Long time no blog. I wonder why. Not much has happened, has there? Let’s just say it was a very loooonnnnggg 18 months. We had a back to back (B2B) cruise booked for April, 2020. In fact, we were going to be traveling with two other couples during one of the legs. Canceled.
Per Princess, they were expecting the pause to last until mid May, so we booked Alaska. Canceled. Let’s try Europe for the summer. Canceled. Another B2B for October. Canceled. The only good thing was that Princess offered 150% Future Cruise Credits (FCC) if we kept the money with them. Since we had the cruises budgeted out, we went for the FCC’s.
So not only was the industry shutdown, ships were anchoring off the coast in Long Beach. On one day, we counted 7 ships, mostly Princess. Talk about adding salt into the wound. So close, yet so far. We took weekly drives across town to see ships docked in San Pedro. Sad, but kept the dreams alive that someday, they’d be back.
Finally, with the pause ending in sight, we booked Ruby Princess for Sept. 18th and Majestic Princess for October 30th. Another cancelation… Ruby was being transferred to its new home in San Francisco.
Since I already had time off booked for the week of Sept. 18th, we looked for an alternate on Princess but none we could do in that time frame. We had exactly 14 days before becoming Elite on Princess and 14 days booked, so we really wanted to find a way to make this work. We have a 15 Day Hawaiian cruise booked for April, 2022 and wanted to board as Elite (free laundry) instead of having to wait until our next cruise.
Well, drop back and punt. The Carnival Panorama was sailing out of Long Beach on Sept 18th and going on the same itinerary, so we booked it.
Our third Princess Cruise to Hawaii. This time on Ruby, one of our favorite ships. This is the first time we have done this itinerary in the Spring. Our two other sailings were in the Fall. A nice, relaxing 15 days sailing round trip from San Pedro.
No Bon Voyage Experience this trip. We used someone that was recommended through the NextDoor app to take us to the port, then back home. We got to the port about 10:30 AM (for a 4:00 PM sailing). Waited maybe 10 minutes until check-in started. We were in boarding group A.
Sailed right through security and after 1/2 hour, we were on the ship. The staterooms weren’t ready until after 1:00, so we just hung out in Horizon Court. When we got to our room, Lido 302, or luggage was already there. By the time Muster Drill started at 3:30, we were all unpacked. Sail away was at 4:15.
For the first 2 1/2 days, we were rockin and rollin. They had the pools closed but still full of water, well what was left.
Days 3 and 4 were calmer and the weather became more tropical.
Since this was the 3rd time to the Islands, we’ve already taken excursions on every island except Maui where we always just taken a walking tour of Lahaina. This time, we decided to rent cars. I did a bit of research and booked through Costco. We booked a car for the Big Island and Kauai. We were going to book Oahu but it was a Sunday and the rates were really expensive. Not only did we book a car, we booked convertibles!
First port. Hilo. Pouring rain. We got off the ship and waited about 20 minutes for the shuttle to take us to the airport to pickup our car, advertised as a “Mustang or similar”. I have owned several Mustangs but never a convertible. Too bad the rain is coming down in buckets.
We get to the airport. I check in and was told they would bring the car in a couple of minutes. Being a bit of a car buff, I heard a really throaty sounding car, more specifically, a Ford V-8. Then I saw it. A Mustang GT Convertible… Could it be? YES!!!!! It made knowing we might never be able to put the top down a little more palatable… A little.
We get in a I fire it up. I only wish it were a stick shift but… next best thing. Paddle shifters. So we headed North on Hwy 19 and looked for any road that said “Scenic”, so we hugged the coast as much as possible. We had done an excursion to the Tropical Botanical Gardens last trip but being on a bus, really didn’t know where it was. We ended up driving right past it.
When we got near the town of Pepeekeo, the rain stopped and the clouds moved away. I pulled the car over and… TOP DOWN! I let the GT’s V-8 have a little fun and wanted to make sure the paddle shifters worked properly. They did.
We drove up to Ninole before turning back. We stopped at a scenic turnout to grab a couple photos. We felt a couple of raindrops, so put the top back up. Good thing because once we started back to Hilo, more torrential rain.
Before dropping the car off, we did what every tourist must do when visiting Hawaii. Go to Wal-Mart! We got 90% of our souvenirs there… Hey, gotta do what ya gotta do.
I really didn’t want to give the car back. I was just hoping that all Mustang Convertibles through Budget on all Islands would be GT’s. Hmmm.
Next port, Honolulu. Pearl Harbor? Check. Drive around Diamond Head? Check. Drive into the crater of Diamond Head? Nope. So we booked the excursion that took us into the Crater, itself, then towards North Shore up to a Sea Life Park for a dish of Ice Cream. Nice sunny day.
Speaking of Diamond Head… When I was growing up, every time I saw an advertisement or a TV show that mentioned Hawaii, it had a photo of Diamond Head. So when we took our first cruise to Hawaii, I couldn’t wait to get a photo of the long extinct volcano. On the two previous cruises, the ship Docked at Pier 11. Great view of downtown, but no view of Diamond Head. Our first cruise excursion went to Pearl Harbor, so went away from said volcano. Cruise number two, we went around Diamond Head but we were on the wrong side of the bus… This time, we were docked at Pier 2 that had a great view. FINALLY!
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Next port, Nawiliwili on our favorite island, Kauai. Off to the airport to pick up our car. Beautiful sunny day! The good news? Another Mustang convertible. The bad news, a 6 banger. Oh well. Top went down before we left the parking lot. Set Google Maps to Spouting Horn.
Although we had been to Spouting Horn before, that was on a bus. Being in an open convertible was just incredible.
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We got to Spouting Horn and was not disappointed.
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We thought we’d have enough time to drive all the way to the Na’Pali Lookout, so we headed that way. As soon as you pass the town of Hanapepe, the lush foliage ends and you are in the dry side. Kinda boring. I renamed the town Hana stopped pepe’ing… No water.
We ended up heading towards Wiamea Canyon. We decided to stop at one of the lookouts before actually getting to the Canyon. It was quite scenic.
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We decided to head back to the wet, or dare I say “pepe” side of the island… Along the highway, we saw a turnout for an alternate way back to Lihue, so we went for it. So glad we did. Here is a little snippet of the drive. (Thanks to camera operator Suzi.)
At the end of the route? Our ship! It took us right along the road hugging the harbor.
Before heading back to the airport to drop off the car, we decided to go see Opaekaa Falls.
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The last island was Maui. As mentioned, on the two previous trips we just walked around Lahaina. This time, we booked a tour that went to the Valley of the Kings. As soon as we got there. the sky let loose. Our guide said this area got between 200 to 400 inches of rain per year. I think we got 100 inches in about 10 minutes. I tried to walk to the lookout but the further I got, the heavier the rain. Had to turn back to the bus… Excuse to go back.
On the way back we stopped at the Maui Plantation. Glad we did it but not something we’d do again. It’s a small plantation where they grow quite a few different plants and fruits. Sugar cane, pineapples, mangos, papayas, bananas. They take you on a tram through the property. Part way through, the tram drivers stopped and did a coconut husking demonstration. That was fun to watch.
Back to Lahaina and a walk through the waterfront before getting back on the ship. Lahaina is a tender port so the line was incredibly long but kept moving.
As we set sail, it started to rain a bit. I captured a very subtle rainbow from our balcony.
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After another 5 wonderful days at sea, we are at the pinnacle of the journey… Yes, the ultimate Jones Act port of Ensenada!!!
I’m sure if you are an avid cruiser, you’ve probably heard of the Jones Act. If not, maybe you’ve always wondered why you have to stop in a foreign country whenever you sail from and to a US Port. It’s the Jones Act. More specifically, it’s the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. In order for a ship that is NOT registered in the US it can’t leave, say Los Angeles, visit US ports, say Hawaii, then return to it’s final US Port, even if it’s a different US port, like Seattle or San Francisco, without stopping in a foreign port. It’s nuts, it’s crazy but it’s the law.
I digress. As we are pulling into Ensenada, I look across the bay and I see… Diamond Head? Did I pay all that money to go to Hawaii when I coulda just gone to Ensenada? Don’t believe me? Hmmmm.
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We normally take the shuttle into town. Very touristy with lots of vendors and kids selling trinkets. This time, we decided to take a tour to La Bufadora, or the blowhole, through a local tour company. It was a great tour! Ensenada is huge! Wal-Mart, Costco, it’s all there. This was our first time to see the blowhole. It is worth seeing at least once.
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And, we’re home. Counting down to October on the Royal Princess!!!!
18 days until we set sail on Ruby Princess. 15 Day Hawaiian cruise, round trip Los Angeles, This means Suzi has begun the packing process. Yes folks. It’ll take 18 days to pack.
So far, we have one 32″ spinner and one full-sized garment bag poised to be stuffed to the breaking point. This will take care of clothes but then there are all the shoes, phone charges, shoes, jewelry, shoes… You get the drill. I’m sure we’ll end up with 4 pieces of large luggage, plus carry on, plus my camera.
There is no airplane flight necessary, so no restrictions for weight or number of bags (my back might argue with that). As long as there is storage in the cabin, we’re good, right?
I’ve been told that each ship has an FPO (Fashion Police Officer), so wearing the same thing more than once could land us in the brig. I have also learned, in the past 26 years of marriage, there is a clear difference between “day” wear and “evening” wear and the two cannot be intermixed. So for a 15 day cruise, that’s 30 outfits… Each!
OK, so I exaggerate a bit but we will pack more than we need but as the saying goes, “Happy Wife. Happy Life.”
We never put all of Suzi’s things in one bag and mine in another. Even when there are no plane flights, tags can come off and we might be separated from a bag for a bit. Always good to have outfits for both of us in each checked bag. Medications, jewelry and the like are always carried on with us.
The garment bag slides perfectly under the bed. All others fit nicely in the closet. We keep one of the carry on’s open in the closet to store the 50 to 60 pairs of shoes necessary for the cruise…
Although we would like to go on different itineraries, until I retire, we’re limited by three letters P.T.O. (Paid Time Off). We do repeat itineraries and will continue to do so for a few more years. Maybe we’ll venture back to the Caribbean or better yet, Europe, Asia or Australia / New Zealand. Maybe even see the fall colors along Canada’s Eastern Seaboard. Until then, we’re back to Mexico and the Sea Of Cortez on Ruby Princess in April, 2018
Muster Drill. No longer have to schlep life jackets. YEAH! OK. Repeat ship, repeat itinerary, so how can we mix things up? Not only did we book a different cabin, it’s the first cruise ever that our stateroom was on the starboard side of the ship. Talk about changing it up. Lido 251.
First port was San Diego. When we get off the ship in San Diego, we always go to the right. Maybe because we are staying on the opposite side of the ship, we turned left and walked all the way to the other side of the harbor across the street from the airport. The Ruby Princess looks pretty small from here.
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The next day was a sea day. If you recall, when we did this itinerary in 2016, the first sea day after leaving San Diego, we did our burial at sea for Cousin Jerry. So at 12:00, Suzi and I stood on Deck 7 Aft and had a moment of silence as we knew were were pretty close to where his urn was interred. As mentioned, we take Cuz with us on every cruise.
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Next day was Cabo San Lucas. On the Tender in, we was this hitchhiker.
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No excursion, we just went walking to the Puerto Paraiso Mall. then back through town to Cabo Wabo. My goal, this trip, was to have at least one Damiana Margarita in every port. The Caborita was the first.
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Next Stop La Paz, We knew from the last trip, there is not a lot at the port, so we took the shuttle into town. So we walked up and down the Malecon’.
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Next Stop was Loreto. Our favorite port of this itinerary. We went to the central square to have two, count em, two Damiana Margaritas. We peered into this really unobtrusive looking building and saw this hotel lobby. Beautiful!
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After a sea day, Puerto Vallarta. We booked The 10 Best of Puerto Vallarta excursion along with a couple we met the first day. This drove us around many of the highlights we’ve been to but then took us to a tequila factory for sampling. Of course they hand you a small plastic cap. The guide said we could ask for grande or poquito. The girls said poquito, us guys? GRANDE! (times 8).
On board, we had the sweetest Assistant Waiter, Gisella. She was from Columbia. Towards the end of the cruise we asked her how she came to work on the Ruby. She started to tell us, then got very emotional and had to stop. We felt bad. She stepped away, then came back to the table more composed. She told us about growing up poor on a farm but had heard about going to college and found a sponsor. After college, the sponsor recommended cruising. She applied to Princess and said the day Princess accepted her was the greatest day of her life. I think we were all teary-eyed. Next time on Ruby, we hope to see her.
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Back to Los Angeles and Counting down to Alaska in September.
During our October, 2017 sailing on Ruby Princess, the Princess Patter newsletter mentioned the Ultimate Ship Tour. Said to stop by the Purser’s desk for details.
It’s limited to 10 or 12 guests and as of this sailing cost $150.00 per person. Suzi and I talked about but thanks to Princess Visa On Board Credits, we booked it. It was for the last sea day of the cruise.
Like everything else on a ship involving staff, timing was crucial. The only negative was that we could not bring cameras. It wasn’t just because we would be going into proprietary areas of the ship, it was mostly due to timing and getting to the next station on time. We were, however, shadowed by a Security Officer and a Photographer, so there were complimentary photos available.
10 of us met in the Conference Room by the Princess Theater on Deck 6 at 10:00. Asst. Cruise Director, Jase was our guide. He whipped us up to Deck 7 and at precisely at 10:05, the door to the mooring area opened up. This is where the chains for the anchors are and all the mooring ropes. You would think the area would be full of grease. Instead, you could eat off the floor. Spotless.
Down the crew stairway to the Princess Theater’s Backstage. We got to meet the Production Manager and a few of the singers and dancers. They demonstrated the lighting, sound and set changes. We learned rthat all Production shows are developed, cast and rehearsed at the headquarters in Santa Clarita, CA. Costumes are fitted there and any alterations are the responsibility of the performer. All very interesting. The lead performers, usually two guys and two gals actually have their cabins backstage.
Next was the Galley and Food Production areas. Like many of you, we’ve probably attended a Galley Tour at some point, but this wasn’t a few hundred passengers being herded through the skirts of the galley so you would end up where the Chef and Matre D’ are hawking their cookbook. We got into the middle of the Galley where they were making soup and various breads. We were hosted by one of the Executive Chefs. During the presentation, they brought out fruit punch and chocolate covered strawberries.
When we left the Galley, we went to see the storage facilities and talked to the Inventory Manager. He discussed how they order and when. Also talked about how crazy turn around day is.
Next stop was the Engine Control Room where the Chief Technical Officer showed us exactly how the engines act as generators, then the power is distributed to the propulsion systems, sanitation and hotel.
We went to the Incinerator Room to see how all the waste is accounted for, with as little of an environmental or physical footprint.
Next stop. The Print Shop. This is where they do everything from the Princess Patter to Menus, to stationery.
Next? Photo Lab. All photos taken by the staff photographers are printed here. They are constantly busy.
Now we go down to the Medical Center. This is a state of the art facility capable of critical care, x-ray and even minor surgery. The nurse did bring up costs and HIGHLY recommends purchasing trip insurance…
Off to the Main Laundry. This is a round the clock operation. Very impressive. They have machine that will press and fold bed sheets in seconds. They even have a tailor on staff for crew and passengers.
And… The ultimate, the Bridge. We were able to meet the Captain and get a photo with him. We heard about how many hours it takes on land before an officer can begin a career on the ship. Walking out to one of the wings of the bridge give you a unique perspective looking aft. Incredible.
Once we left the Bridge, we all met up in the Adagio Bar for a Q and A session with Jase. We were met with Champagne, more chocolate covered strawberries and a selection of petit fours. Jase talked about the diversity of the crew, relationships, etc. All very informative.
When we returned to our cabin after dinner and a show, we each had a bag with our names on it. Inside, there was a Princess Robe, an Princess Apron, all the photos taken during the tour, a picture frame and a Princess Notepad.
It made that $150.00 seem like a bargain. I would highly recommend checking with the Pursers Desk to see if this tour is available.
Back to Back Cruises. Leg One was California Coastal in late October, 2017. Identical to our last cruise in April of this year except that instead of Santa Barbara, we’d stop in Monterey. Leg two is Mexican Riviera. What’s cool is that we will be in Mexico for Halloween and, more importantly, Dia Del Los Muertos, the Day Of The Dead.
We invited our friendsMark and Ann to Bon Voyage Experience. They have been on several cruises but not on Princess. They were really impressed by Ruby, especially the Gelato Bar… Fortunately, our favorite Lido 214 was available for both Legs.
After our relaxing day at sea, San Francisco. The City by the bay where summer and fall are unseasonably chilly. WRONG!!!! 93 freaking degrees. We booked the Hop On Hop Off tour through the ship. Why? Cause it’s free (Cruise Points!) Our only “hop off” was Haight Ashbury. Was it to see the birthplace of the hippie generation? The home of The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin? No… At our age, we needed to find a bathroom.
The next day was Montery and Carmel. These cities are also known for cooler climates. NOT! 102 degrees. We booked an excursion for the 17 Mile Drive with free time in Carmel.
The 17 mile drive is on of the most picturesque sections of the California coastline and where the famous Pebble Beach Golf Course is. Also the famous Lone Cypress Tree.
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Now, 2 1/2 hours of free time in 70 degree weather is great. 2 1/2 hours in 100 degree weather is about 2 1/2 hours too long, especially since there aren’t many stores that have air conditioning… They usually don’t need it. We found two stores with A/C. A chocolate shop and an ice cream store.
We did get a little walking in and found our favorite place, the Tuck Box.
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The next port was San Diego. Been there, done that. Did our usual walk to the downtown area. Didn’t even take the camera. At least it cooled down a little but still above average.
Next day was Ensenada, where we raided the town for Suzi’s favorite gum that’s only available south of the border.
The next day was completely different. We had a nice leisurely breakfast at Horizon Court and said goodbye to some of the new friends we met. We didn’t need to congregate at the Wheelhouse Bar until 10:00 AM with the other “In-Transit” guests. I think there were 40 of us. We all disembarked, were escorted through the terminal, down through US Customs, back upstairs and into the “holding area” until the ship was cleared, maybe a half hour. As soon as it was cleared, back to the ship for Leg Two.
A perk for In-Transit guests is… It’s recommended that you attend Muster drill but not required, so we opted to sit at our favorite spot on the ship, Deck 15 Aft outside of Adagio and SHARE.
Not only did we get the same Stateroom, we also get to keep our table in the Main Dining Room and, more importantly Jimmy, our Waiter. We also built a good relationship with our Head Waiter, Carlos. When you ask Carlos how long he’s been on the ship, his response is “For about 80 pounds”. Both Carlos and Jimmy provided excellent service.
Since the cruise coincided with Day Of The Dead and Halloween, we decked out our cabin Door.
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The next two days were at sea. Our routine is… Go to Horizon Court around 9:00 AM and look for a large 6 + person booth, and ask to join, unless we are lucky enough to find an empty one. Although we like to have dinner by ourselves, breakfast and lunch is our time to meet and make friends. On more than one occasion, we’ve sat down for breakfast with another couple, start talking and next thing you know, it’s lunch time. I think our record was… Breakfast at 9:00 they turned into lunch then at about 3:30, it’s nap time for yours truly.
On this first sea day, we sat down with with a lady, Nhu (pronounced New), who said she was with a group of 15. Then another gentleman, Bud, sat and joined us. We never saw the group of 15 so began joking with Nhu that she was making the whole thing up. We were all cracking up over it.
Day two, we headed to Horizon Court for breakfast and who was sitting at the same table? Alone? Nhu. About the time we got our plates and sat down, here comes Bud. The laughs continued as now we were certain Nhu’s friends and family had to be imaginary. We called ourselves “The Breakfast Club”.
Our first port on this Leg was Puerto Vallarta. The date? 10/31. Halloween. Since we had recently been to PV, we did what every tourist should do. We went to Wal-Mart. We picked up Halloween Candy to add to what we had brought with us, then we walked around the big Liverpool mall, both right across from the ship.
That night, we passed out candy to the crew and all the kids we saw on board. Later we went to the Halloween Party in Club Fusion. Lot’s of great costumes!
The next port was Mazatlan. We hadn’t been there since 1993 on our Honeymoon, so booked the Mazatlan City Highlight excursion. Guess who was on the same tour? Nhu and some of her group, proving she wasn’t completely crazy.
Our last stop on the tour was to watch some cliff divers.
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Next Stop, Cabo San Lucas. We booked the Cabo City Highlights excursion. Our first stop before heading out of town towards San Jose del Cabo, we stopped by a glass factory to see a glassblowing demonstration.
Afterwards, we hopped on the bus for our ride to the old town. Our guide mentioned that if we got thirsty, there were several places in town that served a special margarita. This piqued my interest as, if you recall on a previous cruise, I had the best margarita of my life but didn’t know what made it so special. So the tour guide mentions “Damiana Liquior”. So I wondered if this was the answer. After arriving in town and seeing a few sites, we stopped by one of the bars the guide mentioned and I ordered a Damiana Margarita. YES!!!! This was it! Daniana is an herb grown in Mexico. It’s supposed to have several health benefits and act as a an aphrodisiac. Upon seeing the bottle, it looks like it’s shaped like a Buddha, but research says it’s an Incan Goddess. Either way, I found it!
On our last sea day, Suzi and I went on the Ultimate Ships Tour: This was a highlight as there were only ten of us plus Assistant Cruise Director, Jase.
Mooring Station – Officer-In-Charge gave us a detailed overview of machinery used to drop anchor or tether the ship to the dock.
Back Stage Area – Met with the Stage Manager who gave us an overview of everything that happens before, during and after a performance. Then we went into the Dressing Room and had a discussion with the Talent lead as to how the productions are rehearsed and executed.
Galley and Food Production Areas – Met with an Executive Chef about inner workings of the ship’s kitchen areas while enjoying a glass fruit punch and chocolate covered strawberries. Got a peek into some of the ship’s food storage and production areas.
Engine Control Room – At the center of the vessel’s mechanical and electrical systems, the engine control room and met the chief technical officer who will explained the numerous functions overseen by the control room, including the vast amount of power generated to operate the ship.
Incinerator Room – The ship’s environmental officer showed us just what happens to the waste discarded during the cruise.
Print Shop – Saw where the Princess Patter, among other things, are produced.
Photo Laboratory – Princess operates a full photo lab with the latest in digital printing equipment. Saw how they manage the thousands of pictures taken and printed each day.
Medical Center – One of the nurses showed us the state-of-the-art medical facilities, including treatment rooms, laboratory facilities, critical care unit, and x-ray room.
Main Laundry – The ship’s onboard laundries operate 24 hours a day to wash tons of guest and crew linens, towels, and clothing – including more than 20,000 towels a day alone. Here we meet the laundry master and will saw this impressive operation in action.
Bridge – The tour concluded at the ship’s command center, where we met the captain and his bridge team to learn about the state-of-the-art navigational equipment and safety systems on board.
After the tour, we all went up to the Adagio Bar where we had Champaign and more chocolate covered strawberries. Jase opened the floor for any “off the record” questions.
When we returned to our stateroom after dinner, we were met with:
Princess Robe
Princess Apron
Photos taken by a ship’s photographer
Picture Frame
Princess notepad
Time to say goodbye to our new friends, real or imagined…
7 day California Coastal, Round trip Los Angeles. April, 2017 on Ruby Princess. What? Only 7 days? It’s OK. We’re doing two cruises this year. Actually, three. We are doing our first Back To Back, or B2B, cruise in late October.
Time for another Bon Voyage Experience. This time, we invited Suzi’s California brother, wife and two sons.
Our beloved Stateroom, Lido 214, was already booked, so I went with an Aft Balcony, Baja 752. As the six of us walked down the hall, we noticed our youngest nephew, who is very inquisitive and scientific by nature and probably knows more about electronics than most adults, was waving his hand horizontally under every light above every stateroom door. He stopped and one door and had us look. When he waved his hand, it looked like he was waving in slow motion. He told us that the light must be pulsating. To prove his hypothesis, he asked his dad to video the light in slow motion. He did and yes… the slow motion playback showed that, indeed, it was flashing like a strobe light. Amazing!
So we made our way aft to our stateroom. Our older nephew immediately began searching for a place to stowaway. This cabin did have a somewhat obstructed view but was the only aft balcony available when I booked.
We all made our way up to Horizon Court, then gave our family a tour of the ship until it was time for them to disembark.
Suzi likes to attend sail away parties, where I like to be on the veranda. Until now, we have always booked on the Port side of every ship, so it was a bit different being at the stern of the ship with a 180 degree view of both sides.
After a sea day, San Francisco. Cousin Jerry lived in the Bay Area, so we visited San Francisco regularly. One of the places neither of us had never been was Alcatraz. Thanks to our Shareholders Benefit and Princess Visa cruise points, we booked a tour of Alcatraz and Sausalito, a beautiful little town on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
It was a spectacular day. Temp in the mid 70’s and sunny. Our tour guide walked us to the Alcatraz landing and got our tickets. After boarding, we noticed the guide sitting by herself, so we invited her to sit with us. Always good to be friendly with the tour staff.
After a sea day, we tendered off of Santa Barbara. I’ve driven through Santa Barbara many times but only stopped once on business. Suzi has been there a few times but has been awhile. We booked the Santa Barbara Trolley Tour excursion.
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The next port was San Diego. This is another city Suzi and I had been to many times but it just seems so much better when you pull in on a cruise ship instead of fighting traffic on the freeway. The last time we cruised here, it was 105 degrees. This was a much more comfortable mid 70’s. We took a walk towards Seaport Village then onto the Gaslamp District. Here is a shot of downtown from our balcony as we set sail.
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Thanks to The Jones Act, Ensenada. Suzi loves to chew gum and is always looking for new flavors of sugarless gum. She found one in Ensenada, so she bought a few packs only to find out it’s not available in the States. Our new mission when visiting Mexico? Gum.
Here is a panorama of Ensenada from our favorite sitting area on Ruby
The Veranda Life 