Sunday - Puerto Vallarta

We dock early at 8 am and we are at Pier 1 from our balcony I can see the Celebrity Infinity and the Pirate Boat is right beside us as I watch the people from our ship make their way over to it.  The music is playing from the Pirate Boat and the characters are all set for the tour.  I have never done this tour but it does look like fun.

We are not in any real rush to get off, in fact we have arranged to meet up in the International Café with friends at 10:30 to head ashore.

Bernie goes up for breakfast and I finally get my blog posted from yesterday.

We meet up with all our friends and we get off the ship together.  One thing that is noticeable in Mexico at every port we have had to open our bags when getting off to Mexican officials to make sure we are not bringing any fruits or contraband into the port.  The same happens when we get on the ship as well.  So be prepared, do not take any fruit or meat off the ship while in port.

Ian, Claire, Ashwin and Delmarie

We walk out towards the Sam’s Club to catch the local bus to Bucerias.  The cost is around $1.50 each person.  To know if you are on the right bus the name Bucerias is on the windshield.  The ride is - well how can I describe it - “interesting” but we are with all the locals and we don’t mind the ride at all. 

The ride to the town of Bucerias is about 25 minutes and we get off and cross under the highway and head to the main square.  Church is in session and it is lovely to hear the singing.  We walk around the square a bit and check out all the stalls selling their items.  It is fun to hear them trying to get us into their stores “lady, want to buy my crap” “lady welcome to all things from China”.  But we really don’t want or need anything.

We cross over the bridge and stop into a nice restaurant and we grab a table that looks out onto the beach.

Drinks are ordered, appetizers are ordered and we all are laughing our heads off.  We order entrees cause we all need to eat more to absorb the drinks.

It was a great time and I am glad we were able to show them a little more of Mexico that is not like Puerto Vallarta.

Back to the main drag to catch the bus going back (just flag any bus going by as they all go back to the ship).  To get out of the sun I sit right at the back and boy is it bouncy!  In fact I should of worn a sports bra it is so bouncy. 

We get off at the mall and we decide to check out the mall since it is relatively new.  There is even a Starbucks in it, but I resisted.  We did enjoy some ice cream though.

We head back on board around 3 pm and I feel totally out of it.  All I can attribute it to is the two margaritas I had.  But I tell Bernie I feel totally drugged and it just hit me, like I walked on the ship and boom.  I crash right on top of the bed, fully dressed and sleep!   Even when I wake a few hours later I am shocked that I felt so odd, but I guess that was some strong tequila.

Notes:

We have had no problem at all with laundry.  We have put in about three different bags and we put it in at night and we are getting it the next evening.  We really appreciate this and know that technically it is not supposed to arrive the next day but we do appreciate it.  All items have been accounted for and no damage to any item has been noticed.

Drink prices have gone up it seems, now we get two martinis and it works out to be $20 including the tip.  We have really cut down on how much we are drinking.

Monday Night – At Sea

San Diego is always a beautiful sail away.  We head up and listen to the Mariachi Band, but it is cool so we head aft and watch the view from the ship as we pass thru the channel on our way out to sea. 

One day at sea and then we are in Cabo San Lucas on Wednesday.

Bernie has a short nap while I relax and read and enjoy a glass of wine.  

We have decided to dine in the dining room tonight so we dress and head off to visit Delmarie and Martin in Facets. Claire stops by too and we see Victor again who was on the Crown and with us and just joined the Grand.  

Bernie and I agree to get a pre dinner drink at Crooners.  

We grab a seat around the bar as Alan is working and we order two Brambles.  Alan makes them perfectly.  We enjoy the company of the people at the bar and sit and get to know the gentleman beside me Joe from LA.  I am making a point to get to know someone new every day.

Dinner tonight is in Da Vinci (which is Anytime Dining after 7:30 pm).  As soon as we walk in the head waiter recognizes us and takes us to a lovely table in Ciara from Mexico’s section.  We order a bottle of Ancient Peaks Wine and sit and enjoy the dinner.

I start with the crab and artichoke dip and then the cold apple soup and then the surf and turf for my entrée. Everything was amazing and the service was even better.

Some of the entertainment got changed tonight – so we head to the Vista Lounge to see Raoul (sorry I don’t have his name correct or complete cause it wasn’t in the Patter but I will get it later).  But he was hilarious but it is too bad it is not full cause of the change not many people know of the show.  We will look for his other shows and attend again.

I swear I walk into the cabin, take off my clothes and crash, I was going to wait for Bernie to finish using the washroom so I could get in and brush my teeth and remove my makeup but I must of fallen asleep cause when I work up at 1 am I wander into the bathroom to brush my teeth and remove my makeup.  Boy must have been a fun night.

Sunday Nov 9 – All Aboard the Grand Princess

We wake and Bernie walks over to the Starbucks while I post up my blog.  We relax today knowing we don’t have to be up and ready for awhile.

Angelique and Simon are picking us up around 9:30 and we are going to head out for Brunch.  We drive up to Redondo Beach to a lovely restaurant called Baleen.  We had a great meal and even better company.

After lunch Simon takes us to a Total Wine store nearby.  Which is so nice cause here Bernie can buy his De Margorie Champagne. 

We are so happy to have such great friends, people that have similar outlook on life as we do, who are such caring and considerate people.  We hope we get to repay the favor and get to show them around Vancouver in the near future.

We arrive at the pier around 1:15 pm and we are on board the ship by 1:30.  Check in was quick for us.  We did notice that the health form now has two extra questions about visiting certain parts of Africa.  There was no wait for the check in counter and no lines at security.

We did bring on two bottles of champagne and one bottle of wine and we went to the table and paid corkage on the one extra bottle.  A larger sticker (so far we have seen stamps, small stickers and even initials to identify corkage was paid) but this sticker is big and know we will bringing this champagne to dinner so it works out fine for us.

We haven’t been on the Grand since 2008 when we did two 14 day itineraries back to back.  We notice that Maitre d’Hotel Giuseppe Franchina and Executive Chef Giuseppe De Gennaro were on this ship back then too.  We later run into the Maitre d’hotel and he recognizes us but at that time neither of us could recall from where.

Since we were on her last she has gone thru extensive renovations.  Skywalkers has been removed and many new areas have been created.  First thing we notice is the hallways are much wider than other ships.  We can easily walk side by side. 

We are in cabin C739 which is the second to last balcony cabin aft.  We do notice a bit more vibration but we can tolerate it.  

The room is like most balcony cabins on any ship.  The Grand does have some differences, the desk area has three drawers instead of the one cupboard.  I much prefer the drawers which can hold much more stuff and much more organized.  Bernie claims the room is not as long, and he may be right but it certainly is not by much. 

The biggest difference is the closet/bathroom area.  The closet is half the size of other ships on the Princess fleet.  The cupboard is not as deep either.  

The bathroom has a bit different layout.  The shower is larger and the sink/vanity is much smaller.  We don’t mind the size of the bathroom and we find we have more than enough space to store all our items on the shelves and in the closet.

We ask our steward for the standard – extra towles, top sheet, wine glasses and ice.  But we have a few issues that do need to be addressed.  The fridge for some reason does not work at all and the shower curtain stinks to high heaven of mold/mildew.  For the life of me I don’t know why they don’t change out the shower curtains more often.  It smells so bad I take it down and put in a plastic bag to cover the odors.

We wander around the ship for a bit and grab a cup of tea down in the International Café and run into Claire the Shop Manager.  We catch up with her and hope to go ashore with her later in the cruise.

Muster Drill is at 3:15 (we needed to bring our life jackets) and we are in the Vista Lounge.  When we arrive in the lounge we see Delmarie who works in Facets there.  You may remember Delmaire from the Star a few years ago, then the Caribbean last ear and the Golden earlier this year.

After the drill we go back to the cabin to finish our unpacking and then head up for sailaway.

Here we run into our friends Paul and Yvonne who are from Edmonton and we have sailed with a few times.  We are doing a few things in port with them as well as we will do a few dinners at specialty restaurants with them.  Note Formal nights on this ten day itinerary are the third night (sea day) and the day after Puerto Vallarta (second to last sea day).

Ana who is an Assistant Cruise Director who we have sailed with three times now is on board.  She is lovely, from Puerto Vallarta and such a joy to be around. 

We all decide to head up to the One5 Lounge for Platinum/Elite Lounge but it is PACKED, no seats to be had at 5 pm.  Note to self, might want to go to the lounge later on.  We leave without getting a drink.

Bernie and I agree that neither of us want to go to the dining room.  I suggest Alfredos Pizzaria, Bernie doesn’t seem impressed but agrees.  But he is quickly impressed once he is sat and we enjoy a great meal there.  I tried the Grand Princess Pizza and really enjoyed it.  It certainly was not busy there tonight.

We head up to Facets and sit and chat with Delmarie and we get to meet Martin who works with her and is a good “friend” of Corey who we have known for quite a while.  

We probably visit for over a half hour with her.

We head to the Princess Theater to catch the Welcome Aboard Show.  We see the Princess singers and dancers and we put a face to the name of the Cruise Director Mike Witte and his Deputy Paul.  The comedian Steve White also performed for a bit and we laughed our head off.  We look forward to his show tomorrow night.

After the show we head to Explorer’s Lounge for the Multi Media Trivia which is on Movie Posters.  Bernie and I partake and we don’t do too bad 29 out of 40 but we didn’t win but that is okay. 

We are back in the cabin early tonight but we are both really tired after so many very busy days.

Tomorrow we are back in San Diego.

Captain is Ronald Wilson, Staff Captain Michele Bartolomei, Chief Engineer Giberto Vinici, Hotel General Manager Martin Ford, Senior Doctor Jacobus Rupping, Food & Beverage Director Torsten Schuele, Customer Services Director Stefano Ambrosino, Executive Housekeeper Monico Reyes Jr., Maitre d’Hotel Giuseppe Franchina, and Executive Chef Giuseppe De Gennaro.

Entertainment Highlights:

Comedians:  Steve White, Steve Caouette, Vocal Impressionist Mike Wilson, Production shows:  Stardust, Do You Wanna Dance, British Invasion and Ye Olde Pub Night.  Movies:  Draft Da, Dawn of the Planets of the Apes, Edge of Tomorrow, Guardians of the Galaxy, Non-Stop, Million Dollar Arm, Maleficent, The Fault in Our Stars.

Todays Patter includes:  NFL New York Giants vs Seattle Seahwaks, then Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers; Sail Away Party, Spa Seminar:  Relieving Back Pain an Walking in Comfort, Wheelhouse Bar David Oates, Welcome Aboard show 7 pm and 8:30 pm; Evening Movie Jersey Boys; Multimedia Trivia 7:45; Mariachi Music in the Atrium; Tempo Quatro in Wheelhouse, MUTS Draft Day.

Saint John New Brunswick and the Night Prior

We are a little slow getting up today.  You see last night we were busy.  First it started with Multi Media Trivia with the theme being 60s and 70s music trivia.  We joined up with some ladies we met earlier Mark hosted.  He played a bit of a song and we had to name the song and the artist.  Wow we actually tied with another team and we were each given a bottle of sparkling wine.  We left it for the women to enjoy.

At 7:45 we had the Most Travelled Passenger Party. 

This is a party to honour the top 40 travellers on this voyage.  For this trip we are number 8 and 9 and we are happy to attend.  The Captain was surprised to see us and we posed for the picture, for which I will scan and put here when I get home. Oh and they had only one door open for the Most Travelled Party, remember last week I stated here that the queue was long and awkward to get in and looks like they have fixed it.  It ran much smoother this time.

Tonight we sit by ourselves and we both get a drink and then the appetizers start coming around.  This week we thought the tapas were much better than last week’s party.  Loved the goat cheese balls, the drumettes, and the sirloin.  Dana the CSD came by and we caught up with her.  Bernie even stopped and chatted with Captain Pomata for a bit and asked him about the Bay of Fundy and asked how difficult it was to sail it. 

Dana and Jasper

After the party we went to Sabatinis for dinner with a friend.  The meal was very good, I started with the calamari (which I couldn’t finish) and then had the lobster three ways.  It was done a bit differently and I enjoyed it more this time.  We had a few bottles of wine and Sicilian Kisses drink for dessert – yup my dessert is a martini drink.    Alberto came down and surprised us for a bit and we didn’t get back to our cabin until midnight!  And with the clocks going forward ouch!

So I am back to the morning of St. John and well a bit of a hangover!  Little sleep and it is overcast with a light drizzle and all I can think of is more sleep.  I didn’t go to breakfast I just took my time getting ready.  We wandered ashore around 10 am and walked to the mall to pick up a few things and then crossed the street to the dollar store and then wandered into the city market again.  Oh and went to the Starbucks in the mall too.  I am feeling a little bit more alive now. 

We decide to walk the boardwalk along the Harbour which is lovely and it has stopped raining.  It is rather cool and windy but I really enjoyed it.  As we make our way back towards Uptown we agree a bite to eat is in order and we enjoy a relaxing meal before walking a bit more.  This is a nice city.

We are back on board and I try to stay awake but I am so tired.  I crash and I sleep until 6 pm (2 hours)!  Guess I needed it.  Tonight is the Captain Circle Party.  Captain Pomata welcomed us as we came in and even hugged me!  Wow guess since we have sailed with him five times this year he feels comfortable with us.   We make our way to a seat near the back, we have learned we prefer these seats near the back cause it is away from people and we feel okay chatting throughout it and it doesn’t bother anyone.  A quick cocktail but no food for us even though the wait staff are trying to get us to take something we are good.  We chat with Dana again, and she joins us for awhile and she is a hoot.  I like her, and if she lived closer I know we would be friends.  One thing we noticed is they didn’t show the Royal Princess christening like they did last week.  Maybe they read my blog and how I didn’t enjoy it…. Anyways just glad they didn’t.

Down to the dining room for dinner.  Douw is waiting for us and we enjoy a lovely dinner with Remil and Jerwin serving us, I am going to miss these guys when I get home. 

We then head to the Princess Theater and watch the Born to Be Wild show.  Amazing again!  I took lots of pics will try and post some here now or at least when I get home this weekend. 

Corey the Deputy Cruise Director is a hoot - he got a hold of the camera and well he let out his artistic side

After the show we head down to say hi to Delmarie in Facets – she is happy to see us as she didn’t see us yesterday.  We catch up and a few other crew come in and chat and well lots of laughs were had.  Time for bed.  Halifax tomorrow.

New York Sail Away and Morning of Rhode Island

It is a lovely afternoon for a sail away and there are lots of people out for it.  It is so nice to see so many people excited about their voyage.  This is a great place to people watch.  Most people are happy, excited, in love, hopeful and well just nice.  Give it a few hours, fast forward to 8 pm as we sit outside Explorer’s Lounge.  We sit waiting until dinner and we people watch as the passengers wander about the ship.  Now is not a good time for many people.  Many are tired from long day of travel.  They are trying to find something, the dining room, a lounge, the theater, even a washroom.  We notice a lot of people are short tempered and quite a few scream at their partners.  Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.  Hopefully a good night sleep will rejuvenate everyone.

Okay back to our evening and our regular scheduled program. 

We dance a bit, we enjoy a cocktail and we check out the views.  We are in a cabin that is aft right on Riviera deck so we can walk thru Horizon Court, thru Café Caribe to the aft pool and then down a flight of stairs right to our cabin.  We are the first cabin – well actually it is the last balcony cabin on starboard side.  So convenient to everything, but a long walk in the morning to the International Café.  But the exercise is doing us well.

The Cruise Critic gathering is happening at the aft bar and I meet up with many of the people from the roll call.  Didn’t get to make it to the roll call gathering last voyage as it was after we left Rhode Island and we slept right thru it.  Today I make a point of dropping in and meeting some really nice people.

We dress for dinner and head to the shops to stock up on some cologne.  We do this every so often as the first two days you get a great deal from the coupon book.  Spend $100 and get 10% off spend $250 and get 15% off, plus with our elite 10% discount we are saving 25% in total.  Germanie from South Africa takes very good care of us here and recommends colognes for both of us.  We even are able to leave our purchases here until after dinner so we don’t have to rush back to the cabin with them.

We drop into the Captain Circle desk and say hi and he gives us the invite for the Most Travelled Passenger Cocktail Party.  We qualify again and this time we are higher up on the list.  Although last week’s number one couple are still on so I am guessing they are number one again. 

Since we are a little early for dinner we take a seat outside Explorer’s Lounge (well see above on how that went).  At just after 8 we head to the Palm dining room and many of the staff are surprised to see us again.  We head back to our favorite waiter Remil at table number 126.  Seems strange to look around and see so many different faces.  It is much busier second seating tonight, but the waiters shine as usual.

I decide to switch it up a bit tonight, normally I have the Basa fillet but I am going for the Fettucini Alfredo in the Parmesan bowl in honour of Alice our friend aka Mimi who is just about to be getting on the Royal.  I do start out with the spring roll though and a Caesar salad and for dessert well you guessed it, the cheese plate.  I am stuffed!

We are not really interested in going to the Welcome Aboard Show again as the dancers only have one dance.  We make our way back to the shops to pick up our purchases.  We head upstairs to Facets to say hi to Delmarie and catch up on how she is doing.  The shops are busy but it looks like more looking and not as much purchasing.  If only people knew what a great deal and guarantee you got from on board. 

We are back in the cabin around 11 pm and we crash…. Nothing like the rocking of the ship to put us right to sleep.

I am woken Sunday morning to the sound of the tenders being dropped.  Ahhhh Rhode Island again, although today it is overcast and a light rain and I am not sure if it will clear up.  But we are okay with that, we are on vacation and a little rain won’t hurt us.  And like I always say “it could always be worse”.

Bernie heads down to get some coffees and we sit out and watch the beginning of the tender process.  A quick shower and we head down to the dining room as Bernie remembers last week on this day they had blueberry pancakes on the menu and he can’t wait to get them again.  This time I enjoy them to and I will concur they are amazing.

Things this week don’t seem as crazy for the tendering process.  I believe last week’s boat show in town caused a lot more boat traffic and slowed down the tendering process.  So far today it seems there are minimal waits for tender rides.  But I can’t verify that right now.  Key is be patient if you are going ashore.  Make sure everyone in your party is ready and proceed to the tender ticket location (today it is Deck 5 Island Dining Room) and have your cruise card and ID with you.

Since we went ashore last week and since we need some more relaxing days we have decided to stay on board today.  It isn’t that we don’t like this place but for us there is nothing drawing us out.  Tomorrow will be a busy day in Boston so we are resting up.  The great thing about cruising is you decide how you want to spend your vacation.

I was still having trouble with the internet today.  Since we are on a back to back we usually have one voyage’s minutes end at 11 pm on the last day of the first voyage.  Then the first day of the new voyage we need to set up a new account and get the Captain Circle Package again.  However this trip when I logged on the first day of the second voyage it was still showing minutes from the last cruise.  I check with the Internet guru and he said you just ask to get a new package.  So this morning I tried to do that and it wouldn’t offer me any package.  So I waited till his desk hours and went down and showed him and he was surprised.  He then had to override the system and allocate the packages to us.   Now I am set up so I can blog and post.

I do want to do a big shout out to some amazing crew on board that have made the trip so far so special.  Dana the CSD, Adam the HGM, Michael F&B, Douw Head Waiter, Mario Maitre d’, Remill our waiter, Catalin Head Waiter, Alberto and all the Princess Dancers and of course our lovely Delmarie.  Yes the voyage would be great even if they were not all here but boy have they all been so great and we truly appreciate all they do.

Just sitting here waiting for our mini bar to get changed up, again we are having trouble getting things switched.  Bernie called about an hour ago to get it changed and he dealt with the same woman as last week (for which we never did get the change – and had to call back that evening).  She said it would be 20 minutes so I just called back and she said they are on their way.   One area we have noticed some issues is with room service and we have only used them two times and both times there have been issues.   And just as I type this there is a knock at the door and they are here – yeah more vodka and soda.

Today some of the happenings are:  Acupuncture seminar, Ping pong tournament, Trivia, Mahjong, NFL Football on MUTS, Movie the Internship, Taboo game, Golf Chipping, Afternoon Tea, Lighting Photography seminar, Basketball Best Out of Ten, Pop Choir Rehersal, Horse Racing, Veterans Get Together, Book Club (this week the book is different it is The Silver Star), Art Auction, Bingo, Solo Travellers Get Together, Service Clulb Get Together, Dr. Bob & Bill W Meeting, Zumba, GLBT Gathering, Wii@Sea, Captain’s Welcome Champagne Waterfall Party, Karaoke, Multimedia Music Trivia, Waltz class, Majority Rules game, 50’s and 60’s dance Music at Skywalkers, and so much more!

Bar Harbor

I wake to someone talking loudly in the hallway….. What time is it?  Why are they talking so loud?  Then I realize we have dropped anchor and it is the purser’s staff announcing that the tender service is now available.  Oh…. It is 7:15

We decide to head to the dining room for breakfast this morning and we had a lovely table right near the window and pancakes and sausage hit the spot.  The staff here are amazing… so attentive and patient. 

I will state that there was a bit of a queue to get a table but they moved it along very fast so patience is necessary but worth it.

We are not going ashore for a bit so we are down in the coffee bar enjoying a latte and a tea while we see so many grab tender tickets to go ashore.  We are meeting up with Delmarie to go ashore and enjoy a nice meal.  The sun is shining and the place looks beautiful.

Around 11 am they no longer require that you go to the dining room for tender tickets.  Although we don’t require tender tickets anyways cause of priority but we aren’t in any rush.  We only head ashore around noon.  The ride is quick and the weather is lovely, a light jacket is required as the winds can be cool.

When we get ashore we head to find lobster.  We walk up the main street to the Lobster Pound.  A nice simple restaurant that a local recommended.  We sit outside and order a drink and well some lobster.  Bernie gets a lobster roll dinner and I and Delmarie get a pound and a quarter whole lobster.  Marketprice for the lobster was $15 and then we added on the meal option for an additional $12 which included chowder, mussels, fries and corn on the cob and a piece of pie for dessert.  Oh my what a lot of food but I really dug into that lobster!  It was so good and so fresh. 

After the meal we are so full and we need to walk a bit.  We walk around the streets and pop into a few stores.  I ended up buying a tshirt that has the lobster with the sign that says “say no to pot”. 

We stroll along the water and then we are back on board around 4 pm.

Dinner tonight is the Crown Grill with a dear friend but it is going to be late around 9 pm as he can’t really get away until then.  But it works out great for us cause we have the Most Traveled Cocktail Party tonight at 7:30.  Yes it is a cocktail party as this is something Captain Pomata prefers and personally we do too.  We don’t know where we fall in the numbers as we have not even met the Captain Circle Host yet and I can’t be bother to wait for his desk hours.  We hear he is from Buenos Aries and Delmarie speaks highly of him so we will say hi soon, well tonight for sure.

Bernie is trying trivia this afternoon again.  Me I am just going to wander the ship.  Got some great pictures of the entire ship earlier today for my fan page.  Make sure to head there and check out the album when I get back.  Here is a link to my fan page.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cruising-Princess-Cruiseline-with-Vickie/240526055979098 

I sat in Vines for a bit and enjoyed two glasses of my wine that is stored at Vines and did some Sudoku puzzles and Bernie joined me after his trivia for which he said he did poorly at but met a lovely Mother Daughter from Ontario.

I am back in the cabin now.  Earlier in the voyage Bernie gave me some little pampering items and I am indulging in a deep moisturizing hair mask and a facial mask, trust me, no pictures of this will be put up here on this blog.  But the results may be later on tonight at dinner.

Boston

We are not getting in until 10 am today but around 8 am we start hearing noises in the hallway and room service being deliver near us.  Oh well time to get we say.

The weather is beautiful again and we are really lucking out in that regards.

Today we received our Canadian declaration form. Everyone needs to fill it out before arriving in Canada whether  you plan to get off or not.  

Bernie has just headed to Horizon Court for bite to eat.  Personally I am still full from dinner!

Our plan for today is to head ashore and take the Old Town Trolley.  You can buy this tour from on board thru Shore Excursion Desk but we got our tickets on line from their website prior to coming for a bit less than on board.  

Bernie has just walked back in.  I say “boy that didn’t take long” and he laughs, apparently it is a zoo, and that is putting it lightly.  We don’t dock until 10 am and with everyone getting ready to go ashore for then it seems everyone had the same idea, get breakfast at the Horizon Court.  Long lines just to get into the buffet area and forget about getting a seat.  Of course I say back to Bernie “really, you should of known better” and yeah we should of.  So he waits about a half hour until 10 and then heads back up for a meal and it is better.

We have two other ships in port with us and there are a few sprinkles falling but nothing to slow us down.  But boy there seems to be a lot of people in the Atrium and we quickly realize they are queuing up to get off the ship.  An announcement has come on saying because of the tides they only have one gangway open on deck five.  The one on deck six is closed currently because it is just too steep with the tide being low.  We make our way to the back of the line which has stretched thru the art gallery on deck five to the forward stairway.  But it is moving very fast and we maybe wait five minutes.  It is also made slower because many don’t know about where to go or why and also don’t have their card out ready to scan.

When we get on land we start walking, the pier is very very long but we are okay with that but if you have mobility issues it could be a problem.  The ship has a transfer service that takes you to town for a small fee and sorry I don’t remember how much it was but I believe it is around $15 per person and you buy it once you go ashore.  Note though that a taxi would be similar.  We walk out looking for where we can board the hop on hop off trolley and there is a pick up spot nearby when ships are in port #17.  Check their website for details.

We did the tour which was around an 1.5 to 2 hours and decided to stay on and do most of the tour and then get off later and get a bite to eat.  Of course we could of gotten off and reboarded but we were being two things, lazy and really wanting a good overview.  Plus the tour kind of winds back and intersects so it would be easy to get on and off. 

We see so many sights, here are just a few of the pictures.

We grab a bite to eat at the Grainery and the food was very good but there are tons of restaurants and types of food to choose from to suit everyone’s taste.  

A friend of ours who lives in Boston (Sharon & Bruce, thanks) recommended Mike’s Pastry so we walk over there.  It is located in Little Italy, Boston’s North End and we love the atmosphere of this area, and heck we are not even Italian.  This place is famous for cannoli pastries and we grab one each and then one for Mario the Maitre d’ cause we know he is Italian.  

We wander back to the bus to take us on the Orange line back to the pier.  It has been a full day and lots of walking and we didn’t sleep well the night before and back in the cabin and we both look at each other and say “nap time”.

After a two hour nap we are woken to an announcement of looking for so and so.  Oh my it is 6:30…. So glad we have late seating for dinner.
We dress for dinner and then wander around to see what is happening around.  Oh a Martini demonstration is going on in the Atrium.  Corey is hosting and he is so good at his job so much energy and I can tell the people here love him.  And he calls out a few questions to win the final martini and I guessed the right answer to one so I walked away with a martini… great way to start the evening I say.

For dinner we are sat and the regulars are all around us, so we all say hi and catch up with each other. 

Douw has a few treats for us… oh so much and so sweet and it is appreciated.

I have a salad to start and the pork for my entrée and love the raspberry/ricotta spring rolls for dessert and they were hot which is just how they should be.
We want to see the production show “Do You Wanna Dance” which we have seen many times but Alberto is performing and well we love the energy and the effort they put into the shows.  And of course they don’t disappoint us again.  One note is the sequin jackets on the singers really need to be replaced they look sad!

One thing about this ship when you exit the theater on deck 7 you have to walk thru the casino. 

Thankfully is no smoking night because normally it is horrible having to walk thru it.  Sure you can go down to deck six and walk but even there it is smoky with Churchills Bar.  We also have ducked out to the Promenade outside deck too just to get away from the crowds and smoke.

Boy oh Boy you wouldn’t believe the crowds in the casino.  I don’t think I have ever seen so many people playing in any casino ever on board!  You couldn’t find a slot machine even if you wanted to.  And it is almost 11 pm and they are queued up for the machines.  Later we hear a woman saying how she waited for a machine and was glad she did cause she walked away with money.  

We are back in the cabin just before midnight and we watch a bit of the movie Mud which of course when we piece it together with all the bits we have watched throughout the day I think we have seen most of it…. The joys of trying to watch a movie on the ship.

Sunday Newport, Rhode Island

Today is a tender port at we drop anchor early around 7 am but what really awakens us is the announcement in the hall way that tenders are now available.  We slept like babies, the great thing about being in an inside cabin is it is very quiet (at least this one is) and dark.  

We don’t have anything big planned today just head ashore and check things out.

Things happening today:  Dr. Bob & Bill W Meeting, Solo Travellers gathering, Pin Pong Tournament, Introduction to Acupuncture, Trivia, Mah-Jong, Taboo game, Golf Chipping Challenge, Princess Pop Choir Rehearsal, Afternoon Tea, Lighting Photography seminar, Pain Management Seminar, Veterans Get Together, NFL Football on MUTS, Bingo, Princess Book Club, Art Auction, Zumba Fitness, GLBT Get Together.  
Tonight is formal night and the Princess Theater is showing Comedian Steve White at 7, 8:15 and 10:15 pm.  It is also the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Champagne Waterfall Party in the Atrium at 7:15.

Well off to enjoy the day.

We are back after a lovely day in Newport.  Key to remember it is a tender port and the harbor today is very very busy with lots of boats of all types.  In fact there is a boat show going on we later realize.  Because of this the tender process is very slow as the tenders manoeuver in and around all the traffic.  The ride on the tender was at least a half hour.  Because of this waits to get a tender from the ship were long.  We were lucky as with elite you get priority tendering and so we just walked down to deck 4 midship and boarded the next tender by showing our priority tickets.

But if you don’t have priority tickets remember you need to follow the directions in the Patter on where you need to go to get tender tickets.  For us today people had to go to the dining room mid ship on deck 5 and wait there for their tender number to be called.  Of course if you have a Princess tour booked meet with the group as per the directions on the ticket.

Once ashore we first tried to rent some bikes.  We had read on line that there was a rental place just a block from the pier and we went there but all the bikes were taken.  They directed us to a place a few blocks further and we went there and they didn’t open until noon and that was still 1.5 hours away.  So with our map we picked up at the Visitor’s Center we started walking.  We walked along streets with beautiful older buildings and then back towards the center of town along Spring Street.  

Stopped for a coffee and a treat and a rest then we were back out towards the downtown and old mansions.  

The mansions are huge, stunning, huge, oh and did I say huge.  In fact we like the walking cause all along the way there are signs explaining a lot about the history of the area and the facts about many of the buildings, including many mansions.  

We stop and look at the Elms mansion and we are blown away to think that this wasn’t even their main house but their summer house.  Seriously, just so much wealth.  You can tour these homes and we are not really interested in that.  I am sure they are beautiful but we are happier seeing more how the “normal” hard working people live.

We walk back towards the water and the crowds are getting heavier.  Again that boat show has brought a lot of people into Newport.  By now we have been walking around for four hours and the last tender is 3:15 so with not much time left we decide to head back on board.  

The line to get back on is long, but don’t worry the line moved rather quickly and in total we maybe waited five minutes.

Once back on board Bernie decides to head to the trivia and I head to Vines to find a quiet place and get a glass of wine and read.  Mark the bar staff at Vines is very helpful and I order a bottle of Santa Margarita and he recommends buying a bottle because a glass is $9.50 and a bottle is $47 so I would get a lot more wine for a better price.  That sounds great and so that is what I do and he has tagged the bottle for me and will keep it in the cooler there for whenever I come back.  Aren’t the crew great!

We then head up to the Lido deck at the grill to grab a burger and I fill up on a big salad from Horizon Court.  

My observations so far about this trip are the ship is full.  The age group is rather young in fact it seems the average age is around late 40’s early 50’s and very few kids.  I can count on my hand how many kids I have seen.

A lot of new cruisers – and many first time cruisers.  So a lot of people asking question about where to go and how to find something and learning about cruise travel.  But by the end of the second day a lot are more knowledgeable and we see people finding their grove.

Tonight is formal night and we head back to the cabin to shower and get ready to head to Skywalkers for a cocktail for the Platinum/Elite Lounge.  It is not very busy up there, again a reflection on the ship.  We enjoy a Cosmopolitan that is the drink of the day for $5 each and the food is shrimp cocktail and also there are chesses, olives, vegetables and a nice snack.  We meet up with Barb and Gordon from Wisconsin who are on the roll call and we have a lovely chat with them sharing our passion of travel with each other.

Dinner again is in the Palm Dining room second seating.   I start with the quiche appetizer, then the French Onion Soup then I had the beef entre which was okay.  Definitely not one of our favorite menus but we certainly didn’t go hungry.

We head out to take a few pictures, this is not a normal thing for us to pose for formal pics but I forgot to mention that yesterday I won a free formal picture from the sail away party.  First time I have won anything from the sail away party.  

We head to see the comedian Steve White in the Princess Theater for the 10:15 show.  We enjoyed him again, and thought his material was very current and funny.  Of course he has to make fun of all the people coming in late which again made us laugh but really people if you are going to come in late why would you come in and sit right near the front?  You are just asking for it.

After dinner we head over to say hi to Delmarie in Facets for a while and then it is up to Skywalkers for some dancing.  We must of danced for an hour straight and then bamm we hit a wall and my feet are killing me and it is midnight so back to the cabin we go.

Our laundry is already there, that was fast, just put it in yesterday and we got it back the next day.  Now remember this is not what is promised but it is nice when we get it.

Other comments about the voyage.

The ship is in great shape.  This is the first time we are on the Caribbean Princess and she is beautiful. Constant upkeep is being done, today we saw work being done on some tiles in the Atrium.  

Morning show is being shown at 10 pm the night prior which is something we experienced on the Emerald last Jan/Feb and actually works out well.  We watch just before we go to sleep and Neil today explained a lot of great info about coming into Boston and some details of where some sights are.   Well done!
Switching out our mini bar was an experience.  We wanted to trade out all our hard liquor for vodka and then replace the two beers and two tonic waters for Perrier.  On the first call the person we were talking to was all confused and said we can’t trade the beers for water which we know can be done and  of course is much cheaper than beer.  We think she understands and when we come back from being ashore, nothing has been replaced.  Okay we call again and this time we are talking to someone different and they seem to understand completely.  A few minutes later a knock at the door and everything is correct but they only have three Vodkas instead of the six.  He says he will come back and he does.  We giggle never realized how difficult a mini bar change could be.

This is a port intensive voyage with five ports in a row then one sea day and after one day in port we are exhausted and when going to bed tonight we both commented we need to make sure to take some time to relax more.  We are so glad we are doing a back to back.

Oh and we saw Klaus the Executive Chef from the Island Princess a few years ago.  He is now Chef de Cuisine but he is still cooking and loving it.  And is so personable.