Life and live from Zuiderdam's 10-day Mex Riviera/Sea of Cortez cruise

[oakridger]

Thanks again Copper!  I've had the short ribs and gnocchi in Caneletto a few times and the serving you got was huge.....much larger that I had.  I really like that dish, but doubt I could eat that much!  

 

I hope to go on this itinerary sometime as it's not regularly offered and a nice change from the standard Mexican Riviera cruises.  Keep on enjoying!

 

~Nancy

[Copper10-8]

Day 6 - Friday 08 APR 22 – Mazatlán, Sinaloa

 

Woke up to still hazy skies around 6:30 AM as Zuiderdam sailed slowly by Mazatlán’s El Faro (the lighthouse), perched on its 515-foot hill at the approach to the big harbor. We then entered the Canal de Navegacion on our way to the Cruise Ship Dock. Captain Frank (or Staff Captain Volkert) performed a perfect 180, with not a heck of a lot of room to spare at the bow, because they had parked a Norwegian-flagged 36,323 GRT bulker, ms Spar Pavo, right in his way, in the harbor just west of part of the Mexican’s Navy’s Pacific fleet. Remarkably, the Armada de Mexico is still using, as part of their active Pacific fleet, a former World War II U.S. Navy Auk-class minesweeper, the USS Defense (AM-317), commissioned on January 10, 1944, as one of their patrol vessels now named ARM Manuel Doblado (P104). The only other navy vessel in port was the Azteca-class patrol vessel ARM Mariscal (PC211). Upon completion of the turning maneuver, Zuiderdam then slowly sailed ahead until securely parked at her berth facing west. We were the only cruise ship in port today.

 

No matter how many times you’ve been here, Mazatlán’s harbor is by no means pretty and/or picturesque since it is principally a fishing, shrimping and commercial port, as a matter of fact, it is Mexico’s primary port for those activities on its Pacific coast. So, once docked, all you see is large warehouses, a whole bunch of shipping containers and a whole lot of concrete.

 

The name “Mazatlán” comes from the Nahuati word meaning “place or home of deer” and refers to large herds of deer that at one time migrated along the coast. Once the home of the ancient Totorame civilization, Mazatlán was later frequented by pirates who, according to legend, buried their treasures in the caves and coves near the city. Spanish settlers established Mazatlán in 1531 to export gold and silver from the Sierra Madre mines. The port did not really grow until the 18th century when a fishing industry was established. The city is divided into three distinct sections: Vieja Mazatlán (Old Mazatlán) which centers on a small square, Plaza Revolution and its Basilica, an eclectic district of old Spanish-style buildings and colorful new condos. The second is the center of the Malecon (boardwalk) which curves along Bahia del Puerto Viejo and is a lazy stretch of city beach and Pacific recreation area. The third is the northern Zona Dorada (Golden Zone) where Mazatlán’s elegant hotels and condos are found. Dorado is also the tourist neighborhood.

 

We didn’t have any shorex’ planned here so it was nice to be able to once again have a leisurely breakfast around 9:00 AM while most of Zuidy’s passengers were happily ashore already. The one thing we had planned today was to take a cab to a local store by the name of Sea Shell City, located smack in the middle of that Golden Zone. It’s turned into kind of tradition for us. You see, Sea Shell City is where the child bride in the past has obtained her ‘suns’. These are hand-painted (we think) colorful decorative images of the sun in sizes, ranging from small to huge. Maria has several of them hanging against the rear wall of our back yard, but they must have friendly faces! Any angry faced suns are simply unacceptable 😉 

 

We picked up the complimentary shuttle (two open air carts with benches on top, pulled by a little airport-like bag tractor) that takes pax from the cruise ship(s) to the terminal building where a bunch of shops are set up both in and outside. Once off the shuttle, it’s kinda like walking a gauntlet with vendors trying to get you to come inside. We ignored them and walked to the plaza outside, but still within the gates to pick up a cab. A one-way ride to the Zona Dorado will cost you $15 and that does not include an expected ‘propina’ (tip).

 

We selected a taxi, known locally here as a ‘Pulmonia’, loosely translated in English as “Pneumonia”. You see, Mazatlán has a whole lot of these open windowed, open-air taxi’s, basically glorified golf carts, painted white with Volkswagen engines in the back. There are now updated versions. Usually, the cab comes complete with a local driver who has made “blowing his horn” a self-proclaimed work of art. The horns produce all kinds of sounds including one very familiar and, once heard, would lead me to immediately pull over to the right side of the curb and produce my driver’s license. Other tunes that can be lovingly produced sound like loud whistles, Ludwig von Beethoven fifth symphony (but uncompleted), Quasimodo ringing ‘the bells’, and the Entrance of the Gladiators minus the lions. Overall, an experience not to miss! Anyway, we soon headed north-east with a nice breeze in our hairs, down Avenida del Puerto, through Viejo Mazatlán and down Avenida Las Gaviotas to Seashell City.

 

Sea Shell City is exactly what the name implies, more shell-covered decorative items than you ever dreamed could exist, from the tacky to the sublime. It's located between Las Garzas and Avenida del Mar on Avenida Rodolfo T. Loaiza and is also a shell museum. So, Maria is out scoping the interior for her sun while I hold her purse as any well-trained, fully domesticated husband would do and make strenuous attempts not to lose the will to live. No moons made the expectations today however but wait, all is not lost since on the way home, we will make the obligatory stop at Old Towne San Diego where there happens to be a Mexican ceramic pots artisan store.

 

We decided to make a left turn and enter the infamous “Shrimp Factory,” kinda like the ‘Mother of all Shrimps’ a few steps away. They have Shrimp Salad, Shrimp Soup, Shrimp with Rice, Deep Fried Shrimp Tacos, Cocktail Shrimp, 3 Quesadillas with Shrimp, Butterfly Breaded Shrimp, Beer Batter Shrimp, Grilled Shrimp, Ranchero Shrimp, Shrimp Fajitas, Coconut Shrimp, Imperial Shrimp, Diablo Shrimp, Shrimp Spaghetti, Grilled Fish with Shrimp, Margarita Shrimp, you name it!

 

We went for a seat with a view and soon ordered a Strawberry Margarita each, which came with a bowl of chips and Salsa, and did some serious ‘people watching’ from our perch. Lots of North American tourists in the Zona Dorado, folks, but not as many as during the holiday months. That will change next week however, when “Spring break: starts here. We both ordered and consumed a plate of fish fillet which was muy rico! Incredibly, Yes, I know, without any shrimp.

 

After spending close to an hour at the Shrimp Factory, we flagged down another Pulmonia cabbie as soon as we set one foot on the pavement outside and off we went again, great fun! This was an original one and you could hear that Volkswagen engine humming. The friendly cabbie gave us a little bit of a complimentary tour driving by the fisherman’s monument, as well as the cliff diver’s platform, before depositing us back inside the walls of the cruise port.

 

Located outside the gangway was a welcoming committee, consisting of Hotel General Manager Henk, Asst. Hotel General Manager Manish, F&B Manager Jonathan and Beverage Manager Bart, complete with the type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun, known as Sombrero / "shadower" in English. Very cool!

 

Zuidy shoved off her berth at 5:47 PM (All Aboard had once again been at 5:30) and passed part of the Mazatlán fishing fleet on her port side, and the lighthouse atop the hill on starboard, as she headed back out to sea. Our new destination was Puerto Vallarta, our last port already on this 10-dayer. In order to get there, we have to basically follow the coast of the Mexican mainland in a southerly direction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Copper10-8

[Alphen]

11 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

Day 6 - Friday 08 APR 22 – Mazatlán, Sinaloa

 

Woke up to still hazy skies around 6:30 AM as Zuiderdam sailed slowly by Mazatlán’s El Faro (the lighthouse), perched on its 515-foot hill at the approach to the big harbor. We then entered the Canal de Navegacion on our way to the Cruise Ship Dock. Captain Frank (or Staff Captain Volkert) performed a perfect 180, with not a heck of a lot of room to spare at the bow, because they had parked a Norwegian-flagged 36,323 GRT bulker, ms Spar Pavo, right in his way, in the harbor just west of part of the Mexican’s Navy’s Pacific fleet. Remarkably, the Armada de Mexico is still using, as part of their active Pacific fleet, a former World War II U.S. Navy Auk-class minesweeper, the USS Defense (AM-317), commissioned on January 10, 1944, as one of their patrol vessels now named ARM Manuel Doblado (P104). The only other navy vessel in port was the Azteca-class patrol vessel ARM Mariscal (PC211). Upon completion of the turning maneuver, Zuiderdam then slowly sailed ahead until securely parked at her berth facing west. We were the only cruise ship in port today.

 

No matter how many times you’ve been here, Mazatlán’s harbor is by no means pretty and/or picturesque since it is principally a fishing, shrimping and commercial port, as a matter of fact, it is Mexico’s primary port for those activities on its Pacific coast. So, once docked, all you see is large warehouses, a whole bunch of shipping containers and a whole lot of concrete.

 

The name “Mazatlán” comes from the Nahuati word meaning “place or home of deer” and refers to large herds of deer that at one time migrated along the coast. Once the home of the ancient Totorame civilization, Mazatlán was later frequented by pirates who, according to legend, buried their treasures in the caves and coves near the city. Spanish settlers established Mazatlán in 1531 to export gold and silver from the Sierra Madre mines. The port did not really grow until the 18th century when a fishing industry was established. The city is divided into three distinct sections: Vieja Mazatlán (Old Mazatlán) which centers on a small square, Plaza Revolution and its Basilica, an eclectic district of old Spanish-style buildings and colorful new condos. The second is the center of the Malecon (boardwalk) which curves along Bahia del Puerto Viejo and is a lazy stretch of city beach and Pacific recreation area. The third is the northern Zona Dorada (Golden Zone) where Mazatlán’s elegant hotels and condos are found. Dorado is also the tourist neighborhood.

 

We didn’t have any shorex’ planned here so it was nice to be able to once again have a leisurely breakfast around 9:00 AM while most of Zuidy’s passengers were happily ashore already. The one thing we had planned today was to take a cab to a local store by the name of Sea Shell City, located smack in the middle of that Golden Zone. It’s turned into kind of tradition for us. You see, Sea Shell City is where the child bride in the past has obtained her ‘suns’. These are hand-painted (we think) colorful decorative images of the sun in sizes, ranging from small to huge. Maria has several of them hanging against the rear wall of our back yard, but they must have friendly faces! Any angry faced suns are simply unacceptable 😉 

 

We picked up the complimentary shuttle (two open air carts with benches on top, pulled by a little airport-like bag tractor) that takes pax from the cruise ship(s) to the terminal building where a bunch of shops are set up both in and outside. Once off the shuttle, it’s kinda like walking a gauntlet with vendors trying to get you to come inside. We ignored them and walked to the plaza outside, but still within the gates to pick up a cab. A one-way ride to the Zona Dorado will cost you $15 and that does not include an expected ‘propina’ (tip).

 

We selected a taxi, known locally here as a ‘Pulmonia’, loosely translated in English as “Pneumonia”. You see, Mazatlán has a whole lot of these open windowed, open-air taxi’s, basically glorified golf carts, painted white with Volkswagen engines in the back. There are now updated versions. Usually, the cab comes complete with a local driver who has made “blowing his horn” a self-proclaimed work of art. The horns produce all kinds of sounds including one very familiar and, once heard, would lead me to immediately pull over to the right side of the curb and produce my driver’s license. Other tunes that can be lovingly produced sound like loud whistles, Ludwig von Beethoven fifth symphony (but uncompleted), Quasimodo ringing ‘the bells’, and the Entrance of the Gladiators minus the lions. Overall, an experience not to miss! Anyway, we soon headed north-east with a nice breeze in our hairs, down Avenida del Puerto, through Viejo Mazatlán and down Avenida Las Gaviotas to Seashell City.

 

Sea Shell City is exactly what the name implies, more shell-covered decorative items than you ever dreamed could exist, from the tacky to the sublime. It's located between Las Garzas and Avenida del Mar on Avenida Rodolfo T. Loaiza and is also a shell museum. So, Maria is out scoping the interior for her sun while I hold her purse as any well-trained, fully domesticated husband would do and make strenuous attempts not to lose the will to live. No moons made the expectations today however but wait, all is not lost since on the way home, we will make the obligatory stop at Old Towne San Diego where there happens to be a Mexican ceramic pots artisan store.

 

We decided to make a left turn and enter the infamous “Shrimp Factory,” kinda like the ‘Mother of all Shrimps’ a few steps away. They have Shrimp Salad, Shrimp Soup, Shrimp with Rice, Deep Fried Shrimp Tacos, Cocktail Shrimp, 3 Quesadillas with Shrimp, Butterfly Breaded Shrimp, Beer Batter Shrimp, Grilled Shrimp, Ranchero Shrimp, Shrimp Fajitas, Coconut Shrimp, Imperial Shrimp, Diablo Shrimp, Shrimp Spaghetti, Grilled Fish with Shrimp, Margarita Shrimp, you name it!

 

We went for a seat with a view and soon ordered a Strawberry Margarita each, which came with a bowl of chips and Salsa, and did some serious ‘people watching’ from our perch. Lots of North American tourists in the Zona Dorado, folks, but not as many as during the holiday months. That will change next week however, when “Spring break: starts here. We both ordered and consumed a plate of fish fillet which was muy rico! Incredibly, Yes, I know, without any shrimp.

 

After spending close to an hour at the Shrimp Factory, we flagged down another Pulmonia cabbie as soon as we set one foot on the pavement outside and off we went again, great fun! This was an original one and you could hear that Volkswagen engine humming. The friendly cabbie gave us a little bit of a complimentary tour driving by the fisherman’s monument, as well as the cliff diver’s platform, before depositing us back inside the walls of the cruise port.

 

Located outside the gangway was a welcoming committee, consisting of Hotel General Manager Henk, Asst. Hotel General Manager Manish, F&B Manager Jonathan and Beverage Manager Bart, complete with the type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun, known as Sombrero / "shadower" in English. Very cool!

 

Zuidy shoved off her berth at 5:47 PM (All Aboard had once again been at 5:30) and passed part of the Mazatlán fishing fleet on her port side, and the lighthouse atop the hill on starboard, as she headed back out to sea. Our new destination was Puerto Vallarta, our last port already on this 10-dayer. In order to get there, we have to basically follow the coast of the Mexican mainland in a southerly direction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staff Captain Volkert Visser? If so, also a former P3 colleague!

[Florida_gal_50]

They had some of the officers on the ground as I went off the ship on the koningsdam.  It’s a nice touch I think.

[Copper10-8]

6 minutes ago, Alphen said:

Staff Captain Volkert Visser? If so, also a former P3 colleague!

 

Sure is! I last worked with him on Volendam in 2011 when he was still 2/O (see pics). He told me all about his exploits in the P-3C Orion out of MvK Valkenburg. During the staff introduction last Monday, Capt. Friso stated that he (Volkert) is still in the Royal Netherlands Navy Reserve and just came back from a deployment to Bahrain. If/when he makes captain, he can fly those reserve colors again 😉 

 

 

[Alphen]

1 minute ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Sure is! I last worked with him on Volendam in 2011 when he was still 2/O (see pics). He told me all about his exploits in the P-3C Orion out of MvK Valkenburg. During the staff introduction last Monday, Capt. Friso stated that he (Volkert) is still in the Royal Netherlands Navy Reserve and just came back from a deployment to Bahrain. If/when he makes captain, he can fly those reserve colors again 😉 

 

 

Tnx for the info, would be nice to see him fly that flag when he gets in command someday!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 hour ago, Copper10-8 said:

Day 6 - Friday 08 APR 22 – Mazatlán, Sinaloa

 

Woke up to still hazy skies around 6:30 AM as Zuiderdam sailed slowly by Mazatlán’s El Faro (the lighthouse), perched on its 515-foot hill at the approach to the big harbor. We then entered the Canal de Navegacion on our way to the Cruise Ship Dock. Captain Frank (or Staff Captain Volkert) performed a perfect 180, with not a heck of a lot of room to spare at the bow, because they had parked a Norwegian-flagged 36,323 GRT bulker, ms Spar Pavo, right in his way, in the harbor just west of part of the Mexican’s Navy’s Pacific fleet. Remarkably, the Armada de Mexico is still using, as part of their active Pacific fleet, a former World War II U.S. Navy Auk-class minesweeper, the USS Defense (AM-317), commissioned on January 10, 1944, as one of their patrol vessels now named ARM Manuel Doblado (P104). The only other navy vessel in port was the Azteca-class patrol vessel ARM Mariscal (PC211). Upon completion of the turning maneuver, Zuiderdam then slowly sailed ahead until securely parked at her berth facing west. We were the only cruise ship in port today.

 

No matter how many times you’ve been here, Mazatlán’s harbor is by no means pretty and/or picturesque since it is principally a fishing, shrimping and commercial port, as a matter of fact, it is Mexico’s primary port for those activities on its Pacific coast. So, once docked, all you see is large warehouses, a whole bunch of shipping containers and a whole lot of concrete.

 

The name “Mazatlán” comes from the Nahuati word meaning “place or home of deer” and refers to large herds of deer that at one time migrated along the coast. Once the home of the ancient Totorame civilization, Mazatlán was later frequented by pirates who, according to legend, buried their treasures in the caves and coves near the city. Spanish settlers established Mazatlán in 1531 to export gold and silver from the Sierra Madre mines. The port did not really grow until the 18th century when a fishing industry was established. The city is divided into three distinct sections: Vieja Mazatlán (Old Mazatlán) which centers on a small square, Plaza Revolution and its Basilica, an eclectic district of old Spanish-style buildings and colorful new condos. The second is the center of the Malecon (boardwalk) which curves along Bahia del Puerto Viejo and is a lazy stretch of city beach and Pacific recreation area. The third is the northern Zona Dorada (Golden Zone) where Mazatlán’s elegant hotels and condos are found. Dorado is also the tourist neighborhood.

 

We didn’t have any shorex’ planned here so it was nice to be able to once again have a leisurely breakfast around 9:00 AM while most of Zuidy’s passengers were happily ashore already. The one thing we had planned today was to take a cab to a local store by the name of Sea Shell City, located smack in the middle of that Golden Zone. It’s turned into kind of tradition for us. You see, Sea Shell City is where the child bride in the past has obtained her ‘suns’. These are hand-painted (we think) colorful decorative images of the sun in sizes, ranging from small to huge. Maria has several of them hanging against the rear wall of our back yard, but they must have friendly faces! Any angry faced suns are simply unacceptable 😉 

 

We picked up the complimentary shuttle (two open air carts with benches on top, pulled by a little airport-like bag tractor) that takes pax from the cruise ship(s) to the terminal building where a bunch of shops are set up both in and outside. Once off the shuttle, it’s kinda like walking a gauntlet with vendors trying to get you to come inside. We ignored them and walked to the plaza outside, but still within the gates to pick up a cab. A one-way ride to the Zona Dorado will cost you $15 and that does not include an expected ‘propina’ (tip).

 

We selected a taxi, known locally here as a ‘Pulmonia’, loosely translated in English as “Pneumonia”. You see, Mazatlán has a whole lot of these open windowed, open-air taxi’s, basically glorified golf carts, painted white with Volkswagen engines in the back. There are now updated versions. Usually, the cab comes complete with a local driver who has made “blowing his horn” a self-proclaimed work of art. The horns produce all kinds of sounds including one very familiar and, once heard, would lead me to immediately pull over to the right side of the curb and produce my driver’s license. Other tunes that can be lovingly produced sound like loud whistles, Ludwig von Beethoven fifth symphony (but uncompleted), Quasimodo ringing ‘the bells’, and the Entrance of the Gladiators minus the lions. Overall, an experience not to miss! Anyway, we soon headed north-east with a nice breeze in our hairs, down Avenida del Puerto, through Viejo Mazatlán and down Avenida Las Gaviotas to Seashell City.

 

Sea Shell City is exactly what the name implies, more shell-covered decorative items than you ever dreamed could exist, from the tacky to the sublime. It's located between Las Garzas and Avenida del Mar on Avenida Rodolfo T. Loaiza and is also a shell museum. So, Maria is out scoping the interior for her sun while I hold her purse as any well-trained, fully domesticated husband would do and make strenuous attempts not to lose the will to live. No moons made the expectations today however but wait, all is not lost since on the way home, we will make the obligatory stop at Old Towne San Diego where there happens to be a Mexican ceramic pots artisan store.

 

We decided to make a left turn and enter the infamous “Shrimp Factory,” kinda like the ‘Mother of all Shrimps’ a few steps away. They have Shrimp Salad, Shrimp Soup, Shrimp with Rice, Deep Fried Shrimp Tacos, Cocktail Shrimp, 3 Quesadillas with Shrimp, Butterfly Breaded Shrimp, Beer Batter Shrimp, Grilled Shrimp, Ranchero Shrimp, Shrimp Fajitas, Coconut Shrimp, Imperial Shrimp, Diablo Shrimp, Shrimp Spaghetti, Grilled Fish with Shrimp, Margarita Shrimp, you name it!

 

We went for a seat with a view and soon ordered a Strawberry Margarita each, which came with a bowl of chips and Salsa, and did some serious ‘people watching’ from our perch. Lots of North American tourists in the Zona Dorado, folks, but not as many as during the holiday months. That will change next week however, when “Spring break: starts here. We both ordered and consumed a plate of fish fillet which was muy rico! Incredibly, Yes, I know, without any shrimp.

 

After spending close to an hour at the Shrimp Factory, we flagged down another Pulmonia cabbie as soon as we set one foot on the pavement outside and off we went again, great fun! This was an original one and you could hear that Volkswagen engine humming. The friendly cabbie gave us a little bit of a complimentary tour driving by the fisherman’s monument, as well as the cliff diver’s platform, before depositing us back inside the walls of the cruise port.

 

Located outside the gangway was a welcoming committee, consisting of Hotel General Manager Henk, Asst. Hotel General Manager Manish, F&B Manager Jonathan and Beverage Manager Bart, complete with the type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun, known as Sombrero / "shadower" in English. Very cool!

 

Zuidy shoved off her berth at 5:47 PM (All Aboard had once again been at 5:30) and passed part of the Mazatlán fishing fleet on her port side, and the lighthouse atop the hill on starboard, as she headed back out to sea. Our new destination was Puerto Vallarta, our last port already on this 10-dayer. In order to get there, we have to basically follow the coast of the Mexican mainland in a southerly direction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the tip on Sea Shell City and the Taxi's - Great report!

[Copper10-8]

Day 6 - Friday 08 APR 22 – Mazatlán, Sinaloa (con't)

 

Dinner was our second, and final, time at the Pinnacle Grill. It was packed inside however, the service by Dadan and his staff remained good and professional. We both had the salmon which was excellent, while I had mushroom soup as an appetizer. Maria tried the "Not so baked Alaska" for dessert while I had coconut ice cream.

 

The main entertainment tonight was the showing, in the Main Stage, of BBC Earth Experience, Planet Earth II, accompanied by the Lincoln Center Stage classical musicians. We saw this presentation on Koningsdam for her New Years voyage and, if you haven’t, can highly recommend the showing, if not only to hear your fellow passengers scream and yell encouragement when the little lizard almost (spoiler alert/he doesn’t) gets caught by a bunch of snakes who are chasing him. Good stuff!

 

So instead of watching that, we wound up in the BB King’s Lounge for the final part of the “Secret Identities Game Show.” It basically involved three crew members (I’m thinking cruise activities staff) sitting with their backs to three separate professions, items of clothing, accessories, etc. being projected behind them and, through Yes or No answers from the audience in response to their questions, have to guess what that profession, item of clothing, or accessory is, i.e. firefighter, lifeguard, James Bond, headphones, etc. It tends to get competitive and is fun to watch.

 

Finished up our night in the, by now, usual way by listening to the always awesome B.B. King’s All-Stars. Found out that the female vocalist’s name is Shelby Sykes; she has a great voice! Tomorrow is Day 1 of a 2-day / 1 overnight stay in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. See ya then!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Day 7 - Saturday 09 APR 22 – Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

 

Zuiderdam pulled into the Terminal Maritima at approximately 6:05 AM. Once inside the basin, Captain Frank, using his fwd. thrusters and Azi-pods, turned his ship 90 degrees using available space until her bow was facing westbound alongside Muelle No. 1, the cruise ship dock. During 2007, Puerta Vallarta gained a new cruise dock which now allows three large cruise ships berthing space. The then new dock (Muelle No, 3) is located on the north side of the harbor adjacent to the Navy base. The other two cruise ship docks are on the east side (Muelle No, 2, across the street from the Wal-Mart) and the original one of the south side adjacent the quayside market. The area leading to Dock #1 recently received a new terminal building full of modern airport-like duty free shops.

 

At Muelle No. 2 today was a smaller cruise ship by the name of Vidante Elegante which is operated by Mexican cruise line Vidante Cruises (owned by hotel/resort operator Grupo Vidante) however, I don’t believe she is in service as we speak. Grupo Vidante had/has grand plans to operate the ship on Mexican Riviera cruises but Covid put a stop to those plans, at least for now. Vidante Elegante was born in 1990 as Crown Monarch for Crown Cruise Line but she has had lots of other names: Cunard Crown Monarch, Nautican, Walrus, Havens Star, Neptune, Rembrandt II, Jules Verne, Alexander von Humboldt II, and Voyager. So we woke up to a lovely view of the PV Wal-Mart (a crew favorite) and the adjacent Sam’s Club on the other side of Carretara Al Aeropuerto.

 

Puerto Vallarta is a city of approx. 250,000 inhabitants located at the center of the 25-mile-wide Banderas Bay (Bay of Flags) and alongside the Sierra Madre mountain range (Think Night of the Iguana: “Baaadges?? I don’t got to tchoew you no stinkin’ baaadges”). The name honors former governor Ignacio Luis Vallarta. The city proper comprises four main areas: the hotel zone along the shore to the north, Olas Altas - Col Zapata to the south of the Cuale river (recently named Zona Romantica in some tourist brochures), the Centro along the shore between these two areas, and several residential areas to the east of the hotel zone. The oldest section of the town is the area of Col. Centro near the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, especially Hidalgo Street. The climate here is tropical (and can be humid) with sunny days most of the year. The rainy season takes place from July to September. The economy is based mainly on tourism and construction with a small percentage derived from agriculture and tropical fruits. To the north it borders the southwest part of the state of Nayarit. To the east it borders the municipality of Mascota as well as very picturesque San Sebastian del Oeste, and to the south it borders the municipalities of Talpa de Allende and Cabo Corrientes. Puerto Vallarta is frequently shortened to "Vallarta", while English speakers call the city P.V. for short.

 

Once again had our breakfast in PG right before 9:00 AM which, surprisingly was still rather busy. We had moved the clocks forward by another hour last night so we are now two hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. Our game plan for the day was to have a relaxing morning, pick up a cab to El Centro / Viejo Vallarta and, more specifically, to a restaurant by the name of Pipi’s in order to have a Mexican lunch. I had first heard about Pipi’s from Oosterdam’s techspert around 2017 and we’ve been there four times now. It’s one of those places where, once seated, a Senor shows up with a tray full of avocados, tomatoes, onions, who will then proceed to make you a bowl of fresh guacamole after a fair amount of mashing. There is usually also a 2–3-person band (violins and a bass) that comes to your table and will ask you what you want them to play for you, but they must have had the day off on Saturdays because they were no-shows.

 

So we enjoyed a nice relaxing lunch, after which we made our way on foot to the nearby Malecon (Boardwalk) to look at the statues until we reached the Plaza Principal de las Armas adjacent PV’s aforementioned and very nice 1903-built La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe/Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The church is a city icon, it dominates Vallarta's downtown skyline and is one of the favorite symbols and landmarks of the city, both in photos, shirts, logos and postcards

 

Also located caddy corner off the plaza happens to be a Starbucks purely to satisfy a craving and get some free Wi-Fi. We then made an exit stage right, crossed the nice plaza, and made a hook shank left where we were able to flag down a cab for the ride back to the Terminal Maritima for the grand total (fixed price) of $10.00 for the both of us and immediately realized that, once again, the cabbie who had taken us to Pipi’s had obviously charged us the tourist / cruise ship / Spring Break rate of $20 for both. Highway robbery in progress!

 

The new terminal shopping area at PV Muelle No. 1 from which you will eventually reach your gate that leads to your ship’s gangway can best be described as one of those cruise line / Carnival-financed shopping area similar to Grand Turk. Whether you want to or not, you are forced to transit different stores which sell everything from alcohol to cartons of cigarettes, to boxes of rum cakes. Quite ingenious but also very commercialized! Btw, the mobile device that will tell you if your body temp is normal, which we encountered on our last trip here was nowhere to be found. The authentic PV flea market is still there outside T1, as are the noisemaking parrots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

Copper, I have a question.  Not sure if you’ll be able to answer.  The koningsdam was parked at muelle #3 for my second week of my cruise on the koningsdam.  The tour buses picked us up right there.  When we came back they refused to drop us back there and dropped us the the other terminal.  We had to take a shuttle back to 3 but it was difficult finding that shuttle and it wasn’t easy to climb on them like  the one in mazatlan.  It was much higher off the ground.  I could have walked but by then I was annoyed that the shorex was so late getting back and I was hot and just wanted to spend some time in the cabana.  I know this is a long shot but any idea why you can’t get off buses at muelle #3 since we boarded buses there?  Thanks.

[zelker]

@Copper10-8  Hi, John. 

 

Please give Ivan (aka "Vin Diesel"), Itsar, Melissa (aka "Muffin" or "Melikka") and Alyssa (aka "Aly" or "Alykka") a big hug for us and tell them that even though it's only been a week since we left them, John and Barb miss them terribly!!  They're the BEST and took such good care of us for 35 days, even when we both were "under the weather" 😞 and couldn't enjoy 7075 for 5 and 10 days respectively.  And if you see Maja (Guest Service Mgr), give her a hug for us, too.

 

Enjoy the remainder of your cruise!

 

Barb

[Sir PMP]

Pipi's is a popular crew hang out, we used to go there with the German wine steward Ingo.

[Copper10-8]

3 hours ago, zelker said:

@Copper10-8  Hi, John. 

 

Please give Ivan (aka "Vin Diesel"), Itsar, Melissa (aka "Muffin" or "Melikka") and Alyssa (aka "Aly" or "Alykka") a big hug for us and tell them that even though it's only been a week since we left them, John and Barb miss them terribly!!  They're the BEST and took such good care of us for 35 days, even when we both were "under the weather" 😞 and couldn't enjoy 7075 for 5 and 10 days respectively.  And if you see Maja (Guest Service Mgr), give her a hug for us, too.

 

Enjoy the remainder of your cruise!

 

Barb

 

Will certainly do that to all the individuals you mention and definitely agree with your assessment of them! They are taking good care of us and our cabin also😉 Melissa was also "under the weather" for the first part of this cruise, but came back to work yesterday. Btw, we have the cabin next door to the one you had! 

 

[Copper10-8]

3 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Pipi's is a popular crew hang out, we used to go there with the German wine steward Ingo.

 

Ingo hails from one of the German Frisian islands; a true lighthouse lover and a very funny guy! One of the best sommeliers around! That's him in the middle/2nd row on Volendam a while back, and honorary crew member "Mama Lou" (may she rest in peace) in the front row next to the chief electrician 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

5 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Copper, I have a question.  Not sure if you’ll be able to answer.  The koningsdam was parked at muelle #3 for my second week of my cruise on the koningsdam.  The tour buses picked us up right there.  When we came back they refused to drop us back there and dropped us the the other terminal.  We had to take a shuttle back to 3 but it was difficult finding that shuttle and it wasn’t easy to climb on them like  the one in mazatlan.  It was much higher off the ground.  I could have walked but by then I was annoyed that the shorex was so late getting back and I was hot and just wanted to spend some time in the cabana.  I know this is a long shot but any idea why you can’t get off buses at muelle #3 since we boarded buses there?  Thanks.

 

You present a valid concern here and the walk from Muelle #3 to Muelle #1 in PV can be a workout in itself, especially for the ones no longer so nimble/agile! I don't know this for a fact, but I would think the reason the buses don't go to Muelle #2 and/or Muelle #3 is because the port wants cruise ship passengers to go through their still fairly new shopping area located at Muelle #1.

 

They, I'm sure, put a lot of pesos in building that shopping "trap" 😉 and want cruise ship pax to spent $$$ in their pretty pricy shops inside. This unfortunately, is something the port authority controls, and not the cruise lines who call at the port 

 

We've been at both Muelle #2 and #3 with HAL ships and I've seen those "Mazatlan-type" shuttles (but a smaller version) go back and forth to Muelle #1. Just don't know how easy/difficult they are to get in and out, or how often/regular they run

 

Hope you enjoy your next cruise!

[Florida_gal_50]

22 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

You present a valid concern here and the walk from Muelle #3 to Muelle #1 in PV can be a workout in itself, especially for the ones no longer so nimble/agile! I don't know this for a fact, but I would think the reason the buses don't go to Muelle #2 and/or Muelle #3 is because the port wants cruise ship passengers to go through their still fairly new shopping area located at Muelle #1.

 

They, I'm sure, put a lot of pesos in building that shopping "trap" 😉 and want cruise ship pax to spent $$$ in their pretty pricy shops inside. This unfortunately, is something the port authority controls, and not the cruise lines who call at the port 

 

We've been at both Muelle #2 and #3 with HAL ships and I've seen those "Mazatlan-type" shuttles (but a smaller version) go back and forth to Muelle #1. Just don't know how easy/difficult they are to get in and out, or how often/regular they run

 

Hope you enjoy your next cruise!

Thank you.  That makes a lot of sense but it’s a shame they don’t get it.  I can walk but what about people with walkers, or people trying to get up on that shuttle? They wouldn’t be able to do it.  I think people just don’t understand people with limitations and they don’t care.  Stairs are unpleasant for me but was long as there aren’t a hundred and I can take my  time I’m ok.  There were 2 ladies with scooters on my tour.  The tour guide asked them to walk up these stairs and there was at least 15 of them.  He said the group would carry up the scooters.  What?  Not questioning you copper, just venting. Vendors never have to worry about me buying things.  I rarely leave without buying something but not at that pier.

[Copper10-8]

On 4/2/2022 at 12:41 PM, 57redbird said:

The 'Tile Factory' is in Old Town (on Venustiano Carranza 374, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata).. it's called World of Tiles.  The pot is $17 USD without shipping & here is a picture of it....it's the one on the left & it's 6.5 inches tall.  Let me know if you think you might be able to do it....I know shipping from MX to the US is super pricy so that's why I'm hoping somebody from the US could get it for me.

 

Well, sorry to say I have some not so positive news for you re: your replacement flower pot from the Tile Factory in Viejo Vallarta. Dutch friends of us who "snow bird" in Puerto Vallarta were nice enough to drive me to the Tile Factory this morning. I had a copy / pic of your desired pot with me and was fully engaged to get this done.

 

Unfortunately, having arrived at Mundo de Azulejos aka the Tile Factory @ Venustiano Carranza 374, we discovered that it is closed on Sundays (see pic). So, as stated, unfortunately a failed mission 😔 Hope you can get that flower pot in the future with the assistance of someone else / via different means..........

[57redbird]

11 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Well, sorry to say I have some not so positive news for you re: your replacement flower pot from the Tile Factory in Viejo Vallarta. Dutch friends of us who "snow bird" in Puerto Vallarta were nice enough to drive me to the Tile Factory this morning. I had a copy / pic of your desired pot with me and was fully engaged to get this done.

 

Unfortunately, having arrived at Mundo de Azulejos aka the Tile Factory @ Venustiano Carranza 374, we discovered that it is closed on Sundays (see pic). So, as stated, unfortunately a failed mission 😔 Hope you can get that flower pot in the future with the assistance of someone else / via different means..........

Thank you (& your friend) for trying....I appreciate it.

[Copper10-8]

5 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Thank you.  That makes a lot of sense but it’s a shame they don’t get it.  I can walk but what about people with walkers, or people trying to get up on that shuttle? They wouldn’t be able to do it.  I think people just don’t understand people with limitations and they don’t care.  Stairs are unpleasant for me but was long as there aren’t a hundred and I can take my  time I’m ok.  There were 2 ladies with scooters on my tour.  The tour guide asked them to walk up these stairs and there was at least 15 of them.  He said the group would carry up the scooters.  What?  Not questioning you copper, just venting. Vendors never have to worry about me buying things.  I rarely leave without buying something but not at that pier.

 

I'm with ya! 😉 What you say makes a lot of sense!

 

Totally different topic! I'm not happy with the taxis right smack outside the entrance to that same Muelle #1 shopping area in PV. When you ask them for the price to Viejo (old) Vallarta you get a standard answer of $20 U.S. Now these are the unmarked (white or tan) usually vans or mini-vans. However, they have the sole monopoly inside the port.

 

The exact same distance the other way will cost you $10 U.S. I just found out from those same Dutch friends who "over winter" here, that the "yellow/white" marked taxis are not allowed to pick up pax outside that exit. But they are allowed to park just outside the port entrance to the right by the gas station, so that's what we will do from now on. Some will probably call me a cheap skate 😬 and/or a penny pincher 🥴, or just a Dutchman 🤓 and that's OK, To me, it's the principle.

[Florida_gal_50]

7 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

I'm with ya! 😉 What you say makes a lot of sense!

 

Totally different topic! I'm not happy with the taxis right smack outside the entrance to that same Muelle #1 shopping area in PV. When you ask them for the price to Viejo (old) Vallarta you get a standard answer of $20 U.S. Now these are the unmarked (white or tan) usually vans or mini-vans. However, they have the sole monopoly inside the port.

 

The exact same distance the other way will cost you $10 U.S. I just found out from those same Dutch friends who "over winter" here, that the "yellow/white" marked taxis are not allowed to pick up pax outside that exit. But they are allowed to park just outside the port entrance to the right by the gas station, so that's what we will do from now on. Some will probably call me a cheap skate 😬 and/or a penny pincher 🥴, or just a Dutchman 🤓 and that's OK, To me, it's the principle.

Totally!  That’s a bit of cash.  If it was a buck of two who would care.  I hate when things like that happen.  I will spend like a drunken sailor but if you try to cheat me, I’m done.

[sandiego1]

40 minutes ago, 57redbird said:

Thank you (& your friend) for trying....I appreciate it.

I'll be in PV next week. Pls LMK what you need and I can try to get it for you. ecoppola49 at gmail

[TiogaCruiser]

Here’s a bit about that Méxican cruise line whose ship was docked on the adjacent dock

 

https://www.vidantacruises.com/en/itineraries.html

 

Personally, I’m interested in more information, if they’ll take gringos.

Edited April 10, 2022 by TiogaCruiser

[Copper10-8]

7 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

I'll be in PV next week. Pls LMK what you need and I can try to get it for you. ecoppola49 at gmail

 

Awesome! 😀

[boze9999]

5 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Pipi's is a popular crew hang out, we used to go there with the German wine steward Ingo.

We so loved Ingo @Sir PMP!!

 

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by boze9999

[57redbird]

33 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

I'll be in PV next week. Pls LMK what you need and I can try to get it for you. ecoppola49 at gmail

Thank you!!!  I sent you an email from patspal162atyahoo.com