Bimmer09 Christmas Cruise to Mexico on the Diamond

[Bimmer09]

 

HOLA MUCHACHOS! 

We (Deck Chair Queen-not her real name) and I, Norris, have just returned (last night) from a last-minute cruise. Here is the Itinerary.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norris

Edited December 30, 2022 by Bimmer09
Photo not uploaded by CC

[Bimmer09]

THE BACKSTORY

It's been 5 years since our last Princess cruise on the Crown to the ABC islands in January 2018. We had booked Sky Princess for the Caribbean in January 2020 but had to cancel last minute due to health reasons. Then Covid crippled the Diamond Princess and the World watched her in Yokohama. She is now back at sea, finally. I will show you pictures of her as we progress.

 

Since January 2018 we have cruised Azamara Journey to Cuba in January 2019 (Best Cruise winner) Celebrity Silhouette to the Norwegian Fjords in September 2019 and Azamara Quest to Italy, France and Spain in November 2021. 

 

This December we were planning on staying in Chicago to freeze but Celebrity, Azamara and Princess bombarded my mailbox with offers. I found a Celebrity 7day from LA to the Baja Peninsula. Hmmm...Mexico and some sun? Check Princess said Carol from the couch. Oh, here's a 10 day to Baja for the same price as the X one! We are Elite on Princess since 2015 and obviously liked the brand and the cut of their jib -nautical term but I am the son of a Sea Captain after all and my dad called us kids "shipmates" and sent us to bed at 8 Bells. 

 

I booked our First Ever Christmas cruise!

Our First Medallion cruise!

Our First Princess Plus cruise including drinks, wi-fi, crew tips etc

Our First West Coast cruise!

Our First visit to San Diego!

Our first cruise to be overloaded with Exclamation Marks!!!!! before we even sailed

 

It's NOT a live review. I don't do those. It's chronological . We've just got back.

There will be photos and video and lots of Food Porn. You will see Santa, I promise but you (a) have to be good and (b) wait.

 

This is another Gentleman's Seafaring Journal (TM) and will be added to every day....please WATCH THIS SPACE

 

NORRIS

 

[4hunters]

Looking forward to it!

[Jasperdo]

Hola Norris and Carol,

 

I was just looking at my Flickr site and noticed some new photos from you. On closer examination, I saw that they were alluding to a Princess cruise down to the Mexican Riviera. Which led me immediately to the Princess thread here on CC. And low and behold, what did Santa bring me? A brand new Gentleman's Seafarer Journal! I'm more than ready to sit back and enjoy another of your epic reviews. We haven't cruised in over 3 and a half years now. Your review will be most welcome.

 

I'm especially excited that's it's a 10 day Sea of Cortez cruise. We took one of these back in 2016 and really enjoyed it, especially Loreto. Thanks for brightening up my day.

 

John

[JimmyVWine]

I would sign on to Norris posting entries from the Naperville phone book. But a Trip Report?  Ha!  No brainer ( for which I am eminently qualified).  

[L11]

I am a long time follower of your Gentleman's Seafaring Journals (and, for most of that time, a world class lurker on these boards). Love following your travels and really enjoy your incredible photos. I read every one of your journals during the "pause" to help sate my travel hunger. Didn't you manage to finally make it to the Bayreuth Festival this year? I know, way off topic, but I remember you and Carol were looking forward to it so I had to ask.

 

Ok, back to lurking and to delighting in another Norris report, this one from my neck of the woods. Carry on, sir.

 

Linda

[Bimmer09]

As we booked our trip 21 days before sailing we paid in full and set about becoming Ocean Ready via the Princess Medallion App.

The Medallions came in the mail. All arrangements were made to get ourselves to the ship. We would join her in San Diego, CA. On the day that we flew, December 16th Princess sent us an Upgrade notification. We had booked a balcony cabin on Caribe Deck (10). We now had a mini-suite on Dolphin Deck, aft. This pleased Carol greatly as it meant no cramped shower stall and included a big couch for napping. I realized we would have an electric Panasonic toilet seat including heat and bidet function! A veritable Spa treatment for the bum!

When booking our balcony cabin I had put us on a waitlist for an aft (wake view) balcony as we have been living on the stern  since 2012 which was in fact the year we last sailed on the Diamond. We were 3rd on the waitlist but in hindsight we got a gift in that mini suite free upgrade.

Cold dark winter days passed in Chicago. I loaded all our ports into the weather app on my iPhone and was excited to see temperatures beginning with numbers like 7 and 8.

We packed summer clothes accordingly.

 

When I saw this notification it was time to kiss the cats goodbye and proceed to our pre-booked Lyft ride who was waiting downstairs . Chicago provided us with a send-off as only it can-with a snow shower. I was wearing a leather jacket over summer clothing, Carol a  rain shell. We both shook our  fists at the sky. Grrrr!

We had allowed 3 hours to travel the 18 miles to the airport and check in so we had no anxiety.....

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Up, up and away....

We had booked Economy Plus seats which are the seats for people who travel with knees and legs but now United offered us an upgrade to First Class for an affordable sum. This would also give us lunch during the flight instead of having to buy a sack-lunch on board. We would also land in San Diego slightly ahead of the majority of passengers in the Economy seats-a yes, a win-win.

We also had TSA-Pre on our boarding passes which meant a smoother transit through security. 

There was no chaos at the airport thankfully. We had flown to Rome in October 2021 and to Munich Germany last July and got our taste of air travel woes.

We were however given the furthest gate possible which meant the Walk of Death to Concourse C. So far and Rhapsody in Blue is played on a loop....

 

Carol made it to the end

 

and soon with 2 hours to spare we had ass-comfort in the United Lounge

 

San Diego, here we come!!!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

5 hours ago, L11 said:

I am a long time follower of your Gentleman's Seafaring Journals (and, for most of that time, a world class lurker on these boards). Love following your travels and really enjoy your incredible photos. I read every one of your journals during the "pause" to help sate my travel hunger. Didn't you manage to finally make it to the Bayreuth Festival this year? I know, way off topic, but I remember you and Carol were looking forward to it so I had to ask.

 

Ok, back to lurking and to delighting in another Norris report, this one from my neck of the woods. Carry on, sir.

 

Linda

Linda, welcome aboard and thanks for being a long time reader!

Yes, we finally made it to Bayreuth and Munich for 11 glorious summer days. It was boiling hot @ 97F

The beer was ice cold though.

This was the magnet-Richard Wagner's theater in Bayreuth where we spent 5 amazing nights...

And Carol at our favorite beer garden in Munich

 

and a shot in the theater garden with the bust of Wagner and my N. Ireland schoolboy friend since 1966. I'm in black

Norris

[Bimmer09]

There's something in the air 

Lunch and we are ready for it. I look down from 36,000 feet at the vast unpopulated America below

The Captain said we were flying over Bumble-somewhere. The PA was  a bit crackly and distorted.

 

People are living down there....

 

In 3 hours we were descending to San Diego with the sun already low in the sky 

 

The airport is in the city and near the cruise harbor. The plane flies so low over the houses that I noticed a lady's washing line tangled around the landing gear. Our hotel is a 15 minute drive away. Smooth flight. Beautiful stress-free airport. Sunny mid 60s F.

Norris

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by Bimmer09
altitude height

[Bimmer09]

 

Boots on the Ground

We have set up Base Camp on the 12th Floor- a corner King with a view. While Carol wipes down surfaces I hit the street below. The hotel abuts Petco Park where the S.D. Padres play. There's even an escalator connection between the two. We are in the Gaslamp area of town and close to the water so there's fresh sea air to be had

 

 

Looking South towards Tijuana, over the 6th floor pool.

 

The Hilton Hotel has a walkway over to the stadium and is on the water

Now the room....

Boots on the Carpet

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by Bimmer09
spacing

[Bimmer09]

What's to Come?

Diamond Princess as she looks today after 18 years at sea

All of our meals

The Mexican ports or the bits we saw of them

Shoreside meals

The Fridge magnets we blew our Pesos on

Crew members who loved posing like hams

Christmas Jammies collections

A video or two

The best band on the ship play Mariachi music! 

A whale-glimpsing excursion in Cabo San Lucas

Princess dining hits and misses

The Magnificence of the Medallion!

Cool people I met in the smoking section

The Worst Hamburger at Sea (TM)

Sunrises and sunsets that weren't crap

Tendering ineptitude 

Staff who have much to learn in the MDR

The poor photographers waiting for you when you disembark in ports

The rebirth of Sabatini's

The lonely men of Kai Sushi

The dumb-ass arrogant band who used the Plaza to rehearse

The cool Christmas decor

The amazing Santa has gifts for all the boys and girls

The 5 hour late sailaway

A lame excursion to La Paz

The chaos of Broadway Pier in San Diego and the speedy Princess check-in

and anything else Carol's daily notes remind me of.....

 

Norris

 

[Bimmer09]

But first-them belly full but we hungry

I had already walked down 5th Avenue while Carol was unpacking to check out a dinner place I had found on TripAdvisor . An 8 minute walk. I checked within and found what I feared-Irish music playing from speakers above every table. It was an Irish pub, transported from Dublin according to legend. I'm from Northern Ireland so British but have Irish in my blood, heavily diluted by Guinness which replaced milk in my baby's bottle. I have never found a taste for Irish music-the sort played on raucous fiddles by red faced men in Arran sweaters. Usually played with gusto as some guy blows a tin whistle and another bangs on a bodhran to the rhythm of a drunken Irishman falling down wooden stairs (Guinness + stairs = watch out below!)

Now the slow plaintive Irish ballads played on the pipes is a different kettle of fish and can bring a tear of wistfulness to the eye. My Irishness lays in melancholy and longing for those green hills and simple folk with big hearts. 

I spoke to the hostess and she said we could sit outside later when our reservation was due and she'd light one of the gas heaters.  It was dark now at 5.30.

 

I would return at 8 with hungry Carol who was determined to have Corned Beef and Cabbage, a dish that she makes (brilliantly) each St Patrick's Day. I was already committed to Fish and Chips. On the walk to the hotel I saw this fine looking lamp shop...

 

It was colder-mid 50's F when we returned to eat.

 

Cold or not I ordered me a pint. It was poured slowly as is written in Guinness Law. Heaven. Carol had a Ginger Beer. 

 

Our perky waitress brought my fish and chips which I set upon like a starving badger

Dee-lishus!! Clean plate, er clean butcher paper.

Carol's Corned Beef and Cabbage with Champ (mashed potato and spring onions) earned the tile of "Worst Meal I have ever Eaten". I sampled her corned beef which was a challenge to chew and a massive swing and a miss. The champ was cold and the cabbage al dente, even if you were using someone else's teeth. The waitress didn't question why there was more on the plate at the end of the meal than at the start.

only a scrumptious dessert could save Carol's meal and she had a salted caramel bread pudding which fit the bill and I had half of it

 

I also treated myself to that Prince of After-Dinner drinks....an Irish Coffee, made just right without a snow cone of whipped cream. I walked back to the hotel on air....

 

[Bimmer09]

Today is Embarkation Day! Hooray!

We had an early night in the Omni and slept the sleep of a thousand martyrs. Today get to attach those Princess Luggage Tags. But first-breakfast and Carol had researched just the place for that- just a 4 block walk in 60F weather, no rain. Seating for two, outdoors (Carol's idea) next to a heater (my idea)

It's the Gaslamp Breakfast Company

 

Carol's latte

 

The waiter's hoodie

 

Hot sauce for my eggs

 

Belly buster...

 

Carol's amazing waffles

 

The home of breakfast!!

 

Ok, what's next this morning? Hmmm.(thinks)

Oh I remember- boarding the Diamond Princess!!

 

See you there.

[cruzin4us]

Enjoying the ride.....especially glad to hear about the Diamond since little has been written since 2020.  Boarding her for Hawaii in a week.   Thanks again for your report and lots of pictures, it's appreciated!

[dani negreanu]

Norris,

 

So glad that Crystal provided a link (thanks @singinalot).

 

Wishing you and Carol a Happy and Healthy New Year 🎄

[Bimmer09]

 

CHAOS!

We arrived in our Lyft at the Broadway Pier at 10.30 a.m and waited at a traffic light. Through the metal gates I could see a long line of people with their luggage. Yikes! I could see trucks among the melee next to the ship. The only thing that was missing was some emergency vehicles with sirens and lights.  Oh- here they come! An ambulance and a fire truck came speeding up and joined the commotion on the dock. Someone in need of attention. Our car drove in to the mess before us but progress was slow. He drove us to the end of the line which snaked down the dock almost the length of the ship and then curled back on itself at the terminal. We joined the line and nudged our luggage along, inch by inch, minute by minute for the next 50 minutes.

 

it's a narrow confined dock space with 53 ft trailers, tour buses, taxis and friends dropping off friends and their luggage. I saw only two dockers collecting the bags. I tipped one so that my luggage might stay dry and make it to the DP as opposed to Holland America's Koningsdam at the dock adjacent. The man was earning his tips that day.

 

Once we reached the terminal and showed our Medallions we are in Princess' hands and things moved very swiftly indeed. A quick boarding photo in front of a green screen and we were walking up the gangway.

At the end of the gangway on deck 7 there were half a dozen young Princess staff ladies jumping up and down and singing at the top of their lungs something about "Welcome Back, we've missed you!". Great energy and a fine rousing welcome! 

 

Carol's mission was to find our cabin and Clorox the Bejesus out of it. Mine was to make a beeline to the Sanctuary and push aside brusquely any old ladies in my way. Mexico-warm weather-sanctuary fever!

I was breathless by the time I rushed there with my carry-on and 18 pounds of cameras. Two seats booked for the week!

 

All I had to do now was give First Aid to the several battered old ladies littering my way up to deck 16.

Then my first beer on my Beverage Package!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Carol was thrilled with her new lodgings on Dolphin deck. That's good as it opens up more than aft balcony cabins for us for the future-more choices. I dropped off my carry-ons as it was high time for one of my favorite cruise-starts-the Princess MDR lunch! International Dining room on deck 6 aft.

Nice quiet table in a corner with a good server from Romania called Georgiu. Familiar menu from years gone by. If it ain't broke...

 

EDITOR"S NOTE : I took photos of just about all the menus, breakfast lunch and dinner and I have all of the Patters to show you as this goes on. Princess allowed us to block some of the useless paper that comes to the cabin such as EFFY and Spa solicitations. Nice move.  We didn't get the last Patter delivered-the one that includes all our mileage for the week.

Let's eat!

 

My Tuscan chickpea soup

 

Carol's avocado and bay shrimp

 

My beef tenderloin

 

Carol's glazed Salmon

 

A great start to our cruise, culinary wise....

[Bimmer09]

With a fine lunch as ballast I made my way up to Tradewinds on deck 15 where I would take up residence for the next 10 days. 10 days! Our longest cruise ever. That record will be broken on June 6th 2023 when we set sail from Amsterdam for 12 days on the Dazzling Celebrity Apex to Iceland!

 

I soon found out in Tradewinds that they only have bottled Guinness on board. No thanks-give me draught or give me a draught in a can (with the nitrogen cylinder that goes psssst when the can is opened). So bring me a Stella good barkeep! 

 

It's a lovely afternoon in a beautiful city on a beautiful ship. The interiors are refreshed and spotless as I remember her from 2012. The water line and hull show stains and could use some new paint but inside where it really matters she sparkles and shines.

 

 

We are taking on fuel

 

 

All done and the barge backs away

 

 

When you don't finish your pizza....

 

 

Howdy Neighbor!

 

 The amazing USS Midway!

 

 

 

Koningsdam

 

 

It was 3 pm by now so I went aft to the Outrigger Bar as there was a Roll Call Meet n Greet sailaway planned for 4. Just wanted to see if anyone was already in situ

 

 

No one there so back to Tradewinds where  I heard an announcement that said we were still loading trucks and wouldn't be sailing at 4. No ETA given.

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Koningsdam begins her Mexican cruise. We sit at the dock....

 

 

Now it's getting chilly. Luckily this ship has a Churchill's cigar bar on deck 6 forward!

[PurpleTraveller]

Wow, what a wonderful Christmas, New Year, holiday surprise!!! A Norris trip report to sit back and enjoy and salivate over!

 

As an aside, after enjoying my Celebrity Reflection cruise in June, booked thanks to reading your reports of your Celebrity cruises, I have just booked two Celebrity cruises, almost B2B - a 7 day Greek Isles and Turkey, then three days later a 10 day Best of Italy and Croatia for June 2024.

 

Look forward to reading about your cruise and enjoying your wonderful photos! (I like exclamation marks too!) 😊

 

Allison

 

Edited December 31, 2022 by PurpleTraveller

[CRLess]

I have made it here with baited breath....not quite sure how you feel about that, and not quite sure what that really means...but I am here regardless!    Looking forward to following along to your journey!

 

[MJSailors]

Norris !

What a lovely surprise to find the start of another one  of your “Gentleman’s Seafaring Journals”!

i am looking forward to reading about your’s and Carol’s adventures on this ten day cruise.

You are off to a fine start with receiving upgrades on your flight and the mini suite on the Diamond Princess.

I will be checking daily- at least once or twice a day- to read about what you and Carol were up to on this holiday cruise.

Cheers !

MJ🙋🏻

[palolake]

22 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

 

 

When booking our balcony cabin I had put us on a waitlist for an aft (wake view) balcony as we have been living on the stern  since 2012 which was in fact the year we last sailed on the Diamond. We were 3rd on the waitlist but in hindsight we got a gift in that mini suite free upgrade.

 

 

 

I think you really did get a gift :).  On the cruise before yours, we had an aft facing cabin on Caribe.  We had multiple plumbing problems including no hot water the last week of our 20 day cruise.  (The final day we showered in an empty room)

Even with the plumbing problems, we had one of our best cruises ever!  The crew was amazing.  Our room steward was the best ever!  We sailed only one third full and it was a wonderful experience.  I shuttered when I heard how many people and children (over 300 kids?) were going to be on the next cruise.  What a different experience you must have had!

[san diego sue]

44 minutes ago, palolake said:

 

I think you really did get a gift :).  On the cruise before yours, we had an aft facing cabin on Caribe.  We had multiple plumbing problems including no hot water the last week of our 20 day cruise.  (The final day we showered in an empty room)

Even with the plumbing problems, we had one of our best cruises ever!  The crew was amazing.  Our room steward was the best ever!  We sailed only one third full and it was a wonderful experience.  I shuttered when I heard how many people and children (over 300 kids?) were going to be on the next cruise.  What a different experience you must have had!

We were also on the same cruise as you and had a aft facing suite on Caribe (starboard side). Never

had  hot water issue. Our next door neighbor had flushing issue. Guess we were extremely lucky.

Loved the cruise and the very empty ship.We are so spoiled with the suite life and the aft facing experience. Will be hard to go back to a balcony cabin or even a mini suite.The crew was amazing

, great service.