Caribbean Princess-11/13/16-11/19-16: "Full Moon, Sunsets, Fine Wine and Relaxation!"

[JimmyVWine]

Day 4 (Wednesday, November 16)

 

This would be our day to visit…….

 

 

Perhaps one of the lesser known and lesser appreciated ports of call in the entirety of the Caribbean itineraries. So allow me to be a public relations director for a moment. As you are all aware, Belize used to be called British Honduras until achieving independence in 1981. (You did know that, right?) Because it was under British control for centuries, English is its official language and skittish foreigners on cruise ships should have no fear or apprehension about spending time here. Anyone who watches “House Hunters International” or “Island Hunters” surely has seen episodes where expatriate Americans look to relocate there or purchase vacations homes there. Indeed, we saw many very lovely homes on the shore.

 

 



 

 

But I am getting ahead of myself. First, I must address How Did I Get Here?, or else I will Stop Making Sense. (Embedded pop culture reference).

 

In most instances, my family arranges for private tours and excursions. No offense to any of you. I like you. Really. But often times, there are just too many of you. So we strike out on our own. However, on both of my trips to Belize, (this being the second), I have opted for a Princess excursion. Why? Because in both cases the excursions promised to be full, full days and I wanted to lock in that “Back To The Ship” guarantee. This time around, we purchased the “Altun Ha Mayan Ruins, Scenic River Cruise and Lunch” excursion, (Number 105A in your hymnal). I reserved and paid in advance (though at that time I was not required to). This was before Princess started its “Lowest Price Guarantee” and before it had a limited time sale on excursions. Let’s address both in turn. First, after paying in full (with the payment being fully refundable), Princess introduced the “Lowest Price Guarantee” program. When they did, I scoured the internet to find this same excursion to see if I could find a lower price. I did, sort of. First off, the Princess excursion promised a trip up the “Belize River”. The competitor’s trip promised a trip up the “Wallace River”. So I was very confused as to whether or not the two excursions aligned enough such that Princess would recognize the private tour as being a true competitor. So I did some research and learned that the Old River, the Belize River and the Wallace River are one in the same. So I was good there. However, the private tour did not include lunch. A stop would be made where lunch could be purchased, but it would cost extra. So whereas the private tour was a shade less expensive, I think that shade is accounted for by the simple but tasty lunch that we were served, (in the shade, as it turns out), on the Princess trip. So I abandoned any thought of trying to squeeze 110% of $7 out of Princess.

 

Next came the Excursion Sale. This time, I pressed on. The sale lowered Princess’ own price by $10 per person, so I called Princess directly, asked if I could get my excursion re-fared, or if I should simply cancel it and re-book (which I didn’t really want to do as I couldn’t be sure that there would still be space for us). The helpful customer service agent told me that he would re-fare us and the difference would be credited back to the credit card that I used to pre-pay the excursion. The credit appeared in about two days. Done and done!

 

This excursion meets early. The excursion ticket that we received in our cabin informed us that we were to meet in the Princess Theater at 7:30. That is 7:30 as in antemeridian which is Latin for “Before my eyes open”. But I was excited enough to meet this deadline without a problem. A quick stop in the IC for some fuel was all we needed. The assembly in the Theater was a bit disorganized, but before too long we were issued a numbered, colored sticker that identified us as being one of the many, many, and I do mean MANY people taking this trip. (See? This is why I usually book privately.) However, because this trip involved a river boat leg of the journey, this large group would be broken down into groups of around 30-35, a much more manageable number. But it also means that we would not all have the same exact experience. Some people went by bus to Altan Ha first, followed by lunch and then the river journey, whereas we did the reverse. First we went up the river, then had lunch, then took the bus to Altun Ha. Not sure it mattered in the grand scheme of things. I just point this out because if any of you opt for this trip, be aware that the order of events described here may not match your experience.

 

When organization began to take hold, we were marched down to Gala Deck (where, from what I can tell, no galas have ever taken place), and on to the tender. Yes, they will pack you in like sardines. About 20 minutes later the tender docked in Belize City and we were introduced to our tour guide for the first part of our day, Kenny of Chukka Tours. If you are lucky enough to have Kenny as your guide, you will not be disappointed. He is as knowledgeable as he is enthusiastic about the flora and fauna of his country. After walking us down the dock a ways and offering the herd an opportunity to use a restroom, we were led to a mostly open air river boat. The boat looked much like this:

 

 

While it certainly does have a canopy, it was early enough in the day such that the side angle of the sun ensured that you would catch some rays.

 

The boat motors slowly through the harbor area and into open but protected waters for about half an hour before actually heading up the river. The main reason for going so slowly is that this is manatee territory and we all know that manatees and outboard motors can be a lethal combination.

 

 

Kenny knew that a manatee sighting would be a highlight, so he kept a careful watch, and sure enough we did see on manatee dip his (or her) nostrils above the surface to catch some air. That is really all we were able to see, other than a dark mass below the water, so I don’t have a picture for you. Still, it was cool to see on in the wild.

 

To be continued………

[JimmyVWine]

Day 4 (continued)

 

While the visit to Altun Ha may be the focal point of this excursion, the wildlife adventure up the Old/Wallace/Belize River should not be overlooked. And for that reason alone I would recommend doing this type of trip instead of a bus run back and forth to Altun Ha. So much of Belize is captured in its rain forest beauty that it would be a shame to stick only to the roads. Our slow journey through the harbor area allowed us to spot the aforementioned manatee, some dolphins, a large stand of mangrove trees…

 

 

and as we crossed into the mouth of the river, we were treated to the sight of a man net fishing, probably for some bait fish to be used later to lure in some larger trophies.

 

 

 

 

As we turned up the river, we were treated for an hour of views that looked more or less like this:

 

 

Heading up the river in earnest, Kenny’s next goal was to secure us a great view of some iguanas. The iguanas in the trees were very large and hard to miss once you knew where to look. Some of these babies were three to four feet long, and their colors were beautiful.

 

 

Here is a smaller one perched above the coconuts.

 

 

All told, our iguana count was well over 20. Now it was time for Kenny to point out something that we never would have seen left to our own devices.

 

To be continued……

[JimmyVWine]

Day 4 (continued)

 

Kenny directed our attention to a coconut palm off to the starboard side of the boat, specifically to the line of black dots on the trunk. Okay. Looks like black mold or moss to me. But Kenny assured us that the dots were insect bats. Really? I guess I will have to zoom in a bit.

 

 

 

Well I’ll be. They do look like something. Spiders maybe. But Kenny assured us that they were in fact bats. So I zoomed in even further.

 

 

 

…and even further…

 

 

They really are the cutest little bats that I have ever seen. Their defense mechanism is to line up on the tree and disguise themselves as moss/mold. Sure fooled me.

 

Next up was a quick view of a couple of river crocodiles. They proved to be more skittish than you might think, so I had to snap off some photos before they jumped into the water. No time to really compose the pictures, so they aren’t great.

 

 

 

 

We rounded a bend and began to see some signs of civilization. This was an “out building” that was part of a ranch/farm where cattle, bananas and other fruits and vegetables were being raised/grown.

 

 

We were getting close to our lunch spot, but Kenny told us to keep our eyes open for a troop of howler monkeys that was known to hang out in this area.

 

To be continued….

[canadarocks]

What an AWESOME excursion! :cool:

[JimmyVWine]

What an AWESOME excursion! :cool:

 

Indeed!

[JimmyVWine]

Day 4 (continued)

 

The troop“Hangs out”, literally. The troop stayed high in the trees but were easy to see. Harder to photograph.

 

 

This isn’t his best side, but it is all he would give us.

 

 

 

After the monkey sighting, it was time for lunch. We pulled into the dock of a small outpost restaurant in what proved to be Kenny’s home town. A simple lunch of chicken, beans and rice was included in the price of our excursion along with a soft drink. Local Belizean beer could be purchased if one desired. There was also a hut selling locally made crafts and carvings. I guess that I was hungry enough that I forgot to take pictures of this part of the trip.

 

After lunch, we were transferred over to a motor coach for the remaining leg of the journey to Altun Ha. As mentioned earlier, the bus we would board was one used by other excursioneers who took it straight to the Mayan site. We would take their bus from here on out, and they would take our boat back to the port. An efficient execution and use of resources.

 

The drive to Altun High was not long, maybe 30-45 minutes or so, and the time passed easily as we were treated to a lesson in Mayan history and culture by the second of our two guides for the day, Marvin. Whereas Kenny was the flora and fauna guy, Marvin was the history and archaeology guy and he matched Kenny’s level of knowledge and enthusiasm. The drive itself was not terribly interesting as we were now out of the jungles of the river area and into a more arid hardscape. Another reason why one should consider adding the river phase of the trip to their itinerary, whether that proves to be before or after the visit to Altun Ha.

 

Upon arrival we were treated to a guided tour by Marvin of the two different plazas of the site with Marvin explaining what each of the structures was that we were seeing. After that we were granted some time on our own to spend more time at, around or on top of whichever structures interested us the most. I won’t try to repeat our history lesson, and instead will share with you some of the photos that I took. I tried like crazy to take pictures that would not be ruined (or impeded anyway) by people. But that was difficult as there were many people there that day. In the end, I probably ruined other people’s pictures by being in them, so there is karmic equity in the Mayan universe.

 

This is what an unexcavated building looks like. Someday, when the removal of extraneous dirt and rock is removed, the sharp relief of a Mayan pyramid will be revealed.

 

 

The rest of the photos show mostly excavated structures:

 

 



 



 

 

 

To be continued...

[JimmyVWine]

Day 4 (continued)

 

The intricacy of the rock construction was incredible, and it was a real treat to be able to get so close to history.

 

 

 



 



 

 

While it isn’t possible to explore the insides of the structures, I am sure that doing so would be a real “Indiana Jones” treat.

 

 

 

To be continued….

[JimmyVWine]

Day 4 (continued)

 

The center of attention of Altun Ha is the Temple of Masonry Altars.

 

 

It was here where archaeologists found the single largest jade carving ever discovered. The original is locked in a bank vault in Belize, taken out infrequently for viewing. But a replica is on display in the small museum on site.

 

 

This particular temple is one that you can climb, though you do not do so using the original terraced steps used by the Mayans. Instead, newer stairs have been added at either side, one serving as the way up and the other serving as the way down. Here is what it looks like coming down.

 

 

Once up top, you get a great view of the surrounding area and of the Mayan plazas themselves.

 

 

 

Marvin gave us a meeting time for us to re-board the bus and we captured a few last photos before heading back to the port.

 

 

 

The drive back to Belize City was uneventful. Kenny and Marvin allowed silence to prevail and I drifted off to sleep for a while, the 7:30 cast call coupled with some temple climbing having caught up with me. Back at port, we were discharged with the only caveat being that the last tender back to the ship would leave at 4:00, and it was now about 3:15. We didn’t want to be crammed into the very last tender, so we vowed to catch the 3:30 shuttle giving us only a brief time to wander through the portside shops. We did indeed catch the 3:30 tender and soon thereafter we were back on board, absolutely thrilled with our selection of excursions as well as Princess’ ability to provide us with a high quality experience. I hope they maintain a relationship with Chukka Tours for a long time to come. That outfit was top notch.

 

The question comes up often: “Which should we choose…Lamanai or Altun Ha? Both Mayan sites can be visited by way of a river cruise followed by the Mayan site itself. At Lamanai you can climb a temple the old fashioned way, (up the terraced steps) whereas at Altun Ha you use a more “modern” approach. After completing the Lamanai excursion, I declared that the best excursion I had ever done. But I have to say…I liked this one better. It must be said that when we went to Lamanai a few years ago, it poured rain the whole day. Our river cruise was kind of miserable as we huddled under our slickers as the rain sped into our faces caused by the speed of the boat. This time the weather was great and the river portion of the trip was done at a much slower pace allowing for better wildlife viewing. It is entirely possible that the weather was the tipping factor in our enjoyment. But I don’t think it was that completely. Kenny and Marvin also made a big difference. They were much better guides than we had going to and at Lamanai. So all things considered, I now vote for Altun Ha as the better of the two trips, though I would thoroughly recommend either to anyone.

 

To be continued….

[canadarocks]

You've made me rethink my opinion of Belize. We were there once before (not with Princess). We had to tender and just did a beach day, and we were not impressed. Now I definitely would like to return, and do as you did. Thank you!

[JimmyVWine]

Day 4 (continued)

 

As lunch had been simple, we set off to the Horizon Court to see if we could put together a charcuterie plate to enjoy with the balance of the MacPhail Pinot Noir that we had back in the cabin. The meat and cheese selection was actually quite nice and we were able to supplement that with crackers and fruit. Wine, cheese and a Dolphin Deck Balcony add up to a really nice way to spend an afternoon. The days were short, so we ended up not having a lot of light left, and we still had not been positioned in a way so as to enjoy a sunset. But that would come later as suggested by the title of this thread. Relaxation was followed by dinner. Up to this point I had been compulsive about calling for an MDR reservation as close to 8:00 a.m. as possible when the DINE line opened up. This couldn’t be done today due to our meeting time for the excursion. So it wasn’t until around 3:45 that I was able to pick up the phone and give it a try. This time it took a minute or so of ringing for the phone to be answered. I was concerned that perhaps reservations were halted at some point in the day and that I had missed my chance. I was also fairly certain that my typical 7:30 request time would be a pipe dream. But once the phone was answered, I was able to secure a 7:30 reservation at the Coral Dining Room without complication.

 

Tonight’s wine would be a 2009 Kosta Browne “Koplen Vineyard” Pinot Noir.

 

 

This is a single vineyard wine from one of my very favorite producers. Kosta Browne is primarily a Pinot producer and their wines come from the Sonoma Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands, and, like this one, the Russian River Valley. It is the kind of wine that can turn any meal into a special meal.

 

The MDR menu would be Caribbean Night, though I am at a loss to tie the Caribbean to many of the offerings. (And for those keeping track, the Horizon Court Buffet was also featuring a Caribbean theme, and the Crab Shack would be held in the HC this evening as well.) When we arrived at the podium for in what was our third consecutive night, we were greeted warmly by name by Emil who said that he would show us to “our table”. Mind you, we never actually asked to have a specific table held for us in the Anytime Dining Room, but Emil made this “our table” by default. It was very comforting to be so well looked after.

 

Dinner consisted of more conversation with Remus and Denys about wine, life onboard the ship, life off of the ship, family, places they had been and/or hoped to go, and on and on. The food itself seemed secondary. But for the record, we ordered:

 

Red Snapper Mojito - OK, we’ll call this one “Caribbean”

Twice Baked Goat Cheese Soufle – Not Caribbean

Caribbean Style Pork Chop – Caribbean in name only

Fried Chicken – Because my wife felt like it

Crème Brule – Because my wife’s had been so good earlier in the cruise.

 

Remus tried to warn me off of the Pork Chop as it could be dry, but it had a Caribbean name and I asked him to try to find me one that was cooked only to medium so as to avoid the fate he predicted. All in all the meal was OK. My Pork Chop was neither as dry as Remus suggested, nor as moist as I hoped. So it was sort of right down the middle. My wife’s Fried Chicken was plentiful and well prepared. It won’t challenge your momma’s but it was fine. And the Crème Brule was as good as the night before. As noted earlier, this meal was really more about our time with Remus and Denys and less about the food. As we took leave of the dining room, we told Emil that we would see him again tomorrow, confident that even if we didn’t actually make a reservation, we would be well taken care of. (But I made a reservation anyway.)

 

The evening proved to be a short one, as we were worn out from the day’s excitement. We checked out some of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame offerings, but ended up spending most of our time in Vines. We went there to buy a bottle of wine to take back to the cabin for future consumption, as the 8 bottles we brought on board would be one short if we wanted to have one each during dinner and other bottles in our cabin for afternoon happy hour. We went to the bar, looked over the “by the bottle” list, and opted for a French rose which seemed appropriate for a tropical vacation. While there we ran into the parents of the family that we sat next to and conversed with at Sabatini’s on the first night, (it is amazing how small the world is, even on a ship with 3,000 people on it). We resumed our conversation with them and spent probably an hour there. The bartender wanted to replace the unopened Rose that we had bought as it was getting warm, but I reassured him that it would be for future consumption and not to worry. It was a mellow evening with great company, and finally fatigue won out and it was time to retire.

 

The highlight of the day’s entertainment included:

 

Pictures with Pirates as you got off the tender!

1:00 – Movie in the Theater: Hell or High Water

2:00 – Trivia

3:00 – BOGO Happy Hour in club Fusion

4:30 – Rapid Fire Art Auction

5:30 – MUTS Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert “Sweet Emotions”

6:00 – Steel Drums with Dennis Smith

7:00, 8:30 and 10:00 – Theater Show: Born To Be Wild

7:15 and 9:00 – Ballroom dancing with the Maridor Duo

7:15 – KJ in the Piazza

8:00 and 9:15 – 50’s and 60’s Rock Classics with DJ in club Fusion

8:00 and 10:15 – MUTS The Legend of Tarzan

8:15 – Name That Tune, Beatles addition

8:45 – 50’s and 60’s Rock Trivia

9:45 – Where on the Caribbean Princess Am I Game Show

10:00 – Beatles Music with DJ in Skywalkers

10:45 – British Invasion with Evolution in Club Fusion

11:00 – Late Night Music with DJ in Skywalkers

[JimmyVWine]

You've made me rethink my opinion of Belize. We were there once before (not with Princess). We had to tender and just did a beach day, and we were not impressed. Now I definitely would like to return, and do as you did. Thank you!

 

Ahhh. Mission accomplished. :)

While Belize appears in the Caribbean itineraries, it really should be looked at differently. If one is looking for a "St. Thomas" or "Aruba" type of experience, this isn't really the place. It is a wonderful country filled with people who are enthusiastic about their history and culture. If you get out into the depths of the terrain and away from the beaches and DUFRY shops, it is unlike most other Caribbean ports of call, and for that reason alone it is worth a visit. Of course, the diving off of Belize can be unrivaled, so if one wants to do that, it is completely understandable. But frankly, if I wanted to do a dive vacation in Belize, I would spend several days at a coastal or island resort and wouldn't do it by way of cruise ship.

[canadarocks]

Ahhh. Mission accomplished. :)

While Belize appears in the Caribbean itineraries, it really should be looked at differently. If one is looking for a "St. Thomas" or "Aruba" type of experience, this isn't really the place. It is a wonderful country filled with people who are enthusiastic about their history and culture. If you get out into the depths of the terrain and away from the beaches and DUFRY shops, it is unlike most other Caribbean ports of call, and for that reason alone it is worth a visit. Of course, the diving off of Belize can be unrivaled, so if one wants to do that, it is completely understandable. But frankly, if I wanted to do a dive vacation in Belize, I would spend several days at a coastal or island resort and wouldn't do it by way of cruise ship.

 

Agree. We did a "Go with Gus" tour in Guatemala that was somewhat similar to your day in Belize. Truly a highlight of shore excursions for my husband and I.

[RocketMan275]

Ahhh. Mission accomplished. :)

While Belize appears in the Caribbean itineraries, it really should be looked at differently. If one is looking for a "St. Thomas" or "Aruba" type of experience, this isn't really the place. It is a wonderful country filled with people who are enthusiastic about their history and culture. If you get out into the depths of the terrain and away from the beaches and DUFRY shops, it is unlike most other Caribbean ports of call, and for that reason alone it is worth a visit. Of course, the diving off of Belize can be unrivaled, so if one wants to do that, it is completely understandable. But frankly, if I wanted to do a dive vacation in Belize, I would spend several days at a coastal or island resort and wouldn't do it by way of cruise ship.

 

JimmyVWine: mind stopping by this thread:

 

Total Wine.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51697115#post51697115

[JimmyVWine]

JimmyVWine: mind stopping by this thread:

 

Total Wine.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51697115#post51697115

Done.

[molme]

WE did the river and ruins excursion last week and had Kenny for our guide also. He is definitely very knowledgable about this area. This is the second time we have done this same excursion. The first time was about 10 yrs ago and at that time you didn't see the road running along the river. In fact I don't think that road was even there. The entire time on the river we didn't see any homes or businesses. They have ruined the beauty of the river by building so close.

Enjoying your review. Makes me want to get back on that ship again.

[ar1950]

Great review and pictures. Looking forward to the rest.

 

BTW:

 

.............. First, I must address How Did I Get Here?, or else I will Stop Making Sense. (Embedded pop culture reference).

………

 

Judging from the comments on that other thread The Talking Heads pop culture reference may be more apropos over there. Cheers. :):rolleyes::D

[easyboy]

Very nice pictures.

[JimmyVWine]

They have ruined the beauty of the river by building so close.

I suppose it could be viewed that way. But it is a developing country, and with development comes the need for infrastructure. (The roads on Belize were way better than the roads on Roatan). If you look at a map of the U.S., (or any country, frankly), you will see that roads follow rivers in almost every instance. That's just the way it is. Some things will never change. It would have been nice to see the unspoiled river from years gone by, but progress comes with downsides and this is just one of them. Let's just hope that the construction so close to the river does not cause waste runoff and pollution. That would be the real shame in all of this as the river is so beautiful now.

[JimmyVWine]

Day 5 (Thursday, November 17)

 

Welcome to Cozumel! (This is where the “Sunsets” portion of the review kicks in.)

 

We awoke before the ship docked but didn’t get motivated to move about the ship until after we tied up. As noted in the last segment, we typically book private excursions and this proved to be the case today. We love to snorkel and try to get into the water as often as we can. Princess offers a catamaran sail and snorkel adventure that would be packed with 50 of your closest (or not) friends. That equates to 50 snorkels and 100 flippers. Too many for me. So we scoured the internet and found a highly recommended excursion on a catamaran called “Fe”. Now, the first thing that came to my mind was that “Fe” is the periodic symbol for iron, and iron sinks. So a boat with the name Fe seemed dubious at best. But the ratings for this trip were uniformly high, the trip promised no more than 20 people, and it involved both sailing and snorkeling, two of my favorite things. So we booked it. Still, I wasn’t taking any chances with Old Ironsides, and left my camera equipment in the cabin. So no photos of this leg of the journey, but this is what it would look like on a typical day.

 

 

Ours proved to be atypical. Good for us. The only downside to booking privately was that we would not be met shipside and instead had to make our own way about a mile and a half north to a restaurant and dive center where the boat would be docked. But in a place like Cozumel, that hardly seemed like a deterrent.

 

The three hour adventure…(my wife is a bit superstitious about any water-related activity that advertises itself as a “Three Hour Tour”. Had the boat been named the S.S Minnow instead of Old Ironsides, we might have skipped this one)…was set to begin at 10:00 and we were to meet, pay, sign our waivers, call our next of kin, etc. at 9:30. We walked off the ship, made our way through the masses in the DUFRY shop, and headed out to the cab stand. (Note to everyone else: Why do you all feel compelled to crowd the DUFRY shop shoulder to shoulder ten minutes after the ship docks? You know that you won’t find the best prices there, don’t you? And even if you do, the stuff will be there for you later in the day. The DUFRY shop at 9:30 was like Macy’s on Black Friday. Inasmuch as this was Cozumel Thursday, I wasn’t compelled to fight that battle. Rant over.)

 

We made it to the dock in plenty of time. That proved not to be the case with EVERYONE ELSE WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THIS TOUR!” At the appointed time we met with Miguel, our Captain and Safety Officer for the day. This guy is a real pro and we felt well looked after for the remainder of the trip. We made payment, signed our papers, and were waiting for “The Others” to arrive when Miguel ended a cellphone call and informed us that it would be “Just Us” for the day. He said that 14 other people had booked the trip, but they were all on a different ship than us. “Which ship” I asked, and he nodded, pointing with his chin and said “That one”, indicating Royal Caribbean’s “Brilliance Of The Seas” which was just pulling into port and still a long time from when passengers would be allowed to disembark. It seems that the ship was arriving late and Miguel couldn’t wait for them. I pleaded with Miguel that my wife and I were in no hurry and that if it meant Miguel not losing 14 excursion fees, (since you pay upon arrival and not in advance), we would be happy to wait for the others to arrive. It seemed like a bad deal for Miguel to lose out on all that revenue. He shook his head and said” “No can do, James. We have another excursion booked for later this afternoon so we can’t start this one late.” With that, Miguel assigned someone from the dive shop to act as the crisis management team to contact the 14 unlucky Royalists to see how many, if any, would be able to take the afternoon trip, as there was still room on the boat to accommodate most, if not all of them. This excursion included drinks (alcohol on the way back, but not on the way out) and snacks. Miguel informed my wife and I that we would have a private tour, and would: “Eat and drink like 16 people. And tip like 16 people!” With that we all had a good laugh, tossed off the lines and set off for the first of two reefs that make up the trip.

 

To be continued….

[JimmyVWine]

Day 5 (continued)

 

The snorkeling was fine. Hurricane Wilma in 2005 made a direct hit on Cozumel and the fragile ecosystem of the beautiful coral reef there is still showing the effects. The fish were out in huge numbers and were beautiful to play with. They must get fed regularly by excursioneers as they literally swarmed us in places. But we proved to be their least favorite guests as we did not bring anything to feed them as we try to play by the rules. The water was crystal clear with unlimited visibility. The sea bottom ranged from 10 to 50 feet where we were and we could make out everything from the surface to the bottom with no trouble. As we had hoped by not joining a mega-tour, we were given wide latitude as to where to go once Miguel observed us and concluded that we were as experienced as we had let on. After we finished at our first stop, we got back on the boat for our short trip to the second reef. While in transit, we had a nice snack of fruit and drinks. Miguel tossed a piece of watermelon rind over the side of the boat and the fish attacked it like piranhas. So yes, these fish are used to human handouts.

 

The second reef had a bit more coral and just as many fish. But here the current was rather strong. We headed out against the current so that we could swim with it on the way back to the boat. We had no troubles, but I would note that a novice snorkeler might find this level of current to be a bit unnerving. After finishing up at the second reef, we re-boarded the boat, enjoyed Rum and Cokes, homemade (or boatmade) guacamole, chips and some more fruit. And on the way back, the sails were hoisted and the sailing portion of the three hour tour commenced. However, about half way back to shore, the waves and wind whipped up (in our face) to the point where sailing all the way in would have taken far longer than the time allowed. So the sails were dropped and the motor resumed for the remainder of the trip. This proved to be an omen for what was to come for many others on our ship that day.

 

After returning to dry land and tipping Miguel (like, maybe 6 people instead of 16), we opted to walk back to the port. As noted earlier, it was about a mile and a half and the weather was fine. We could have walked it in the morning, but I wanted to actually experience the distance and environs in a car before venturing off on foot. Satisfied that neither distance nor surroundings presented any obstacle, we made the leisurely walk back to the Caribbean Princess. Still in our suits, with salt water in our hair and snorkel gear in our bags we opted to go straight back to the cabin to drop off our gear, rinse off and grab some lunch before venturing back into DUFRY-land.

 

This is what it looks like after drinking too much Tequila...

 

 

A satisfying buffet lunch at the Horizon Court awaited and we were pleased and satiated enough to head back off the ship to the last souvenir stop of this cruise. Port shopping is not really our thing, and indeed it is probably our least loved venture on a cruise. Still, there are friends and relatives waiting back home who just have to be placated. And the little manmade village off of the port is as good (or bad) as any place to scratch that itch. Shopping concluded, it was time to get back aboard the ship and join in everyone’s favorite game…Watch For the Late Drunks Who Might Just Miss the Final Boarding Call!

 

To be continued…

[JimmyVWine]

Day 5 (continued)

 

It was a busy day in port, with a total of 7 ships in town, most at the dock and others tendered. We shared space with Carnival Splendor. Our final boarding times were a half hour apart, ours being 4:30 and theirs being a bit later. After walking around the ship for a while, we staked out a position on the starboard side as our port balcony gave us no view of the “runners” who would surely be rushing to meet the boarding deadline.

 

 

 

 

Since all of the people heading down that walkway were either going to board our ship or the Splendor, we had a fun time trying to pick out which was which and who was who. Not judging. Not being mean or critical. But it soon became pretty easy to match the people with the ship. Take a look at this photo and you can play along too.

 

 

As 4:20 turned to 4:30, we noticed no let-up in Princess returnees. And as 4:30 became 4:45, the story was the same. And same again at 5:00. In fact, between 4:45 and 5:00, there were literally swarms of Princess passengers rushing down the walkway. Something had to be up. And indeed there was. We later learned that an excursion, (we think on that went to Tulum) had had a rough (literally) time making headway on the ferry back from the mainland across the channel back to Cozumel. This was the same channel where we snorkeled and experienced winds and waves on our sail back to the dock. It sees as if the boats carrying people from the mainland met the same weather and the Princess excursion(s) ran late so the ship was compelled to wait for them. Good thing too, because we are talking about literally hundreds of people who arrived down that walkway after 4:30. With everyone back on board, we headed to our cabin to sit out on the balcony to enjoy the first half of the bottle of Rose that we had purchased the night before while taking in our first sunset of the cruise. When departing Cozumel the ship (or car) travels like this:

 

 

And if we are heading Northeast, then the sun would be setting right off of our port side balcony. But first the Pilot had to jump ship. Literally. And it just so happened that this event took place exactly below our balcony, so I was able to get a good look.

 

The Pilot Boat prepares to take on boarders…

 

 

The ladder is lowered…

 

 

 

And the Pilot jumps off our ship, sticks the landing and waves to the crowd…

 

 

With Captain Giorgio Pomata back at the helm, we are heading back to Port Everglades with a Sea Day between then and now. And a glorious sunset to boot.

 

To be continued…

[JimmyVWine]

Day 5 (continued)

 

Is there anything that connotes “Tropical Vacation” more than a drink in one hand and a sunset over the water? Not to me. Which is why I gave “sunsets” headline billing in the title of the thread. So without much commentary, I will use these next two segments to post 12 sunset photos. As I did with the “moon shots”, I took way more than I needed to, and even after culling most out, still ended up keeping far more than necessary. But I just can’t seem to hit “delete” on some of these. Some show the sun. Some focus on the clouds. Some use exposure settings that best capture the orange glow and other use settings that capture the blues and purples. I can’t decide which I like best, nor can I predict which will appeal more to the reader. So maybe for the sake of future research, you can tell me which one(s) you like best and I will know where to focus my efforts on my next trip. All that said, I hope you enjoy…

 

 

 



 



 

 



 

 

 



 

 

To be continued…..

[JimmyVWine]

Day 5 (continued)

 

And here are the rest…

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

 

The sun was off to bed, which meant it would soon be time for us to go off to dinner. But not before capturing one last balcony shot that summed up the moment.

 

 

 

 

To be continued…

[JimmyVWine]

Day 5 (continued)

 

Like a scene out of “Groundhog Day” we arrived at the Coral Dining Room at 7:30, were met by the lovely hostess just outside the doors, directed to see Emil, who then greeted us by name and showed us to “our table”. We were saddened that this would be the final reprise of this symphony as tomorrow would be our night for dinner in the Crown Grill. Denys took our bottle to the service table for decanting into the decanter that tonight stood at the ready. Tonight’s menu looked an awful lot like what one would get on the second formal night, even though tonight was not “formal”. (For those interested, this was “Bavarian Night up at the Horizon Court). We were looking forward to the fine dining experience and when Princess ups its culinary game, I pay respect and up mine. Tonight’s wine would be 2010 Myriad “George III” Cabernet.

 

 

In an earlier wine lesson, we learned that the Beckstoffer family owns/controls many of the most highly regarded vineyards in all of California, with To Kalon being among them. Well, George III is theirs too, and this promised to be a wonderful wine. I also mentioned earlier that there are two winemakers who are at the very tops of their field right now, and Myriad is made by the second of the two, Mike Smith. It seems as if he can do no wrong right now. As for the food, we ordered and shared:

 

Veal Ravioli with Porcini Sauce

Escargot

Prawns and Lobster Tails

Beef Wellington

Chocolate Pistachio Dome

 

The Veal Ravioli continues to be a favorite and as much as I branch out, I can never refuse this dish. The same goes for my wife and her beloved Escargot. When I ordered the seafood entrée, I asked Remus if it might be possible to turn “Lobster Tail” into “Lobster Tails” and he assured me that he could. And finally, in all of our travels, my wife had never had Beef Wellington, and this is a dish that I have never made at home, so she felt compelled to try it. I whispered a warning that mass-produced Beef Wellington might not be the best place to start her adventure and that there was a good chance that it would come overcooked. But Remus asked her how she liked her beef and she said “Medium…which in cruise ship parlance probably means Medium Rare” and Remus took the hint. When her dish arrived and she cut in, my conclusion that the beef on Caribbean Princess was about the finest I had had on any cruise ship was signed sealed and delivered. The dish was a perfect “Medium”, at least to my wife’s liking. Just past the point of a gelatinous center, but not to the point where anything is getting grey. All in all, this was a fully satisfying and successful meal without a single complaint. When we were finishing up, Denys took our wine glasses back to the galley as he had done the past few nights and two minutes later they arrived back at our table clean, dried and warm. Knowing that this would be our last meal with these two, I used our good-byes to exchange information and to present each with an envelope of appreciation and bid them safe travels. I do hope that we meet again.

 

The evening was filled (again) with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame themed entertainment and we bounced around from venue to venue. In addition, the Love Boat Deck Disco Party took place on the Lido Deck. We enjoyed some music, drank a cocktail and tried to soak in that our short, 6-day cruise was almost at an end.

 

Here is a partial listing of events taking place during the course of the day:

 

Photos with Lifeguards as you got off the ship

10:30 – Trivia

1:00 – Movie in the Theater: Legend of Tarzan

2:00 – Wii (video game) Challenge

3:00 – BOGO Happy Hour

4:00 – Trivia

5:30 – MUTS: Rock and Roll Movie—Start Me Up

6:00 KJ in the Piazza

7:00 and 9:00 – Princess Theater Show: Vocal Impressionist Tricia Kelly

7:00 and 9:45 - Dancing with the Maridor Duo in Explorers Lounge

7:15 – MUTS: Rock and Roll Movie: Feelin’ Alright

8:00 – Liars Club Game in Explorers Lounge

8:30 – Piano with KJ in Wheelhouse

9:30 and 10:00 – Love Boat Disco Party

10:30 – Late Night Jazz with the Caribbean Princess Rhythm Section in Wheelhouse

11:00 – BOGO Happy Hour in Skywalkers

11:30 – Late Night Music with DJ A-Zap in Skywalkers.

[CRLess]

Jimmy....really enjoying your review, especially since we are doing this exact itinerary in April on the Crown Princess. More so, I am really curious about all your wines.

 

I am not overly fond of Pinot Noir's (although I do have a few bottles of Flowers in my cellar), but am interested in all the other boutique wines you brought. Curious as to how you discovered them. Each time I go to Napa, I always try to visit a small producer that someone recommended, but sometimes you just run out of "daylight" out there. Last time we were out there, we thought we would have a short visit to Frank Family and ended up in Dennis' office with a full blown all-afternoon affair, including bubbles!

 

I subscribe to a few websites and have discovered some gems as well as excess production from big producers, so would love to hear how you make your finds.