ALMOST live. Sapphire Princess. 10 day Mexican Riviera. Oct 23rd

[JF - retired RRT]

15 minutes ago, cruzin4us said:

That's why I stay on the ship in Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Ensenada.     Loreto is the only place where you can get off and feel relaxed.   Now when I cruise the Mexican Riviera, it's for being on the ship not the ports.

Same for most of the ports in the Caribbean. They follow you around and keep trying, even after the 3rd or 4th NO.

[Kay S]

1 hour ago, cruzin4us said:

That's why I stay on the ship in Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Ensenada.     Loreto is the only place where you can get off and feel relaxed.   Now when I cruise the Mexican Riviera, it's for being on the ship not the ports.

Me too.  I love Loreto.  It's historic and not touristic.  But it can be brutally hot sometimes.

[Vexorg]

Today we found La Paz much more to our liking.  No pushy vendors, and generally a much more laid back atmosphere than the giant tourist trap that is Cabo.  Getting to and from town was a fairly easy bus ride, and we actually found some decent prices on souvenirs (I recommend the alley behind the Sears store for some much less touristy prices.)

[fellswoop]

Agree with you @Vexorg . La Paz was absolutely the quintessential little Mexican tourist town. The port you come into is Pichilingue. There were 20 or so little canapies set up with all kinds of souvenirs we could see from our balcony. We elected to have a leisurely morning and got off ship about 11:20a and apparently others had the same idea, because our wait for the shuttle was 35 min. The  free shuttle into the town is a 30 min ride and they do stop first at a beautiful beach where you can get off and stay for awhile, then catch the shuttle again.The beach is at the largest resort in La Paz (didn't catch the name) and we were told they had restaurants and bar and "beach activities ". We continued straight to town and the bus lets you off at the bus station in the middle of town. There is a beautiful Malecon along the water to walk the length of town with many statues and monuments. On the other side of the street were touristy shops and many sidewalk cafes. We decided to walk a block off the main street to get away  from the cruise crowd and found a great seafood taco place under a big outdoor palapa with cooling fans. Had the best batter dipped and fried giant shrimp tacos of our life. We did some shopping and wandered back to catch the bus back. We were the only ship in port. I'm wondering if they only allow  1 ship cuz it seems 2 ships would overstress the infrastructure. Appreciated that the people were more laid back and not aggressive in selling their souvenirs. Also, saw a sign you could take a taxi into town for $30 if you didn't want to wait in line.

[fellswoop]

[Vexorg]

The people we are sitting next to in the MDR (the "private tables" for two aren't really all that private, but we've ended up in the same place In Savoy with the same companions for the last couple of nights) opted to do Corumel beach, and made it sound really great.  I'll definitely have to consider that the next time we are on this itinerary.

 

The activity schedule is a  little thin tonight, so I'll probably do the logo trivia in the Explorers Lounge and call it a night.  No big plans for Loreto (going to try a restaurant the other diners recommended and then just wander in town) but we have a big horseback ride excursion planned for Puerto Vallarta.

Edited October 28, 2022 by Vexorg

[fellswoop]

This morning by 7a we were already at our anchor spot in the coastal town of Loreto. I love that on the app, under port guides, there is all the info for the port including a map, history, best of etc. It's actually the guide sheet they use to give you and probably is still available at guest services for those wanting a hard copy. We have been here before so decided on just walking down to the "downtown" tourist area. There was no wait for a tender at 11:15a but I believe just like in Cabo, a tender ticket was required if you wanted to get off during prime time of 9a-10:30a or so. The sign on the pier said it was a 300 meter walk to the downtown. It was an easy 15min walk or so and it was ADA friendly for wheelchairs and scooters. There were cabs offering $25 tour per group for 1 hour. The pedestrian wide walkway  in the tourist area ( no cars) was a nice walk lined with tourist shops and restaurants with sidewalk cafes, live music, and colorfully dressed Mexican dancers. There were "prayer flags" lining the walkway making it quite quaint. Also there was absolutely no pressuring to buy or come into shops like there is in Cabo...at least we saw none. However I bought 2 shirts and there was not any haggling over prices like there use to be. In my experience the price was what they said. Please share if you found otherwise. Walking the whole length leisurely of the shop area I'd estimate at taking about 30min or so. Of course we stopped for cervezas and their famous arrachera tacos. That's beef marinated in chiles, lime, other citrus juices and onions and grilled over open flame. (Per our app guide info) We easily shared a plate of three tacos with side of guac, tomatoes, and lettuce to garnish it. The 85° heat was quite manageable with a great breeze. As we headed back to the tender it did become quite windy with swells and white caps giving us an "E" ticket ride back to the ship. (Dating myself)

Stopped at the bar on the pool deck then headed to our room. Feeling very lazy we ordered room service thru the app including an alcoholic drink. It use to be that even with a drink package if you ordered drinks for room delivery you were charged. However now it says right on the app "no charge if you have drink package". Food and drinks arrived within 15min and just like Dominos, it tells you on the app that order received,  order being prepared, and order on it's way for delivery. 😊 Giving an A+ for that. Perhaps slower during busier times. But the real game changer is morning coffee. We are not fans of room service coffee so this morning we tried out the app for a latte and cappuccino (app allows you to order whatever you want in it including milk alternatives) and it arrived to us hot and no charge with the drink package. I know tipping for room service is controversial but we are tippers and feel it is the right thing to do, but you do you. Another beautiful day on our cruise!

[fellswoop]

[srpilo]

Could you share what movies are current being shown onboard ?

[fellswoop]

1 hour ago, srpilo said:

Could you share what movies are current being shown onboard ?

Stopped estimating at 300+ in the room.

Categories include drama, action, comedy, documentary, holiday, family, musical, romance, and thriller. I wasn't paying too much attention to what was playing on MUTS (movies under the stars for you newbies) but saw they played Hocus Pocus, (the original) and The Lost City among others.  Honestly wish there was a sleep timer on the remote cuz we've fallen asleep 3 nights in a row to The Martian and haven't quite finished it. 

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by fellswoop
Add clarification

[Vexorg]

Loreto was a very nice stop, I'd gladly come here again.  Very walkable, friendly, and aside from a couple of people near the tender dock selling tours no pressure.  My wife and I ended up seeing the City Hall (my wife was seriously interested in buying one of the paintings on display but there's no way it would fit in our luggage and I'm not sure if we could work past the language barrier to get it shipped home) and the cathedral, then had lunch at a Mexican restaurant called Orlando's near the City Hall followed by paletas next door.  You can tell Loreto doesn't get many ships in port because they really made it feel like a party for the passengers coming ashore.  It was also neat to watch the preparations for the upcoming Dia de los Muertos in the Town Square.

[Vexorg]

Thought I'd add a couple more notes on Loreto:

 

Out of all the ports on this itinerary this is the one I'd recommend having some pesos on hand for.  Most places don't take cards, and although you could probably get by with USD having some Pesos made things much easier for us.  Loreto isn't as much of a tourist town as Cabo or even La Paz, so more things are going to be in pesos.

 

Also be aware that sidewalks in Loreto can be very uneven, especially if you get outside of the main tourist corridor.  You will want to watch your step wherever you go.

[fellswoop]

Today is a sea day as we travel south in the gulf of California into the Pacific as we pass Cabo towards Puerto Vallarta.  I think it's only about 500 miles to PV and we are going only about 14 knots. Unfortunately we have a tailwind ranging approx 30 knots give or take so subsequently the smoke from the funnel is coming back toward the ship. We couldn't spend a lot of time on our balcony this morning as we could smell the smoke. Luckily we found comfortable padded loungers on the promenade deck to people watch, ( a lot of walkers) and ocean watch, and because of the overhead on the promenade, it is protected from smoke. Also there is no wind so you can sit on deck all day and still have a great hair day.😁

Lots of the usual sea day activities such as shopping, bingo, trivia, line dancing, and wine tasting and more. 

Enjoyed dinner last night at Sabatini’s.  Our reservation was at 7:50p and we were surprised at the number of empty tables. It used to be if you didn't pre reserve before boarding you were relegated to 5p or 9:30p time slots. Our service was fantastic (shout out to Faye) and food great. By the time we were done only 6 people remained. 

[JF - retired RRT]

19 hours ago, fellswoop said:

Honestly wish there was a sleep timer on the remote cuz we've fallen asleep 3 nights in a row to The Martian and haven't quite finished it. 

Didn't it save your place? The last time we watched movies on a ship, the video started up where we left off.

That being said, you've GOT to watch through to the end. It's a great movie!! Then read the book and see the changes they made for the movie.

The authors other books are also excellent.

[fellswoop]

1 hour ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Didn't it save your place? The last time we watched movies on a ship, the video started up where we left off.

That being said, you've GOT to watch through to the end. It's a great movie!! Then read the book and see the changes they made for the movie.

The authors other books are also excellent.

Well it doesn't save your place if you fall asleep and it plays to the end. 😉 But there is a fast forward...plus we've seen it already plenty of times.  And yes..read The Martian plus his next book Project Hail Mary where I guarantee you will fall in love with an alien!!

[srpilo]

I'm definitely in the "I love the Martian" club too. 😎

[Mike45LC]

Fell Swoop, have you found the World Series on board?  My internet viewing isn’t great.  Especially with the dismal performance by the Phillies tonight!

[capriccio]

On 10/26/2022 at 2:42 PM, fellswoop said:

We stayed on board yesterday for an afternoon at the Sanctuary. It was somewhat disappointing in that when we first got on the ship we went directly there and they walked us around to pick where we wanted to reserve for both days. When we arrived up there for our reservation yesterday we saw someone was in our spots, and we were told they had booked the whole week and wanted those chairs. 😳 They found alternate chairs for us and we just tried to be nice but just a little expressed our frustration.  Before we left for the day we asked where they had assigned us for our 2nd reservation and sadly they had just totally erased us from the schedule after they  gave our reservations away and there was no more availability for that day. Again we just tried to be nice. They found another day but we don't even get a lounger but a double chair that I believe has a footrest.  So we'll see what happens and we will talk to Guest Services if needed for maybe a price adjustment. Also they took drink orders only once and husband had to use the app to order himself another drink. The attendants were very nice....just not very attendent.

 

Wow your experience in the Sanctuary was horrible and unlike any I've read on cruise critic.  Beginning with the prices you noted in an earlier post that are greatly increased from our January cruise (and every other one for the more than 8 years we have booked the Sanctuary).  Then a full day per person was $40 if booking daily; if booking for the full cruise it was $30 per person per day.  Half days were $30 if booking daily; if booking for the full cruise it was $20 per day per person IIRC (we booked full days/full cruise so I'm more familiar with those amounts).  Having not read anything about an increase I think they totally messed up on the charges.  You certainly did not get your monies worth with the mixed up reservations and the horrible service.  I hope you get a refund and the Hotel Manager needs to address the problems with the Sanctuary manager and stewards.

 

 

[fellswoop]

15 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

Fell Swoop, have you found the World Series on board?  My internet viewing isn’t great.  Especially with the dismal performance by the Phillies tonight!

Mike...I sent a message asking on crew chat...they responded sorry but no.

[fellswoop]

@capriccio Well tomorrow we are scheduled again for the Sanctuary.  I'm afraid to even try to reconfirm the pricing as it appears they did not charge us for that first  not so good day in the Sanctuary. Our experience on the ship is that you are immediately charged for any services.(ie we ordered a $4 hummus plate from room service and it was on our "Journey Account " before it arrived to our room)

So tomorrow if we don't like our new assigned seating we reluctantly accepted (after they gave away our prime reserved seats)...the cone chairs that may be potentially breezeless and claustrophobic...we will politely leave and make sure we are again not charged. 

[capriccio]

2 minutes ago, fellswoop said:

@capriccio Well tomorrow we are scheduled again for the Sanctuary.  I'm afraid to even try to reconfirm the pricing as it appears they did not charge us for that first  not so good day in the Sanctuary. Our experience on the ship is that you are immediately charged for any services.(ie we ordered a $4 hummus plate from room service and it was on our "Journey Account " before it arrived to our room)

So tomorrow if we don't like our new assigned seating we reluctantly accepted (after they gave away our prime reserved seats)...the cone chairs that may be potentially breezeless and claustrophobic...we will politely leave and make sure we are again not charged. 

I hope it all works out to your satisfaction and support your plan if it doesn't. 

 

I do have to add that in every one of our experiences reserving the Sanctuary for the entire cruise, the lounges in the first row along the edges of the ship and in partial shade were always reserved for all day every day reservations.  It is one of the reasons that is what we reserve - we can't take hours much less an entire day of sun.  While the picking out lounges and making reservations by entire cruise, all day or partial day is convoluted Princess has been doing that for years and there really is no excuse for what you experienced other than lack of training which the Sanctuary manager should have corrected.

[Mike45LC]

Good luck getting your Sanctuary location. Your woes seem incredible — but first world problem, of course!  At least you are aboard a cruise ship!!!  Enjoy, no matter what,

[Vexorg]

Well, our plans for Puerto Vallarta were a bust.  Our stateroom was so hot last night that my wife got a really bad migraine and we were unable to go on our planned tour.  We were moved to another room in the early morning which seems to not be as hot, but I'm still not sure if they are going to try to fix the issue in our original room or move us into the other one.

 

Instead, my wife stayed in bed pretty much all day, and all I did was make a trip to Walmart for medicine.

 

 

Edited October 30, 2022 by Vexorg

[fellswoop]

4 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

Good luck getting your Sanctuary location. Your woes seem incredible — but first world problem, of course!  At least you are aboard a cruise ship!!!  Enjoy, no matter what,

You are absolutely correct regarding first world problems. No matter the outcome it will have no bearing on this wonderful cruise. We realize the staff is still in a learning process.

And @Vexorg I hope your wife is better today. I've overheard  2 other conversations re unacceptable air conditioning and 1 person complaining their room is way too cold inspite of setting to warmest setting. I'm afraid since restart 3 cruises ago  (we're on the 4th) there have been problems they are still trying to correct. Sitting with minimal use for 2 1/2 years will likely require a lot of maintenance catch up.

Stayed on board today in Puerto Vallarta.  Warm and muggy weather and multiple previous visits here enticed up to enjoy the quiet ship sipping adult beverages and catching up on reading and podcasts. 

Dining at the steakhouse again tonight to use up some onboard credit.  Of interest, during specialty restaurant hours you can order on the app foods from Sterling and Sabatini’s for a la cart charges. What is missing that we have noted is one used to be able to order a steak from the steakhouse for an extra charge in the MDR. That no longer is available nor is any steak available on the always available menu. 

 

 

 

 

 

[srpilo]

48 minutes ago, Vexorg said:

Well, our plans for Puerto Vallarta were a bust.  Our stateroom was so hot last night that my wife got a really bad migraine and we were unable to go on our planned tour.  We were moved to another room in the early morning which seems to not be as hot, but I'm still not sure if they are going to try to fix the issue in our original room or move us into the other one.

 

Instead, my wife stayed in bed pretty much all day, and all I did was make a trip to Walmart for medicine.

 

 

Hope your DW recovers quickly, and can enjoy the remainder of your cruise

 

We're on next cruise, would mind sharing the cabin number with the issues