Last day of the cruise

It was a beautiful sunny day for the last day of our cruise. Most of us had a relaxing day, reading around the pool, although Iyla was working on her homework as well. I went to a Mexican dance class that was very energetic and a lot of fun.  We had our Mariners Luncheon, and met a lot of interesting people.  We saw whales at several points during the day. After getting our packing organized we had our last cocktail hour in the Crow’s Nest (I’ve now switched to Pomegranate Ginger Drops), and our last dinner in the dining room.  Salmon tartar or Sweetbreads, mushroom soup, and prime rib with Baked Alaska were the most popular choices. Mom & I went to see the Dancing with the Stars, which was very entertaining!

We needed to get up early to clear US customs (6:45am). Dis-embarkation was very well organized; we didn’t need to leave our cabins early, and could go to either the Lido or Main dining room for breakfast. Lineups were short and moved fast.  Ian got off earlier as he was flying back today. The rest of us got our arranged shuttle back to Karen & Aarons’s, arriving by 10:00am. No-one has much energy today, but some walked, others did some work, and others napped! We’re going to have leftovers, and an early night tonight.

New Years Day

Fortunately we gained an hours sleep last night. We slept in fairly late, and decided we really didn’t need breakfast. Today it was about 21 C and overcast, a good day for activities rather than the pool. Karen & I did the 5 km Walk for the Cure. Then several of us went to the talk about the History of Mexico, informative and entertaining. There was another Mexican cooking show, then a lovely high Dutch Tea. Ian & I went to the Salsa Dance class which we found quite challenging. Iyla has been working on her homework, and several people were going to have massages. I think most people are planning an earlier night tonight!

New Years

Holland America did a great job of New Years Eve. We got a family portrait taken, always difficult with that many people! Then the Gala Dinner in the Dining Room; Smoked salmon with caviar , and sweetbreads with mushrooms being the 2 most popular starters, Surf & Turf the most popular diner followed by Duck Breast stuffed with Foi Gras. Some lovely decadent desserts,( luckily very small )followed. Afterwards we headed up to the Crowsnest, but quickly realized the music wasn’t to our taste. We then headed down to the Show Lounge featuring La Keisha and the Halcats. It was great fun, lots of music to dance to, an entertaining singer, balloons and champagne at midnight. All of us that stayed up did some dancing (including Mom). Ian & I stayed till 1:00am, something we don’t often do!(and it was so much fun I forgot to take any pictures)

PV Sail away

Alan, Rowena, Jenya & Iyla raved about their Shore excursion. They had a chance to snorkel with lots of fish, also to kayak and have time on the beach. The crew on the boat were amazing, keeping everyone entertained. There was a buffet lunch & drinks included. I can see why it’s rated the most popular excursion in P.V.! I’ll post pictures once they sent them to me.

It was a lovely temperature for sail away, also lighter than the other ports. We had a great view of the Bay of Bandaros.

Puerto Vallarta

It was overcast this morning as we arrived in Puerto Vallarta, but warm and humid.  Two other ships in so along with the Christmas vacation tourists staying in town it’s very busy! 5 of us took a taxi in to downtown. Some confusion over price, we thought it should be $20.00 to $25.00 and it ended up $30.00 They have really fixed up the waterfront area with a lovely Malacon making it easy to walk along with out traffic. Very crowded today though. We walked over as far as the Marsol, the hotel we stayed at in 1985. Don’t know if I would stay there today! Lots of Mexican families on the Los Muertos beach, and all restaurants looked pretty full.  We walked through the marketplace along the river, lots of nice things but we weren’t in a shopping mood. We headed back to the ship for a late lunch and a relaxing afternoon to get ready for the Gala New Years Eve. Alan, Rowena , Jenya & Iyla were doing an all day excursion to  Yelapa & Majahuitas so we’ll hear about that when they get back.

Mazatlan Sunset

 Everyone else went to the old historic downtown of Mazatlan. They had it very well organized for tourists, with many blue shirt volunteers to answer questions. There is a historic blue route marked for walking in, about a half hour walk. Jenya & Iyla were very impressed by the cow and pig heads in the market. Mom Karen & Aaron had a very good late lunch of shrimp, a specialty of Mazatlan. The Nordin/Vincents went to the beach as well, and Iyla did some bodysurfing.

Once again there was a beautiful sunset for sailaway. Only 4 of us made it to the dining room for dinner, everyone else was too tired or getting up early. 3 of us did make it to the Rat Pack tribute show.

Mazatlan Shore Excursion

I had booked myself a “Jungle Tour Ecologico by Boat” with a private company. No one else in our group was interested, so I went by myself. There were about 30 people, all from the Veendam. It was a great tour, we saw the tuna and shrimp boat fleet in the port, then lots of birds (over 40 species) as we cruised through the estuary and the mangroves. We disembarked on the far side of Stone Island, and took a “Mexican limo” which is a cart with bench seats pulled by a tractor. It took us to the Ocean side of Stone Island, and along a long beautiful beach. There was quite a bit of surf. We passed some groups of ATVs and also horseback riders. After several miles we came to the swimming beach with many restaurants, and stopped for a wonderful lunch with salsa and chips, garlic fish served with tortillas, rice & beans, salad and sauces. We had about an hour free time, so I went for a walk on the beach, wading through the water. It felt quite warm, but I decided not to swim. It was about 21C today, comfortable when dry but a little cool if you’re wet. Lots of kids in swimming though! We went back a different way, much quicker, and our guide Polo fed the birds on the way back. They look for him, and will eat out of his hand.  Back at the port I looked through the little marketplace they had set up. There looked to be some nice things, but I wasn’t in the mood for shopping today! I’ll need to meet up with the rest of the group to find out what they got up to today.