Check it off the Bucket List! Panama Canal on the NCL Star October 1-16...with pics!

[Cubechick]

Thanks for your awesome review, Aimee. It was quite an enjoyable read - and food for thought :)

 

Thanks Laura! The trip is well worth the flight! ;)

[Cubechick]

CubeChick: We are thinking of trying the Star for a b2b where the first would be the Star and the next one Carnival Conquest. After reading your wonderful posts and the great photos I'm ready to book!! We sailed Norwegian in '95 which was our very first cruise. After that we were "hooked" just completed our 17th (we are blessed). We did the Panama Canal cruise and had a great time in Acapulco where we saw the divers off the cliffs. It sure changed in the short time since we were there in '09 what a shame.

Thank you for your posts and now I need no convincing to try the Star.

Carol

 

I feel like I'm waiting for the next Twilight or Harry Potter book or movie. Your review is amazing and I know all of us thank you!!! I can't wait now for PC on the Pearl.

MaryPat

 

Thank you both! I hope you both enjoy your cruises!

[DrFootball]

The good news is we don't stop at Acapulco :D

 

Those aren't the guys you need to worry about! Thats the "Mexican Federal Police"(note the AR-15's, that's an American Supplied weapon)(unless they're crooked and running drugs like "General Tuco" In the A-team Movie..and of course, anyone who saw the first 21 minutes of that movie knows what happend to him..... "Alfa Mike Foxtrot"!):D

 

Bill(DrFootball)

Rangers Lead the Way...All the Way!

Bill's Brainiac Random Quote Generator V0.95 final beta for Mac

[RichNY]

Therein lies the rub.......you can't tell the players without a scorecard.....:D

I'm sure well do just fine...

 

Amiee..I just bought the newer version of your camera........WOW

 

Again thanks for the great review and the pics......

[snorklinbarb]

Therein lies the rub.......you can't tell the players without a scorecard.....:D

I'm sure well do just fine...

 

Amiee..I just bought the newer version of your camera........WOW

 

Again thanks for the great review and the pics......

 

I just listened to the taxi driver & put the camera down. We saw the truck and men like in the picture Jim posted but not one of them had exposed head or face. Some even had black ski masks, most had black bandanas and there were probably a dozen of them. DrFootball, glad to hear they were the Mexican police as I've never seen police anywhere in that garb. The driver said it's almost impossible to know who's who.

 

But that's the only time I felt frightened. When we were on Epic we went on a Costa Maya ship shorex to Kohunlich Mayan ruins. Bob and I still haven't figured it out, but on the way back some guys in camouflage on the side of the road under a palapa boarded the bus and checked everyone's passports.:eek: We couldn't understand why Mexican military needed to look at our documents.

 

Perhaps someone here knows.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to do the Panama Canal cruise again but happy to hear NCL has deleted Acapulco from your itin. Seems to be Puerta Vallarta instead?

[RichNY]

I just listened to the taxi driver & put the camera down. We saw the truck and men like in the picture Jim posted but not one of them had exposed head or face. Some even had black ski masks' date=' most had black bandanas and there were probably a dozen of them. DrFootball, glad to hear they were the Mexican police as I've never seen police anywhere in that garb. The driver said it's almost impossible to know who's who.

 

But that's the only time I felt frightened. When we were on Epic we went on a Costa Maya ship shorex to Kohunlich Mayan ruins. Bob and I still haven't figured it out, but on the way back some guys in camouflage on the side of the road under a palapa boarded the bus and checked everyone's passports.:eek: We couldn't understand why Mexican military needed to look at our documents.

 

Perhaps someone here knows.

 

 

 

I wouldn't hesitate to do the Panama Canal cruise again but happy to hear NCL has deleted Acapulco from your itin. Seems to be Puerta Vallarta instead?[/quote']

 

Soooooooooo come with us..:D

[Cubechick]

Therein lies the rub.......you can't tell the players without a scorecard.....:D

I'm sure well do just fine...

 

Amiee..I just bought the newer version of your camera........WOW

 

Again thanks for the great review and the pics......

 

Thank you again and glad you liked the camera!

 

I may have to get the newer version myself. My older camera bit the dust on this trip and I'm debating between the newest Sony and a DSLR...

[RichNY]

Thank you again and glad you liked the camera!

 

I may have to get the newer version myself. My older camera bit the dust on this trip and I'm debating between the newest Sony and a DSLR...

 

I was able to get the dsc hx9v at a really good price at Best Buy..It was a return/open box..saved $70 then another $20 because I opened a Best Buy credit card account...One advantage over yours is the 16x zoom..

 

My wife uses an older Nikon D80 with extra lenses, she's getting tired lugging all her stuff..She could not believe the quality of the pics compared to hers...

[Cubechick]

I was able to get the dsc hx9v at a really good price at Best Buy..It was a return/open box..saved $70 then another $20 because I opened a Best Buy credit card account...One advantage over yours is the 16x zoom..

 

My wife uses an older Nikon D80 with extra lenses, she's getting tired lugging all her stuff..She could not believe the quality of the pics compared to hers...

 

Hmmm...that's I'm wondering. Is it worth lugging around all that gear when these point and shoots are so great? (Not to mention cheaper!)

[DrFootball]

I just listened to the taxi driver & put the camera down. We saw the truck and men like in the picture Jim posted but not one of them had exposed head or face. Some even had black ski masks' date=' most had black bandanas and there were probably a dozen of them. DrFootball, glad to hear they were the Mexican police as I've never seen police anywhere in that garb. The driver said it's almost impossible to know who's who.

 

But that's the only time I felt frightened. When we were on Epic we went on a Costa Maya ship shorex to Kohunlich Mayan ruins. Bob and I still haven't figured it out, but on the way back some guys in camouflage on the side of the road under a palapa boarded the bus and checked everyone's passports.:eek: We couldn't understand why Mexican military needed to look at our documents.

 

Perhaps someone here knows.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to do the Panama Canal cruise again but happy to hear NCL has deleted Acapulco from your itin. Seems to be Puerta Vallarta instead?[/quote']

 

Note the "mexican flag" on the shoulder(left) of the man next to the one with no helmet on....Paramilitary groups or "Bandits" don't wear the flag. If they're captured wearing anything looking like a gov't uniform they are put to death instantly without a trial as th drug gangs like to try to pass themselvs off as "feds," And the "S.W.A.T' style black fatigues with the "velcro" vest system has been around for a long time, most "Special" police teams in the US wear em...We even had them (U.S. Army) for night ops, going back to the tail end of my active duty days. Of course ours have "subdued" Black patches on them...The American flag, and what ever unit the personnel are assigned to...

Just a brief T, O & E primer there folks...

 

Cubechick: get the DSLR or one of the new mirrorless compacts!!! I've always been a big proponent of "advanced Point & Shoot" (we have two aside from DW's Two Nikon DSLR's) But with so many options now for intechangeable lenses your just better off having the choice! BTW, FWIW,...DW has the Nikon D-90x & the Nikon D-300(older model, not the newer 300s that shoots video) and she uses the 90 more as she feels even though the shutter is slightly "slower"(5FPS as opposed to the 7FPS of the 300) the shots get spaced out better, but she a "pro" sports shooter,...YMMV...They have (Nikon) 3 new models, the entry level D3100, the mid-ranged D5100, and the high end(shoots 1080P video!) D7000 which is also 16mp(!) and even though it's considered a "Pro-Sumer" camera, I see a lot of pros using it at Games and events lately...These are "DX" chip cameras(APS-c)(Unlike the Nikon D3 series & D700 bodies) not full frame, so full frame lenses when used with these camera bodies actually produce longer ranges!!

 

Bill(DrFootball)(MAC/Photo/Broadcast Audio Geek)

"Forget about your troubles folks, It's all about Good Rock & Roll, Frying Tires, and Football…" Coach Jerry Glanville

Bill's Brainiac Random Quote Generator V0.95 final beta for Mac

[time2cruise1]

No need to analyze the picture. It was the Federalies. Said so on the truck. What is interesting some them ware ski masks so the gang members can not recognize them. Says a lot.

 

 

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[snorklinbarb]

Dr.Football and time2cruise1,

 

Good to know all this info. Thanks. Not that I expect to go to Acapulco again anytime soon!;)

 

Fortunately the rest of the trip was heart-palpitation free!:D