Bimmer09 Christmas Cruise to Mexico on the Diamond

[Bimmer09]

Another Princess cutback and disappointment

We used to love those off-gangway photos in port when the waiting photographer would have a bunch of costumed characters with him/her. Such fun whether Pirates in the Caribbean or lumberjacks or guys in Moose costumes in Alaska. Those days are apparently gone....

 

 Before (2018 Crown, Curacao)

After (Puerto Vallarta 2022)

 

The dork "photographer" couldn't even get the full ship's name in the shot. When I picked the photo up onboard they hadn't bothered to put the port name and date on it. What a great souvenir....

[Bimmer09]

Disembarking the Diamond in PV we followed the signs from the Duty Free shop towards the taxis. A long trek following a herd of people.

 

We came outside and were immediately approached by a man wanting to know where we wanted to go -"Our Lady of Guadalupe" said Carol referring to a landmark church.

"40 dollars" was the answer.

"I don't think so" said Norris and walked on.

Another man approached-same question. Different answer "30 dollars"

"Nope" said Norris

"How about 20 dollars?"

"Maybe " said Norris

"See my friend over there? (pointing) He's an Uber driver and can take you for $20"

"Let's check Uber " I said quietly to Carol who was on it in a flash.

" 5 dollars Uber-driver here in 10 minutes". We ignored the other guy who got the hint.

 In ten minutes we were in a nice clean car whizzing through the broad smooth streets by the docks and into the narrow rough streets just off the Malecon a few miles away. The architecture went from "Modern Affluence" to "Yikes! What Building Codes?" but we were delivered to the church for just 5 dollars....

You will want to come inside....

[Deck Chair Queen]

1 hour ago, singinalot said:

lol that pot pie looks sketch

Crystal just imagine a can of Campbell’s condensed turkey soup covered by mashed sweet potatoes, served lukewarm with no seasoning. I’ll take a Marie Callendar pot pie for two bucks any time over this farce. 

 

Carol

[XBGuy]

3 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

 

A man who was going to be stepping ashore in the land of Fajitas tomorrow ordered the fajitas on the menu but I have to say they were not bad even though they didn't arrive in a cast iron skillet spitting hot fat at me. Tasty morsels!

 

 

 

Land of Fajitas?

 

Fajitas are Tex-Mex.  

 

I would not be surprised if you could order fajitas in a restaurant in Mexico, but I would bet $1 that it would be a restaurant is visited by a lot of Ameican tourists.

 

Apologies for my puntiliousness.  I am enjoying your reports.

 

 

[GeorgesGal]

2 hours ago, XBGuy said:

 

Land of Fajitas?

 

Fajitas are Tex-Mex.  

 

I would not be surprised if you could order fajitas in a restaurant in Mexico, but I would bet $1 that it would be a restaurant is visited by a lot of Ameican tourists.

 

Apologies for my puntiliousness.  I am enjoying your reports.

 

 

Gee, I was in Merida about 35 years ago when I had my first fajitas which were the best I've had to date - not that I order them frequently.  And by the way, Merida at least at that time in the last century,  wasn't exactly a well-known tourist city.

 

Donna

[Bimmer09]

Take me to Church

I'm not religious in any sense of the word except that I religiously like visiting churches wherever we go and that includes  our favorite countries of Germany and Italy. The structures are always beautiful, cool and quiet. They were built with love, passion and  a degree of care not found say in modern housebuilding where corners can be cut and the frames are made of wood and plasterboard that you can put your fist through and a hurricane or tornado just scoffs at. They last for years and were built to. They can provide peace and inspiration to those who enter and boy do they look good through a camera viewfinder.

Here we are in a fine one in Puerta Vallarta- Our Lady of Guadalupe.

 

 

 

 

 

A lady was working on gracing the pews with these beautiful flowers

 

 

I was drawn to a little courtyard through an open door. There was birdsong but it was from a blind woman who was begging for alms. At the steps to the church there was also a blind man singing with a beautiful voice. I only had a credit card...

 

 

We were not inside for long-but long enough to enjoy the peace and beauty of the space

[Bimmer09]

Back outside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MustangGT]

4 hours ago, singinalot said:

lol that pot pie looks sketch

Not defending Princess but the menu says “Turkey Hot Pot”

guess that is different from a Pot Pie. 🥴

The description does say, “sweet potato crust” …. Uh, nope!

[Bimmer09]

We found a square with ass-pleasing benches and shade trees

 

 

 

It was nice to sit for half an hour before joining the crowds walking the nearby Malecon which hugs the sea. This little square was Plaza de las Armas.

 

 

[XBGuy]

58 minutes ago, GeorgesGal said:

Gee, I was in Merida about 35 years ago when I had my first fajitas which were the best I've had to date - not that I order them frequently.  And by the way, Merida at least at that time in the last century,  wasn't exactly a well-known tourist city.

 

Donna

 

Very interesting story, @GeorgesGal.  Are you claiming the $1.  😉

 

 

 

 

[Walt fan]

Our Lady of Guadalupe is a beauty - love the surrounding area - can't wait to see what you find for lunch!

[Bimmer09]

Our last Malecon walk had been in Havana-I think Carol would agree that it was a mind-blowing city to visit and the Cubans we met were just the coolest people. Warm souls but they didn't have a pot to relieve themselves in. If America is a Free Country then we should be free to send cruise ships to Havana again, surely? We would be first to board. When you have time seek out my Azamara Journey cruise to Cuba, January 2019 and see why I am so enthusiastic. The rum! The cigars! The music! The 1950s cars!!! The hospitality!

 

Sorry got carried away there.

 

This Malecon doesn't have waves crashing over it but does have a lot of art sculptures to  enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note the Police troupe in the distance

[Bimmer09]

While sitting in Plaza de las Armas I had noticed several Police pickup trucks pass with half a dozen men in back and a manned machine gun on the roof. The Mexicans are serious about protecting their tourists from gang attacks. There are two cruise ships visiting today hence a show of strength.

These are men of the National Guard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

This post is dedicated to my friend Singinalot who loves to take (great) photos of shop interiors on her cruises and land trips. Mexicans love color and so do I...this is a Pharmacy  on the Malecon where we bought a fridge magnet .

 

 

 

 

 

[CruiserRob]

2 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

I'm not religious in any sense of the word except that I religiously like visiting churches wherever we go

Norris, this is me exactly.  I love the art, architecture and I'm a huge sucker for pipe organs.

Robert

[Bimmer09]

3 minutes ago, CruiserRob said:

Norris, this is me exactly.  I love the art, architecture and I'm a huge sucker for pipe organs.

Robert

Robert we were in Cologne cathedral one Sunday morning in 2007 and the organ started up and suddenly there was a soprano choir in that marvellous acoustic.  I shed a tear while trying to operate my camcorder. 

Norris-I get you brother!

[4x4bob]

Hay Ma look what I found.  Bimmer09 has taken quill in hand and posted another outstanding trip report.

 

Norris

Just recently I was sitting at my key board and between glasses of wine was thinking,  it works best that way for me.. I realized I had not seen a Bimmer 09 post for some time.

 

I was nervous that you had set sail for that great dry dock in the sky. 

 

As always read above with great enjoyment for two reasons.  Outstanding content and.   drum roll... we will be setting sail on the Diamond on the 29th of Jan for the Sea of Cortez in a aft Mini Suite our selves

 

And thanks to Carol for taking notes to keep you on the straight and narrow with your narrative.

 

Thanks

Bob

[Bimmer09]

Out to Lunch

Back home in Chicago, with time on my hands since retiring in early 2020, a week before Chicago's first Covid lockdown, I had researched TripAdvisor for beachside restaurants in Puerto Vallarta. Dining locally has become my favorite port excursion. So when our legs were tiring, walking the Malecon in the heat and Carol said "Are we there yet?" I urged us forward-"Just up ahead, I can almost taste it!"

And it was

 

We had a reservation and the promise of air-conditioning , toilets, fresh seafood and most importantly cold BEER caused a choir of angels to join all the other voices in my head in a Hallelujah !

Beachy decor

 

 

 

Tropical vegetation

 

 

right on the beach

 

 

View from our table 

 

 

tables on the beach

 

 

Medallion friendly!

 

 

[Bimmer09]

The first order of business at lunch was to order a thirst-quenching beverage and this was mine

 

The second order of business was to visit the restroom where I found this funky sink

 Then head back to our table

Our table with a view

Where Carol was studying the menu

 Guacamole made table side 

 

Our entrees arrive- my coconut shrimp, each one about the size of a chihuahua 

 

We each got a side of rice and veg

 

and Carol's amazing "tequila shrimp"!

 

 

Next up- CruisCritic poster makes shocking admission of career-threatening ineptitude

[CruzeQueen2]

3 minutes ago, Bimmer09 said:

The first order of business at lunch was to order a thirst-quenching beverage and this was mine

 

The second order of business was to visit the restroom where I found this funky sink

 Then head back to our table

Our table with a view

Where Carol was studying the menu

 Guacamole made table side 

 

Our entrees arrive- my coconut shrimp, each one about the size of a chihuahua 

 

We each got a side of rice and veg

 

and Carol's amazing "tequila shrimp"!

 

 

Next up- CruisCritic poster makes shocking admission of career-threatening ineptitude

Enjoying your stories! Looking forward to the next instalment with shocking admission...thanks for reporting in such an entertaining style 😎

[Bimmer09]

Chicago-dateline January 3 2023

Reuters. Rumors and accusations are flying in Chicago this morning, swirling in the fog that cloaks the streets. Bimmer09 the sometime CruiseCritic columnist who has been accused of writing "far-fetched" and "irreverent" cruise reports this morning admitted in a news conference that he has found previously unseen video footage from a Mexican cruise." I don't recall packing a camcorder nor do I recall using it to record the Koningsdam leaving San Diego. Nor do I recall the Diamond Princess leaving San Diego in the dark." he is reported to have said by a source close to the matter.

"I suspect the work of a Proxy or hacker. The video of our lunch in Puerto Vallarta may have been taken by CCTV or a boot heel camera of a Russian spy. It's entirely possible that I did shoot video of leaving PV and of the Whale-Glimpsing trip in Cabo-possible but I cannot fully recall. I am sure a note from my mother could clear this whole matter up"

His mother could not be reached for comment.

 

Edited January 3, 2023 by Bimmer09
spelling

[Bimmer09]

VIDEO

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Lunch video

 

 

[Jasperdo]

I'm enjoying your Puerto Vallarta photos. We always visit Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and stroll the Malecon when we're in Puerto Vallarta. Your lunch place looks similar to one we had lunch at last time we were in town. Was this place south of the Rio Cuale?

[Bimmer09]

Our lunch at the Blue Shrimp was all I hoped it would be-with one exception: I had hoped for Mexican music as the soundtrack. We love our Mariachi with its happy sunny harmonies and bonkers virtuoso arrangements. We have spent 10 summer vacations in Santa Fe and rent a nice car and listen to only Mexican music, usually starting with a cd of Linda Ronstadt singing "Canciones de mi Padre" before letting the local radio take over. 

A superb meal with excellent attentive service in  a fabulous location!

Carol summoned an Uber to drive us back to the ship to relax.