Day 8: At Sea

I think the hum of the engines starting up just prior to our departure from Mazatlan is what woke us up morning. We initially thought we had left early, but no. We sailed at 7am as planned. It remained quite hot, quite humid and surprisingly sunny. It definitely seemed as if the Grand Princess was cruising slowly, and the captain’s noon announcement confirmed that. The ship was moving northward at about 11 knots, staying just behind Hurricane Rachel as she headed west out to sea.

We ate lightly in Sabatini’s, me because I wanted to get an early pool session and didn’t want too much in my stomach, believing the pool water might be sloshy. Actually, it was perfect. The water temp was 86°, it wasn’t rough at all and I was in the Terrace Pool alone until I was nearly finished. Loungers were never set up today on any of the aft decks, leading us to believe that the deck crew expected some high winds and heavy seas, though I don’t think it ever got that bad. 

My workout done, I got cleaned up for dinner…at 10:30am, which kinda ruled out a hot tub visit later in the day. We sat on the Promenade Deck until lunch with Nyoman and Peter. I enjoyed a delicious Mongolian seafood stir fry today; G had mint ice cream for his dessert.  It was a good day. 😉

We finally made it up to the Sports Deck after lunch (2 basketballs, 2 soccer balls, a smaller ball I didn’t recognize and a full pickleball set up, including 4 paddles and a bag of balls). With no loungers set up, the aft decks looked massive…and empty. 

We napped then. Well, I pretended to. I must get better at that before the crossing. Moving clocks back an hour day after day sounds so easy…until I want to go to bed right after dinner. Captain Ravera told us that we will be moving clocks back at 2am, not midday (he is not a fan of that). Back, I don’t have an opinion. Forward I like doing midday. 

Sometime this afternoon we received an email from Princess containing a move over offer. Thanks, but no. I think this may be a tough sell, with our upcoming cruise being a repositioning voyage. Aussies are probably already on their way to California, and people from this side of the world are almost bound to have onward travel plans, be they more cruises (like us) or flights home from Sydney. One thing is certain…we won’t be enjoying the extra space and empty elevators we’ve had on this cruise. 

We stopped by the Elite Lounge (a sea day full of food) where I discovered Jimber had put out macadamia nuts. Had I missed them on previous days?  Will they be there tomorrow?  I wasn’t going to take a chance and ate ahead, just in case. 

I had to laugh at the dinner menu. Entrees included Mexican seafood stew, which is basically cioppino minus the oregano plus cilantro and more red pepper flakes, and similar to the Bering Sea stew served on Alaska cruises. No matter. I love Princess seafood stew by any name. 

Tonight’s Princess Theater show featured a juggler and it is a testament to the fact that we wanted to be doing something that would keep us awake until the New Orleans jazz set at 8:30pm that we went. To a juggling show. Us. Never say never, but if it had been a ventriloquist instead, I predict we would have been tucked into bed at 7pm. 

Day 7: Mazatlan!

It was wonderful morning to wake up in a mostly sunny Mazatlan. We really had expected a rainy day, given the hurricane activity in the area. It was, however, very hot and humid, and that scuttled the meager plans we had for the day. Actually, I had really wanted to parasail for the first time in 40 years, and G was not a fan of that idea. Between you and me, I think that the heat and humidity  gave him an excuse to not take a pulmonia to the beach as we had planned. No matter. It was still a fun day. 

Sidebar:  Did you know that pulmonia is the Spanish word for pneumonia and that was the name given to the small, open air cars back in the late 1960s by taxi drivers who felt threatened by the introduction of that competitive mode of transit? The taxi drivers claimed that the sea air would make their riders ill and give them pneumonia. But tourists so fell in love with them that it actually became an endearing term instead of a derogatory one. Ha!  Touché! 

Actually, in today’s heat, I think an air conditioned taxi would have been the preferable way to travel. But we never even got that far and didn’t have to choose. Because…parasailing. Anyway, back to what we actually did do today…. 

It started once again in the best possible way, breakfast in Sabatini’s. Oh, we will miss that next cruise! Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?  I’m not sure; I’ll tell you next week 😉.

We made it only as far as the Green Bar in the courtyard of the Mazatlan cruise terminal. We settled in with local Pacifico beers, chips and salsa and enjoyed the music and the antics of the bar waiters there for a few hours.

Who knew Tajin came in so many flavors?

The heat finally pushed us back on the ship where we had a light lunch in the Horizon Court and I did a water workout in the Terrace Pool. The water was warm today, and the pool was busy, but I carved out a corner and did my thing, though not as ambitiously as I usually do. Which was sad because the water really was perfect and, of course, totally calm because we were docked. We may not see that again for a few days. 

We got cleaned up for dinner and walked around the ship checking out the pool situation today. Only the Neptunes Reef and Terrace Pools were open. The work on the Calypso Pool appears to be done but it was netted over; perhaps a sealant was drying or curing orc something. And I don’t know why the Lotus Spa pool was out of service, or how long it has been. 

It was nice to return to Libres and Sulton’s table in the Michelangelo Dining Room tonight. We ate very lightly (because it felt like we had been eating all day) and then got front row seats in the Princess Theater  for tonight’s production show, Sweet Soul Music. It’s a hundred years old, but is still a personal favorite. 

We next went to the Vista-less Lounge (and, at night, it still is the Vista-less Lounge because the window coverings are all closed) for Coloy (who it turns out, really is a guitarist and vocalist) to perform a Celine Dion and Whitney Houston set. It was ok…but every song sounded the same. Actually, that shouldn’t be a surprise if you think about it. Next up was Silent Disco, another personal favorite. 

And then it was bedtime, likely our last stable night’s sleep for a long, long while. 

Day 6: At Sea

The ship was so calm overnight and this morning that we slept deeply and woke early. It was nice to attend to morning ablutions without needing to hold on. We were in Snobatini’s just after it opened and had a light breakfast, and then I took advantage of the calm to do a water workout in the Terrace Pool.  The day was warmer and much more humid. In fact, my glasses were fogging up as soon as I walked outside, reminding me of summer days in Ohio, North Carolina and South Florida. 

At 10am I attended an enrichment lecture by a naturalist on sea turtles (quite good) and then texted G to meet me on the Promenade Deck. We sat in two of the many available chairs and just enjoyed the sunlight glistening on the water. I love a wide Promenade Deck with chairs!

We then went directly to the Botticelli Dining Room for lunch (with Nyoman and Peter, of course). We nearly always order two of the fish (or chicken) tacos made into a salad with extra mango salsa. It’s another case where our favorite foods are ones that most resemble what we eat at home.

At lunch Captain Ravera made the anticipated announcement about how the remainder of our cruise will play out.  Mazatlan tomorrow is on, Cabo is out (the port has been closed) and we will stay overnight in Mazatlan and sail at 7am the next morning for Los Angeles. 

After lunch the winds picked up (60 mph!!) and things got much rockier. I was glad I did my pool thing this morning, and heard that the pools were all closed later this afternoon. I’m not surprised by that. I slammed against the pool wall yesterday and could have knocked my teeth out (but, please, not another dental implant!! Lord, what a long and expensive process that has turned out to be.)

We finally went to the Horizon Court for the first time this cruise for, of course, watermelon. I have been saved from the ordeal of wrestling full-sized watermelons home from the store and into the house by the abundance this summer of personal-sized melons. Split in half, they are perfect for the two of us with no leftovers, and conveniently come with a bowl built in. But there is nothing better than cut up watermelon on a cruise ship. We just hadn’t yet made it to buffet to get any. 

The first of many bowls of watermelon we’ll be enjoying.

We also needed that mid-afternoon snack because tonight there were two Captains Circle parties, at 5pm and 7pm, and we knew that dinner, if we got any, would be late. We were honored be this cruise’s most travelled guests (hence the Sabatini’s breakfast), and we were, frankly, shocked by that news when we got it Day 1. That’s not something we expect cruising out of California!  The numbers were:

#3: 1504 days

#2: 1791 days

#1: 1848 days

The second and third most travelled guests are from Sydney and will obviously be staying on for the crossing, which is great, because we have all really hit it off. Of course, we will likely all be shifting down in the most travelled rankings when the new guests board next cruise. Such is the fleeting nature of most travelled fame. 😉😉😉

Following the second party (and let me say again how much we are enjoying cruising with Captain Stefano Ravera) we walked down to Botticelli Dining Room and asked they could seat us for a quick dinner (because it was Italian night, and nothing keeps us from Italian night!). It was wide open down there, so of course they could accommodate us. Following minestrone (for me) and lasagna (for G) we were on our way home….

…where we found the following letter waiting for us in our cabin. This is remarkable generosity on Princess’s part, considering that none is the re-routing is their fault and was all due to acts of God or the town of Loreto (going back to the itinerary we originally booked). I understand that some people have been sorely disappointed. We aren’t among them. We’re having a great cruise…and will get a future cruise credit for a cruise we have scheduled for next spring.

Life is good. :-)

Day 5: At Sea

We are reaching a maximum relaxed state here and it only took five days. There is hope for us yet. 

We slept well. Really well. Actually, I think I was asleep before I even got back to the cabin last night, but the sleep clock doesn’t officially start until the contacts come out. That act marks the best part of entire day.  No noise from our neighbors, no noise from the deck above. This is a perfect cabin location (Deck 12 aft) but then we already knew it would be. 

I ate lightly at breakfast in Sabatini’s, just a slice of sourdough toast with smashed avo and a little smoked salmon. I knew what riches the day would bring and wanted to start out wisely. 

After breakfast I went up to the Lido Deck to check out the pool situation. Yesterday afternoon, the Neptunes Reef pool was a combination of a MUTS movie (with heavy bass) and a lot of people. The Calypso Reef (glass covered) pool was netted over. That’s how I ended up back in the Terrace Pool despite its cooler water temp. This morning the Neptunes Reef pool was still quiet but pretty sloshy, and the Calypso Pool was a construction zone.  I think they’re doing a major overhaul on that pool as there were several crew there with sanders and other equipment. It should be fine by the crossing. The Terrace Pool was again my best option. I got my gear and started a workout. 

I had planned for cooler water temps  I’m used to that. We have four rec centers in our community, and with multiple indoor pools. I know when I go to a class at each one how deep the pool is and what the water temp will be. I brought long sleeved swim tops and swim pants and have been wearing them for each pool session since we got on the ship.  Today’s water was pretty nippy. I also fought sea sickness the whole time from the wave action. Now, that I hadn’t anticipated. But I wanted to get that workout in. I knew my afternoon would be a waste. 

Today was MTG luncheon day, held in the Crown Grill. Oh my. This was one of the best ever. I have to let you in on a little secret. We came on board not knowing that our captain, Captain Stefano Ravera, had a brother, Captain Paulo Ravera, also with Princess. I thought they were one and the same, and, as we had gotten to know Captain Paulo Ravera fairly well on the Sapphire Princess in Asia, I thought we’d be renewing an old acquaintance.  No. Instead we sat with Captain S. Ravera and got to know him. What a delightful man. The other two couples at our table were from Sydney, obviously staying on for the crossing, and we enjoyed great conversation and an outstanding meal and service. And, as anticipated, I was a slug for the rest of the day. But what a luxury to be able to do that!

This was G’s beef tenderloin. They were actually two jumbo shrimp on the plate before I snagged them 😆

This dessert!!! Amazing. Those chocolate circles sandwiched dark and white chocolate truffles. Seriously. Unreal.

We rested all afternoon. Well, G rested. I blogged. That’s the thing about blogging. It’s like going to college, where, no matter what you’re doing, you really should be studying. Except this is more like no matter what you’re doing, you really should be blogging. Or editing your blog. Always.

We skipped the Elite Lounge but did go to dinner, only because we appreciate our table and our waiters Libres and Sulton so much. And because we won’t be there tomorrow night due to Captains Circle parties, we felt we really needed to go tonight. I had soup and tea and was good. 

Tonight’s Princess Theater entertainment was vocalist Lovena Fox covering the hits of female stars of various genres. We had hoped to follow that with a candlelight concert (you know how we love those) by Caloy Quemada in the Vista Lounge (not even certain what instrument he plays, but I suspect he’s a guitarist) but didn’t make it. 

On a weather-related note, I mentioned to the captain today that the online rumor mill was active regarding what the Grand would be doing to deal with Rachel. He asked me to tell him about them, so I did. And when I had finished he said that he wasn’t aware of any of those predicted outcomes. None of them. It truly hasn’t been decided yet, and, for today, the ship continues to make its way to Mazatlán as planned. We are sailing well out to sea to minimize discomfort on board, enabling us to enjoy a comfortable cruise. The pools are sloshy but aside from that, we’re escaping the inclement weather around us. 

Oh, and we were told that there are just over 2000 guests on this cruise, about 500 less than normal capacity. I think that many people did cancel after the itinerary was so revised the day before the cruise began. This ship feels almost empty. Elevators nearly always arrive empty and go directly to the chosen deck, there is plenty of seating. It’s nice. I understand why people would cancel but they missed a wonderfully relaxing cruise. 

Day 4: At Sea

Today’s weather turned out to be much better than I’d imagined it would. We had a lot of sun, some wind and slightly bouncy seas. It was life as usual on the ship. A good day. 

It helped a great deal that we finally got a great night’s sleep. That the “neighborhood” was calm and quiet helped immensely. We were in Sabatini’s for breakfast shortly after it opened at 7:30am and I mixed things up a little with oatmeal and berries. Oatmeal, I’ve decided, has no staying power. I was starving a few hours later. 

Our view at breakfast

But before hunger set in, I attended a smart phone photography session in the Wheelhouse that turned out to be really quite good. I especially appreciated it because I’ve really spent no time exploring the camera settings on my new iPhone and the photographers actually explained a few functions that are unique to the iPhone 18 Pro. 

Lunch was in the Botticelli Dining Room with Nyoman and Peter, and by 2:30pm I was in the Terrace Pool for a water workout.  It was sheer endurance to get through it today. The pool water was considerably cooler and a little choppy and I froze…but I persisted. After an hour, I stood in a shower as hot as I could tolerate for 20 minutes to warm up. 

Tonight was the only “formal” formal night of the cruise (we will have a dress to impress night on a later sea day). We started the evening in the Elite Lounge (it’s all around wonderful) and then went to dinner. I had to send back my first meal when the halibut that I was so looking forward to was totally overcooked. The second plate was perfect.  But, in general, the food has been great; I think this fish just sat a little too long under a heat lamp. 

G swung by the Welcome Aboard champagne waterfall while I went to the Princess Theater to grab our his favorite seats (this year), at the top of the theater on Deck 7. This set us up to make a quick exit after the show and enabled us to get seats in the Vista Lounge for the comedian whose show began at 8:45pm. 

The reserved Premier seats in the Princess Theater on the Grand Princess.
Isn’t it a pretty Princess Theater?

Production show British Invasion is an oldie but a goodie. The difference in production value between this ship and the newer ones is astounding. The lighting, scenery and sound quality is all fairly basic compared to more recent builds but I don’t think it mattered one bit to the audience, who was in the perfect demographic to enjoy that show. Frankly, I enjoyed it more than any production show we saw on the Star Princess. Go figure. 

Comedian Eric Lyden’s act really hasn’t improved in the ten years since we last saw him perform. ‘Nuff said, but others (including my husband) found him more to their taste. That’s the nature of comedy. 

And, finally, on this light day (content-wise) I’d like to share some initial thoughts on the Grand Princess. If we had any reservations at all about cruising on the oldest ship in the Princess fleet just months after cruising on the newest one, they have been quickly put to rest. The ship looks to be in excellent condition. Our cabin is perfect. The bathroom, the drawers (usually a weak point), the shower, the sink stopper, the mattresses. This could be a brand new ship given their condition. 

The bathroom is unnecessarily large (but so is the shower, which is nice), the closet resultingly small, and the cubbies  shallow, but the room’s remaining storage is similar to other Grand Class ships. The crew has all been wonderful. It’s obvious that this is a well managed ship.  

Of course, if we didn’t have hot water, AC or a working toilet, it would dampen my praise substantially. But that hasn’t been the case. We needn’t have been concerned. 

I’ll continue to share thoughts going forward, but just wanted to get these out there. We’re loving this!

However, we are sailing into a perfect storm of Hurricane Polo and tropical storm Rachel. What the heck?!?  I anticipate further itinerary changes. In fact, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this cruise ends up being San Diego and Ensenada (Rachel permitting). We don’t care. Life on board, even without ports, is pretty darn nice.