The core details - we flew down to LA and sailed out of Long Beach port on Sunday night, April 5th. After two days at sea, we came to our first port - Puerto Vallarta, the next day it was Mazatlan, then Cabo San Lucas, and then another day at sea before returning to Long Beach on Sunday morning, April 12th. We were on Carnival Cruise Lines "Splendor" a new boat making her first trip to the "Mexican Riviera".
Here we are lounging on the deck before getting underway. You can tell this is the beginning of the trip because of how pale we are. However, due to extensive use of sun screen, we looked pretty much the same at the end of the trip as well.
The Splendor is a very impressive ship - 12 decks, 300' long, holding over 3500 guests and 1000 crew. It has many restaurants, pools, Jacuzzis, an extensive gym, spa, and casino - and many many places that I am sure we never found. Here is a picture of their theatre, used for nightly shows and informational meetings. It occupies three decks near the front of the ship.
The first two days of sailing were calm. The kids checked out their respective "camps" - Matthew's was somewhat better planned than Emily's so he spent a little more time at his camp. Emily got to relax and read. At night the crew provided animal sculptures made out of towels.
Our initial stop was at Puerto Vallarta where Molly and the kids embarked on a series of zip lines through the canopy.
We also checked out the beach in Puerto Vallarta, where some impressive sand sculptures are done.
At our next stop in Mazatlan, it was time for horseback riding along the beach. This required a tram from the cruise ship to the main terminal, a bus to the dock, a boat to the island, and then the "Stone Island Limo" to the horses. The "limo" is more accurately described as a bunch of benches attached to a tractor. But it sure was more comfortable than riding the horses - but that was mostly due to our lack of skill at horseback riding. The horses were responsive and Emily even got hers into a gallop. Of course, we were all sore for varying amounts of time afterwards.
This was followed by some additional beach time.
Our final stop in Cabo San Lucas was mostly for shopping - as we were too sore for anything else. We stopped at one store that sold items that changed color in the sunlight (UV sensitive elements are embedded into the weave) - it is a really cool effect - now let's just hope it still works after the laundry. Along the pier, the kids allowed an iguana to perch on their heads - although I am not quite sure why.
From there, we passed by the famous "Los Archos" at the very bottom of Baja California
and began our journey home. The seas were rough on the final day - or at least rough enough to close the swimming pools. Emily and I felt a little nauseous and it was very strange to be working out on the elliptical as the ship moved back and forth. But no meals were missed and we managed to take a few pictures of the room - which had balconies that afforded wonderful views.
Some random final thoughts.....
The most amazing thing about the cruise is really the ship - the magnitude and complexity are staggering - considering that this thing is moving 20 miles per hour 24 hours per day. It is hard for me to get lost and I found myself completely bewildered for the first two days, never quite sure which direction was which. The food was very good, highly varied, and unending. It is NOT a good place for a diet. Our waiters were continually surprised that we ordered only one appetizer and one entree - each. Apparently people eat multiples. However, the ship was very crowded (perhaps because it was Spring Break) and the trips to Mexico were as authentic as Pier 39 is to folks visiting San Francisco (Pier 39 is, by the way, the place to which cruise ship visitors to SF undoubtedly head) - the NY equivalent is probably the Empire State Building.