If You See It: Eat It! Via Panama to Disneyland - Completed and Link to New Trip Report 2/24
- Thread starter Flossbolna
- Start date
chirurgeon
I am a delicate flower and need my sleep.
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2000
I might have missed it, what was your dining rotation? I'm really enjoying your trip report
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
I had no idea that it was possible at Las Chalets, that would have been a great excursion for us otherwise as well!
Cassandra was really a very sweet sea lion (if you can call a sea lion sweet!).
I love the kiss pic!
Thanks! Me too!
Ugh on the data, I can totally see that happening! I had a couple of scares on our cruise thinking roaming was on but it ended up ok so far.
I amabout the comment about why you weren't doing an early morning excursion. Michael does like to sleep in doesn't he?
GREAT sea lion photos! I can see why you bought them. I know what you mean about DCL excursions and the waiting, we definitely had that on a couple of ours.
In the end it was only a few dollars, but still. It was so unnecessary!
How did you get the idea that Michael likes to sleep in????
That was one of the great things of this long cruise, you never felt like you were missing out on something and we felt like we had the luxury to just do nothing - if that is sleeping or looking out over the sea. And somehow that mood carries over to the ports as well. While I liked all of our ports, we really did not sail because we wanted to see these ports, but because of the cruise experience.I think the waiting on the excursions is part of the process of moving big groups. I guess it can only be avoided by doing your own stuff. Like we did in Key West. But for some things that just does not work.
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
I think it kind of depends on which type of excursion you are doing. On the Cartagena one we did not have a lot of dead time (well, besides the start before we left the ship). And I could very well see how one would feel rushed. I did feel rushed at the shopping stop that we had, it was too short to do some proper shopping.
Thanks for the nice comment about the trip report! There still is a little more to write about! Still three nights left of the cruise - and there are 3-night cruises out there! So, I still have a whole short cruise to write about!
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
Yes, there are reasons why I want this trip report to be done soon!
I love all those behind the scene peeks we got!
Yes, as far as I heard, both the Wonder and the Fantasy already have some improvements as compared to their respective elder sisters because they went back to improve on certain things as soon as the Magic and the Dream were out there.
Gorgeous pictures!
Thanks!
I am all for that law - and every virus that violates it needs to be sentenced to a life long banishment!
It was!
This makes it seem more exotic to the Americans.
I just think it is so neat that they built the newer Disney ships in Germany!
You thought those were just simulators in the Kids Club...
Good man, Renato!
Yes, he knew that this was an opportunity to shine and he grabbed it!
Another one who thinks that sea lions are dangerous...
It was a lot of fun! And it is far cheaper than those dolphin swims!
Uh oh. Were you feeling a bit jealous?
Hmmmmmm, where did you get that idea?????
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
She was really cute!
I am glad that you are enjoying it!
Happy to hear that you are enjoying the trip report! Our dining rotation was APT. And that was just being repeated 5 times. So, the full cruise would have been APTAPTAPTAPTAPT. But the KTTW only had APT printed on it.
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
Sorry I've fallen behind again, but I just had to stop by and say...........
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag Magdalene mein lieber Freund!
Ich hoffe, dass Sie einen wunderbaren Geburtstag zu haben!
Sorry I am late but
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! !!!!!!!!
Sorry I am late ........
Happy birthday!
Thanks for all the Birthday wishes! I had a lovely day! And my birthday also was the 7 months mark until Katharina and I cruise to Norway! The countdown ticker is moving along nicely!!
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
Our bus finally picked us up and we were on the way back to the port. The sea lion facility is in a very new and fancy development. This is in the entrance area to this on the way out:
Once back at the port we checked out the little shops at the port:
Unfortunately I was rather a bit annoyed by the waiting before and it was hot, so I was not in a real shopping mood. Even thought there were quite a few nice things that might have been worth getting.
Getting back to the ship, I tried to take a picture of our stateroom location:
Do you see this small walkway that starts to the right of the R in Wonder? In the middle of that you can see a little plate above the round white things. This plate was directly in front of our porthole.
It was getting closer to our departure time and while Michael wanted to relax in the pool, I wanted to watch us sail away from the port! So, I got the camera and wandered around on deck.
View of the flags at the port:
Some of the waste that had been unloaded from our ship:
There were some chipmunks having fun:
I thought I would join them!
And then it was time to leave Mexico but we were going to be back in Mexico the next day.
Puerto Vallarta has a very long sandy beach, it goes through the whole cove:
And then I had the brilliant idea of taking a panoramic shot from the end of the ship:
While standing there on deck 11 I saw that downstairs at the outdoor seating for Beach Blanket Buffet there was a party going on. I was wondering who was holding such a big private party on the ship. I walked down the stairs being curious and what do I see: It is the DVC guys standing at the entrance! So I ask someone lining up at the entrance what this is and they tell me it is for the DVC memebers. Well, I never got an invite they said that I was supposed to get a call and think it might have gotten lost in our cabin number change. So: If you ever end up changing your cabin, make sure to let the DVC people know. Otherwise you might miss out on freebies and who would want that!!!!!
With this info, I went to look for Michael, but he was already in the hot tub and could not be convinced to come and party with me. So I partied on my own! I ran into someone from our neighbouring table from dinner (Mr New Jersey to be precise). He had already gotten a spot at a table with some DVCers from Orlando and they all invited me to join them. It turned out the Orlando couple were CMs and it was fun chatting with them all for some time. We had noticed that the New Jersey couple had missed quite a few dinners and he mentioned that they had fallen in love with eating a casual dinner at Beach Blanket Buffet. So, we were not the only people who got tired of cruise dinners every night. They had quite a few snacks out there and brought around drinks.
All in all, it was a nice idea, but it was far too many people for the space it was being held in. And it was also rather hot out in the sun. In hindsight, I am not so sure I would make a huge point out of going to the party again.
In the afternoon they also had meet and greets with the Pixar characters that had been in the Pixar Pals Party the day before. I was very tempted to go and meet Remy and Emile, but I was feeling sweaty and sticky from the party and did not feel like getting my picture taken. But I managed to get a halfway decent picture of the two while they were waiting for their turn:
Todays how was something about Magic and Mind-Reading. Not at all what we were interested in, so this was a leisurely evening for us. We ended up swimming in the Goofy Pool as there was nobody there at all. It was really nice!
Todays dinner was the Toy Story Dinner. The menu is printed in 3-D and you need special glasses to read it. So, I had reading glasses! I felt like my mother!
We started out with a bread basket as always. The bread was advertised as Wholegrain Cinnamon and Raisin Bread:
And it was exactly what they told us it would be!
Michael started with a soup: Sids Mexican Fire-roasted Tomato Soup with Black Beans and Nachos:
I had The Prospector Chicken and Red Onion Flat Bread with Red Wine Pears and Crumbled Blue Cheese:
I remember it being fairly dry and I did not eat a lot of it. It also was really big!
Michael had Jessies Flat Asparagus Salad with seasonal Asparagus, New Potatoes, Mache, Endive, and a Sour Lemon Olive Oil Dressing:
I skipped the second appetizer, but I remember being a bit envious of Michaels asparagus and thinking that he made the better choice than me in appetizers!
For his main course Michael had the Bullseye Chicken Criollo Cilantro Marinated Chicken Breakst with Malanaga Goats Cheese Mash, Tortilla Chips and a Rancho Corn Salsa:
I had the Lemon and Sage Veal Escallop with Beef Braised Cocotte Potatoes and Seasonal String Beans:
Escallop is the French word for Schnitzel, so I as expecting some kind of Schnitzel and thats exactly what I got. However, the one I had for lunch was better than this one. It was still very nice for dinner as well!
We only ordered one dessert, unfortunately I am not sure who ordered it and if we shared it (not very likely ), but I do have a memory of this being a very good dessert! It was Sheriff Woodys Warm Apple & Custard Cobbler Apples incased with Vanilla Pastry Crème, topped with Cobbler Nuggets and Almond Praline Ice Cream:
Back in our room we were greeted by a stingray:
We also got the message that we would turn the clocks back one hour. This is definitely one advantage of doing the Panama Canal cruise from East to West: you get three additional hours!
This evening they were trying to have the Welcome to the Pacific Pool Party again that was cancelled due to the rainy weather. Unfortunately the weather still was not too cooperative. Since we had moved up North and we were also on the West Coast now, we no longer had warm Caribbean nights, but instead it cooled down quite a bit as the sun went down. Also this day was very windy!! But I wanted to head there anyway.
They had taken all the loungers away from the adult pool area and put up tables with chairs and nice dark table clothes. The pool bar was serving all kind of fancier cocktails than normally (it was actually the Wavebands staff that took over there for the night). I tried to take a picture, but it was very difficult in the light:
I got a fancy drink from the bar and just as I walked away with my large Martini glass, there was a gust of wind and the top of my cocktail was blown out of the glass! I guess I now know why glasses at the pool are generally tall and not very wide
We met Ashley there and chatted with her for quite some time and then we met one couple from our neighbour-table (the New Jersey couple, we seemed to run into them the most) and sat at a table with them for quite some time and chatted. At some point some people started to throw the poor entertainment CMs into the pool. I could not really tell whether everyone involved was really having fun or whether some of the CMs were just being nice to the guests
Since it was so windy, it was really not that comfortable sitting out there and we did not stay too long. We ended the evening with a walk around deck 4:
And once again where amused by the doors we passed walking there. I wonder why they have a room to store CO2
And then there is an Escape but it is only for Crew Members I guess the guests are not allowed to escape???
Up Next: The Virus Reappears! Part 1 Part 2
Once back at the port we checked out the little shops at the port:
Unfortunately I was rather a bit annoyed by the waiting before and it was hot, so I was not in a real shopping mood. Even thought there were quite a few nice things that might have been worth getting.
Getting back to the ship, I tried to take a picture of our stateroom location:
Do you see this small walkway that starts to the right of the R in Wonder? In the middle of that you can see a little plate above the round white things. This plate was directly in front of our porthole.
It was getting closer to our departure time and while Michael wanted to relax in the pool, I wanted to watch us sail away from the port! So, I got the camera and wandered around on deck.
View of the flags at the port:
Some of the waste that had been unloaded from our ship:
There were some chipmunks having fun:
I thought I would join them!
And then it was time to leave Mexico but we were going to be back in Mexico the next day.
Puerto Vallarta has a very long sandy beach, it goes through the whole cove:
And then I had the brilliant idea of taking a panoramic shot from the end of the ship:
While standing there on deck 11 I saw that downstairs at the outdoor seating for Beach Blanket Buffet there was a party going on. I was wondering who was holding such a big private party on the ship. I walked down the stairs being curious and what do I see: It is the DVC guys standing at the entrance! So I ask someone lining up at the entrance what this is and they tell me it is for the DVC memebers. Well, I never got an invite they said that I was supposed to get a call and think it might have gotten lost in our cabin number change. So: If you ever end up changing your cabin, make sure to let the DVC people know. Otherwise you might miss out on freebies and who would want that!!!!!
With this info, I went to look for Michael, but he was already in the hot tub and could not be convinced to come and party with me. So I partied on my own! I ran into someone from our neighbouring table from dinner (Mr New Jersey to be precise). He had already gotten a spot at a table with some DVCers from Orlando and they all invited me to join them. It turned out the Orlando couple were CMs and it was fun chatting with them all for some time. We had noticed that the New Jersey couple had missed quite a few dinners and he mentioned that they had fallen in love with eating a casual dinner at Beach Blanket Buffet. So, we were not the only people who got tired of cruise dinners every night. They had quite a few snacks out there and brought around drinks.
All in all, it was a nice idea, but it was far too many people for the space it was being held in. And it was also rather hot out in the sun. In hindsight, I am not so sure I would make a huge point out of going to the party again.
In the afternoon they also had meet and greets with the Pixar characters that had been in the Pixar Pals Party the day before. I was very tempted to go and meet Remy and Emile, but I was feeling sweaty and sticky from the party and did not feel like getting my picture taken. But I managed to get a halfway decent picture of the two while they were waiting for their turn:
Todays how was something about Magic and Mind-Reading. Not at all what we were interested in, so this was a leisurely evening for us. We ended up swimming in the Goofy Pool as there was nobody there at all. It was really nice!
Todays dinner was the Toy Story Dinner. The menu is printed in 3-D and you need special glasses to read it. So, I had reading glasses! I felt like my mother!
We started out with a bread basket as always. The bread was advertised as Wholegrain Cinnamon and Raisin Bread:
And it was exactly what they told us it would be!
Michael started with a soup: Sids Mexican Fire-roasted Tomato Soup with Black Beans and Nachos:
I had The Prospector Chicken and Red Onion Flat Bread with Red Wine Pears and Crumbled Blue Cheese:
I remember it being fairly dry and I did not eat a lot of it. It also was really big!
Michael had Jessies Flat Asparagus Salad with seasonal Asparagus, New Potatoes, Mache, Endive, and a Sour Lemon Olive Oil Dressing:
I skipped the second appetizer, but I remember being a bit envious of Michaels asparagus and thinking that he made the better choice than me in appetizers!
For his main course Michael had the Bullseye Chicken Criollo Cilantro Marinated Chicken Breakst with Malanaga Goats Cheese Mash, Tortilla Chips and a Rancho Corn Salsa:
I had the Lemon and Sage Veal Escallop with Beef Braised Cocotte Potatoes and Seasonal String Beans:
Escallop is the French word for Schnitzel, so I as expecting some kind of Schnitzel and thats exactly what I got. However, the one I had for lunch was better than this one. It was still very nice for dinner as well!
We only ordered one dessert, unfortunately I am not sure who ordered it and if we shared it (not very likely ), but I do have a memory of this being a very good dessert! It was Sheriff Woodys Warm Apple & Custard Cobbler Apples incased with Vanilla Pastry Crème, topped with Cobbler Nuggets and Almond Praline Ice Cream:
Back in our room we were greeted by a stingray:
We also got the message that we would turn the clocks back one hour. This is definitely one advantage of doing the Panama Canal cruise from East to West: you get three additional hours!
This evening they were trying to have the Welcome to the Pacific Pool Party again that was cancelled due to the rainy weather. Unfortunately the weather still was not too cooperative. Since we had moved up North and we were also on the West Coast now, we no longer had warm Caribbean nights, but instead it cooled down quite a bit as the sun went down. Also this day was very windy!! But I wanted to head there anyway.
They had taken all the loungers away from the adult pool area and put up tables with chairs and nice dark table clothes. The pool bar was serving all kind of fancier cocktails than normally (it was actually the Wavebands staff that took over there for the night). I tried to take a picture, but it was very difficult in the light:
I got a fancy drink from the bar and just as I walked away with my large Martini glass, there was a gust of wind and the top of my cocktail was blown out of the glass! I guess I now know why glasses at the pool are generally tall and not very wide
We met Ashley there and chatted with her for quite some time and then we met one couple from our neighbour-table (the New Jersey couple, we seemed to run into them the most) and sat at a table with them for quite some time and chatted. At some point some people started to throw the poor entertainment CMs into the pool. I could not really tell whether everyone involved was really having fun or whether some of the CMs were just being nice to the guests
Since it was so windy, it was really not that comfortable sitting out there and we did not stay too long. We ended the evening with a walk around deck 4:
And once again where amused by the doors we passed walking there. I wonder why they have a room to store CO2
And then there is an Escape but it is only for Crew Members I guess the guests are not allowed to escape???
Up Next: The Virus Reappears! Part 1 Part 2
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2005
What a shame that the deck was too windy for the party. I have heard a few times that it is better to do the Panama Canal cruise from East to West because of those extra hours you gain (although it is while you are sleeping, it is still extra hours on a Disney cruise lol)
We have never received an invitation to a DVC party/gathering on any of our cruises, so I am not entirely sure it is just your room move that meant you didn't get your invite
Now we are back from our trip to WDW, I am in full planning mode for our cruise so I a going right back to the beginning of your trip report to read it again and take notes this time
We have never received an invitation to a DVC party/gathering on any of our cruises, so I am not entirely sure it is just your room move that meant you didn't get your invite
Now we are back from our trip to WDW, I am in full planning mode for our cruise so I a going right back to the beginning of your trip report to read it again and take notes this time
rndmr2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 3, 2009
Getting caught up on the last few updates. Glad you started feeling better. Love the pics from the Sea Lion Swim. Looks like you had a great time. I did one of those on a cruise on Norwegian last November that stopped in Samana, Dominican Republic. It was the best excursion I ever did! Really neat. We had time in a little sandy alcove with a female where she went to each of us to do things like shake our hands or give kisses. Then in the water with a big male one. Really cool experience.
Happy Belated Birthday!
Happy Belated Birthday!
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
What a shame that the deck was too windy for the party. I have heard a few times that it is better to do the Panama Canal cruise from East to West because of those extra hours you gain (although it is while you are sleeping, it is still extra hours on a Disney cruise lol)
We have never received an invitation to a DVC party/gathering on any of our cruises, so I am not entirely sure it is just your room move that meant you didn't get your invite
Now we are back from our trip to WDW, I am in full planning mode for our cruise so I a going right back to the beginning of your trip report to read it again and take notes this time
Well, even though the extra hour is in the middle of the night, nothing prevents you of just getting to bed later or getting up one hour earlier to enjoy more daytime!
If you are a DVC member, make sure to stop by at the DVC desk on the ship and make sure that they have you on their list. With that you should get invites etc.
I hope you find the trip report useful! If you have any questions, just ask ahead!
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
Getting caught up on the last few updates. Glad you started feeling better. Love the pics from the Sea Lion Swim. Looks like you had a great time. I did one of those on a cruise on Norwegian last November that stopped in Samana, Dominican Republic. It was the best excursion I ever did! Really neat. We had time in a little sandy alcove with a female where she went to each of us to do things like shake our hands or give kisses. Then in the water with a big male one. Really cool experience.
Happy Belated Birthday!
Thanks for the birthday wishes!
Your excursions with the sea lions sounds great! Ours was just in a rather plain pool, not a sandy alcove! I would love to do that sea lion encounter again another time, it was indeed a cool experience!
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
Day 18, May 15
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Distance from Puerto Vallarta: 297 Nautical Miles
Average Speed: 18.4 knots
Distance so far: 3964 Nautical Miles
All Fast: 7:31am
All Aboard: 3:30pm
Cast Off: 3:45pm
Dress Code: Formal
Dinner Menu: Captains Gala
Show: Crew Talent Show
Weather: Sunny, 88°F/32°C
Today was the day with my choice of excursion: I wanted to have one snorkelling excursion. I had tried snorkelling for the first time the year before on our cruise in Cozumel and I enjoyed it so much. I knew I wanted to do it again. And it seemed that Cabo was a good place to do it.
We had picked an excursion that was not leaving really early, so I could sleep in a little as well. I got up at around 8 am and we had already docked in Cabo san Lucas. Today I was smart enough to bring my camera!
It was a beautiful morning and Cabo is a beautiful port!
I got some breakfast at Beach Blanket and decided to get some Mickey waffles. I think this was the first day that I saw them!
I also picked up some breakfast for Michael:
You could tell that those bananas had been travelling with us for quite some while already they were not green anymore! But Michael was luckily not scared by dark bananas!
He did not want the Mickey waffle, so I had a bonus one!
We had a great view from our stateroom of the rocks at the port entrance of Cabo (you will see more of them ). Cabo is at the southern most point of Baja California, a peninsula on the West Coast of Mexico that is kind of the continuation of California in the US. The part of the Pacific that is between Baja California and mainland Mexico is called the Sea of Cortez (or Gulf of California). And those rocks are kind of the barrier between the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez.
We met at 9:45am in Diversions for our snorkelling port adventure. Michael found it really difficult to get started and was very tired and not just because of not sleeping in. He tried to get fit with the help of some coffee.
Cabo is port where we had to tender. This means that you cannot just walk off the ship, the ship is positioned out there in the water of the port and small ships come and ferry you from the Wonder to land. This was the first time that I was going to experience this and I was quite excited! When I was a kid (I think I was around 10 years old then) we were on vacation in Hamburg. One day we went on a day trip to an island in the North Sea called Helgoland. It is part of Germany, but so far out that it had some special rules about taxes not being charged there. It was famous for the day-trippers going there to buy butter and alcohol. Well, for us it was the first time on a ship out on sea and we absolutely loved it! However, once we were there we had to tender as well. I think it was because of the tide. And I had this memory of more or less jumping off a ship into a tiny boat that was at lest 10 feet below me. I guess it was not nearly as bad, but for a 10 year old it was really scary. And I was a 10 year old scared of heights. I could not imagine that getting off a Disney ship would be the same level of scariness. And it wasnt there were steps you walked down and then just stepped onto the tender boat. All really easy. Here you can see the entrance to our boat:
On the trip away from the Wonder I manged to get a really good picture of our porthole:
It is the second porthole to the right of the R of Wonder.
Here we are getting close to the pier where the tender boats docked:
We got off and just moved down a few places and there was our catamaran for the day. It was much smaller than the one we had been on in Cozumel last time. And of course we once again had trouble getting a spot in the shade. I love those snorkelling excursions, but I cant be out in the sun on the sea for hours. And it is never enough shade on those boats
When we got on board the people on the ship told us that for the last 5 days there have been jelly fish warnings out, but so far they had not had any incidents with jelly fish. In the area around Cabo, if the water gets warmer in the summer, there are jelly fish around. They told us that if anyone of us wanted to cancel because of that information that we could and would get a full refund. The jelly fish did not scare us. I had read about them and they were more like mosquito bites supposedly and the people on the excursion had stuff to treat your skin with in case you encountered them. However, in hindsight Michael should have taken this opportunity to opt out of the excursion
We got started and sailed past the Wonder:
And we sailed closer to those rocks that you saw before:
There is this lovely sandy beach between some of these rocks, it is called Lovers Beach and it is very famous. It continues as a beach all the way to the other side, the Pacific side of the rocks and there it is called Divorce Beach supposedly! The other side if far rougher as the large waves come rolling in on the other side. This side was rather sheltered.
Another famous spot in those rocks is this natural arch:
After viewing these local highlights, we moved on to the Santa Maria Beach. This is where we were going to snorkel. The water was rather deep there and very refreshing! But the fish were absolutely amazing! So many different and colourful ones! It was far more amazing than my first snorkelling experience in Cozumel!
I think we had an hour or so in the water, but Michael told me that he was swimming back to the ship after already 20 minutes or so. He really was not feeling well at all! I was perfectly over that nasty bug, but now he was suffering from it! At some point I started to get really cold and started to swim back to the boat and just as I was getting close, they were giving the signal that we were supposed to come back. Perfect timing!
Once we were all back on board, we got some plain lunch: sandwiches, chips, salsa and guacamole. But the food was fresh and wonderful! It was so nice to have something different from the standard ship food! Michael was absolutely in heaven, so at least he got something out of this excursion!
They were handing out drinks as well. I think some sort of rum punch, maybe also margaritas. But they also had Mexican beer and I thought a beer was the perfect drink to go with the food:
No, I was not throwing it overboard! I wanted to catch the atmosphere of the moment with the sea, the sun and the beer! It was nearly perfect if it had not been for my sick boyfriend!
We sailed back towards the port:
And then we set in front of the rocks:
They seemed to try to actually sail the catamaran, but it was not windy enough. And we just sat there on the bobbing sea. In the sun with no wind. This was the point that really got Michael. He started to feel queasy and the heat and feeling sick really did not help at all. Even I was not really enjoying it. It just seemed so pointless. I was starting to feel miserable from the heat and it felt like this was just again killing time to make the excursion look better value. All it did was that Michael now has a strong aversion to any excursions that include a small boat
When we finally started to move we saw something very funny: A lot of the boats returning to the port were fishing boats. And nearly every one of them had a sea lion hanging on to the back of the boat. At first we thought they were just being lazy and going for the ride. No, they wanted the left over fish!!!
Once we were back in Cabo, we went to check out the port area a little bit. It seemed to have a nice and festive atmosphere, but it was baking hot and we were both sweaty and sticky from the sea water and Michael was still battling with the virus and the sea-sickness from the boat. It did not make for a good time. So, in the end I did not do any shopping in any of the ports besides Key West. I felt a bit sad that I did not get any souvenirs. But I also felt that in order to find something really nice, you need to spend more time in those port towns than we did. And also venture away from the immediate port area. However, after my experiences with these Mexican ports I have to say that I really loved all of them and I would love to return to see more!
Once back on the ship I took a very nice shower to feel presentable again! Michael only had a quick shower and went to the pool to cool off there. Once I felt refreshed I headed up on deck 10 to watch the ship leaving port. This really became one of my favourite things to do! And I guess it really has become a tradition for me. There is something romantic about leaving a port and heading out into the open seas. It is also fun because there are always other people hanging out there as well and you end up chatting about the port and your adventures there. It always seemed a rather social crowd!
And leaving Cabo was really beautiful. So you will have to suffer through many pictures!!
But first a peek at the officers getting us started:
View back to the harbour area:
And here the view of the famous rocks and Lovers Beach from the ship:
The arch:
Continued in Part 2
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Distance from Puerto Vallarta: 297 Nautical Miles
Average Speed: 18.4 knots
Distance so far: 3964 Nautical Miles
All Fast: 7:31am
All Aboard: 3:30pm
Cast Off: 3:45pm
Dress Code: Formal
Dinner Menu: Captains Gala
Show: Crew Talent Show
Weather: Sunny, 88°F/32°C
Today was the day with my choice of excursion: I wanted to have one snorkelling excursion. I had tried snorkelling for the first time the year before on our cruise in Cozumel and I enjoyed it so much. I knew I wanted to do it again. And it seemed that Cabo was a good place to do it.
We had picked an excursion that was not leaving really early, so I could sleep in a little as well. I got up at around 8 am and we had already docked in Cabo san Lucas. Today I was smart enough to bring my camera!
It was a beautiful morning and Cabo is a beautiful port!
I got some breakfast at Beach Blanket and decided to get some Mickey waffles. I think this was the first day that I saw them!
I also picked up some breakfast for Michael:
You could tell that those bananas had been travelling with us for quite some while already they were not green anymore! But Michael was luckily not scared by dark bananas!
He did not want the Mickey waffle, so I had a bonus one!
We had a great view from our stateroom of the rocks at the port entrance of Cabo (you will see more of them ). Cabo is at the southern most point of Baja California, a peninsula on the West Coast of Mexico that is kind of the continuation of California in the US. The part of the Pacific that is between Baja California and mainland Mexico is called the Sea of Cortez (or Gulf of California). And those rocks are kind of the barrier between the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez.
We met at 9:45am in Diversions for our snorkelling port adventure. Michael found it really difficult to get started and was very tired and not just because of not sleeping in. He tried to get fit with the help of some coffee.
Cabo is port where we had to tender. This means that you cannot just walk off the ship, the ship is positioned out there in the water of the port and small ships come and ferry you from the Wonder to land. This was the first time that I was going to experience this and I was quite excited! When I was a kid (I think I was around 10 years old then) we were on vacation in Hamburg. One day we went on a day trip to an island in the North Sea called Helgoland. It is part of Germany, but so far out that it had some special rules about taxes not being charged there. It was famous for the day-trippers going there to buy butter and alcohol. Well, for us it was the first time on a ship out on sea and we absolutely loved it! However, once we were there we had to tender as well. I think it was because of the tide. And I had this memory of more or less jumping off a ship into a tiny boat that was at lest 10 feet below me. I guess it was not nearly as bad, but for a 10 year old it was really scary. And I was a 10 year old scared of heights. I could not imagine that getting off a Disney ship would be the same level of scariness. And it wasnt there were steps you walked down and then just stepped onto the tender boat. All really easy. Here you can see the entrance to our boat:
On the trip away from the Wonder I manged to get a really good picture of our porthole:
It is the second porthole to the right of the R of Wonder.
Here we are getting close to the pier where the tender boats docked:
We got off and just moved down a few places and there was our catamaran for the day. It was much smaller than the one we had been on in Cozumel last time. And of course we once again had trouble getting a spot in the shade. I love those snorkelling excursions, but I cant be out in the sun on the sea for hours. And it is never enough shade on those boats
When we got on board the people on the ship told us that for the last 5 days there have been jelly fish warnings out, but so far they had not had any incidents with jelly fish. In the area around Cabo, if the water gets warmer in the summer, there are jelly fish around. They told us that if anyone of us wanted to cancel because of that information that we could and would get a full refund. The jelly fish did not scare us. I had read about them and they were more like mosquito bites supposedly and the people on the excursion had stuff to treat your skin with in case you encountered them. However, in hindsight Michael should have taken this opportunity to opt out of the excursion
We got started and sailed past the Wonder:
And we sailed closer to those rocks that you saw before:
There is this lovely sandy beach between some of these rocks, it is called Lovers Beach and it is very famous. It continues as a beach all the way to the other side, the Pacific side of the rocks and there it is called Divorce Beach supposedly! The other side if far rougher as the large waves come rolling in on the other side. This side was rather sheltered.
Another famous spot in those rocks is this natural arch:
After viewing these local highlights, we moved on to the Santa Maria Beach. This is where we were going to snorkel. The water was rather deep there and very refreshing! But the fish were absolutely amazing! So many different and colourful ones! It was far more amazing than my first snorkelling experience in Cozumel!
I think we had an hour or so in the water, but Michael told me that he was swimming back to the ship after already 20 minutes or so. He really was not feeling well at all! I was perfectly over that nasty bug, but now he was suffering from it! At some point I started to get really cold and started to swim back to the boat and just as I was getting close, they were giving the signal that we were supposed to come back. Perfect timing!
Once we were all back on board, we got some plain lunch: sandwiches, chips, salsa and guacamole. But the food was fresh and wonderful! It was so nice to have something different from the standard ship food! Michael was absolutely in heaven, so at least he got something out of this excursion!
They were handing out drinks as well. I think some sort of rum punch, maybe also margaritas. But they also had Mexican beer and I thought a beer was the perfect drink to go with the food:
No, I was not throwing it overboard! I wanted to catch the atmosphere of the moment with the sea, the sun and the beer! It was nearly perfect if it had not been for my sick boyfriend!
We sailed back towards the port:
And then we set in front of the rocks:
They seemed to try to actually sail the catamaran, but it was not windy enough. And we just sat there on the bobbing sea. In the sun with no wind. This was the point that really got Michael. He started to feel queasy and the heat and feeling sick really did not help at all. Even I was not really enjoying it. It just seemed so pointless. I was starting to feel miserable from the heat and it felt like this was just again killing time to make the excursion look better value. All it did was that Michael now has a strong aversion to any excursions that include a small boat
When we finally started to move we saw something very funny: A lot of the boats returning to the port were fishing boats. And nearly every one of them had a sea lion hanging on to the back of the boat. At first we thought they were just being lazy and going for the ride. No, they wanted the left over fish!!!
Once we were back in Cabo, we went to check out the port area a little bit. It seemed to have a nice and festive atmosphere, but it was baking hot and we were both sweaty and sticky from the sea water and Michael was still battling with the virus and the sea-sickness from the boat. It did not make for a good time. So, in the end I did not do any shopping in any of the ports besides Key West. I felt a bit sad that I did not get any souvenirs. But I also felt that in order to find something really nice, you need to spend more time in those port towns than we did. And also venture away from the immediate port area. However, after my experiences with these Mexican ports I have to say that I really loved all of them and I would love to return to see more!
Once back on the ship I took a very nice shower to feel presentable again! Michael only had a quick shower and went to the pool to cool off there. Once I felt refreshed I headed up on deck 10 to watch the ship leaving port. This really became one of my favourite things to do! And I guess it really has become a tradition for me. There is something romantic about leaving a port and heading out into the open seas. It is also fun because there are always other people hanging out there as well and you end up chatting about the port and your adventures there. It always seemed a rather social crowd!
And leaving Cabo was really beautiful. So you will have to suffer through many pictures!!
But first a peek at the officers getting us started:
View back to the harbour area:
And here the view of the famous rocks and Lovers Beach from the ship:
The arch:
Continued in Part 2
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
Turning around:
View of the rocks from the other side:
In the next picture you can see that from this side the rocks look like a dragon lying in the water. Someone on the ship pointed this out.
Some big waves on this side:
At 4pm there was an opportunity for a group picture with the characters in their formal attire. While I had no interest in joining the very long line for this (and I was not dressed formally at all either), I watched and tried to get a picture of the characters:
From there it was pool time for me as well. Where I got a great drink of the day, a Blue Margarita:
Tonights show was the Crew Talent Show. On the very first day we had met a CM from the kids club who showed us an impressive card trick and he said that he would perform in the Crew Talent Show. Ever since then I had been intrigued about that show. But I was very torn about whether I wanted to go. I was feeling that time to just hang out on the ship and relax was coming to an end. In the end I kind of moved from hot tub to show within 5 minutes and just made it to the start of the show. And I was not wearing a wet bathing suit to the show!!!
The show turned out to be great fun! It started with Jimmy once again being fired by Captain Fabian (appearing on those screens to the side of the stage) and Dave, the Club Host was told to host the show instead. Of course Jimmy did not really let him take over the show. This added some real comedy. Also, most of the CMs appearing were really good. There were housekeepers, servers, officers. All kind of different people showcasing their talents. Once again I was impressed by the professional production of the show on a relative short notice. I was really happy that I went and I was very grateful to Michael who kind of made me go because he knew it was the type of cruise entertainment that I enjoyed!
Tonight was formal night and the night of the Officers Ball. I watched from above and thought it was really nice. The Captain and Minnie opened the ball and then all the officers danced with guests. Sorry for the blurry pic:
We really were not in a formal mood at all (and were not really sure whether we still fitted into our formal wear That cruise motto was not good for our waist lines!). So we decided to head to Beach Blanket Buffet for dinner. Obviously a lot of other people had the same idea. We were greeted by a very stern CMs who told us that they did not have any tables and that it would be a 30 minute wait. I was rather hungry by then and was not happy. But going back to the room to get dressed was not really something I wanted to do either. So we sat at a table on the pool deck, just outside BBB. I was kind of upset because to me the CM had appeared to be rather unfriendly, as if we were imposing on her by wanting to eat at BBB. Michael did not think it was that bad. But to me she stuck out because she was one of the two CMs that were not totally friendly (the other one was the one who told me off for taking a picture of Sport Goofy on Panama Canal day).
It turned out to be only a 10 minute wait and we were led to our table. While we were at BBB we noticed quite a few tables chatting a lot with the CMs and saying very warm goodbyes (the next day was the last day of the cruise and BBB would not be open for dinner). It seemed that there were families who spent every evening eating in there! I found that interesting.
Here was tonights menu for BBB:
The menu at BBB kind of follows the menu of the day, but there are also some differences. There is a salad bar and there is always a special steak from the grill.
I had the aged prosciutto as a appetizer:
But Michael chose the salad bar:
I only have one picture of a main course:
It is the Fettuccine with Parmesan crusted chicken. So I guess we both had it. I know that I ate it and it was very good!
We also got desserts, I had something warm with chocolate which was very very good:
And Michael had a crème brulee which he liked a lot as well:
After the initial feeling of not being welcomed, we had a very nice meal and good service. And even the hostess came over later on and turned out to be very nice.
We walked around the ship a little while and then finally decided to get the package of 10 digital prints from Shutters. They had an offer that if you purchased a package you could get a black frame with two stock pictures for a small additional amount. We ended up buying two of those, one for each of us. Unfortunately we had bought a picture of the Wonder in the Panama Canal already, now we got a second one (you had the free choice of any ship picture either in the Canal or just a standard ship picture) and a character picture. I love the character picture, but the one of the Wonder in the Panama Canal is great, too!
A few last pictures:
And then it was time for bed:
At least we got another bonus hour that night!
Up Next: Exciting Sea Life
View of the rocks from the other side:
In the next picture you can see that from this side the rocks look like a dragon lying in the water. Someone on the ship pointed this out.
Some big waves on this side:
At 4pm there was an opportunity for a group picture with the characters in their formal attire. While I had no interest in joining the very long line for this (and I was not dressed formally at all either), I watched and tried to get a picture of the characters:
From there it was pool time for me as well. Where I got a great drink of the day, a Blue Margarita:
Tonights show was the Crew Talent Show. On the very first day we had met a CM from the kids club who showed us an impressive card trick and he said that he would perform in the Crew Talent Show. Ever since then I had been intrigued about that show. But I was very torn about whether I wanted to go. I was feeling that time to just hang out on the ship and relax was coming to an end. In the end I kind of moved from hot tub to show within 5 minutes and just made it to the start of the show. And I was not wearing a wet bathing suit to the show!!!
The show turned out to be great fun! It started with Jimmy once again being fired by Captain Fabian (appearing on those screens to the side of the stage) and Dave, the Club Host was told to host the show instead. Of course Jimmy did not really let him take over the show. This added some real comedy. Also, most of the CMs appearing were really good. There were housekeepers, servers, officers. All kind of different people showcasing their talents. Once again I was impressed by the professional production of the show on a relative short notice. I was really happy that I went and I was very grateful to Michael who kind of made me go because he knew it was the type of cruise entertainment that I enjoyed!
Tonight was formal night and the night of the Officers Ball. I watched from above and thought it was really nice. The Captain and Minnie opened the ball and then all the officers danced with guests. Sorry for the blurry pic:
We really were not in a formal mood at all (and were not really sure whether we still fitted into our formal wear That cruise motto was not good for our waist lines!). So we decided to head to Beach Blanket Buffet for dinner. Obviously a lot of other people had the same idea. We were greeted by a very stern CMs who told us that they did not have any tables and that it would be a 30 minute wait. I was rather hungry by then and was not happy. But going back to the room to get dressed was not really something I wanted to do either. So we sat at a table on the pool deck, just outside BBB. I was kind of upset because to me the CM had appeared to be rather unfriendly, as if we were imposing on her by wanting to eat at BBB. Michael did not think it was that bad. But to me she stuck out because she was one of the two CMs that were not totally friendly (the other one was the one who told me off for taking a picture of Sport Goofy on Panama Canal day).
It turned out to be only a 10 minute wait and we were led to our table. While we were at BBB we noticed quite a few tables chatting a lot with the CMs and saying very warm goodbyes (the next day was the last day of the cruise and BBB would not be open for dinner). It seemed that there were families who spent every evening eating in there! I found that interesting.
Here was tonights menu for BBB:
The menu at BBB kind of follows the menu of the day, but there are also some differences. There is a salad bar and there is always a special steak from the grill.
I had the aged prosciutto as a appetizer:
But Michael chose the salad bar:
I only have one picture of a main course:
It is the Fettuccine with Parmesan crusted chicken. So I guess we both had it. I know that I ate it and it was very good!
We also got desserts, I had something warm with chocolate which was very very good:
And Michael had a crème brulee which he liked a lot as well:
After the initial feeling of not being welcomed, we had a very nice meal and good service. And even the hostess came over later on and turned out to be very nice.
We walked around the ship a little while and then finally decided to get the package of 10 digital prints from Shutters. They had an offer that if you purchased a package you could get a black frame with two stock pictures for a small additional amount. We ended up buying two of those, one for each of us. Unfortunately we had bought a picture of the Wonder in the Panama Canal already, now we got a second one (you had the free choice of any ship picture either in the Canal or just a standard ship picture) and a character picture. I love the character picture, but the one of the Wonder in the Panama Canal is great, too!
A few last pictures:
And then it was time for bed:
At least we got another bonus hour that night!
Up Next: Exciting Sea Life
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
I have no idea when that happened, but I just realized that I was visited by the tag fairy!! 
I have no idea when I posted those quotes, but I know that I wrote them!!! I am now wondering how long it took me to notice them!
I have no idea when I posted those quotes, but I know that I wrote them!!! I am now wondering how long it took me to notice them!
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2005
Congratulations on your new tags Magdalene
Fabulous update. I am so sorry that Michael wasn't feeling well, I can just imagine how he must have been feeling on that boat with no breeze and the sun beating down. I really hope it didn't ruin the rest of your trip.
I was telling DH just yesterday about the option to eat at BBB in the evenings and he seemed really keen so I guess we will be one of those many people who seemed to eat there a lot (he doesn't like to get all dressed up in formal gear so we are likely to eat there on formal nights at least). Such a shame that the CM was less than friendly when you arrived there that night, but glad you had a nice meal anyway.
Coming to the end of the cruise really is so bittersweet - who am I kidding, it is just bitter! I find I always get a little cranky towards the end of any trip and I know it is just because I don't want the trip to end. When we came home from WDW last weekend, I was actually snapping at everybody the night before our flight home. It culminated in me bursting into noisy tears the next morning when DH asked "Just what IS wrong with you" after I bit his head off for no reason.
I am sad your cruise is nearly over but looking forward to hearing about your trip to Disneyland since you may recall, at the beginning of your report, we were in two minds as to whether to visit after our cruise. We have now booked 2 nights at Grand Californian so will get to see Disneyland after all
Fabulous update. I am so sorry that Michael wasn't feeling well, I can just imagine how he must have been feeling on that boat with no breeze and the sun beating down. I really hope it didn't ruin the rest of your trip.
I was telling DH just yesterday about the option to eat at BBB in the evenings and he seemed really keen so I guess we will be one of those many people who seemed to eat there a lot (he doesn't like to get all dressed up in formal gear so we are likely to eat there on formal nights at least). Such a shame that the CM was less than friendly when you arrived there that night, but glad you had a nice meal anyway.
Coming to the end of the cruise really is so bittersweet - who am I kidding, it is just bitter! I find I always get a little cranky towards the end of any trip and I know it is just because I don't want the trip to end. When we came home from WDW last weekend, I was actually snapping at everybody the night before our flight home. It culminated in me bursting into noisy tears the next morning when DH asked "Just what IS wrong with you" after I bit his head off for no reason.
I am sad your cruise is nearly over but looking forward to hearing about your trip to Disneyland since you may recall, at the beginning of your report, we were in two minds as to whether to visit after our cruise. We have now booked 2 nights at Grand Californian so will get to see Disneyland after all
disbride713
Loves Disney
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2012
Yes, I too am sad this TR is coming to an end soon...you do a great job at journaling a trip - great pics with just enough commentary. We just booked our flights tonight for our PC cruise!!
Just wondering, would you do anything different in any of the ports? Choose a different excursion, not do an excursion, sight-see on your own?
Just wondering, would you do anything different in any of the ports? Choose a different excursion, not do an excursion, sight-see on your own?
Poolrat
I am alive, sometimes I wonder too.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2008
Wow catching on well too many updates.
The Seal swim was cute- a cute seal and great pictures.
Then Cabo - Sorry the snorkeling was so sickness inducing with the heat and Michael not starting out too well.
Somewhere in there I had to laugh because your cast off time was before the all aboard. I was wondering how that was going to work.
The Ooh lala and the Blue Margarita looked great
Pirate night was somewhere in there too and who can not like fireworks.
I also had to laugh at the Prospector's dish with all the onions....
The rocks around Cabo look great.
BBB looks like a great alternative to the regular dinner rotation when you are cruise "dinnered " out.
The Seal swim was cute- a cute seal and great pictures.
Then Cabo - Sorry the snorkeling was so sickness inducing with the heat and Michael not starting out too well.
Somewhere in there I had to laugh because your cast off time was before the all aboard.
I was wondering how that was going to work. The Ooh lala and the Blue Margarita looked great
Pirate night was somewhere in there too and who can not like fireworks.
I also had to laugh at the Prospector's dish with all the onions....
The rocks around Cabo look great.
BBB looks like a great alternative to the regular dinner rotation when you are cruise "dinnered " out.
eandesmom
I'm with Beast
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
I have never seen Remy and Emelie out like that, anywhere. How fun is that!
A 3D menu? That's pretty fun, love that. And the toy story theme as well.
Cabo looks gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have loved that excursion but I do know exactly what you mean about finding parts of those excursions a little pointless and you are just sitting there getting warm! Poor Michael though, it sounds like a rather miserable day for him.
The sea lions hanging out for the extra fish were a riot.
I confess to going to a show with my swimsuit on (cover up on of course) and having that same debate of not wanting to miss the show, or miss the limited relaxing time slipping away. I was so glad I went to the show but didn't skip the hot tub first either1
How odd to get that kind of response at BBB, I am glad it worked out ok and you ended up having a nice dinner after all.
A 3D menu? That's pretty fun, love that. And the toy story theme as well.
Cabo looks gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have loved that excursion but I do know exactly what you mean about finding parts of those excursions a little pointless and you are just sitting there getting warm! Poor Michael though, it sounds like a rather miserable day for him.
The sea lions hanging out for the extra fish were a riot.
I confess to going to a show with my swimsuit on (cover up on of course) and having that same debate of not wanting to miss the show, or miss the limited relaxing time slipping away. I was so glad I went to the show but didn't skip the hot tub first either1
How odd to get that kind of response at BBB, I am glad it worked out ok and you ended up having a nice dinner after all.
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