Another Splendor - 01/10/10 Review

[gcam]

Jeff, i'm sorry to ask again but what kind of camera did you use?

[newbieMom]

Hey Exitoffnine......you had me at "L glass" :) I'm not in business yet, but if it were up to my husband I would have started a year ago......it seems there's always one more workshop, book, lens, speedlite whatever that stands between me and making $$$ or maybe lack of confidence because I look at A-MAZ-ING stuff on superstar photog blogs all day and know I don't quite measure up. That said, I feel like I need to protect my equipment for when I DO go into business. I'm going to check out that tamron, I've get the 28-75f2.8, maybe I'll just take that? But then, Jeff got some beautiful photos with his P&S.....what to do!?!?! (OH, and soooo happy to have the opportunity to even struggle over this decision)

Here's the thing, I'm such a wide aperture fiend, that if I could get that in a P&S I would be happy to leave my bulky stuff at home.

On another note...have either of you seen the R strap by Black Rapid? It's a sling style strap and your camera rests on the small of your back just behind your right hip. then, when your ready to shoot, it slides easily up to your eye on a carribeaner type thing. Seems like it might be a good choice for riding a horse down the beach:)

 

Jeff~

Is that a 70-200 L in your pocket, or are you..... :)

OMG I spit out my soda reading that! Thanks for my first LOL of the day;) That should be a T-Shirt!!!!!

*sorry to temporarily turn this thread to photography.....it's not often I can talk shop with fellow cruise afficianados;)

[stay_or_go]

Jeff, i'm sorry to ask again but what kind of camera did you use?

 

On this cruise, I left all my pro equipment at home including all the lenses and took just one camera.

 

It was a Nikon P90 (a few years old so it does not have the tilt screen or the 12 mp that the latest model has) which offers some nice shooting modes for general photography but also offers a manual mode for those that know what an F stop is.

 

You can see the current Nikon P90 model here: http://nikon.ca/en/Product.aspx?m=16625

 

But no matter what, the best camera is the one that you have with you! :)

[Steve-N-Steph]

Thanks so much for the great review! My mom and I just booked this cruise as a last minute getaway for the Feb. 7th sailing. Your pictures were great and have me counting the days!

[stay_or_go]

Thanks, hope you have a great cruise, bring us back some sunshine!

[EmmaJean]

I want to thank you also for your Capers link at the bottom of your signature. I imagine ours will be very similar in 3 days from now, so it is nice to be able to plan a little bit ahead of time.

 

Did you have any trouble finding the Pez Gato boat? We are thinking of booking with them. Your whale watching excursion looks neat and very doable with our little guys.

[stay_or_go]

I want to thank you also for your Capers link at the bottom of your signature. I imagine ours will be very similar in 3 days from now, so it is nice to be able to plan a little bit ahead of time.

 

Did you have any trouble finding the Pez Gato boat? We are thinking of booking with them. Your whale watching excursion looks neat and very doable with our little guys.

 

Emma,

 

thanks!

 

The Pez Gato is to the right as you exit the tendor dock, in front of Senior Frogs, pier 4 or 6 I think. You wont be able to miss it, there is a sign above the gate with the name.

 

Have fun, bring back some sunshine!

 

Jeff

[gcam]

another camera questions

 

did you just set to auto or did your use specific scene menu option.

 

any helpful camera hints would be appreciated. thanks

[stay_or_go]

Cameras are way smarter than me most times, so I just used manual.

 

For whale watching, I used the sport mode, the picture quality is reduced but it takes shots in bursts so you get a sequence of shots.

 

For some others, I used the manual settings, but you then need to know what you are doing.

[gcam]

jeff you had some awesome pictures if mine turn out half that good i'll be happy. i always put on auto. i guess i should look into manual.

[LK0806]

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.

 

 

 

 

 

My bf and I will be doing the same cruise on Feb 21, and would like to sign up with Randi as well. When looking at the itinerary for us, and the sign you posted that says the times for the day, they both say that you get to Mazatlan at 9. Randis website says pickup is at 8:30, were you able to make it easily?

[stay_or_go]

My bf and I will be doing the same cruise on Feb 21, and would like to sign up with Randi as well. When looking at the itinerary for us, and the sign you posted that says the times for the day, they both say that you get to Mazatlan at 9. Randis website says pickup is at 8:30, were you able to make it easily?

 

She will wait for you at the dock and you should be off the boat by 8:30. Have a great trip and bring back some warm sunshine!

[Jilliefish]

Thanks for the info and great pics of the Splendor. We are taking the same trip next year. Good tips on the bathing suits and muster.... Also, think I'll plan a day extra to visit the Queen Mary before we go. Haven't checked the Capers yet... I've got a 2, 5, 9, 12, 14 when we travel next year. Our travel friends have a 1, 2, 4, 6. Any info on the how strict the staff is on the age group breakdown. It looks as if our 6 year old will be separated from her buddies if they split the 2-5 from the 6-8 and she'll be alone.

 

Happy Cruising!

[monakayk]

Just read your entire review....linked from another thread. I thoroughly enjoyed it and your photos of the food made my mouth water.

 

Thanks so much all the time in putting this wonderful review-thread together. :D:D:D

[GreytRacer]

Thanks from me too, for a great review and pics. The sign of a good review: I was sad when it was your last day at sea, just like if I were on the ship and experiencing it with you.

 

I was searching for Capers and found your review that way. Thanks for the links and taking the time!

[LAS+FCO]

Awesome pics! Love Splendor (6/13/10-6/20/10) Im from LA im glad you enjoyed your trip.

[sjn911]

Thank you so much for an absolutely wonderful review...definitely looking forward to the Splendor....and you have a great family..just linked from another thread and this is so great it bears getting back on the first page for a bit..thank you so much..makes me so excited for new explorations...sjn.

[suzmarie]

Thanks so much for taking the time to really review your cruise and the pictures are so great!

I'm going to be a first time cruiser so am gathering information on the Splendor. We booked early, so must be patient! :)

 

It looks like the whole family had a good time!

 

Thanks, Suz

[wizard-of-roz]

Thanks so much for taking the time to really review your cruise and the pictures are so great!

I'm going to be a first time cruiser so am gathering information on the Splendor. We booked early, so must be patient! :)

 

It looks like the whole family had a good time!

 

Thanks, Suz

 

Although I am a big Princess fan, my wife and I did the Splendor without our children or grandchildren and we had a fabulous time. This is a great ship with lots of room for everybody.

 

The crew is really great,the food was superb, the entertainment was terrific and I look forward to cruising on her again.

[crAZytwinmomma]

thank you for sharing your review and experience!

[oceanbums]

Thanks for all the pointers and the fun review! Do you have any pics of the room or balcony? We'll be in 8245 next summer, we're usually on the Riviera deck midship, is there more motion in the front of the ship?

[crosj]

I just booked this ship for March 13 sailing.

We are in cabin 7443, any comments???

[KEG306]

One of the best Ship Reviews I've read. Concise, entertaining & great pictures.

 

Thanks,

 

KIM