Live from the Sapphire Princess: first post pause sailing 9/24-10/4/2022 (Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez)

[Mike45LC]

2 hours ago, Papa Yoda said:

 

Ship remains at anchor, no Casino

Thanks.  I was afraid of that!😥

[caribill]

5 hours ago, GoHuskies! said:

You should be able to enlarge the print on your computer screen.  If you have a touch screen or a touch pad, just put two fingers on it and separate them.  That should enlarge it.

 

For a regular computer monitor:

a) Click on the photo. It will enlarge it a little bit, but not enough.

b) Click on that enlarged photo. It will open on a new tab with the photo at the same size.

c) Click on the photo in the new tab. It will enlarge it=, usually enough to read the Patter easily.

[travelin.sisters]

morning sail into La Paz

 

 

 

[travelin.sisters]

Port of Pichilingue

 

 

 

[travelin.sisters]

El Serpentario

ready to learn about native species

nebulosa turtle....the only fresh water turtles endemic to Baja California Sur...can live 60-75 years...endangered by red eared sliders released into the wild which are more agressive

spiny tailed iguana...will throw tail whenscared...can grow back tail but without vertebrae

bull snake--non venomous (rattlesnakes are the only venomous snakes in Baja California Sur)

king snake..non-venomous.

brown tarantula...venomous but not deadly

 

 

[travelin.sisters]

a pile of iguana

 

crested caracara

[travelin.sisters]

 

inside the aviary feeding the birds

 

 

 

the love birds aren't very loving!

[travelin.sisters]

the Malecon

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JF - retired RRT]

4 hours ago, caribill said:

 

For a regular computer monitor:

a) Click on the photo. It will enlarge it a little bit, but not enough.

b) Click on that enlarged photo. It will open on a new tab with the photo at the same size.

c) Click on the photo in the new tab. It will enlarge it=, usually enough to read the Patter easily.

You can also use Control + the scroll button on your mouse (if you have one & most do).

[mike&elena]

We have questions about La Paz. You mentioned a free shuttle from the dock to the city.  Did Princess provide this?  How frequently did it operate.  Has there been complimentary transportation in other ports?  Thanks!

[travelin.sisters]

21 hours ago, telecheck said:

A new tropical storm, Orlene just formed off the coast of Western Mexico and is expected to become a hurricane by tomorrow night. It is also expected to pass through the sea between Cabo and Puerto Vallarta over the weekend and may make landfall somewhere near Mazatlan early next week. Will this storm affect this cruise?

 

20 hours ago, Mtom938 said:

@telecheck it certainly has the potential.  The predicted storm track has it southwest of Puerto Vallarta and possibly affecting SAPPHIRE’S route back to Los Angeles.  I wonder if they are considering skipping that last stop?  She HAS to be in LA on 10/4 so I can go on my Hawaii trip LOL. Safety first.

thank you both, this was the first I had heard of Orlene & it gave me a chance to look at the info so I was not surprised when they changed our itinerary or when the giant thunderstorm drenched us. @Mtom938it looks like we will be back for you to sail to Hawai'i...they are working really hard to get all the bugs sorted out so she should be good for you...the captain & crew are wonderful!

[travelin.sisters]

17 hours ago, californiagirl said:

I’m thoroughly enjoying your trip report and pictures.  Thank you for taking time to post.  We were on Sapphire in 2009 when the swine flu hit and we were switched from a Mexico cruise to a California coastal cruise.  She was only 5 years old and absolutely gorgeous.  I was interested in your itinerary as you are sailing in the Sea of Cortez in addition to the usual Western Mexico stops.  It is an itinerary I would like to do.  I’m looking forward to hearing about Loreto.
 

You mentioned in an early post that there were no sinks on Majestic when you sailed on her.  When I was on Majestic in February there were sinks just outside the buffet on both sides and both ends of the buffet.  This was in addition to hand sanitizer stations.  Each ship I’ve been on since the restart has had sinks outside of the buffet.  Regal and Majestic had staff stationed at the sinks to encourage passengers to use them.  Discovery had staff stationed at the sinks only during the busiest times.   

oops, I didn't mean to say that the Majestic didn't have sinks (just most of the older ships we have sailed on except the Grand) but they did not consistently have someone there to remind people to wash. Loreto was lovely but HOT & HUMID, I would not do this cruise in Sept/Oct again (will post report sometime today...as the internet lets me)

[travelin.sisters]

13 hours ago, GoHuskies! said:

travelin.sisters-- Thank you so much for your very informative information!  We are going on the 

Sapphire to Hawaii on October 4, immediately after your cruise, and what you have posted (along with all the other posters on this thread) has been invaluable!  An incredible source--I'll have to watch for further threads of cruises that you post.  Thanks again.

Jim and Norita, Green Valley, Arizona

Jim & Norita, hope you have a great trip to Hawai'i...I did a live for our Hawai'i   this January on the Grand: 

it will be different as we were the very first ship into Hawai'i after the pause & the height of COVID precautions both on the ship & the islands (we weren't even sure when we sailed that they would let us into Hawai'i as the agreements between Princess & Hawai'i were still not finalized) but it might give you some helpful info, any questions feel free to ask...Hawai'i is my favorite cruise (as evidenced by the fact that our next 2 cruises are going there)

[travelin.sisters]

Loreto

         

          We arrived in Loreto while I was still sleeping & the tenders were already out & getting ready for moving people. Temperature is 82 & humidity is 65%. Getting on & off the tenders was much easier than in Cabo as the sea is extremely calm.

          We missed the port talk about Loreto, but since covid they now show the port talks & enrichment lectures on the stateroom TVs. We did not have an excursion planned & after listening to the talk it seemed like it would be an unreasonable endeavor to walk to see anything. Looking out form our balcony, however, it seemed like there was something to see right ashore so we decided to see what we could see.

          By the time we had breakfast & got ready there was no line for the tender so we headed right out. It was an 8–10-minute tender ride to the port & an easy walk to the end of the pier. There were free maps of downtown Loreto with an article about the mission there (the first of the California missions). It was hot & humid but not to uncomfortable so we decided to walk along the Malecon. It was nice if not as fancy as the one in La Paz.

          We soon arrived at the entrance to downtown Loreto & decided to keep going for a bit. As we walked down the street of Loreto there were lots of little shops, restaurants & photo opportunities. We soon made it to the Church & across from there was a stage area with musicians & dancers. We shopped a little on the way back (but thought we would shop more in Puerto Vallarta).

Returning to the Malecon was much hotter & we noticed the lack of shade way more than we had on the journey to town. We were thankful for the cold water & iced cloths that Princess had provided. My sister had some difficulty from the heat & we are grateful for the kindness & care of both our fellow passengers & the Princess crew. We were very thankful to get back to the airconditioned Sapphire at the end of our adventure.

          While resting in our room after lunch, we realized that it was getting more & more overcast & thought we heard thunder. Around 5, shortly before the last tender was due it was so thick that we could no longer see land. Then a giant thunderstorm started. By this time someone had posted on this thread about hurricane Orlene so I was wondering what this meant. We saw the last tender return & the captain announced the changes in our itinerary.

          After consultation with corporate, we will no longer be going to Puerto Vallarta on Friday, but will instead have a stop in San Diego on Monday. Captain Ravera shared a great deal of detail which I very much appreciated having been on Princess ships with equally drastic changes (a tropical storm) with the bare minimum of information shared. He read the official letter (which we all received with our nighttime patters & I have copied to post later) but also told us more about what to expect.

          Because going to PV, & even more coming out to go home, would take us directly into the projected path of Orlene, we will stay in the Sea of Cortez tomorrow & possibly longer where it is still very calm. As they watch the track of the storm & are prepared to use full engine power to move rapidly to avoid as much rough seas as possible. He said that the suddenness of this storm forming is likely related to Hurricane Ian in the Atlantic. He assured us that there is no cause for concern, but committed to increase the daily briefings to twice a day. He also talked about automatic refunds for canceled shore excursions & that the staff is working on new excursions for San Diego.

          As Captain Ravera was talking, a gorgeous, perfectly complete double rainbow with both ends in the sea appeared outside our balcony. By the time we left Loreto the sun was shining once again & everything was sparkling.

          For dinner we had reservations at Stirling Steakhouse thanks to our TA so off we went. When I first heard that the Steakhouse was in a portion of the buffet area, I was disappointed, but they have done a nice job making it seem special & the views are fantastic. The menu is basically (if not exactly) the same as the Crown Grill on the Majestic in January & we had a delicious meal with excellent service.

          I am ready for a good night’s sleep after an eventful day & am looking forward to a sea day with very little planned tomorrow.

          Up next, photos of Loreto & answers to more questions.

 

My posts in this LIVE:

pre-cruise musing—post 1

photos of berth 46—post 2

ready to go—post 23

onboard & ready to report—post 60

embarkation day—post 67

embarkation photos—post 68

embarkation lunch photos—post 70 & 72

exploring the ship—post 80

ship photos—posts 82, 84, 88, 89, 100 & 101

day 2—at sea—post 102

day 2 photos—posts 109, 110, 111 & 112

answers to questions—post 123

Cabo San Lucas—post 126

Cabo photos—posts 147, 150,153, 154, 160, 162 & 163

La Paz—post 164

La Paz photos—posts 178, 179. 180, 181, 182 & 183

Edited September 30, 2022 by travelin.sisters
typos

[Ronnieslady]

Is the air conditioner working for all yet❓

[travelin.sisters]

waking up to Loreto with tenders already ready to go

 

 

 

[travelin.sisters]

in the tender

 

the tender dock

 

many pelicans 

 

to the right of the tender dock is a nice-looking beach area

 

[Papa Yoda]

14 hours ago, travelin.sisters said:

the Malecon

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the photo of a whale shark statue.  Our one cruise to La Paz included the Whale Shark Encounter, one of our most memorable.  

[travelin.sisters]

the Malecon

 

with the Sapphire in the background

 

 

Dr Seuss trees

 

[travelin.sisters]

Downtown Loreto

the arch

 

whale mural

 

Viva

 

Mexico

 

tree archway

 

pueblo magico

 

the church

 

back out through the arch

 

[travelin.sisters]

afternoon storm

Loreto has vanished in the gloom

 

then the rainbow appears (rainbow photos are unretouched or color enhanced...posted as is)

 

& becomes a full double rainbow 

 

here comes the sun

 

 

[KKB]

Thanks for sharing.

Embark the 19th so hoping most issues resolved by then!

[dhanakorn]

On 9/26/2022 at 6:38 AM, Sunset329 said:

We are following your live thread closely since we will be boarding the Sapphire next week. Thanks for doing your live report. Hope you can relax and enjoy your cruise. Can you tell me if the Sapphire has Pickleball or Table Tennis? We are trying to decide if we should bring our paddles.

Ping pong tables are on the upper floor of the indoor pool. They’re indoor so you don’t need to worry about the wind.

[Gert2011]

On 9/28/2022 at 6:47 AM, travelin.sisters said:

two days in Cabo San Lucas

 

          I don’t know that I have ever had an afternoon port arrival, but it was enjoyable. Sailing mostly out of the port of LA we have been to Cabo many times, but it was interesting to see the landscape as we arrived. Sailing down along the point of Baja I got to see more than I ever had on an excursion.

          I was glad we have a port side balcony as my BIL was sitting out there watching the coast & told us he saw whales. There was a very active group of whales & dolphins or porpoises breaching, spouting & playing quite close to the ship. They were close enough to enjoy without binoculars but unfortunately not close enough for pictures with my cell phone.

          We very slowly made our way to our anchorage & then they started prepping for tendering services & shore excursions. There was the usual confusion of a tender port. Being with a Princess excursion, we had to wait in the Princess Theater until they called our group & then head to the tenders.

Getting on the tenders was probably the roughest I have experienced—maybe Santa Barbara a number of years ago was as bad). Even though our voyage has been extremely calm, getting on the tenders was precarious. There was both the normal up & down of the two vessels but added to that were sudden, unpredictable sideways jerks. After they packed our tender with as many people as could possibly fit including some standing with their luggage, we were finally able to leave from the ship, while we were moving there was some relief from the heat, but soon we had to stop & wait for our turn to dock & disembark our thunder. It was very hot, humid & crowded (I definitely prefer Cabo in January). Off we went to find our guide & follow along to the start of our excursion.

For our tour (Cabo by Land & Sea), there were three different tours that started with the same boat tour followed by different land excursions. Strangely the Shore Excursion staff sent 2 of the groups to the tenders first, then a bunch of other groups & then maybe ½ hour later our group. This meant that the two groups waited for a very long time for us to arrive & the tour to begin & also that by the time we got there, there was no seating left. Finally, one of the tour guides gave up her spot for us. The boat tour was about 45 minutes & we went out to see the arch & various sites, they had a very interesting ecological narration by Jean-Michel Cousteau, which I could only hear when I got up to take photos. We were unable to hear it from our seats which was sad. I really think they squeezed too many tours on the boat for it to be the experience we expected. They served soda, beer & mixed drinks while we cruised & a shot of tequila at the end for those who wanted it.

Next was the land part of the tour. We walked to a very comfortable bus with really good AC, which was a necessity. Our first stop was the glass factory where they make items out of recycled glass. We saw a demonstration where they made a Mexican turtle drinking tequila & then had time to shop. The building was gorgeous with glass walls, floor & ceiling.

Next, we went to a restaurant called Sunset Mona Lisa, where they gave us another beverage (beer, soda or water) on their patio & we were able to enjoy beautiful views looking back toward the port & our ship (there was also a Carnival ship in port). Our driver, Jesus, was very good at getting us up the winding dirt road to the restaurant & back out.

          Our last stop was San Jose del Cabo the early mission town. Our guide Israel shared lots of historical & ecological info during the 30-minute ride. By this time many of us were hot & tired & ready to go back to the ship & tried to convince our guide that we did not need a whole hour there. Our late start already had us running very late, but he insisted that he had to give us all that we paid for. After explaining the layout of the town & where our bus would return for us, he took those who were willing to see the mission church. Then we had time to shop or find a bench in the shade to sit & wait. Just before 6:30 when the but would pick us up, for armed policemen arrived. Fortunately, they were they to ceremonially lower the giant Mexican flag & take it to the municipal building. It was fascinating to watch them lower, roll & carry this flag that took 5 men.

          Finally, we were back in our wonderfully cool bus for the ride back to the pier. Because we were so late returning, we were able to see a beautiful sunset. One disappointing thing was they took us back to the bus parking lot & sent us off to the tender pier in the approaching darkness with only vague directions to go straight, turn left & you will see it. There was also a right turn & I still didn’t see it, but fortunately some of our group either did or remembered better so we all followed along & were shortly back in a tender & on or way to the Sapphire. Getting off the tender was still very rough but easier than boarding.

We hurried to our dining room an hour or more late (we had moved our reservations to 7 because the tour was due to finish at 6:30 & that should have been easy, but it was at least 8 when we got there). The hostess said no you are not too late I have saved your table for you because I knew you would be here. Dinner was delicious, but mostly we wanted a shower & to collapse into bed after a hot, humid but interesting day.

          The second day in Cabo, we decided not to go ashore. Having been here or several previous cruises, there was nothing we really wanted to see & we certainly don’t need more souvenirs. If it had been a walk off docking instead of needing to take a tender, we might have gone out for a bit, but it didn’t seem worth facing the tenders not to mention the heat.

          We ate, I visited a few bars in my quest to find some diet coke that doesn’t taste flat, visited with a few people we met around the ship & enjoyed a nice nap. Oh & I fought, off & on, with getting the internet to download my photos from my phone & post to this LIVE. I wish the internet was as adequate as it was on the Grand or Majestic in January or even as good as it was before Medallion net, but I will keep fighting with it, although photos may not get posted until I get back home…we will see what happens.  

          Some last things from today. The leaking in the hallway & the room across the hall got fixed toady. I told Conrado, our cabin steward, that now I would not be able to tell where our room was from way down the hall without the red bucket. He thought about that for a minute & then laughed & laughed. He also came & replaced the door to our safe so that it now works.

The Princess crew all works so hard. They are doing a lot of training of new staff on this cruise, I definitely see it in the dining room as the managers are all out helping, delivering meals, changing table settings, checking on the staff & then last night as we were among the last few diners, doing lots of practice with the newer staff. I met a guy in the liquor store who didn’t know anything about liquor & had only been with Princess for 30 days but was working hard to learn. The Future Cruise person is also brand new, ours was the first booking she had done (with lots of help from her trainer). To me, it mostly feels easy to be patient with people who are working so hard to learn new jobs & still be friendly (usually in a language that is not their own) & helpful…every cruise I think, no matter what else happens, the Princess staff is superb.

 

       

My posts in this LIVE:

pre-cruise musing—post 1

photos of berth 46—post 2

ready to go—post 23

onboard & ready to report—post 60

embarkation day—post 67

embarkation photos—post 68

embarkation lunch photos—post 70 & 72

exploring the ship—post 80

ship photos—posts 82, 84, 88, 89, 100 & 101

day 2—at sea—post 102

day 2 photos—posts 109, 110, 111 & 112

answers to questions—post 123

Thanks for the updates.

You said you had to look around to find not flat diet Coke.  We are on the next 29 days and would like to know where you found it?

 

Thanks again.

[Ronnieslady]

3 hours ago, dhanakorn said:

Ping pong tables are on the upper floor of the indoor pool. They’re indoor so you don’t need to worry about the wind.

My husband Ron, is going to love that Ping pong areas.  We loves playing. He tries to get me to play, but I am not into it like he is.  He considers it good exercise. 

Sunset look for him to play any time.  He is tall 6’3” with a mustache, in his 70’s .  Or call our cabin anytime.We are in D738.  Let me know if he should bring his paddle ❓