Review-Spirit to Mexico-12/11/2004

[fhowell2]

Spirit (12/11/2004) review

We had a really nice cruise and met a lot of nice people. Here goes.

We motored to San Diego on Saturday, 12/10, to be there and have a leisurely embarkation. We stayed at the Airport Quality Inn on Nimitz ($49/nite). Carol called ahead to check on the availability of long term parking and they said they had it for $5/day and had a free shuttle to the cruiseport. This was unadvertised and was a great deal. That evening, we went to Old Town and had a great Mexican food dinner with handmade tortillas. We were able to sleep in the next morning and I went to breakfast at the Denny's a block away. The hotel had pastries and coffee in the lobby and Carol settled for that. We headed to the cruiseport at 10:45am and it was a 12 minute drive. On the shuttle, we met Donna, Paul, and their son Ethan who were going on their first cruise. We arrived at the cruiseport and were delivered to the sidewalk right in front of a porter, who took our bags. It took about 5 minutes to check in and we were in the terminal just before anyone was allowed to board, waited 15 minutes and we were aboard by 11:30am and headed for the Lido deck for lunch. We were able to go directly to our cabin and leave our carryons.

Our Cabin- We had booked an inside guarantee last March and we received an upgrade to a balcony room!!! Whooeee! We had heard of this happening to others, but didn't expect it for us. It was an obstructed-view (we had to look over a lifeboat), but so what! The balcony was a real treat throughout the whole cruise because by the afternoon of the first day at sea, the weather was warm and only got better as we went south. It had a couch and plenty of storage.

The Spirit- We really liked this ship. It wasn't decorated like a Vegas casino. The interiors were richly decorated and never garish. The 2nd and 3rd decks were where the casino, bars and shops were. The 9th deck was Lido deck. 4th through 8th deck were all cabins. The atrium goes from the 2nd deck to the 10th deck and it is really something. It was a real treat to ride from the top to the bottom. The Casino is huge, the largest we have seen. This cruise was very smooth, few swells.

Eats- The food was good. There was always a variety of selections for every meal. At lunchtime, there was a deli sandwich area that was always busy. The pastrami-on-rye was great. There is one dining room and it is huge. We had the early seating and didn't miss any dinner. The food was ok with only one or two disappointments. The steaks were always medium and I like med-rare. Chateaubriand and prime rib were just right as was the lobster. I like the chilled soups and had some nearly every night. Desserts-I am diabetic and always on the lookout for sugar-free desserts. There was a sugar -free dessert available for lunch and dinner, and most were very good. That was a treat.

Ports

Acapulco-We have been to Acapulco several times and did not take any excursions. We got off the ship and went for a walk. The only problem?? Taxi drivers!! They swarmed us like flies and would rarely take no for an answer. We walked to Sanborns (a variety store) and Woolworths (where I bought a bag of fresh popcorn) and we were pestered the whole time. We weren't gone long because it was hot and muggy. We went back aboard and had lunch and relaxed for the rest of the day. We sat in a jacuzzi and watched the sunset. Beautiful.

Zihuatanejo-This is a tender port and we got off the ship and proceeded to walk to the main bazaar in town. It is only 4 blocks from the beach and was really interesting, all kinds of merchandise and like a food and meat market. There were whole sides of beef (I think it was beef) to be cut to order as you watch. We bought a cold Pepsi Light and walked back towards the beach. The weather was taking a turn for the worse here and we started moving towards the ship

and went back on board about noon, ate lunch and sat on our balcony and watched as the wind came up and it started raining. The temperature was 80, humidity was 80, so the rain was no big deal. However the wind was strong and started kicking up waves in the harbor. We watched as the tenders rocked and pitched on their way to and from the ship. I am glad we got back early. Many people we talked to went to Ixtapa via taxi and local bus. It isn't that far.

Manzanillo-This is the only port where we had a shore excursion. It was called the Colonial tour and took us inland to Colima and Comala. It began at 7:30am with an hour and 15 minute long bus ride (comfortable) through banana and lime orchards, agave fields (the plant tequila is made from), and cattle ranches. We went to the town square and Cathedral in Colima and spent time in the local archaeological museum (really nice). We were then bused to La Campana, which is an archaeological dig with pyramids formed by terraces. River rock (cobbles were used) formed the terraces and stairs that were discovered when excavation for a shopping center found the site 12 years ago. It covers several acres and excavations are on-going. We were in the shadow of a volcano, which is the most active in Mexico. When we first saw the volcano, a plume of steam could be seen rising from its summit. We were then driven to Comala and we were fed lunch. It consisted of several different tostadas and taquitos, all fresh with some very spicy. Yummm! Our guide, Roberto, then took us to a small coffee factory in this guy's back yard. The beans were roasted, dried and packaged right there and we bought two pounds of coffee beans to bring home. After that, it was time to head back to the ship and we got back about 3pm, totally worn out. If you haven't been to Manzanillo before, I would recommend this tour because you are not limited to the area near the ship. The ship was docked in a deep water port with container ships, tankers and naval vessels all around in the center of an industrial area. If you wanted to walk, there is a park and beach walk (malecon) about 15 minutes away. The town center is a little ways past that. We enjoyed this excursion and if you wanted to go to the resort area across the harbor, there were shuttles and taxis available to take you around the harbor.

Sea days-To us, this was a very smooth trip. There were no swells to speak of and we were able to walk around in a straight line. When we went ashore, we didn't have to worry about our sea legs. We both participated in several shipboard activities. I was able to play bridge 5 out of the 8 days we were at sea and we went to several trivia games. I actually won a ship-on-a-stick, my first. Mostly, we read and relaxed. Isn't that what you are supposed to do?

Entertainment-Well, I have say that, with one exception, this was the low point of the cruise. We only went to the Vegas/review type shows this cruise. The dancers were really good, but the arrangements were not very good (I know, everybody's a critic). They seemed unorganized. The woman singer was great, but her male counterpart was very inconsistent with his styling. Disappointing. The exception-There was a Christmas show that was well done by the dancers and singers with additional singing by the kids (all ages) from the Carnival Kids Program. It was a lot of fun and this was the entertainment highlight of the cruise, in my opinion.

Disembarkation-We joined the Carnival Vacation club (we got priority luggage tags) and were able to get off the ship right after the people who had to catch air flights. We were off by 8:50am. We had plenty of time to go to the dining room for breakfast and then head for the waiting area. The hotel shuttle took 15 minutes from when we called to pick us up. Really smooth. We were on our way home (200 miles away) by 9:30am.

Staff-Our dining room waiters were excellent. We always had what we needed for a good experience and they sang and/or danced (I wonder what they think about doing that. No other line we have been on requires their waitstaff to do that every night) for our entertainment every night. Our room steward introduced himself the first afternoon and helped us empty the refrigerator so we could use it. After that, we never saw him or his assistant, but the room was always clean and we always had fresh towels and chocolates on the pillows at night. Good job. The ship staff was very friendly and we had no problems at all. Our Carnival Vacation club rep was named Ali and was very friendly and helpful. He is heading for the Pride and we wish him good luck.

People we met-Our dining companions were very friendly. We sat at an 8-person table (rectangular) by the back (aft) window. One couple, Mike and LaVerna (?), and their 2 teenagers are from Las Vegas, and Elaine and Ted are from Santa Barbara, CA. They made the cruise more enjoyable. We met numerous bridge players named John and Mary, Bea, Juana and Mike, John, Pat, Laina, and Bill. I had fun playing bridge with them.

We have photos at the following address:

http://community.webshots.com/user/carol459459

Any questions? Feel free to ask.

[pelletib]

Nice review. I'm on the 4th of jan. I'm taking my 83 yr old Mom on her first cruise. She is so excited !!

[Diane F]

Thanks for the review.It sounds like you had a good time. Is Todd still the cruise director?Did you get to go to Club Cool and listen to the entertainment.How was it?Last year we were on the Spirit and the Stan Russell duo performed. I emailed them and they said they were coming back to the Spirit, but performing in the supper club.Did you get to see them. We really enjoyed them.I think I read from others that the hipnotist show was wonderful. I sounds like you did not go see it.We are hoping to make the 9:30 amtrak train.What time did they let the early people off.Do you think we can make that train?The station is only a few blocks from the ship.I know going through customs can take time.We are going, like Pellitib, on Jan. 4. Only 2 weeks away.

[bigmike7]

Yo-

 

We were also on this sailing and have to agree with everything that you said - generally speaking-

 

Yes Todd is still the CD - but only for the next three weeks - then he is off for 2 months-

 

I think that booking a 9:30 amtrack would be VERY risky as we were only cleared at about 8:15 and that was said to be early by the crew - which does not give you very much margin for error-

 

Thanks for the good review-

 

Mike

[VanillaGorilla]

Great review. My wife and I are on the same cruise in Feb. (the 5th). Thanks.:)

[mared1]

Thanks for the review - we are on the Jan. 28th Sailing. Do you have any recommendation for things to do in Acapulco?

[fhowell2]

Thanks for the review - we are on the Jan. 28th Sailing. Do you have any recommendation for things to do in Acapulco?

Go to the ports of call thread and look for Acapulco port authority and contact him (email)for a tour. In October, he took us on a tour which included the cliff divers and lunch, the big cross, and a driving tour around the city and to the south of the city. It took about 5 hours and we had a good time and the cost was a little less than a comparable ship tour. We went in vans, not buses, making everything a lot more maneuverable.

[mared1]

Fhowell2;

 

Do you have the "Capers" from the cruise and if so would you be willing to mail them to me. I will gladly return them to you and include money to cover the cost of postage.

 

Legend 1/04

Triumph 2/02

Imagination 11/96

[Grtcook39]

Good morning,

 

Thanks for taking the time to write this very nice review. I appreciate it.

 

How lucky you were to get a balcony, wow !!!

 

I started another thread asking some questions about the Spirit before I saw your review. If you would be so kind as to answer a few questions I would really appreciate it. It was very nice to hear they let you onboard so much earlier than the 1:30 stated embarkation time. Exactly where did you get dropped off. I live in San Diego, but have never left on a cruise from here.

 

Did you talk to anyone and get any feed back about the young teen program onboard. I don't really like that they combine the 16 to 18 year olds along with the younger teens in the activities.

 

What night would be a good night to skip the dining room and eat at the alternative restaurant? Do you know anywhere the menus for all the nights are posted? This would make it so much easier to decide.

 

It was really nice to hear that the seas were calm. I get seasick and wear my transderm scope patches. I have only had problems twice in all the many years of our cruises.

 

Did you have some luck in the casino? I am a black jack player myself.

 

Thanks for your time in advance!

 

Happy Holidays

 

Linda

[fhowell2]

Fhowell2;

 

Do you have the "Capers" from the cruise and if so would you be willing to mail them to me. I will gladly return them to you and include money to cover the cost of postage.

 

Legend 1/04

Triumph 2/02

Imagination 11/96

We tossed them. What did you want to know?

[fhowell2]

Good morning,

 

It was very nice to hear they let you onboard so much earlier than the 1:30 stated embarkation time. Exactly where did you get dropped off. I live in San Diego, but have never left on a cruise from here.

 

Did you talk to anyone and get any feed back about the young teen program onboard. I don't really like that they combine the 16 to 18 year olds along with the younger teens in the activities.

 

What night would be a good night to skip the dining room and eat at the alternative restaurant? Do you know anywhere the menus for all the nights are posted? This would make it so much easier to decide.

 

Did you have some luck in the casino? I am a black jack player myself.

 

Linda

 

1.If the ship is docked by the cruise terminal (big building), then you can pull into the dock area (be prepared to show your ID and cruise docs), stop curbside and unload your luggage starting about 11 am. If the ship is docked by the big tent, there is an unloading area there.

 

2.There were 600+ kids on board and you hardly saw any of them during the cruise. We sat with two teens at dinner and they ate-and-ran each night ot be with their friends. They were 16 and 17 and had a good time. 18 year olds are adults and probably aren't included in the program. Call Carnival.

 

3.We didn't try that restaurant. It is on the 10th deck and covers a large area and we never saw it filled up. Each nights menu is displayed at the dining room in the morning and I feel you can make your reservations the same day. As for looking ahead, the formal nights (2nd and 7th nights) have lobster and chateaubriand, so for any other evening you need to talk with the dining room staff, maybe your waiter. They have the menus already printed up.

 

4.Huge casino for a ship. I play only blackjack and essentially broke even, but still had fun. They play with a shoe and 6-8 decks.

[Grtcook39]

Thank you for the information. We will get there early to avoid long lines.

[mared1]

Regarding the Capers - there is nothing specific I wanted to know - just like to look at them ahead of time.

 

However, I would like to ask if you remember the price for the excursion you took in Mananzilla.

[bbiggar]

Mared1, the Colonial Tour in Manzanillo I found through another thread saying it is $79pp. Hope this helps and hope this is the one you were wondering about. See ya on the ship hopefully in 5 weeks. :)

[benandbe]

Your review was magnificent. Thank you so much. We sail on Monday and are curious as to what the Carnival Vacation Club is. We are on the Verandah deck and have had priority boarding (Skippers Club) in other locations but understand that is not available in San Diego. Any thoughts other than the ones you shared?

Thanks.

[fhowell2]

Your review was magnificent. Thank you so much. We sail on Monday and are curious as to what the Carnival Vacation Club is. We are on the Verandah deck and have had priority boarding (Skippers Club) in other locations but understand that is not available in San Diego. Any thoughts other than the ones you shared?

Thanks.

You buy into the vacation club and receive a variety of 2 for 1 plane fares, vacation vouchers and a bunch of points to use for future cruises on Carnival. You get priority boarding and disembarkation with the membership. There are presentations onboard (movie) and if you want, a talk by a Carnival rep. Sounds like a time-share, but it's not. I do not know what is available in SD, we got there early and cleared the registration in about 5 minutes and only had to wait about 20 minutes to board.

If you attend the presentation, ask for Ali and tell him Carol and Rick referred you.

Have a nice cruise.

[Diane F]

You say that Todd will be there for three more weeks.We will be going On Jan.4, so it sounds like that might be his last cruise before he goes on vacation.I think he was the CD last year when we were on the Spirit and thought he was very good. If we do not make the 9:30 train, there is one at noon,so we do have an alternative time if we do not get off in time.