Shadowmeboy's Star studded Christmas Mexican Riviera review!

[shadowmeboy]

I met back up with Susan in the Stateroom.

 

We headed out to VIP lunch.

 

 

Shrimp Cocktail for me.

 

 

Susan got a mixed green salad.

 

 

She also got the Soup of the day - Lentil soup. We got some bread, and they had the best pretzel bread.

 

 

She got the French Dip Sandwich

 

 

I got the Burger with Bacon

 

 

After lunch, we went to the what it takes to run a floating hotel presentation and Officer's Q & A

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Tom was presenting this part.

 

 

Quantities served/consumed each week.

 

 

 

 

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Once Tom, finished he called up Marek Kisiel - Chief Engineer, Djamel Benatmane - Hotel Director, and Captain Mattias Andersson

 

 

 

I asked what their favorite place to eat onboard is. They all choose one off the specialty restaurants onboard.

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We headed back to our stateroom.

 

 

We had gotten our desserts from lunch wrapped so we could have them later.

 

 

Canapes for our afternoon treat.

 

 

We went and sat out on the balcony

 

 

 

 

a mid afternoon snack on our balcony

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After sitting on our balcony for a while, we figured it was time to start packing. Once we were almost done packing, we went to the photo gallery and got our photo package finalized. Then hung out for the rest of the afternoon in the stateroom.

 

I am going to stop here for now.

[shadowmeboy]

Just before dinner, the Photo Gallery called and let us know the USB was ready for pick up. We headed down and picked up our USB and then headed towards dinner at Moderno. On our way, we ran into Vitor Manuel Nunez Da Silva, the Food and Beverage Manager. we let him know the food had been great and the waiters excellent, but the pacing on several of the specialty restaurants had been off. We conversed for several minutes, and thanked him for his and the entire officers hospitality the past week. He asked where we were having dinner that evening and I told him we were off to Moderno. He said have a fabulous dinner and wished us safe travels.

 

We were slightly early to Moderno, so we waited in Sugarcane until we were seated.

 

 

Moderno's menu again.

 

Once we were seated the Maitre D came over and said his boss had called and said for us to select a bottle of wine off of a list he gave us. We were shocked and said Thank you. We selected a Malbec to go with Dinner.

 

I noticed a family we had conversed with a few times at dinner and asked if they wanted a picture. They said yes.

 

 

This is the Johnson family from just outside Des Moines, Iowa.

 

 

Moderno's Salad bar

 

 

 

 

My Salad bar plate.

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Susan's salad bar plate - notice our cards are still red.

 

Now having flipped our cards green, the meat started coming.

 

 

a Lamb chop and both kinds of sirloin on my plate.

 

 

The chicken on the skewers.

 

 

 

Susan's plate.

 

 

We both love the Pineapple! Yum!

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The Moderno card. Red for not ready/I'm done/Stop and Green for Bring the Meat!

 

 

I got the Papaya Cream

 

 

Susan got the flan.

 

 

After Dinner, we headed to the Theater for the full length Duo Elegia show.

 

 

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The show was extremely well done!

 

We headed back to the stateroom. Changed into bed time attire. Put the final few things in our bags and put the bags out in the hallway.

 

I kept hearing the ships horn going off. I stepped outside and it was super foggy. We were about Ensenada or slightly North of there at this point. After spending a few minutes outside, I came in and went to bed.

[shadowmeboy]

Day 8 - Disembarkation Day

 

I looked out the window and noticed we were just outside the Port of LA. By the time, I got the camera ready (The battery was on the charger), we were into the Port.

 

 

 

 

 

US Coast Guard Station

 

 

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Almost to the World Cruise Center

 

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Vincent Thomas Bridge

 

 

 

I loved the Christmas tree made of lights on top of the crane!

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Aft of the Star swinging into the terminal.

 

 

Another Cruise Ship arriving into the Port as well.

 

 

 

 

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A Regent Ship.

 

 

 

 

 

Snug to the dock! We have arrived!

 

Susan was almost ready, once she was, we headed up to our final meal on this cruise.

 

 

Breakfast appetizers

[shadowmeboy]

 

Susan's breakfast appetizers

 

 

Susan got pancakes

 

 

Along with scrambled eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns.

 

 

I got Crab Cakes Benedict - any surprise?

 

 

I also got some eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns.

 

After breakfast, we headed back down to the stateroom.

 

 

Disembarkation had started by now.

[shadowmeboy]

We waved at people we had met from our balcony for a while.

 

We then gathered up our final stuff. We headed down to deck 7, and headed aft towards Spinnaker Lounge. Monica, the Concierge was doing priority disembarkation from there.

 

I finally found the staff photos, they were down the hallway leading to 5 o'clock somewhere from the atrium. We always went down the photo gallery side.

 

 

The glare from the windows made it almost impossible to get a good shot.

 

 

5 O'clock Somewhere one final time.

 

We met up with Monica. We gave her the final little stocking which had her tip for helping us during the week inside. She led us down the starboard deck 7 to the security personnel. we scanned out a final time and started off the ship.

 

 

We skipped that long line! Yes!

 

 

stocking the ship for the next cruise.

 

 

Susan is sad to go.

 

 

Off to Customs we go.

[shadowmeboy]

Once through Customs, we collected our bags with the help of a porter (the same porter as the week prior). He helped us out to where we met our Uber. We Ubered up to the Best Western Plus San Pedro Inn and they were able to get us into a room at 10:00 am! We were totally expecting to have to store our bags and then check in later.

 

 

Here is the room we were in!

 

 

 

 

We relaxed and caught up on emails for little while.

 

We then caught and Uber down to the Battleship Iowa.

 

 

We had bought tickets prior to going on the cruise and we saved $2 on each ticket buying them early online.

 

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I had previously been on the USS Missouri, a sister ship of the Iowa, when it had been moored in Bremerton, WA. It is now in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

 

 

 

the Iowa has a self guided tour which you could use an app with.

 

 

Susan next to the massive forward guns.

 

 

both of us.

 

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Officers dish washing room

 

 

Officers Galley

 

 

Officers area

 

 

These hallways were not made for those over 6 feet tall.

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Officers quarters

 

 

 

 

Officers head (bathroom)

 

 

 

looking down a gunpowder cannister shaft

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lots of stairs to go up and down

 

 

Susan this is only the first set!

 

 

 

 

Captains In-port Quarters and dignitary reception area

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The USS Iowa is known as the Battleship of Presidents.

 

 

 

 

This was the bath tub that was put in for President Franklin D Roosevelt back in 1943.

 

 

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Galley off of the dignitary area

 

 

 

 

 

5-inch 38 caliber twin mounted guns.

 

 

Susan looking in from the other access hole what had steps.