Paradise-oh, did we have FUN! Part 3

[itzkaren]

cont......

 

10) Catalina Island..we didn't have any excursions booked.....left the ship about 11am....nice tender ride to the island.....beautiful, slightly overcast day.......perfect for walking around and shopping. the 4 girls stayed together and went into all the shops.....the guys enjoyed sitting around people watching and visiting with each other. Back on the ship at 4pm

 

11) Tuesday-Formal Night: We all got dressed up......2 of the men wore dress shirts & ties w/slacks, 2 wore sport coats (no suits)....all of the girls were dressed in black or black & white dresses.We had our pictures taken at several sports......(we all spent about $100 on photos for the cruise!) One couple went to the Captain's Party.....the rest of us skipped it. Dinner was great......most of us had lobster and prime rib....you can order both....they just bring it separately...After dinner.....we went to the disco for awhile....then hit the midnight comedy show....FUN, FUN, FUN!!

 

12) Ensenada - we took the 11:30am La Bufadora bus trip ($28 each) First, it's a short ride to some type of museum (?) with 'shopping opportunities'......then about a 45 minute bus ride to LaBufadora (we had a great tour guide name JuanJo) it's a huge flea market...and then the "blowhole" where the ocean hits the rocks....it's great to see.....The bartering is "agressive"....I was looking at a turquiose & sterling silver bracelet...the guy said I could 'have' it for $190.....I offered $25...we went back and forth.....I ended up paying $40...but could have gotten it for $30......so just remember......that first $190 means NOTHING! We only got 1 hour to shop at LaBufadora, which wasn't enought time to look at much. Next time.....I think we'll skip this bus trip.

 

13) Walking around Ensenada was fun....there's plenty of shops...and of course, Papas & Beer Restaurant......we were ready for a bit to eat and a beverage.....we all ordered Margaritas and nachos. Then we heard the "whistles blowing"....If you've ever been there...you know what I mean. It means "tequila shot time!" The waiters have referee whistles and a tray with tequila shots....all 4 of us girls took part in this festivity! Without going into too much detail.....we all have pictures and some video tape we have agreed to put into a time capsule and not show to our kids for another 25 years! It was only one shot of tequila each, but is was the "hoopla" and the bumper sticker I left wearing across my shirt that still brings a smile to my face when I think about it!

 

14) Wed. night dinner.....back on the ship and a little rest after Ensenada. I think I had filet mignon for dinner...it all seems kind of blurry now........All of our meals were great......we shared a couple of bottles of wine....some like white and some like red....so it all worked out. I believe we visited the casino again that night.

 

15) Thursday......at sea day. Moving a little slower this day....all this FUN can really zap your energy level! In fact, 2 of our girls idn't make it to dinner that night" "Umbrella overload, I believe!" It was our last night at dinner.......and each couple gave our 2 table servers $20 each ($80 for each server) for their excellent service throughout our cruise. Even though we already had the "automatic tips" on our cards, I think it's quite reasonable to tip an additional $10 per person for the dining room service.

 

16) Room Service - each morning, we had coffee, juice, bagels and yogurt for breakfast.......It was a perfect strat....and nice to be able to wake up slowly with coffee! I tipped the delivery person $2 each time.........and here's a 'tip' from me: On the last night....around 1am, I ordered the same (coffee carafe, bagel & yogurt).....and I put the yogurt on ice in the ice bucket.....and on debarkation morning at 6:30am, I was grateful to have lukewarm coffee, a cold bagel and chilled yogurt to start the day. They don't offer room service on debarkation morning.....to I order the night before.

 

17) Debarkation: We did "self-assist".....which means you carry you own luggage off the ship.....you pile it, wheel it, whatever......to customs, and stand in line.......it worked out for us...but only because my husband determined to do it...and was manuevering 3 very heavy pieces of luggage (all those Carnival souvenir glasses & umbrellas!)...along with 4 bottles of flavored rum (impulse buy) We filled our our customs declaration paper....just put "liquor and souvenirs".....none of our luggage was inspected.....the customs agent glanced at our passports......looked at us......and wished us a nice day.

 

18) We got the cars.......parking was $48 ($12/day) and we were in the car by 10am heading back home.....we were home by 5pm

 

continued next post........

[Astronomer]

You need to get a frame and make a collage of umbrellas around a picture of the curise, Big frame... Im serious! :)