Another Splendor - 01/10/10 Review

[stay_or_go]

Wednesday January 13th : Puerto Vallarta

 

 

 

 

 

I awoke as we were coming into port and sat on the balcony watching the docking and preparing to abandon ship if necessary ;-0

 

We were not really worried with the series of unfortunate incidents the Spendor had been experiencing lately, but we did breathe a sigh of relief when she was resting comfortably at the dock!

 

 

Docked without Incident!

 

 

 

 

Next door Neighbour: The Osterdam

 

 

 

 

After the usual routine of getting 4 people dressed, ready, fed and out the door, we left the ship and took one of the group taix's to the malecon for some site seeing prior to our independent excursion.

 

 

The group taxis are vans that are filled to capacity to take you to the shopping area and cost $3.00US each. They dropped you off at the start of the malecon area which you could walk along the shops or along the promenade.

 

We choose to walk along the promenade looking at the statues, artwork and sand castles. The sand art was some of the finest I have ever seen and the artwork was interesting as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We finally ended up at the resort area, where the resorts have leased the beach to make the beaches private. We stopped at one of the restaurants fronting the beach for some drinks and some chips.

 

 

 

As soon as we sat down, the vendors started swarming like sharks during a feeding frenzy. You could not really go more than 1 minute without a new vendor coming along and asking you if you were interested in what they were selling. A simple no and no thankyou was all it took to send them on their way.

 

After paying for the drinks and the chips, we walked the length of the promenade again back to the taxi stand and caught a taxi to the excursion.

 

 

The excursion was located on the other side of the ship, about 5 min the other way, so the taxi to the excursion was $15.00.

 

So at this point, we are at $12.00 in taxi fare to the malecon and $15.00 in taxi fare to the excursion.

 

The excursion we chose to do was the GREEN ZEBRA OFF-ROAD TOUR!

[stay_or_go]

Wednesday January 13th : Puerto Vallarta Green Zebra Off Road Tour!

 

We were looking for something a little different in PV as we were not sure how warm it would be and how warm the water would be for water based activities.

 

The website advertises the tour as follows (my emphasis added where necessary):

After a short drive out of downtown

(hello, rush hour, Mexico, traffic???????)

, the real adventure will commence as you wind your way up

(at mach 1.5 with dust greater than the great depression)

into the Sierra Madre

(a mountain range for God's sake)

, making exciting climbs

(make that launch velocity)

and daring descents

(g force suit needed)

, passing over small seasonal creeks and rivers

(can't go over it comes to mind)

, through the subtropical rain forest

(think Indiana Jones)

and culminating at panoramic viewpoints

(i.e., the top of the frickin mountain)

of Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay beyond.

 

We'll make a stop at Rancho Las Vegas

(how appropriate as the odds of survival are less than you would get in the real Vegas)

, an authentic Mexican rancho

(i.e. tequila farm)

, where you can enjoy a nice lunch, relax in hammocks, or explore the river

(and drink your face off while we try and sell you tequila)

. After this enjoyable break, the excursion heads back off-road with more challenging jungle treks

(as if the way there was not challenging enough)

and seasonal river crossings

(seasonal river dunkings more like it)

, until reaching the end of our journey

(filthy, exhausted and loving every minute of it actually!)

.

In all seriousness, the trip was great, everyone had a wonderful time even though it got a little frightful at times when you were going up and down the mountain at fast rates of speed with little or no visibility.

 

But it is not for the faint of heart, as you could not see very well due to the dust and the tour was off road, seriously off road.

 

The green zebra cars were fantastic to drive and a lot of fun on the sections where you could open them up and not worry about driving off the side of the mountain. Even when you were on the side of the mountain you could open them up and do some pretty wicked turns.

 

The guide Jose was great and explained everything well and made sure everyone was driving according to their own ability. If drivers were not keeping up, he would slow the pace and if everyone was doing well, he would open the throttle and the pace would quicken.

 

All in all it was a fabulous tour and well worth the price. If you are looking for a little excitement, give it a try, but remember, it is not for the faint of heart and you will get dirty, really dirty.

 

If you like adventure, this is your tour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting back on the ship, we were absolutely filthy, everything we had including our backpack was completely covered in dirt and dust. It took a couple of days to get all of the dirt out of my lungs I think and we used the $15.00 laundry special to get everything clean. Sure jeans can be considered sportswear!

 

Oh, and the taxi back to the ship that was only 5 min away, $20.00 (more than the other two for a much shorter ride - go figure).

[newbieMom]

JEFF!!! I'm LOVING this review! We're on Splendor in May and this review is making me even more excited (food porn included! LOL!) And I love your pictures.....what camera did you take? Not that the camera is what makes a picture great, that I know for sure, but wondering what you felt comfortable taking on and off the ship;)

[stay_or_go]

JEFF!!! I'm LOVING this review! We're on Splendor in May and this review is making me even more excited (food porn included! LOL!) And I love your pictures.....what camera did you take? Not that the camera is what makes a picture great, that I know for sure, but wondering what you felt comfortable taking on and off the ship;)

 

Thanks for the kind words. I left all of my professional camera equipment at home and just took a Nikon point and shoot as it was supposed to be a vacation.

 

I had no trouble taking the point and shoot off the boat and since we were doing no excursions where stuff would be left behind while we went into the water, I never had to worry about it going missing. Depending on what you are doing ashore, I would not worry about taking your camera with you.

 

You will have a great time in May!

[stay_or_go]

Wednesday January 13th : Puerto Vallarta

 

Dinner Time:

 

 

Pre Dinner Sunset:

 

 

 

 

Pasta Starter:

 

 

 

 

Chicken Tender Starter:

 

 

 

 

Chicken Noodle Soup Starter:

 

 

 

Fresh Snapper:

 

 

 

 

Filet:

 

 

[stay_or_go]

Wednesday January 13th : Puerto Vallarta

 

Dinner Time (continued):

 

 

Tom Turkey:

 

 

 

 

 

Entertainment:

 

 

 

 

Entertainment:

 

 

 

 

 

Some kind of Chocolate Cake:

 

 

 

 

After dinner we did the usual wandering around and checking out the various bars. We did not attend the PV Mexican Dancer show as Jayne went to bed early and I hit the Craps Table.

 

As soon as we started to head North from PV, we were heading into the swells and the ship started to rock and bounce quite a bit. Jayne seems to think that the Splendor moved a lot more than the Legend or the Glory, and she might be right. Even in relatively calm seas, it was great going with the swells, but as soon as she turned into the sweels, it started to move. Has anyone else noticed increased movement on the Splendor as opposed to other ships of similar size?

 

Next up : Mazatlan and Randi's Happy Horses

 

(not Randy from Iowa, but Randi from Mazatlan!)

[ScottsSweetie]

Thanks for taking the time and effort to write up such a detailed review. Leaving in one week for California - getting on the Splendor on 1/31. Can't wait!

[blissisme]

thanks for this great review! the pictures are wonderful! we sail in 44 days on the splendor! can't wait!!

[remharri]

Awesome review and photos. I'm curious as to what kind of camera you have as well, we will be on her in May. The excursion, did you book that through Carnival or on your own?

[stay_or_go]

Thanks again everyone for the kind words and ask if you have any questions on anything that I have or have not covered.

 

The camera used during the cruise was a Nikon Coolpix P80 which is a simple 10 megapixel point and shoot. I left all of my pro gear at home because it is too heavy for horseback riding, dune buggies and whale watching.

 

All of our excursions were booked privately as you get to do something a little different and something a little cheaper. We do research them entirely and read every review we can before we settle on an excursion. The horror stories you hear about people missing the ship and about accidents do happen, but if you do a little research before hand, you can cut down your risk.

 

 

 

 

Thursday January 14th : Mazatlan

 

 

 

We awoke again to a beautiful morning with bright sunshine and calm seas as we were pulling into Mazatlan. The night before was a little rough as the ship moved quite a bit in the swells as we headed north out of PV.

 

The view as we docked:

 

 

 

New Neighbours : The Radiance of the Seas

 

 

 

We had to meet Randi at 9:00 so we left the ship about 8:30 and caught the trolley to the main building. After fighting off the time share sales people, we met Randi on the other side of the terminal and waited for everyone who would be joining us.

 

Once everyone was assembled we were loaded up into truck taxis and taken to the water taxi port which is actually the fish market. There are two, one to the left of the port and one to the right of the port a little further down. I asked why we were not taking the one to the left as we exited the port but Randi said is was a little less reliable than the one to the right.

 

Pelicans waiting for some treats from the fish cleaning stations:

 

 

 

A little while later we boarded the boats to cross over to Stone Island and again boarded some truck taxis for travel to the stables. When we arrived at the stables, we left our bags and were paired up with a horse that would be perfect for our riding ability (0) and our size (me large and heavy).

 

 

 

 

The horses were good mannered (except for Jonathan's which was a little lazy and a little cantankerous) and they were all well fed and appeared to be well taken care of. The guides were friendly and helpful and when everyone in the group was all set, we were ready to go.

 

 

[stay_or_go]

Thursday January 14th : Mazatlan (continued...)

 

We set off through the forest near the stables and made our way to the beach where we rode for most of the entire trip. We rode about 45 min down the beach and then about 45 back the other way after everyone posed for pictures.

 

 

 

 

The horses loved to gallop which was fun for the horse and fun for most of me except for my backside. By the time we stopped at Victors, I was ready to get my butt out of the saddle. I don't think I could have ridden anymore after that and my legs, backside (oh heck, my whole body hurt for the next two days). I certainly used the elevators a lot more often after this excursion.

 

 

 

We dismounted the horses near Victors and Lettis (spelling?) and met back with Randi at Victors for lunch and drinks. Jayne had the peel and eat shrimp (of which there were a huge amount) and Jonathan and I had the soft tacos.

 

 

 

 

After lunch we had about 1/2 hour to play around in the ocean before heading back into the truck taxis back to the ship for some shopping and some drinks. Melanie found about 4 dried starfish on the beach and we found a few live ones in the ocean. Jonathan ended up getting stung by some kind of jelly fish on both legs but according to the locals it was not poisonous only a little painful. Within a couple of hours he was fine.

 

 

 

 

After saying our goodbyes to Randi and her partner, we hit the shopping areas and the bar for some drinks.

 

 

 

 

Our shopping consists of fridge magnets, t-shirts and shot glasses so you wont see any references to tanzanite, diamonds, gold or anything like that. There were good bargains in all of the ports and don't forget to bargain. If they say 15, offer 10, if they say 25, offer 2 for $35 and so on and so on.

 

Once we were back on board we got ready for dinner as we watched the ROS depart. I love the shadow in this picture and glad it was the only contact between the two ships!

 

[stay_or_go]

Thursday January 14th : Mazatlan (continued...)

 

Following dinner, we went to the Spectacular Spectacular for the comedy night. The first performer was Tyler Linkin who was a comedian / juggler and very entertaining.

 

The second comedian was Russ Nagel and except for the hat joke, he was pretty funny. We went to his R Rated show later in the week and it was worth getting to the lounge early to get a seat.

 

 

The did some tributes to Michael Jackson that night, but we were in the show lounge and not on deck watching "this is it" so we missed it.

 

 

Dinner Pictures:

 

Thai Beef Starter:

 

 

 

 

Beef Stroganoff:

 

 

 

 

Rack of Lamb:

 

All the rest of the dinner, you have seen before.

Towel Animal :

 

Next Up : Cabo San Lucas and the Pez Gato Whale Watching

[wizard-of-roz]

Great review, along with the pictures. We were on the same cruise with you. We were the folks with the big, black lab.

 

We, like you, enjoyed the cruise and look forward to doing it again. We liked the Cruise Director and found her to be one of the most congenial we had seen on a cruise ship. Sometimes the Cruise Director can make or break the cruise.

 

We enjoyed the entertainment and also found them to be a bit "stiff" at times! We loved the comedian; he was refreshing and had us laughing our sides off! The juggler was also very good.

 

You guys really took part in most activities. Way-to-go in enjoying family activities and creating memories with your kids.

 

Amazing how our week was right before the horrible weather that L.A. has endured. Lucky!

 

I look forward to reading more......

[stay_or_go]

Amazing how our week was right before the horrible weather that L.A. has endured. Lucky!

I look forward to reading more......

 

Thanks! No kidding on the weather, I have some pictures of us getting soaked following the cruise, but for the cruise we had perfect weather! :)

[Drew B]

How did you like Randi? I loved her when I took that excursion back in September, but a few people found her a bit too, um, outspoken in her opinions on current American politics...

[stay_or_go]

How did you like Randi? I loved her when I took that excursion back in September, but a few people found her a bit too, um, outspoken in her opinions on current American politics...

 

Drew, being from the great white north, the conversations never turned to politics at all. We talked about Mexico and horses with Randi and that was about it. She was quite entertaining and would recommend the tour to anyone.

[wizard-of-roz]

Thanks! No kidding on the weather, I have some pictures of us getting soaked following the cruise, but for the cruise we had perfect weather! :)

 

We sure did! However, this week in L.A. looks more like Niagra Falls!

 

Please let us hear and see more about your trip.

[luv2cruise391]

I HAVE BEEN ANXIOUSLY READING YOUR POSTS ON THE SPLENDOR - WE WILL BE SAILING ON HER THE 31ST OF THIS MONTH AND CANNOT WAIT!

 

By chance do you remember seeing Hotel Maya - we are staying there the night before the cruise? It is supposed to be near the pier and the QM in Long Beach.

 

What time do you recommend getting to the ship? We are Platinum so we'll have VIP check in. we like to ge ton as early as we can usually.

 

And also, we havea party of 6 with a 12:35 pm flight out of LAX. should we prereserve through Prime Time Shuttle or Super Shuttle? Any experience from anyone on this? We are hoping we don't HAVE to get off the ship till about 9or 9:30 AM - ANY CHANCE OF THAT????

 

I hate the LAST MORNING! I would really prefer to sleep till 8 atleast instead of being herded off so early.

 

Thank you for this wonderful review!

Debbie in MS

[stay_or_go]

I HAVE BEEN ANXIOUSLY READING YOUR POSTS ON THE SPLENDOR - WE WILL BE SAILING ON HER THE 31ST OF THIS MONTH AND CANNOT WAIT!

 

By chance do you remember seeing Hotel Maya - we are staying there the night before the cruise? It is supposed to be near the pier and the QM in Long Beach.

 

What time do you recommend getting to the ship? We are Platinum so we'll have VIP check in. we like to ge ton as early as we can usually.

 

And also, we havea party of 6 with a 12:35 pm flight out of LAX. should we prereserve through Prime Time Shuttle or Super Shuttle? Any experience from anyone on this? We are hoping we don't HAVE to get off the ship till about 9or 9:30 AM - ANY CHANCE OF THAT????

 

I hate the LAST MORNING! I would really prefer to sleep till 8 atleast instead of being herded off so early.

 

Thank you for this wonderful review!

Debbie in MS

 

Debbie,

 

I don't remember seeing any hotels near the port, but if it is near, then it should be a quick ride to the port in a taxi.

 

We got to the port at 11:30 and waited in line for less than 10 min to register and we were in zone 4. If you get there at about the same time the lines are fine. They started boarding about 12:30 and we were on the ship at 1:05 or so.

 

When we started to board the ship, the line to register was huge and stretched quite a ways so it is a matter of luck and how early everyone else gets there.

 

We got off the ship and were sitting in the shuttle at 9:05 which would be fine for your flight. We were on deck 8 and they called self-assist 9,10, 11 at 7:30, Deck 2 at 7:45 and Deck 8 at 8:00. It took us about 1 hour to get into the prime time shuttle from the time they called us because the elevators were clogged and the escalator in the terminal was broken. They really need to have staff manning the elevators during disembarkation but that is another story.

 

I would suggest for a 12:30 flight that you would be to LAX by 10:30 or 11:00 at the absolute latest which means you should be off the boat by 9:30 or 10:00. You should be able to sleep in, but only if you do self-assist.

 

When we were exiting the terminal, they only had a few of the luggage racks from some of the early zones unloaded in the terminal. We were zone 34 and we would have been on the ship forever if we did not do self assist.

 

Since you are VIP, your mileage may varry.

[Darlipoo]

I love your review and pix. I board Sunday and can hardly wait. Two questions: does each cabin really have hair dryers and did you see or read about ANY country dancing at all?Either in one of the nightspots or any of the dance lessons?

[CRUISING71]

I HAVE BEEN ANXIOUSLY READING YOUR POSTS ON THE SPLENDOR - WE WILL BE SAILING ON HER THE 31ST OF THIS MONTH AND CANNOT WAIT!

 

By chance do you remember seeing Hotel Maya - we are staying there the night before the cruise? It is supposed to be near the pier and the QM in Long Beach.

 

What time do you recommend getting to the ship? We are Platinum so we'll have VIP check in. we like to ge ton as early as we can usually.

 

And also, we havea party of 6 with a 12:35 pm flight out of LAX. should we prereserve through Prime Time Shuttle or Super Shuttle? Any experience from anyone on this? We are hoping we don't HAVE to get off the ship till about 9or 9:30 AM - ANY CHANCE OF THAT????

 

I hate the LAST MORNING! I would really prefer to sleep till 8 atleast instead of being herded off so early.

 

Thank you for this wonderful review!

Debbie in MS

 

Debbie,

 

The Maya hotel is very close to the pier. It is a 10 to 15 minutes walk. Don't know how much luggage you have?! If not you can take a taxi. Very very Close. As for Shuttle to LAX airport, as you leave the ship, walk over to where the drop/pick up are, there are a couple of guys standing there working for Super Shuttle, Primier Shuttle..they can arrange for your transfer to LAX.

 

We were on the Splendor last year in August, since we live locally, we didn't want to rush and get off. So we have our leisure breakfast and sit around and read. I think we didn't get off until 10am.

[wizard-of-roz]

I love your review and pix. I board Sunday and can hardly wait. Two questions: does each cabin really have hair dryers and did you see or read about ANY country dancing at all?Either in one of the nightspots or any of the dance lessons?

 

 

 

There are definitely hair dryers in the cabins. They're located in the top right drawer of the desk unit.

 

I didn't notice any country music but we didn't hit every venue, where music is played so we may have missed it.

 

Have a great cruise.

[stay_or_go]

I love your review and pix. I board Sunday and can hardly wait. Two questions: does each cabin really have hair dryers and did you see or read about ANY country dancing at all?Either in one of the nightspots or any of the dance lessons?

 

Hi,

 

Yes the rooms have hair driers but you have to hold the button down to make them work, the cord gets in the way and they have little power at all.

 

Dont remember seeing anything about country dancing at all, sorry. The capers are in a link in my signature so you can have a look.

 

Jeff

[Crystalbast]

How did you like Randi? I loved her when I took that excursion back in September, but a few people found her a bit too, um, outspoken in her opinions on current American politics...

 

When I travel I love to talk to people from other countries about their country's history, culture, lifestyles, and their views on world politics and what they think of the US. Americans sometimes have an over inflated opinion of ourselves and traveling overseas tends to bring oneself back down to earth. I am more of a global thinker by nature. :D

 

I was on a day tour one day during the Bush Jr era and there was an Australian family on the tour. The mother made a comment about how much everybody hated the Australians. I just looked over my shoulder and quipped - Not as much as they hate the Americans! :p

 

I was actually in Europe when Iraq invaded Kuwait and again there was an attempted coup against Gorbechev in Russia. I was also in London the day that the large statue of Saddam was pulled down. It is extremely interesting to be in a foreign country when a major international incident takes place. What you will see on the news overseas is very different from what you would see in the US. I actually met some people who were in Moscow during the attempted coup and heard first person accounts of their experiences.

[mistyinca]

Thanks for the review and the pics of Victor's shrimp!

 

So you must have gone over to Stone Island in Mazatlan. Did you book the Carnival excursion or did you go on your own. If you went on your own, where do you book the water taxis to take you over there. We're planning on doing this, but I don't know where to book the taxi. ARe there reps inside the terminal in Mazatlan, or do you have to go out into and past the marketplace?

 

Thanks!