.

I started pointing out things for her to snap a pic at and she did. I was tempted to ask her if she wanted me to take a pic of her and then pretend to dump her camera overboard, but I didn't.

All around us, kept enduring. The crew must see this sort of thing every now and then. It was amusing to me.

All throughout the 4day cruise, she and her friends were always shouting, like a fog horn. While waiting for the elevator, in the elevators, walking whereever they went. Whoo Hoooo. In the glass elevator, her "friends" kept lifting up her skirt to expose her fanny. She didn't seem to care at all. Watching the elevator go up and seeing the skirt thing was funny, but I didn't smile. I just wondered if that was a group of the 'crazies" I see mentioned on some threads. I dunno.

Never saw that sort of thing before or after this crew. I didn't have to spend too much time around them at all, so what did I care. No one else seemed to notice either. LOL.

Well, off break now and back to work-to-cruise.

Donna: Thanks so much for your exhausting review. My heart and prayers go out to you. I lost my dad several years ago, and it took over a year to get over that. He suffered so. What a strain on the extended family. That extended family came apart at the seams, which is what I thought would happen and did happen. So, it was two great sorrows together. I didn't know grief before my dad's passing. But Time does heal all wounds. If you find yourself in a deep funk over this, please talk to your doc. There are meds that help during situational depression. Maybe I should have gone that route. For me, I turned to my Lord and God.

Such is life. This life cycle thing is the pits. Onward we must go, though.

Thanks again for channeling your energy into the Hawaii postings. Many appreciate it. Have a nice day.

ABC stores are a set of chain stores in Hawaii that sell Hawaiian merchandise.

 

http://www.abcstores.com/

Glad you cleared that up. In my neck of the woods ABC stores is the only place you can buy hard liquor. Same where I grew up in Pennsylvania. LOL image the confusion. LOL. Can't imagine beach items such as mats being on the shelves there next to Jim Beam, rum, vodka. LOL

Stupid question here but how do you get a taxi to return from Nachi to the ship... Do you arrange that with the driver who took you there or do you have Nachi arrange that for you or what.

Fun4all: That is a nice and very interesting picture. Maybe post this pic and request on the Key West forum or the forum that has Key West postings!!??

All4Fun: Thx for the photobucket info. I often wondered how those things worked. I didn't know there was a monthly charge, but I guess folks don't mind that if you want to share pics to someone who enjoys looking at them. I find most folks in my circle of friends, are not interested in my travel photos. Like a grandparent pulling out this string of pic of the latest new grandchild. Yawn!! So, an online photo program would be nice.

Is the process of uploading videos the same??? I have some awesome Alaskan Eagle Preserve rafting trip video I'd love to somehow get to this Argentina guy we met. He's in the video. I'm clueless in Alabama on uploading video. Well, powerwalk time.

Have a nice day.

All4Fun: Lookie at me: copy/pasted a pic of the excursion in Cozumel. On the Cozumel POC board this excursion has good reviews. First course one poster said was a margarita. LOL. Sounds like our kind of first course fun.

Mexican Cuisine Cooking & Tasting

Description : Have a great time while learning the secrets of Mexican cooking by preparing a full course meal. Duration: 5 Hours.

This will be our third time to Cozumel. We did the ship's Highlights of Cozumel last time and liked that very well. There is a competitor cooking class on the island (private and cheaper), but you have to catch a taxi to and fro on your own (not hard to do) and remember to get yourself back in time. From what I read, there is unlimited drinks, so I don't wanna be responsible for clock watching and miss the ship. There is a difference, too, on food prep. Private excursion you cut up your own veggies and whatever. On CCL, the ingredients are precut for you, but you get to cook yourself (after instruction of course.) Now that DH and I are empty nesters, we have been having a quiet, sometimes aggressive, competition on who can cook better. LOL Hats down, DH does, but I wanna win some day. I mostly have been cooking stove-top and lasagne when the kids lived here.

So, anyway, DH doesn't like water stuff too much as he wants out of the heat. This excursion is indoor/air cond. Also, the beach is right outside the cooking place, from what I read. Sooo, being Foodies, we're signed up. This excursion is limited to about 15, like that too, to avoid cattle-car feeling. Hope this helps.

All4fun: Thx again, for the swift reply. Maybe Farewell Party was advertised by DH and I were too tired or in the Blue zone (sad to see cruise over) to attend. Now that I know there is free booze, then shoot Yeah, we'll be there!!! for sure.

I check my profile/account on CCL. The Holiday is listed on my cruise hx as 4-day (which it was). The Fantasy is listed as 5-days bc we got fogged out of the Mobile port and ended up spending and additional day on that ship. It was suppose to be a 4-day cruise. Lots of unhappy campers on that ship. missed flights, probably AWOL military and the like. For us, it was an inconvenience but not major. We ate like pigs at the trough at the captain's direction. Those poor folks waiting at the terminal had to get hotels for the night... Hate to be the crew that received dem folks.

Back to the subject at hand of past-cruise welcome aboard party (PCWAP)... In reading the "eligibility" factor of PCWAP, you have had to been on a 5-day cruise prior to be invited. Were you on a past 5-day cruise??? In any case, being now that we have an official 5-day cruise on our hx, perhaps, we will be invited to the Elation's PCWAP!!! Can only hope.

I booked DH and me on the Mexican food tasting/cooking class via ship for its seamless-ness.

So agree with you that this board is so helpful. Thx for the dialogue. Powerwalk time now as I spent most of this morning on this board. LOL

Hey all4fun: I just read that CCL has a farewell party that they don't advertise. We missed that too. Free drinks at this event. Held around 5 pm. You have to "ask around" for location bc it is not advertised. Hmm Again something for me to keep my peepers opened about.

As a side note, DH and I did the Behind the Fun tour on the Fantasy and enjoyed that very much. It, too, wasn't advertised. I learned about it on these boards. It is advertised at the excursion desk. I loved the almond cookies and chocolate covered strawberries that were in our room at the end. Those cookies were to die for!!! We were given two, yes two, larege photos of the same pic of our tour with the captain in the place where he steers the ship (can't think of that name). I think we were suppose to get two different pics.... All in all we loved our cruise.

All4fun: Well, thx for enlightening me about The Holiday (4-day) and being decommissioned from CCL... I will look into this. I have my S&S card from 12/13/2007 right here on my desk. I was saving it to one day use hot glue and make a frig magnet. (I'm also a junky slob with a procrasination problem LOL). I'll have to check my account status and see if The Holiday shows up. We like to do a shortie 4-day cruise and then one longer 7-day. So with CCL, it is a shortie out of Mobile. This CC board is so helpful. btw: I wanted to say I like your pic composition with you and boyfriend standing next to signs. Especially like that photo of those heads of statues on a flatbed truck. Good eye. Just love and addicted to cruising.