All excessively long but good things must eventually come to an end, and today is our last day at sea – tomorrow we’ll pull into Los Angeles. Normally the Magic could easily make the run from Cabo to LA in one day, but in order to arrive in LA on the correct day we’re taking it easy and steaming along at what seems like nearly walking pace.

Most of the day was filled with the exciting packing project that gets bigger and harder the longer your cruise lasts. It really didn’t seem like we bought that much stuff, but my suitcase seems to have gotten quite a bit smaller.

In the middle of the day I took the Galley tour, and if you’ve never done it, you should. It’s quite interesting. I’m posting three pictures from the tour. Our Chef, a very interesting sign, and one of the many diagrams of how the food is put together. A quick note about the pictures – they’re big. I’ve had some complaints about how small they are, and in reality, they’re big. You just need to click on them, and they pop up and get nice and big. Try it. Click on one…

Many nights when we were at sea we would meet before diner in Sessions for a cheese plate and glass of wine and some nice conversation. Tonight was no exception, and while we were there I got a quick shot of the sunset out of the port hole next to us.

After Sessions we went to Parrot Cay for our final dinner with our server Orlan.

At some point during dinner, somebody, probably Gary, got a-hold of my camera and I found this gem in there when I went to review the pictures. Note that Beci had the presence of mind to hide behind her menu while I’m apparently in the middle of hatching a fiendish plan:

In all, it has been another great trip on the Magic. Here’s hoping you all can join us on the next cruise!

All excessively long but good things must eventually come to an end, and today is our last day at sea – tomorrow we’ll pull into Los Angeles. < more... >

So have you ever thought about how great it would be to take in the cultures and cuisines of other countries… all in one day?  Desserts around the world? Drinks around the World?  I was having this great conversation with Mike Scopa about how great it would be to do a Progressive dinner of sorts around the World Showcase - so two meals lunch and dinner and a few snacks, all in one day - and that is where the WDWToday guys took over and decided it would make a great show!

So it was decided that we would try and see how well it would work out - in THREE HOURS!  One of the guys had an appointment so we had to adjust the day plan to three hours.  Could this really be done?

Well. I am here to tell you it can, but dont have plans for later in the day.  In fact you might not eat for a day or two after!

Here it goes.  11 am we are waiting at Catina de San Angel so we can get this dining experience started!  I order a Kids meal plate so that I can get some real food in before a few other stops, but not too much because we have just now discovered that this new plan has us eating every 15 - 20 minutes.  Kids plate was a great choice since it was a nachos and a taco.  All of us ordered the same thing except for Mike Newell who thought that the Nacho plate was a side order - NOT.  You really do get your monies worth on that plate.  So with that down we head to Norway to the Bakery.  I made the best slection here with the Cream Horn.  While the others went for smaller size, and not the best taste…. I went for light and fluffy and sweet!  This was a perfect selection and not too filling. 

Our next stop was China, but the Tea cart was not open yet.  After some discussion, we decided to head to Germany and then backtrack to China.  In Germany we all thought it was going to be pastry of some sort, but after looking at the portions - you get a lot of pastry for your money here - we decide to try Chocolates.  Anyone that knows me, knows that I was ready to tackle this.  I made a great choice of solid Milk Chocolate.  Some of the others went for small truffles - not always a good choice when the wrapper is in German and you are not sure what is on the inside!  We had lots of funn watching a few people eat at this stop.  Now back to the Tea Cart in China where we all ordered tea - cause with all this eatting you have to wash it down! 

In Italy, it was back to the Chocolates for me.  It had been about an hour since we started this so all I wanted was candy - and a small piece at that!

Who would think that the American Adventure would be the hardest place to find food!   With rules of you have to eat 75% of what is on the plate, I was at a loss for what to get here.  While the others were drinking a Samual Adams - I was eating a Chicken Nugget kids meal.  Now, maybe they taste better when you are hungry, but when it has only been an hour and 10 minutes since you had the Kids meal in Mexico - not so good.  I force 3 of the 4 nuggets in along with carrots and then take the Jello along with me for later.  This turns out to be the dumbest move of the day since it is warm and jello melts.

If only this was the end of this adventure and a nap was the next stop…  Tomorrow I will take you around the second half of this journey.  What happens with the jello, what in the world did we eat in Morocco?  All this will be answered tomorrow… but feel free to try and guess or imagine what you would eat.

So have you ever thought about how great it would be to take in the cultures and cuisines of other countries… all in one day?  Desserts around the world? Drinks around the World? < more... >

Can this really be our last port before Los Angeles?  No… say it isn’t so! But, Im glad to say it isn’t over just yet!

We arrived in Cabo to a clear sunny sky but the temperature is bit cooler then it has been and we are told it will get cooler as we inch toward LA during the next two days at sea.

This last port we decided to join others in our group for a harbor cruise and scenic drive. The ship is anchored in the bay so we had to tender to shore. But no worries as the water is fairly calm inside the bay and there are plenty of folks to assist us as we boarded the tender.

Unfortunately the waters farther out were a little more rough and several of the shore excursions were canceled, including Gary’s deep sea fishing that he really was looking forward to.  But he took the bad news in stride and joined us for our excursion.

This was a fairly large group on this tour and took us in batches of 50 to shore. As we waited for the last tender to join us, we had some time for group pics included below are Chris, Deb, Linda, Sandy, Gary, Ann & George. Sharon is in there somewhere…  although she may have missed the group shot  trying to find a jewelry shop.  : )

Once we were all together, we boarded a large 2 deck catamaran and headed out towards Land End to view the unique rock formations and sea life bathing in the sun.

They served various beverages onboard as we drifted past the scenery.

e enjoyed the cruise for about 45 minutes then we headed back to the dock and to the bus for the next part of our journey which was a 15 minute scenic drive to a cliff top restaurant.

Once we arrived we were given a beverage and the opportunity to purchase a personal sized pizza or sandwich for approx $4.00 usd. But we were really there for the view! If you look closely you can see the ship anchored in the distance. It was spectacular!

We boarded the bus for our return and were given the option of going back to the pier or being dropped off in town to shop and explore. A group of us decided to go check out the local wares, and the first stop was the infamous Cabo Wabo, owned and sometimes personally operated by Sammy Hagar of rock and roll fame. And lets not forget he makes a mean tequila too!

Chris and I were very happy to see that 2 of us vanity plates at the bar were from Washington State. (see above the 55 speed limit sign)

Tip: if you enter from the marina side up the stairs,  and are looking for just a drink and some appetizer, but the wait for a table is long – check the bar area which is in the back of the building past the club area. You might be able to find a able a bit easier there.

After some beverages at Hagars place we decided to try lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. The nachos are huge so unless you are really hungry, I suggest you share with a buddy. 

After lunch, we made our way to marina for a pleasant walk back to the ship. Along the way we encountered the usual attempt to sell everything from jewelry and toys to very annoying whistles. But something else caught my eye.

There was a booth from the Santiago Zoo where they have a baby lion available for a photo op if you donate to the cause of the care and feeding of the lions. Anyone who knows me has already guessed I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help animals and if a pic with a cuddly little gal named Nikita is included, Im all for it!

We returned to the ship and enjoyed a pre-dinner drink and the company of friends in Lumieres.

Tomorrow, one of the last 2 days at sea…..

Can this really be our last port before Los Angeles?  No… say it isn’t so! But, Im glad to say it isn’t over just yet!

We arrived in Cabo to a clear sunny sky but the temperature is bit cooler then it has been and we are told it will get cooler as we inch toward LA during the next two days at sea. < more... >

We pulled into the port of Puerto Vallarta this morning. The sky was a bit hazy and it was obvious we were in for another warm day.  Not long after we pulled in, I looked out my window to see the Carnival Pride maneuvering into its berth just behind us.

I had been looking forward to this port for quite sometime because I decided to splurge a little on a shore excursion I always wanted to do – Dolphin Trainer for a Day. Chris has his sights set on the zip-line canopy adventure, so luckily a client and dear friend Ann decided to join me. Her husband George joined Chris, but there is no way they could have had as much fun as we did!

We met the small group of 12 at our meeting spot on board, checked in and disembarked the ship en-route to our transportation. Boarded the bus for our 20 minute ride to our adventure.

The water park is located in a lush up-scale area along side of a marina and very nice waterside villas and condos. We entered the gates and met our guide for the day… Anna.  Our first stop was a quick continental breakfast while she explained what we could expect. But first we had to dress the part. We were give a t-shirt and baseball cap to keep after a long hard day of playing with sea life.

Personally I prefer a more intimate experience on our excursions, and I was happy we had such a small group of 12, but then they divided us further into 2 groups of 6. It really felt like a VIP experience then! 

We were given access to free lockers where we are asked to put our bags and yes… our cameras. They have photographers that that go along with your group and will ask you to put them away if seen in most areas.

Our first task as trainers was to get to know and assist in feeding one of the resident sea lions… Littibu. We were led to one of several pools where we hopped in the water on a platform that allowed us to be in about waist high. Our trainer then introduced us to Littibu and he joined us in the water. The two of them showed off all kinds of tricks he knew and we had an opportunity to learn about sea lions behavior, diet, etc.  Littibu swam in front of us allowing us to touch his back as he passed by. I was surprised that his coat felt more like a wet horse then i had expected. 

But we didn’t stop there.  Each of us had an opportunity to feed him and then we were in for a big surprise..

Littibu likes to kiss people… a lot.

and he responds well to commands… err requests:

“SMILE!”

“Stick out your tongue!!”

What a blast!!  We spent about 45 minutes total in our sea-lion encounter and it was a wonderful experience. but wait! There’s more!

From there we were escorted to the veterinarian station where we learned more about the care of the various sea life including the breeding and rescue programs.

It was time to meet the other stars of the show…the dolphins. We were given life jackets which are a welcome accessory in the deep dolphin tanks.  no platform here! We entered the water and met our new friend who spent a few minutes swimming around us to get to know us a but better.

and yes… dolphins are into hugs and kisses too!

The highlight of this portion of our visit was a ride around the pool.  The trainer tells you to wait until she comes up next to you then flips upside down At that point you hold onto her flippers and let her do all the work.  it was amazing!

After everyone has an exciting tow around the pool, the 2 groups are reconnected and got a show of the dolphins speed and agility.

After this jaw dropping experience, we were treated to a nice lunch buffet and then returned to the pools to observe two moms and their babies swimming together in a separate area. We weren’t allowed to touch the babies or give then hand signals, but that didn’t stop them from coming up to the edge to check you out.

Afterwards, we were told… the dolphins have worked hard today entertaining people on their swim adventures, and they need some play too. The lead trainer presented us with balls and brushes and told us to spread out around the huge, well over olympic sized pool…. they let in 8–12 dolphins and we were all like little kids! We didn’t get in the water with them because these dolphins are serious about their play. It could be a bit dangerous for a rookie.

The pool was so big that it seemed like Ann and I had one whole side to ourselves. I laid down on the deck and brushed the dolphins that were interested in being brushed. I had one that wanted his teeth brushed and wouldn’t really let any others near.  Then we switched toys and I go a ball. You toss it out to then and they bat it back with their nose, or bring it to you so you can take it from their mouth to toss again.

We spent about 40 minutes at play and it was THE highlight of the day. The sad part is they didn’t have the photographers documenting this portion and since you weren’t allowed a camera in the area, only the memory lives on.

A DVD of the day was provided as part of the package and of course we are give the opportunity to buy the still pics the photographers had been taking.  Most of the pics above were from a package deal where you can get a picture cd of all the pics you are featured in.

If you are considering a dolphin adventure, here is my advice:

~ Spend a little more for a VIP or deluxe trainer experience. You get more time and amenities as well as the free dvd and if its playtime,  they may offer a unique experience that you are sure to remember.

~ Bring a credit card with you. If you decide to buy one of the photo packages you wll want to be sure you have what you need to purchase.

~ For the safety of the animals they will ask that you NOT use any sunscreen in the water. However, since you typically do not get your head underwater you can use it on your face. You can jump in with the tshirt one they give you so you can avoid sun burned shoulders that I managed to walk away with. Or a better idea is to come prepared with the long sleeved water shirts that offer a bit of uv protection.

We said goodbye to our new friends knowing we would be back to do that again someday! Then we boarded a scuba boat for our trip back to the ship. We had some pretty good swells on the way – certainly worthy of an e-ticket!

We pulled into the port of Puerto Vallarta this morning. The sky was a bit hazy and it was obvious we were in for another warm day.  Not long after we pulled in, I looked out my window to see the Carnival Pride maneuvering into its berth just behind us.

< more... >

After the extreme adventure yesterday in Acapulco I was SO looking forward to the next item on the agenda…  The Spa Villa!

Disney Cruise Lines took the area that used to host one of the fitness rooms and turned it into a set of private ocean side treatment rooms that include massage beds, an outdoor lounger for two and a hot tub. You select a package that dictates the amount of time you spend in the room.  Ours was the middle of the road option – The Couples Choice package which allows for just over 2 hours of total bliss and your choice of treatments from a villa menu.

We arrived at the Vista Spa and completed the usual paperwork.

Then we were lead back beyond the glass doors to our little slice of heaven for the next two hours. We were introduced to our hostesses and given robes for our fist stop…  a foot bath ritual.

They put bubbling body treatments into the hot tub and we relaxed to the sound of the waves as the ship sailed on its way to…  wherever – frankly I was relaxed I didn’t really care. LOL

I also discovered what Chris must have been like as a child in a bubble bath.  He was very distracted by the bubbles and seemed to enjoy doing everything possible to keep them away from him. Not sure … but maybe ha was attacked by a falling bottle of Mr. Bubble in his youth?  Of course the jets just blew them back at him, so it was a lost cause, but it was fun! I am going to have to ask my mother in-law about my anti-bubble theory.

25 minutes later the hostesses began our treatments.  Chris opted for the Hot Stones massage and I did a half body (neck and back) stone massage and a mini facial.  It was about an hour for the treatment phase and was wonderful!

After the treatments we went back out on the verandah and enjoyed a tea service with fresh fruit and relaxed for another 20 minutes or so.

Reluctantly we left the villa and Linda and I met up for a wine tasting. Today it was champagne and sparkling wines.  yum!  We learned about how to tell the quality of a bottle by its bubbles and the look of the cork.  was very cool… plus we got to do some tasting too!

Tonight Chris and I tried Topsiders for dinner allowing me to catch up on my blogs and to catch the finale of dancing with the stars..  ( a sick addiction…I know) I am under strict instructions to not reveal the winner to our table mates as they have taped it and don’t want to know.  We’ll see how long they hold out before curiosity gets the best of them.

Tomorrow – Puerto Vallarta and the tale of dolphin training and zip lines.

After the extreme adventure yesterday in Acapulco I was SO looking forward to the next item on the agenda…  The Spa Villa! < more... >

We arrived into the port of Acapulco around 10:30am – a bit earlier the expected. One good thing about arriving after the crack of dawn is  we were awake and preparing for the day so had a chance to really enjoy the scenery as we slowly pulled into the bay.  We pulled up the dock and were greeted by waves and cheers from the locals. The Captain parallel parked this baby like it was no bigger then a VW bug. And there were plenty of those around!

Todays agenda?  No… not cliff divers. Not even Senor Frogs… That would be way too predictable. Chris and I opted for the wonderful world of High speed shot-over jet boats! Our friend and client Sandy came along and we boarded the bus for the site of our adventure.

We winded our way up thru  the golden zone and along the cliffs to the canals. Along the way we stopped at an overlook that takes your breath away.  Sandy and I posed for a pic then it was back on the bus.

The ride was about 45 minutes past markets, beach front bars and restaurants and other traditional Mexican wonders like…  Costco, Sams Club, KFC, Burger King, and many versions of the American embassy – aka… McDonalds.  ya.   I know.  The bus guide happily pointed out that they do not, under any circumstances allow a Taco Bell franchise in the area.

Moving on.

We arrived at a eco park and were told they had two boats that each held 9 or 10 plus the driver. We had a group of 36, so the first group of 18 got off the bus and the rest of us continued on a city tour that included the Fairmont Princess – site of a few movies and was the resort of choice for the Hollywood elite.

Once we returned to the dock the second group got all suited up and were boarded on our boat. When you first arrive you do notice a sulfur like odor and the water is brownish so you do have your suspicions on how clean the water is in the canal.  However our guide explained the eco systems and the natural causes for the conditions. Its much easier to accept after a little education.

The guide changes between slow moving natural science lessons where we learn about the giant termite nests as well as the wildlife in the area.. see the baby bird in the nest?

…. and flying down the narrow channels that once hosted the film crew of African Queen among other s… at 30 – 40 mph.

Wanna see what happens when he signals with his index finger in the air in a circular motion?

It was a blast… and I will be looking for other shot-over boat excursions on future trips!

After a long day getting soaked, we returned to the ship and went to an early dinner. After checking out the menu at our dining room,  Deb, Chris . Linda and I opted for Palo.. again.

Check our Chris… he cleans up nice….

OH!  and did I mention – they have chocolate souflees?!

We ended the night by gazing at the lights of the city.

Tomorrow… Day at Sea!

We arrived into the port of Acapulco around 10:30am – a bit earlier the expected. One good thing about arriving after the crack of dawn is  we were awake and preparing for the day so had a chance to really enjoy the scenery as we slowly pulled into the bay. < more... >

A second day at sea… I must admit I was skeptical about how I would do with so many days at sea….  but now that I am over halfway through the voyage I really like the forced relaxation. 

Today is much like yesterday.  A warm, clear morning although the sea is slightly rougher. But don’t put to much into that.  Below is a pic that illustrates how smooth its been.  I am amazed that we have had slight  1– 4 ft swells on average and frankly I could had a much better nights sleep with a bit more rocking and rolling.  Not this time … so far. Even the birds find drafting off the ship a pleasurable experience.

Oh!  I forgot to talk about the PINS!!!!
Many of us heard about the overnight sleeping in the hallway extravaganza on the first Panama Canal Crossing. PJ parties all around to stake out your turn in line for a commemorative pin. This time was a much more sane processes.  While the pin set is limited, the numbers currently available pretty much guarantee each cabin at least 1 set.  They provide a order form, you write in your preference and they provide a return day and time for you to return and pick up your order. Luckily I was able to purchase two full sets and a couple of extra large pins for friends.

Here is what the set looks like on the map they provide:

But all good sea days must come to an end and tomorrow morning we sail into the port of Acapulco!

A second day at sea… I must admit I was skeptical about how I would do with so many days at sea….  but now that I am over halfway through the voyage I really like the forced relaxation. 

Today is much like yesterday.  A warm, clear morning although the sea is slightly rougher. < more... >

Wow……  day 8….  Really????  Personally I prefer to look at it like its the first day of our next 7 day vacation.

Today was a leisurely day enjoying the ship including Spa Jackpot Bingo, the beginning of a ship wide mystery game called “Desperate Shipmates’ and you can even learn how to waltz today too!

Wow……  day 8….  Really????  Personally I prefer to look at it like its the first day of our next 7 day vacation.

Today was a leisurely day enjoying the ship including Spa Jackpot Bingo, the beginning of a ship wide mystery game called “Desperate Shipmates’ and you can even learn how to waltz today too!

Its very hard to describe the awe. Passing through the Panama Canal was one of my personal ‘life list’ items and it certainly was a day that I will not soon forget….  especially sharing with friends and people wedged in so tight at the bow of the ship that they are certainly friends now.

Its very hard to describe the awe. Passing through the Panama Canal was one of my personal ‘life list’ items and it certainly was a day that I will not soon forget….  especially sharing with friends and people wedged in so tight at the bow of the ship that they are certainly friends now.

At the Pedro Miguel Locks we were still right behind our friends in the USS NoInternet. Behind us the line of container ships stretched around the corner of the canal.

At the Pedro Miguel Locks we were still right behind our friends in the USS NoInternet. Behind us the line of container ships stretched around the corner of the canal.