Review - the Mariner returns to Mexico

[Cuizer2]

[quote name='akcruz']Thanks! [COLOR=Red]You have mail[/COLOR]![/quote]For everyone who has sent me an e-mail ...

I'm still at work, so don't expect any replies until late (very late). Also, scanning is boring, so I usually only do two Compasses per session at the computer.

I'll explain more in the e-mail.

[stanford's girl]

[quote name='Cuizer2']
I forgot something important about cameras stored in a cold cabin and humid climates. I like the room cold. I have the AC set as low as it will go. However, Mazatlan is warm and humid (even at 7:30am). The result is a fogged up lens, and my camera refuses to take a picture. So I have to grab my travel camera which is not as cold and apparently not as fussy. After a few minutes my DSLR is no longer fogged up and is now willing to record the pictures I want to take.
[/quote]
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue]Here's a tip so your lens doesn't fog up from being taken from cold to warm and humid weather. Put your camera in a ziploc bag while it is in your cabin and zip in close. When you take it outside, you will find that your lens will not get fogged up. :D[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Cuizer2]

[quote=stanford's girl;20171984][FONT=Arial][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue]Here's a tip so your lens doesn't fog up from being taken from cold to warm and humid weather. Put your camera in a ziploc bag while it is in your cabin and zip in close. When you take it outside, you will find that your lens will not get fogged up. :D[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

I just set the camera (or the camera bag if I had not taken the camera out yet) on the balcony chair. It only takes a few minutes for the camera to warm up.

[pvbsis]

The pictures are great! They help make the trip a reality. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for nice weather!

[pscruzinboyz]

I just love the Princess ship sitting at the dock in PV, I remember years ago on the Vision and the first time back to PV in about 20 years, you wake up, see that you are in Port...........Look down the beach and beautiful scenery and then it hits you really HARD...........Go to the back of the ship and low and behold there it is....................

SAM'S CLUB AND WAL-MART............NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL VACATIONING IN PARADISE!

I always laugh when we pull in to PV and yet I have not been .........Maybe December :):p

Mike

[cruzendude]

[quote name='Cuizer2']1) US residents get an $800 allowance.

2) I also include a note about what I bought, which is also required on the custom form.[/quote]

Thats true but adding up ONBOARD receipts for drinks etc. has nothing to do with that.....or were you not taking about onboard receipts....I'm stilll confused.... Edited June 30, 2009 by cruzendude

[Cuizer2]

[quote name='cruzendude']Thats true but adding up ONBOARD receipts for drinks etc. has nothing to do with that.....or were you not taking about onboard receipts....I'm stilll confused....[/quote]

Until you pass $800 it doesn't matter. My total for everything (on board and off) was $600. So I just said my grand total was less than $600.

On a spreadsheet you can make comments. So there are five entries that read $8.42 din drink. Several entries that read $19.95 photo. One entry reads $14.95 Kahlua. When I fill out the custom form I'll look through the list and put down Kahlua $15. Belts $60. Photos $110 ...

It is easier to do this from a spreadsheet than from an envelope filled with receipts.

I have been questioned by customs several times and always provide the correct answers so I don't end up being searched. Even if I was, it would only cost me a little time. I don't have anything that is going to get me in trouble, and I've declared everything I have.

It is true, I don't have to list everything I've purchased on the custom form, such as food I've consumed or drinks I consumed or tips. That is why I put the comments next to the amount paid.

So if they open up my suitcase and find I have exactly what I claimed, I'm fine. You only get in trouble if you don't list something. This time I was asked about the liquor before the person read my declaration. She then saw I listed it and away I went.

You seem to think the spreadsheet just has numbers. It doesn't. I also include comments about what the purchase is. Sometimes I even use the spread sheet to subtotal the categories, though that is rare. When I do, the clothing purchases go in one column, the photos in another column, the drinks in a third column (and so on).

The closer I am to the $800 limit the more careful I am with my list. That is also the time that I will use the spreadsheet to subtotal the different categories for me. But I don't list the drinks I consumed on the customs form.

Also, when I check my on board account, I can tell if there is a problem just by looking at the total. I don't have to go receipt by receipt unless the TV shows a different total then I have.

The spreadsheet only costs me a few minutes per cruise because I don't really do anything other than list the purchases. It probably saves me as much time as it costs me because I can verify my on board account is correct just by looking at one number (the total) and I can fill out my custom form by looking at one screen (not twenty different receipts).

[abyss]

Thanks for the great review. I tried to keep track of the Mariner and the Splendor last week on shiptracker.com and also was tracking the hurricane/tropical storm during the time you were in those waters. I did not see any mention in your review of the hurricane and it obviously did not affect any of your ports of call. The Splendor, on the other hand, didn't go to Puerto Vallarta, instead ported in Cabo the day after you did and then on to Mazatlan and ended up Saturday in Ensenada!! Just curious if there were any weather warnings to you onboard? The reason that I was monitoring this is that I thought it was rather ironic that the Mariner and Splendor returned to Mexico after the "flu" cruises that they would be disrupted by the weather. :eek:

[greeneyesviv]

[quote name='Cuizer2']Yes, I kept all seven Compasses. I can scan them if you want. If you want a copy, it might be best if I e-mail it to you. Send me an e-mail at ZEFH at MSN dot COM and I'll respond.[/quote]

Hope you don't mind but you have mail from me as well...will be leaving July 12 and would like to know what is offered each day...thanks..viv:D

[jjb415]

Thanks for the great review !! :)

[stanford's girl]

[quote name='Cuizer2'] When I fill out the custom form I'll look through the list and put down Kahlua $15. Belts $60. Photos $110 ...
[/quote]
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue]I have always listed my booze and souvenirs but I have never thought to declared the photos I bought on the ship. :o[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Cuizer2]

[quote name='abyss']Thanks for the great review. I tried to keep track of the Mariner and the Splendor last week on shiptracker.com and also was tracking the hurricane/tropical storm during the time you were in those waters. I did not see any mention in your review of the hurricane and it obviously did not affect any of your ports of call. The Splendor, on the other hand, didn't go to Puerto Vallarta, instead ported in Cabo the day after you did and then on to Mazatlan and ended up Saturday in Ensenada!! Just curious if there were any weather warnings to you onboard? The reason that I was monitoring this is that I thought it was rather ironic that the Mariner and Splendor returned to Mexico after the "flu" cruises that they would be disrupted by the weather. :eek:[/quote]

The captain announced several times that the storm was hundreds of miles away and would not bother us except for the clouds.

[Cuizer2]

There are now 85 photos in the album. The link is near the end of the review.

[stanford's girl]

[quote name='Cuizer2']There are now 85 photos in the album. The link is near the end of the review.[/quote]
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue]Could you please post the link when you update your pics? I'm loving your pics but I hate going back through the posts to find the link. :D[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Cuizer2]

[quote=stanford's girl;20178625][FONT=Arial][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue]Could you please post the link when you update your pics? I'm loving your pics but I hate going back through the posts to find the link. :D[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]Here you go ...

[URL]http://travel.webshots.com/album/573273143cjeyif[/URL]

[stanford's girl]

[quote name='Cuizer2']Here you go ...

[URL]http://travel.webshots.com/album/573273143cjeyif[/URL][/quote]
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue]Thank you!!! :cool:[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[greeneyesviv]

Thank you very much for the compass so far....I have a question:confused: ...noticed the clocks are turn forward 1 hour, does this accomidate the one hour difference when we arrive in PV or will they still be one hour ahead than the ship when we get there as most have been telling me...have a zip line excursion and don't really want to get there too early or too late...tyvm for all of your help..:D

[Redheada]

Great review and pictures! Thank you

[Cuizer2]

[quote name='greeneyesviv']Thank you very much for the compass so far....I have a question:confused: ...noticed the clocks are turn forward 1 hour, does this accomidate the one hour difference when we arrive in PV or will they still be one hour ahead than the ship when we get there as most have been telling me...have a zip line excursion and don't really want to get there too early or too late...tyvm for all of your help..:D[/quote]

The ship's time and local time will match in Cabo and Mazatlan. The ship's time will be one hour behind the local time while in PV.

[Cuizer2]

The album now has 201 photos. Here is a link ...

[URL]http://travel.webshots.com/album/573273143cjeyif[/URL]

[akcruz]

[quote name='Cuizer2']The ship's time and local time will match in Cabo and Mazatlan. The ship's time will be one hour behind the local time while in PV.[/quote]

Just posted on the other thread but just in case, what time did you actually make it on shore in PV? Trying to schedule private excursions and are getting differing info from vendors in PV.

Thanks!

[Cuizer2]

[quote name='akcruz']Just posted on the other thread but just in case, what time did you actually make it on shore in PV? Trying to schedule private excursions and are getting differing info from vendors in PV.

Thanks![/quote]

My last picture from the ship, before going ashore was at 7:44am. Shortly after that (two or three minutes) I noticed people leaving the ship (we were early to every port).

My first picture on shore is time stamped at 8:05am. I had an 8:15am excursion.

All of the above times are ship time. The local time would have been one hour later.

[akcruz]

[quote name='Cuizer2']My last picture from the ship, before going ashore was at 7:44am. Shortly after that (two or three minutes) I noticed people leaving the ship (we were early to every port).

My first picture on shore is time stamped at 8:05am. I had an 8:15am excursion.

All of the above times are ship time. The local time would have been one hour later.[/quote]

Thanks, just what I needed!

[WhiteSoxFan]

Nicw pics. What focal length lens did you use on the wide shots.

[Cuizer2]

[quote name='WhiteSoxFan']Nicw pics. What focal length lens did you use on the wide shots.[/quote]I have two lenses. One is an 18 - 55 zoom and the other is a 55 - 200 zoom.

However, some of the shots are actually two or more photos "stitched" together via software. If the photo is labeled with a DSC_ (Nikon), IMG_ (Canon) IMGP (Pentex), then it is a single photo. If the picture is labeled with a description (Bow, Pool ...) then it is two or more photos stitched together. Many (but not all) of the pool photos are two or more photos stitched together. If you notice the same person in two places in the photo, it is two or more photos stitched together.