Live from the Splendor: Sunday, Dec 13th - Sunday, Dec 20th; PV, Mazatlan, and Cabo.

[Wanna_Cruize]

Well, it's 9am, where is the world is Carnival Splendor?? Still in Puerto Vallarta, still tied up to the dock, still working on the repairs that are 'taking a little longer than anticipated'. New plan is to stay here in Puerto Vallarta until 3:30 and then proceed directly to Cabo. So good-by Mazatlan - no charm from DI for YOU!!

[mathgeek1978]

QUOTE:

December 17, 2009

Dear Guests,

I hope you are enjoying your cruise on the Carnival Splendor.

I want to update you on the repairs we have been making to the stern section of the ship. Although we were scheduled to set sail yesterday evening, the repairs are taking longer than anticipated. Consequently, we will stay in Puerto Vallarta until 3:30PM today and proceed directly to Cabo San Lucas where we will arrive tomorrow, as scheduled.

We apologize for having to cancel our call on Mazatlan and will post a $20 per person credit on your Sail and Sign account reflecting a refund of the government fees and taxes.

Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful port and we hope you will enjoy the extra time ashore. Please be advised that all Mazatlan shore excursions you may have purchased will be automatically refunded.

Please be back on board no later than 3:00PM.

Thank you for your understanding. My officers, staff, and crew are delighted to ensuring that you have a fun and memorable vacation.

Sincerely,

Captain Giorgio Pagano

UNQUOTE

[babies12]

Well, the Mariner will be there today, let's hope she doesn't run into her LOL!

[F22Smitty]

This doesn't look to good.

 

FROM WANNA CRUIZE POST:

Live aboard the Splendor, which has had yet another collision in Mexico - this time with a pier jetty - We're sitting here for a second day in Puerto Vallarta, because the repairs are 'taking a little longer than anticipated'. We decided to see what Splendor had hit - see links below, since the photos are too large:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/WannaCru...40010219435010

 

We're off to see if we can get photos of the damage to Splendor, since a picture is worth a thousand words.

[luv2cruise777l]

Wednesday, Dec 16th

 

Puerto Vallarta

 

 

 

Mismaloya City Tour

 

The brochure said: “A must for first time visitors to Puerto Vallarta.” I said: “Not really.” It was a good tour – but definitely not a must.

 

We did get to see everything promised in the brochure: The Cathedral, Downtown, Gringo Gulch, Mismaloya, etc. But it was more like a shopping tour than a sight-seeing tour. We were given enough time to explore the Cathedral, which was our first stop, and was probably the highlight of our tour.

 

The rest of the tour was mostly about shopping, and we were taken to several pre-selected stores. We were not given enough time to explore the scenic shoreline areas where there were many monuments and sculptures. I was a little disappointed that I only had time to shoot a few minutes of videos. This is our first time here so we didn’t know the area. The next time we would probably take a cab downtown and explore the area ourselves.

 

At 1:25AM ship time, we are still docked in PV…

 

It looks like you are given a second chance to explore PV! Not many of us are given this chance so soon!;):)

 

Looking forward to hearing what you did today. This is the port I am confused about what to do while we are there in March.

 

Loving the "live" review!

[ABcruisers]

What's the mood on the ship? I'd be a bit annoyed, to be perfectly honest, but I'd still like to think I'd also make the best of the beautiful sunny day in PV.

[mathgeek1978]

What's the mood on the ship? I'd be a bit annoyed, to be perfectly honest, but I'd still like to think I'd also make the best of the beautiful sunny day in PV.

The mood is generally vibrant -- I just ran into a couple at the buffet and they were in a hurry to grab something for the kids so they can get off the ship. I was chatting with another couple in the elevator and they just booked another excursion.

 

AT 10:30AM ship time, the line at the gangway was about 20 - 30 people long, and the mood was good. No complaints were heard, and most people look excited.

 

Personally, I am excited too since one day is way to short for PV. And the weather is absolutely gorgeous! If you have been following my review, you would have read that I was disappointed that there were not enough time yesterday to visit the monuments and sculptures at the shoreline. Well, this is exactly where we are heading to right now!

 

Later this evening:

 

Past Guest Party

 

Comedy Show

 

More updates to follow soon...

[mathgeek1978]

 

It looks like you are given a second chance to explore PV! Not many of us are given this chance so soon!;):)

 

Looking forward to hearing what you did today. This is the port I am confused about what to do while we are there in March.

 

Loving the "live" review!

 

 

Yes, exactly!

[Cindy]

Just my opinion, but when I was on the Splendor this summer I liked Mazatlan the least of the three ports. The area where the ship docks is very industrial, and you have to travel quite a distance to get to the beaches and places where excursions depart. If you have to unexpectedly be in a port for 2 days, I think both Puerto Vallarta and Cabo offer many more things to do than Mazatlan.

[Drew B]

I liked Mazatlan best, but that was because of the excursion I chose to do. All of these places are worth visiting, and it's really just a matter of planning...

[Kurbanfan]

Just my opinion, but when I was on the Splendor this summer I liked Mazatlan the least of the three ports. The area where the ship docks is very industrial, and you have to travel quite a distance to get to the beaches and places where excursions depart. If you have to unexpectedly be in a port for 2 days, I think both Puerto Vallarta and Cabo offer many more things to do than Mazatlan.

 

Stone Island is not far from the port in Mazatlan.......we walked and took a water taxi over.......

But I agree..........I would have loved to be stuck in Puerta Vallarta for 2 days:D Especially down on the South end......beautiful!

[slabeaume]

I presume you went to the malecon today? We took a taxi there last week and had a blast wandering along the shore and hitting a few shops, not to mention Hard Rock Cafe. Last time we were in PV we did the "not to be missed tour", too, and were a bit disappointed in the shopping stops, too. I wasn't too impressed with Mazatlan last year, but will admit that I had a good time there last week. Hope you guys make it to Cabo.

[mathgeek1978]

Thursday, Dec. 17th.

Puerto Vallarta, Day 2

I was disappointed about the tour yesterday that we didn’t have time to explore the beautiful shoreline, known as the Broadwalk. We couldn’t wait to visit PV again, and next time, we won’t bother taking any city tours, but we’ll simply take a taxi downtown and explore the scenic Broadwalk ourselves.

Throughout my life I have been given many second chances, but never this fast. Well, the next time that I would visit PV happened to be today, for reasons that you already know from the posts above.

If you have never been to PV and you are interested in exploring the absolutely gorgeous Broadwalk leisurely yourself without purchasing an excursion (I don’t think any excursions would even give you enough time to do this), the next section is for you.

The Broadwalk

Taxi to Downtown cost $3 per person, and today, the cab driver wouldn’t leave until the cab was full with 6 passengers. So we had to wait about 5 – 10 minutes until 2 more couples showed up.

We asked the cab driver to take us to the Broadwalk (the other 2 couples simply wanted to go Downtown with no specific place in mind). We were dropped off at the beginning of the walk, near Senor Frog. The right hand side to the Broadwalk was the shoreline and the beach. This was where we found many beautiful and creative sculptures and displays.

We took our time to explore the scenic Broadwalk, waking at a leisurely pace and taking the time to study and appreciate each artistic piece of work. The sculptures were mostly bronze and many of them had historical or cultural significance. I took plenty of pictures and videos which I will post when we return.

One thing we wouldn’t miss was the sand sculptures, which were created right in front of our eyes. I could not describe with words what they were like so you’ll just have to wait for my video review when we return.

The other side of the Broadwalk were mostly shops and restaurants. You can find anything from a small local Mexican restaurant, to a large scale bar and restaurant type, to a McDonalds or even the Hard Rock Café. There were numerous souvenir shops and good deals were abundant. We bought 3 nice dolphin T-shirts for $9.

The walk was gorgeous, relaxing, and refreshing. And you go at your own pace – you could spend an hour or an entire day there.

At the end of our walk, we appreciated the beauty, history and culture of PV a lot more than just a day ago. And we didn’t miss Mazatlan…

Vroom

Tonight’s originally scheduled comedy has been replaced by the mega-production musical “Vroom”, which was primarily Motown and Rock N Roll music.

It came complete with extravagant costumes and high-energy choreography along with laser light show and special effects. As expected, it featured music by The Beatles, Elvis, among many others.

Again, just like the last 2 performances, female lead vocalist Ling Ling outshined male lead vocalist Brent Thiessen, whose rendition of Elton John was mediocre at best. Granted, very few people on Earth could duplicate an Elton John performance; Brent’s vocal capabilities appeared particularly weak.

Ling Ling, on the other hand, gave a brilliant performance of “Listen to Your Heart” and hit all the high notes with confidence and precision. Overall, her performance was outstanding.

Other crowd pleasers include the all time favorite “YMCA” which brought the crowd to their feet. The finale was powerful and climatic and brought the crowd to their feet again. It was a rendition of Queen’s three biggest hits: Bohemian Rhapsody, We’ll Rock you, and…, you probably guessed it… We are the Champion.

The crowd was at their feet again at the end of the show and gave the cast a one-minute standing ovation. You definitely would not want to miss this one!

Tomorrow: Cabo San Lucas and the Land’s End Boat Tour.

[nirvanabound]

The other incident that happened was caused by one of the tugboats accidentally causing the Splendor to bump another ship. It was not caused by the Splendor or the other ship. My brother was on that cruise and saw it happen, he even made a video of it and I have seen that to.

 

Hi Chacooe:

I didn't know that there was a tugboat involved in the first Splendor incident. Was the ship using a tug to turn in the harbor?

 

nirvanabound:)

[mathgeek1978]

I presume you went to the malecon today? We took a taxi there last week and had a blast wandering along the shore and hitting a few shops, not to mention Hard Rock Cafe. Last time we were in PV we did the "not to be missed tour", too, and were a bit disappointed in the shopping stops, too. I wasn't too impressed with Mazatlan last year, but will admit that I had a good time there last week. Hope you guys make it to Cabo.

Yes, we did. In fact we arrived early and tendering started around 7:15AM. We just finished the Land End´s boat tour and it was awesome. More to report later.

 

Up next tonight:

 

The second Cruise Elegant Night

 

A jugging comedy show

[mathgeek1978]

Internet Cafe in Cabo:

 

We just found out that the internet cafe inside the terminal services building has closed. But if you go to the downtown area, near Starbucks, there´s a Theory Cafe that has 2 computers with WiFi that you can use for free if you buy a drink. There´s where I am now.

 

More to come later tonight...

[ccruisequeen]

Hey everyone! This is my first report. I will first talk about embarkation.

Embarkation

It can be summarized in 2 words: Organized and efficient. We arrived the terminal around 12:45PM and saw literally hundreds of people. We thought it’s gonna take forever. Not!

The entrance into the terminal (which is the ex-Spruce Goose) was split into multiple lines with ushers everywhere to direct people to the appropriate lines. We were asked our cabin number, and were directed to a certain line. There were NO zones.

No Zones because you arrived after noon. Zones are for the early check-ins (who do it at the QM)

[Kurbanfan]

Yes, we did. In fact we arrived early and tendering started around 7:15AM. We just finished the Land End´s boat tour and it was awesome. More to report later.

 

Up next tonight:

 

The second Cruise Elegant Night

 

A jugging comedy show

 

Ask the Captain why he is parked backwards:D

[True North 23]

Mathgeek - The Land's End through Carnival if only offered (online) at 9:15. We are booked on the submarine excursion at that time. Did you notice any other operators offering a "Land's End" tour when you got off the tender at the dock?

 

I am loving your review.

[shakwurst]

Is there a fish and chips station on this boat?

[kenrod]

mathgeek1978

I am really enjoying your live review of the Carnival Splendor and the ports.

 

Too bad about the incident in Puerto Vallarta, but it is a nice city to get stuck in. I have never cruised to PV, but have vacationed there.

 

Thanks for being our eyes and ears in the sunny south for those of us who are somewhat miserable in the cold north.

[MarkRosenthal]

Is there a fish and chips station on this boat?

 

No sorry, not on the Splendor.

[mowdoc]

If you can remember - - - - what was the weather like at the deck party on Tuesday night?? Did yopu need a sweater of was it warm out??

 

Thanks

mowdoc

[mdepsmom]

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the whole ship time vs. port time thing. :o We are on the Splendor in March, and I was really hoping to book (independently, since Carnival doesn't offer it as an excursion) the pirate ship in PV which, according to their website, departs at 8am PV time. What time does the ship dock in PV -- in PV time? Is it before 8am PV time? I'd hate to spend the $ and book it and miss the excursion but if I'm reading your prior post correctly, it sounds like it docked at 7:40 a.m. PV time.

 

TIA.

[crzndeb]

PV time is one hour ahead of ship time....if you are looking at independent tours, they are using their own time, which is PV time....any official Carnival websites (arrivals and departures, excursions) are SHIP time. If the Pirate ship is says it leaves at 0800, then that is 0700 ship time and you will not be docked yet. I was on the Splendor in Oct. and we docked about 0730 (ship time), but it takes about 1/2 hour before you can get off the ship.

 

You may want to email them...if the Splendor is the only cruise ship in port, they may delay their departure.