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Walt Disney World Resort - A tour of the resorts

2011-09-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to stay at Walt Disney World recently while TravelGirl was there on business. My goal was to visit as many Disney resorts as possible during the three days, and I managed to hit 10 of them. We also spent one day at three of the parks, with the sole purpose of going on as many rides as possible (which will be part of a separate blog post). As always, it’s still a blast to experience Disney parks.

Disney’s Deluxe Resorts

We arrived around 11am on Wednesday at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Check-in was a breeze and the front desk was very friendly. We had the option of valet parking or self-parking, and we chose the latter. The self-parking lot wasn’t that far away, but it could be a bit of a trek if you’re carrying a lot of stuff. If you’ve got a big family, you may want to opt for the valet option.

The room was spacious and mostly clean, except the refrigerator had a leftover dried liquid of some sort (click HERE to view the room tour). Wi-Fi is available in the lobby, and wired internet was available in the room, both for a fee of $9.95 per 24 hour period. They were not interchangeable, however, so if you purchased Wi-Fi in the lobby, you needed to purchase it again in your room. Deluxe resorts come with a refrigerator, dual sinks in the bathroom, and microwaves are available on request.

I then toured a standard room at Disney’s Animal Kingdom resort, The Jamba House. Recently upgraded, the room’s layout was very similar to that of the Yacht Club (click HERE to view the room tour), and came with all of the same amenities. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful.

Finally, I was able to see three rooms at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (opened in 1988 as The Grand Floridian Beach Resort). Of all the resorts I toured, this Victorian themed resort was closest to the Magic Kingdom, with some views of Cinderella’s Castle, Space Mountain, and even Epcot in the distance. While not within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom, it’s a very short monorail ride from the main entrance. I found the cast members extremely friendly, the rooms very clean and the grounds very well kept. The only possible negative I encountered was how far away the self-parking lot was from the resort’s entrance. This resort also has the oldest and most cheerful bellhops I have seen at any accommodation I’ve ever visited anywhere! (Click HERE to view the room tours)

Disney’s Value Resorts

The first Value resort I visited was Disney’s All-Star Sports resort, but unfortunately they were unable to give me a room tour. I did not enjoy my time at this resort, as I had to wait in line for about 20 minutes while I counted 10+ cast members chatting behind the counters. Of the 10 resorts I visited, this was the single worst lobby experience. I will not be recommending this resort to my clients.

The second Value resort I visited was Disney’s All-Star Music resort. The staff there was friendlier than the previous resort, but I didn’t really get that great “Disney customer service experience” that I’ve come to expect. The room felt older, and while I’m not 100% certain, I’m pretty sure it hadn’t been refurbished anytime recently.

I visited the All-Star Movies resort next, and it was definitely the best of the All-Star resorts. The people were friendly, the manager took a minute to introduce himself to me, and the room had been refurbished recently, so it looked great!

Disney’s Pop Century resort was the fourth and final Value resort that I visited, and was my favorite of the Value resorts. As with the previous one, this resort was clean, the people were very friendly and accommodating, and it’s also the newest of the Value resorts. The over-sized artwork from the various decades were captivating. Pieces like the huge foosball table, a giant Big Wheel, and mammoth 8-track cassette tapes really brought me back to memory lane even if for just an hour.

Other notes regarding the value resorts:

None of the rooms include a refrigerator, but one can be rented for $10/night
The rooms will have either one king bed or two double beds
The maximum occupancy in any one standard room is 4
The layout of the lobbies are nearly identical for the Sports, Music and Movies resorts
Click HERE to view tours of the All-Star resorts
Click HERE to view a tour of the Pop Century resort

Disney’s Moderate Resorts

The first Moderate resort I toured was Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort. The lobby was open and inviting, and again, the cast members were very friendly and accommodating. The good news/bad news about this resort involved the beaches. The good news was that each area of the resort, known as “islands” (Aruba, Jamaica, etc), featured a sandy beach area with chaise lounges. The bad news was that the water is unswimmable since it is swampland. The good news is that just above each of the beach areas is a pool, so you’re not that far from the water.

All of the rooms had been recently refurbished, so you have the iHome radio with a docking station for your iPod or iPhone as well as updated furniture and fixtures. Rooms in Moderate resorts also include a refrigerator, so if that’s something you’ll definitely want during your stay, I would recommend at least a Moderate resort.

I toured two different types of rooms: The standard room and the Pirate themed room. Both rooms will accommodate 4 people, but the biggest difference is the absolute, over-the-top décor of the Pirate themed rooms. The beds are shaped like pirate ships, the refrigerator is in a barrel, the dressers are shaped like shipping crates and the curtain that you can draw for privacy in the bathroom area has a giant pirate skull and cross-bones. If you and/or your kids love pirates, YOU MUST STAY IN THIS ROOM (click HERE to view the room tours).

Next, I visited Disney’s Coronado Springs resort, a southwest-themed Moderate resort. Again, nice lobby area, plenty of cast members available, and the wait in line wasn’t bad at all. Unfortunately, there was some miscommunication among the cast members regarding my tour. After requesting the tour, I waited nearly an hour for a cast member. Not really a big deal, but surprising nevertheless.

The rooms had been refurbished recently and were very nice and spacious. There really isn’t a ton to add about the rooms, as the layout among the two moderate resorts were very similar (click HERE to view the room tour). The cast members were polite and friendly, just as I would expect from Disney.

Finally, I had a chance to tour The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness resort. This was the last resort that I toured and also included a somewhat… different tour guide. What was so different, you might ask? He was cranky and chose to give me some of his opinions on Disney as an employer! I was shocked, but I must admit that I found it rather amusing.

If you prefer to unwind away from all the action in a cabin that can comfortably sleep a family of six, this is the resort for you. Each cabin includes one set of bunk beds, one double bed, one pull-down double bed, a full kitchen, a sizable deck and a barbecue. This is also a great option for families looking to save a few bucks by preparing some meals in the cabin versus dining out every night. Also at Disney’s Fort Wilderness resort are full campsites with RV hookups as well as standard tent sites -- a neat option if you want get your Disney on during the day and “rough it” at night (click HERE to view the cabin tour).

In summary, I found the vast majority of resorts clean, spacious and the cast members very friendly and helpful. The difference between the Value, Moderate and Deluxe resorts were noticeable and I walked away with a clear understanding of which level to recommend to my clients when they’re considering a trip to Walt Disney World.

We love quitters!

2011-07-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

By TravelGuy:

Ever been hypnotized? Many of us are under self-hypnosis every day when we drive somewhere (to work, for example) and don't even remember how we got there. We were in a state of self-hypnosis. If you want to read more about this, read on...

Some people don’t like hypnotherapy because they think they will lose control or be forced to cluck like a chicken the rest of their life. Hypnotherapy is much different than hypnosis for entertainment, but either way, you can’t be hypnotized unless you want to be. If you sit down and say, “I won’t be hypnotized, I won’t be hypnotized, I won’t be hypnotized…”. Guess what? You won’t be hypnotized.

Like everything, hypnotherapy is a tool and its effectiveness will be directly proportional to how you use it. Hypnotherapy has helped folks in several ways, some of which are: Weight loss, regaining focus, overcoming phobias, and of course, quitting smoking.

I had been thinking about creating a unique cruise that would also help people in some way. With all of the accessible food on a ship, weight loss didn’t seem to be the right fit. After talking it over with my hypnotherapist, Laura Kohn, we agreed that quitting smoking would be perfect. A cruise is ideal for hypnotherapy because the subject is already in a relaxed environment while being on vacation, and while there are places to smoke on the ship, new regulations by cruise lines have made smoking more and more difficult for smokers.

Together with Laura Kohn, I've created a Quit Smoking at Sea cruise sailing on January 8^th, 2012 for 7 nights on the Norwegian Pearl from Miami to the Western Caribbean. Cruise fare includes two group hypnotherapy sessions with Laura Kohn (http://www.laurakohngroup.com) as well as a $50 spa credit per cabin. Plus, I'll be making a donation to the American Cancer Society for each cabin booked. Want to start out 2012 the right way? Kick the habit!

…and we’re in Paradise!

2011-05-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

By TravelGuy:

As most people now know, we’ve lived in Delray Beach, FL for just over a month now. So far, we love it! However, like any new region, there is that whole “getting used to the new stuff” time period. For us, that includes critters and drivers.

Let’s compare drivers. Please know this is one person’s (my) opinion, and does not represent the opinions of everyone in Seattle, Phoenix, or Delray Beach. How’s that for a disclaimer?

Seattle: The drivers are pretty polite. Not a ton of road rage, not a lot of tailgaters (unless you’re referring to our kick-ass Seahawks Tailgating brethren), but plenty of just plain bad drivers. It’s tough to give Seattle an accurate grade because of all the days spent driving in dark or wet conditions. Most drive 5+ above the speed limit, use turn signals, will let a merging car in front of them, and rarely use their horns. However, I have met my fair share of full blown crappy drivers during my 23 years in Seattle.

Phoenix: The drivers are crazy. Most drive 10+ over the speed limit and they’ll tailgate you like nobody’s business. That being said, the average skill of driver is well above average. They’re completely unsafe, but they generally drive with good skills (if that makes any sense). Let's just say that overall, they are very aggressive drivers, and have the fifth highest rate of DUI in the country! Just ask TravelGirl how many drunk drivers she reported during our time in Arizona. They also enjoy rolling into the crosswalk as they anticipate the light turning green. It’s a good thing very few people walk in Phoenix, because all the crosswalks are occupied with cars!

Florida: I only have one month of driving under my belt in the Delray/Boca Raton/Fort Lauderdale area, but the drivers here are overall the worst of anywhere I’ve lived. You get a complete mish-mash of insane drivers and/or bad drivers who just can’t seem to stay in their own lane while driving or even while parking. And if there are multiple lanes turning left, look out! Many drivers here have their own idea of which lane to turn in to. And the amount of people who aren’t paying attention when the light turns green is unreal. I guess they’re all re-upholstering their cars at red lights. This brings me to the one thing I absolutely love about driving here… honking. If you honk on the west coast, you might as well be flippin’ them the bird. Here, everybody honks. I love it. If you’re screwing up, you should be honked at. Pay attention! *honk*

Now lets talk about the critters.

Seattle has raccoons, possums, rats, wasps/hornets, and sugar ants. Most of those are either easy to control or only come out at night, so you don’t see them all that often.

Phoenix has scorpions, cockroaches/palmetto bugs, snakes, black widows, coyotes, lizards and javelinas. Our battle with scorpions seemed endless until our cat (Patti) adopted us, as they’re immune to scorpion venom. Saw one black widow and that was it. Heard coyotes, but we had a walled in yard, so no worries there. Only had one cockroach and one palmetto bug the 18 months we were there, so no big deal. Saw one snake on the highway one time and that was it. TravelGirl saw a javelina, but it was deceased on the side of the road. Overall, the scorpions were a pain in the neck the first few months, but we ended up getting it under control with a scorpion slaying stick and Patti.

Again, Florida has a mish-mash of critters compared to the two cities above. Raccoons, possums, wasps/hornets, snakes, cockroaches/palmetto bugs, lizards as well as ghost ants, fire ants, bufo toads, and alligators. So far, except for the alligators, we’ve seen the entire list of these critters, though some were just laying on the side of the road. We’ve hired a pest control company to keep the critters under control, and so far, so good. The bufo toads are the most alarming. They’re nocturnal and can spray venom on you or your pets. I found a toad floundering in our pool and then saw another one as I patrolled the yard before letting the dogs out. Not sure if it was the bufo toad or not, but it’s scary knowing that these toads could kill our dogs. TravelGirl has found three lizards in the shower, but Patti is now on their trail. All is good.

A key reason we left Phoenix is because of the beach… or lack thereof. We are currently living 3.4 miles from the beach, which is something we’ve never experienced before (in terms of a true swimming beach – Richmond Beach in Seattle doesn’t count!). We love it! The culture and speed of Delray Beach is right up our alley as well. Atlantic Avenue is awesome, and we can easily find Asian food again on just about any corner.

For now, we’ve found our little slice of paradise – a bit of NW culture, the sun that we so desperately seek, and a friendly and welcoming village.

Willamette Valley Organic Wine Tasting Fun!

2010-12-21T16:32:00.000-08:00

By TravelGirl:
So, you’d like to go on a wine-tasting tour, and your mind automatically goes to Napa Valley or Sonoma, right? Of course it does! Did you ever think of venturing to Oregon Wine Country? The Willamette Valley boasts some of the region’s best organic wines.

We had the opportunity to visit three wineries over Thanksgiving weekend, during what is becoming an annual event for us. Pour. Swish. Taste. Repeat. YUM! This year, we took on the theme of organic wines (read Skinny Bitch, and you’ll understand more about my transition to organic wines!) and assembled a trek that took us through two wineries in the Ribbon Ridge region of the Willamette Valley, followed by a visit to Lemelson just three miles east of Carlton, also in the Willamette Valley.

Our designated driver this year was TravelGuy himself, Alex. Leaving my mother’s house in Tualatin meant we’d have a fairly short drive out to Styring Vineyards, a small, family-run vineyard in Tualatin. Our $5 tasting feed included five tastings. I must say my favorite was Shameless, not because the winery had a plethora of Shameless t-shirts for sale for him and her, or because I think I have no shame, but maybe because they are pinot makers who made a cab. I really don’t know, as I’m not a wine connoisseur, just a girl who appreciates a decent wine. Styring offered semi-sweet chocolate, wafers, crackers and cheese to help cleanse our palates in between tastings. Does food really work to cleanse a palate? Oh, who cares? The cheese was good, the owners of the winery were mingling and available, and we learned the trick of cleaning with Everclear. Yes, Everclear. Styring produces organic wines not as a marketing tool, but as a lifestyle choice. Not only do they forgo the use of pesticides on their grapes, but they use Everclear as their primary cleaning agent. Hmm. Makes ya think, eh?

From Styring, we headed south a few short miles to Brick House Vineyards. Sing it with me now; she’s a brick… hoooouuuse. Brick House is an organic farm most noted for their Pinot Noirs. The ambiance at Brick House was rustic with a true Northwest charm and scent, however, we felt like sardines in a nightclub! The place was so packed that it was difficult to move from tasting to tasting, or simply to relax and chat and enjoy the surroundings of the lodge-like abode. The wine itself featured Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay Noir and was quite good. For their $15 tasting fee, we received an Oregon Pinot Noir Glass and six tastings which included wines, cheese and honey.

Lemelson Winery was our last destination, saving the largest for last. Our $20 tasting fee included 20 tastings (yeah, that’s right), an Oregon Pinot Noir glass, and bottomless servings of gourmet cheeses. I think I consumed as much cheese as I did wine! So much for giving up cheese, as I think I made up for my last several months of avoiding real cheese. Lemelson had the most variety of wines available (after all, they own seven estate vineyard sites, all of which are certified organic!) for tasting as well as the most knowledgeable and friendly staff. Their variety of pinot noir seemed endless, but that could be because we tasted just about every pinot they handcrafted! We could have spent the entire time just chatting and sipping pinot with the owner as we closed the place down, and were guided out of the side entrance because the main doors were locked at closing time.

With bounces in our steps and giddiness in our hearts, we left the valley and headed back into town recapping our full day of wine spectating (can I say that even though I’m just learning to note a fruity tone and an earthy finish?) and cheese consumption (ok, I can easily say I’m an expert in this!).

Though most of the tasting rooms in the Willamette Valley are closed over the Christmas holiday, you will find that most are normally open 4-5 days per week. The next time you’re considering a wine getaway, skip CA and check out Oregon Wine Country. The Willamette Valley will not disappoint. In fact, it will surprise and delight you!

Arizona's White Mountains - NW feel in the SW

2010-08-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl:

Last weekend, TravelGuy and I decided to take a trip up to rim country, and check out life in the "not so hot" part of Arizona. We made our way up to Pinetop, in the heart of the White Mountains. It's funny though. Coming from the NW, to call something a mountain means that it's really a mountain. To me, you can ski on a mountain, it snows on a mountain (usually year-round, depending...), and sometimes mountains will erupt (think 1980 Mt. St. Helens). Mountains and hills are not the same thing in my mind. So, when we made our way to the White Mountains, I expected to see the snow-topped mountains during our drive, not a forest of green trees with an elevation of 7,000 feet and no "pointy top" (except for Mt. St. Helens of course). To be fair, we were there in July, so I wasn't planning to be driving in 12 feet of snow, but I DID expect to see a big pyramid-like natural hill that I could call a mountain. Well, that didn't happen.

Nevertheless, the White Mountains (can't we all just call it the White Hills?) were beautiful! We stayed in lodge-style accommodations in Pinetop, the perfect location for our weekend adventure. Our back deck faced the trees...and nothing else! This area of Arizona boasts the largest concentration of Ponderosa Pines in the world! The pine trees, though a different variety, really added a NW flair to the area, complete with sightings of squirrels and birds fighting over food in the trees.

Having not been camping in two years, we REALLY needed this weekend to get back to nature. Phoenix isn't exactly an earthly locale, so this getaway was perfect. Near Pinetop is Show Low, and our research indicated that the Show Low Farmers Market would be open during our visit. Our idea of a Farmers Market is of local farmers selling their locally grown produce at a fair price -- good deal for them, good deal for us. Well, not so in Show Low. Their Farmers Market consisted of exactly 10 booths, selling t-shirts, waffle dogs (uh huh), framed pictures -- it was really more like an arts and crafts carnival. Good thing we had an alternative activity as a back-up! We headed over to the Show Low Dog Days of Summer, where dogs were participating in agility contests, musical chairs (yep, you read that correctly) and strutting around for the rest of us to oooh and aaaaw. Good thing we LOVE canines because our 30 minutes at this event was a snoozer as well. We weren't really in rim country to check out dogs and a farmers market anyhow, so our trek took us up north to Snowflake where we happened upon a cool little secret spot called Amelia's Garden.

We don't like to eat out much, as it's just not a healthy way to live, you lose control of the ingredients that go in to making your meals, and it's not how we choose to spend money (when we're not traveling)...and yet people wonder why they are overweight. Eat at home, folks! Though we packed a cooler with food, we just had to check out this little green, healthy place. Amelia's Garden is part cafe, part organic grocery store. It was here that I was able to buy my hulled hemp seeds (I was jonesin' for a snack, BAD!), and grab a healthy vegetarian sandwich on gluten free bread, and thank Buddha on my way out the door! If you're in the area, and like healthy food, check out Amelia's Garden.

Our trek up north brought us to the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert within it. Oh. My. Gawd. The Painted Desert was simply one of the most beautiful sights I've seen in my lifetime. To think that this natural creation is made up of stone and petrified wood, yes petrified wood that is 225 MILLION years old, qualifies as simply amazing. The panoramic view of the landscape gives me shivers. When you're standing at a lookout, and all you can see around you is the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest, it's easy to forget you're in the desert, let alone Arizona, or the U.S. or even on earth. It really is that surreal.

With so many hiking and camping opportunities around this portion of Arizona, we found ourselves exploring grounds and performing a level of "recon" for a future trip. While visiting Lyman Lake, we encountered a bug in the road within the campgrounds. It wasn't just any ol' bug though. It was a tarantula, but this one wasn't a stuffed one that you can buy at Spencer's. This was the real thing. Yes, we stopped to look up close. Yes, we took a photo. Ick.

Our trip continued south through Springerville, then west to Greer. Neat little place, that Greer. The lodging there consists primarily of authentic log cabins, in a woodsy setting, surrounded by ponderosas. The place to be is Molly Butler's, and while we didn't actually stop in, it was Casino Night and the place was hoppin' at just 4pm. Get there early!

Back in Pinetop, we enjoyed our camplike setting among the trees, woodsy scents, pine cones, squirrels, and birds. This wasn't a camping trip, but it's the closest we've come to camping in awhile. The native NW girl in me longs for a flannel shirt, roasting marshmallows by the campfire, and a good game of gin rummy before the rain hits! Did I really say that? Ok, maybe just a couple of days of that as long as it's combined with 363 days of sunshine!

Visiting Arizona? Check out the White Mountains -- Beauty at its best!

Keep Traveling in Tough Economic Times

2010-07-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

It's been far too long since we've updated our blog. No excuses on our end. Life happens. We've been traveling, and simply put...we've been enjoying life like it was meant to be lived. While we work on providing you with some insight into our recent travels to Key West, inaugural sailing of Norwegian Epic, and fantastic tour of Oasis of the Seas, we're pleased to provide you with a boost to keep on keepin' on. In other words, we've been away because we've been traveling. When's the last time you took a respite?

Check out these tips from Stuart Hely of BookCentralCoast.com.au. He's got the right idea!

The travel industry is "self-correcting" when it comes to economic downturns. It may be THE best time to travel and get travel bargains. Airlines, hotels and tour operators are slashing prices and offering extras like they haven't in a long time.

We think it's important to keep traveling unless it will completely ruin your home budget. Clearly during global financial slowdowns, we are all going to have to work a little harder for less. We will have to plan our spending a little more carefully, but we shouldn't give up traveling.

You might want to dine out less often, take your lunch to work, start mowing your own lawn... then put the money you save toward your travel budget.

Travel plays a vital role in our lives. It is rejuvenating. It's one thing to take your vacation time and just stay home... it's a whole lot better for you to go somewhere and try something new. There is pleasure in the discovery that travel gives you. You might even cherish your travel experiences more during tough times. If you have to focus on value, do that, but still travel.

We just need to find ways to pad our travel budget. You know you still want to go.... You just want to trim around the edges and travel for less. Stop and make a list of things you can cut down on at home and not miss too much. We're sure you can add to our list.... Don't part with your vacation. Even in the U.S. where workers normally only get two weeks of vacation a year, the majority of people say that vacations are important.

Travelers may simply travel closer to home in rough times. With our web pages and blogs, we'll try to help by giving you ideas on how to save... how to travel more frugally. Don't give up on your wildest travel dreams. Travel frugally now, but hang onto those travel dreams for future trips when the economy recovers a bit.

Travelers may look to prepackaged tours to save money but still be able to travel. Volunteer vacations may be a way to save on a trip and contribute to helping some segment of society at the same time.

Some people may talk about cutting back, but we're a world full of wanderers... collectively, we love to travel.... and since we do think of that old saying... Where there is a will, there is a way.

Go out and enjoy the world, but instead of eating at 5 star Michelin restaurants, enjoy a little local place, or picnic. Spend leisurely days in free museums. Hike in the mountains. Take the travel pace a little slower... walk, take public transportation... just sit in a sidewalk cafe and enjoy the ambience.

Travel not only helps you, it helps keep economies flowing. During economic downturns, and when terrorism strikes, it's easy to start feeling depressed. Taking a break from the daily grind... some place exciting and new lifts your spirits. It just makes you feel good.

And isn't there a saying that goes something like... if it feels good... do it? So we hope everyone will keep traveling... you'll just learn to travel smarter.

Panamaximum overdrive on Island Princess!

2010-04-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl:

Let me start by saying that this post is much longer than a traditional blog post, as it's a review of our Panama Canal cruise. Grab your favorite beverage, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

We booked this 10-night Panama Canal full transit cruise while aboard another Princess cruise 16 months earlier. Booking far in advance lends itself to a certain level of anticipation that sometimes builds higher-than-necessary expectations from having envisioned the cruise over and over, researched and planned excursions, and read and re-read every other review on the planet, and then talked and talked and talked about how fun it’s going to be. Fun we had, and here’s my story:

PRE-CRUISE HOTEL:

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Acapulco for two nights pre-cruise, and couldn't have been more pleased with the choice!

We arrived from the airport about two hours before official check-in, but our room was ready. Well, I should clarify that. The room we had booked had been oversold, so we were upgraded to a suite. Considering we had only paid $65 + tax for our standard room, the fact that we had a suite was an excellent perk!

Our suite faced out at the ocean, and had a wrap-around balcony that extended from the living room around to the bedroom. The room was very open, light, and airy, and at night we could hear the waves crashing ashore.

The only negative was that the hotel was located smack dab next to MTV's Spring Break, so the first night we heard a lot of THUMP, THUMP, BOOM, BOOM and all the hootin' and hollerin' from the spring breakers nearby. Though our suite was on the 18th floor, we could still hear the music and screaming from below up into the weeeee hours of the night. Thankfully, MTV's Spring Break ended in time for our second night of sleep and we both slept like a rock!

Keep in mind that this hotel is older, and while clean, it sometimes just feels different because it's old. Don't expect any carpeting in the room. The entire room is tile, so plan to bring slippers or socks so you don't feel the cold floor on your feet.

The location on the beach in Acapulco was an added plus. While the water here really wasn't very swimmable due to the undertow, we were still able to lie on lounge chairs, under an umbrella and relax on the beach while ordering food/drinks from the beach servers. We did, however, dip our toes into the water to cool off, and the pool itself was beautiful (with a swim-up bar!) with many open chairs for us to lounge...but we just preferred being in the sand.

The best part of this hotel, and our room, was waking up on the second morning and seeing the Island Princess waiting for us in port. Though the hotel doesn't offer a cruise shuttle, cabs are readily available from the front lobby. For a video tour of the pre-cruise hotel, click or paste this link into your browser:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzHMBgr4qOQ

EMBARKATION:

Embarkation in Acapulco was confusing, as they were obviously not prepared to receive a bunch of cruise passengers. Not many ships sail out of Acapulco, and the left foot didn’t seem to know what the right foot was doing when it came to directing passengers on where to go, where to stand, what to do, etc. After much confusion, we found our way inside the shopping mall (for lack of better word) at the cruise port, where we commandeered a few chairs while others sat on their luggage awaiting embarkation time. Around us were gifty little shops selling jewelry, souvenirs, pharmaceuticals, snacks, and coffee. The conversation with fellow cruisers was so invigorating though that we simply forgot about the inconvenience of being crammed into a tiny space while waiting to board. Once the boarding process began, we were on the ship within 20 minutes. Easy.

CABIN:

We booked an inside guarantee and were assigned a 4-category upgrade within the inside cabin class – perfect! Princess has sizable inside cabins, and we never once found ourselves tripping over each other. Both the closet and the drawers provided more than enough space for the two of us to completely unpack the contents of 2 pieces of luggage while storing our luggage in the closet. To view a tour of this cabin, click or paste this link into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5BSjErH13s

THE SHIP:

Island Princess is a Panamax ship and the perfect size to ensure you’ll be able to explore all areas without feeling like you’ve missed something. Most of our sea days were spent relaxing near the Lotus Pool on cushioned lounge chairs facing the ocean, listening to our MP3 players or reading books. I really can’t think of a more relaxing way to spend time on the open sea.

We did venture up to the Splash Pool on Deck 16, just to check it out, or so we originally thought. One particular day, after consuming our fair share of “cruise juice” we seized the area as if it was our own private deck. Together with friends Jimmi and Kevin, we lounged, ate, drank, viewed the open ocean, sang, and whiled away our time as if we owned the deck. In fact, other passengers visited the Splash Pool, but only a couple of them stuck around long enough to enjoy it. I guess our singing scared them away. So, this really became our own private area for one afternoon.

The only disappointment regarding the space on Island Princess was the surprising lack of quiet public spaces. I searched for a spot to read a book, a spot where I was out of the way of the open walkways, and unavailable for access by servers asking me if I’d like a beverage. This space I could not find, so after endless searching, I

always wound up back at the Lotus Pool which was as relaxing as could be but just a little too close to the ice cream. If there was ever an instance when I couldn’t find Alex, I knew he had snuck over to the ice cream counter!

Island Princess offers a Sanctuary area for adults-only, and we toured this area on Day 1. Beautiful location and

nice little perk, but we opted not to purchase this extra. The cost to reserve space in the Sanctuary was $10 per person for each half-day, though the price was increased to $70 per person the day we sailed through the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal package included the use of binoculars, MP3 players, welcome champagne cocktail, complimentary Evian, snacks, stewards on-site for extra special care, and of course a lounge chair per person.

SERVICE:

This was our second cruise aboard a Princess and our eighth cruise

overall, and the service was consistent with our first Princess cruise –

fabulous! From the beverage servers in the pool area, to the servers in the theatre, to the wait staff in the dining room and the room stewards. They all met or exceeded our expectations, and it’s one of the reasons we will continue to keep this cruise line on our list of preferred lines.

FOOD:

We opted for My Time Dining so we could choose when we entered

the main dining room each night, depending on our mood. Typically, we headed toward the Bordeaux dining room around 7:30 or 8 p.m. and had to wait no more than five minutes. Food was good as expected,

though there were a couple of instances when the wrong entrée or dessert was presented. Not a big deal at all, as all of the offerings were good anyhow.

We spent one evening at Sabatini’s with friends Tim, Arlene, Jimmi, and

Kevin. Sabatini’s is not to be missed EVER on a Princess cruise that offers this specialty Italian restaurant. For an extra $20 per person you’ll receive an 8-course meal that rivals celebrity chef restaurants. Yes, it’s

THAT good!

In our opinion, Princess offers the best pizza at sea – better than Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Celebrity at

least. Their pizza is New York style, piping hot, with loads of cheese and sauce. Merely smelling that stuff will have you speaking Italian by the time you’re done with your first bite.

Of course, the soft serve ice cream is a nice added bonus, as is the “Cookie Cart” that peruses around the ship every afternoon serving up warm cookies.

One of the best offerings on a Princess cruise is the coffee card. For $24, plus the normal 15% gratuity, you can snag a coffee card that gives you 15 specialty coffees. Every time you’d like a specialty coffee, simply present your coffee card, and you’ll get one punch. That’s a deal!

ENTERTAINMENT:

We both love comedy and try not to miss a comedic show of any sort. However, one night we tried very hard to enjoy a supposed funny ventriloquist but yawned through the hour’s performance. The ventriloquist was very talented at his craft, but lacked severely in the humor area of it.

Another evening we got to see a magician, and WOW, was that fun! He created an interactive show where the participants on stage provided much of his humorous content and kept us on the edge of our seats with belly aching and nose pain from the laughing and the snorting. He was hilarious, and his magic was impressive and full

of wonderment.

PORTS OF CALL:

Huatulco, Mexico

We opted to hang out at a beach bar near the port. A small shopping

village is adjacent to the port here, but we chose to sit under an umbrella to eat, drink, relax and enjoy the ambience of the sights and sounds of this part of the Mexican coast. There is also a little market here where you can stock up on bottled water and sodas at inexpensive prices.

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

Due to a transportation strike, our captain made the decision to skip this port of call at the last-minute to ensure the safety of all passengers. Even if we had stopped at this port, there would have been no transportation available, and roads and intersections were blocked due to the nationwide strike. We had an excursion planned

and paid for in advance with Turansa Tours, but they would not refund 100% of our money. Though the transportation strike prevented busses, vans, and other vehicles from getting around the country, Turansa will not make good on our investment and give us a refund even though the missed port was not the fault of the cruise line. They would only refund 50%. We are in the midst of filing a travel insurance claim to recuperate our lost funds, and as a result, I will not recommend this tour company.

San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

We toured the colonial city of Granada, Lake Nicaragua and the countryside via Careli Tours. They are the same

company who provides the cruise line tours, but we booked them direct for less! Because we had missed Guatemala the day before, our ship’s captain got us into port early in Nicaragua. Our tour operator agreed to start our tour earlier, and take us to a good little Nicaraguan restaurant while in Granada. The

restaurant was probably the highlight of the tour as the food was loved by most (I believe there

were 13 in our group), and the price was right. However, being a vegetarian, let’s just say that the cheese I ate was NOT vegetarian cheese. I should have ordered a salad.

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

We booked a tour to Tortuga Island with Calypso Tours. Once we boarded their catamaran, we sailed through the Gulf of Nicoya for two hours on our way to the island. Waiting for us were chairs, food, beverage, and a covered area for shade. The beach and sand here were inviting, and the relaxation below the canopy of the trees was simply soothing. Tortuga Island was a great way to experience Costa Rica in a non-adventurous sort of way. We love adventure, and plan to be a bit more audacious during our land travels to Costa Rica in 2011.

Panama Canal cruising

If you’ve ever been through the Ballard Locks in Seattle, you’ve been through and seen the mechanics of working locks. The Panama Canal is no different. For us, the thrill of seeing the locks in operation were more about seeing and experiencing history in full force, in person. I had spent some time reading the history of the building of the canal which only led to more anticipation of the cruise. However, when it came down to the actual cruising through the canal itself, the length of time became a bit on the tedious side. To transition through three sets of locks took us nine hours. After

the first three hours, I went back

to our cabin for a short nap, watched more of the passage on the in-room television, then went back up deck to relax in the shade and read for a few hours while we moved closer to Panama. The experience was good, but the bigger phenomenon was the history of the building of it rather than the traversing itself.

Colon, Panama

The quick three-hour stop here invited us to sit at the dockside bar and relax in the humidity after making our way through droves and droves of anxious cruisers looking for a deal at the adjacent market. Next time around we’ll stay on the ship. The lines to leave and return

to the ship were not worth the return of time investment.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

We took this opportunity to book the Mystic Mountain Bobsled Adventure and WOW was this a blast! Mystic Mountain is a short 10-minute ride from the cruise port, and in fact, once you’re at the top of the mountain, you can see the ship in port from the magnificent views at the peak. The excursion began with a slow chair lift ride to the top, followed by an exhilarating bobsled ride. If you are part of a couple, be sure to connect your bobsleds together as you’ll go faster! And no braking! After the bobsled ride, we played like teenagers in the infinity pool and repeatedly tested the water slide to see if we could fly off of the sides with the velocity caused by our body weight. No injuries happened, but in our minds, we flew right off that mountain, down to the shore below, and landed on the helipad of our ship. If you get a chance, go to Mystic Mountain. Spend the day there, and take pictures of the view from the top. This is simply one of the most majestic memories I have of this cruise.

DISEMBARKATION:

Following our last day at sea, we arrived on time to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale where we waited in the disembarkation lounge until our group was called, then grabbed a waiting taxi and scurried straight to the airport. Keep in mind that if you arrive to your scheduled flight more than 2 hours in advance, you might be asked to stand aside rather than check in early.

IN SUMMARY:

We really like Princess, and appreciated the Island Princess staff, the features of the ship itself, and the entire experience whether in port or at sea. If you’re just thinking about cruising the Panama Canal, go ahead and book it. You won’t regret it.

Panama Canal Cruise Tips

2010-04-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

By TravelGuy and TravelGirl:

Having returned from our first Panama Canal cruise aboard Island Princess on March 30, we are finally finding a few moments to unwind and share some tips with those of you who might be thinking about cruising the Panama Canal. While this really isn't a cruise review, it's more of a "tips and highlights" offering for you.

We sailed the 10-day full transit, embarked from Acapulco (where MTV held their Spring Break right next door to us at our pre-cruise hotel -- Crowne Plaza Acapulco, which we recommend based on price and location), and headed to the following ports:

Huatulco, MX
Guatemala -- we actually had to skip this port due to a nationwide transportation strike
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
-cruising the canal-
Colon
Jamaica
Ft. Lauderdale -- where we disembarked

We both agree that this cruise ranks in the top 3 of our 8 cruises due to the many relaxation opportunities, the ability to visit several ports we'd not yet visited, the Panamax size of the ship, and the fun we had on-board with friends, both old and new.

This was a cruise we booked about 18 months in advance and really, really anticipated with glee. We researched like crazy and spent hours upon hours planning for it. To make life a little easier on you, we've compiled a list of tips to make YOUR Panama Canal cruise more enjoyable and relaxing. These are in no particular order.

In advance of your cruise, read these two books -- The Path Between the Seas, by David McCullough and Panama Canal By Cruise Ship, by Anne Vipond. These are two VERY different books. The McCullough book is not an easy read, as it's 600 pages of history. Even though neither of us is really big on this type of history, I spent a few weeks reading about the first 400 pages fairly thoroughly, then skimmed the remaining 200. It's important to read this book to gain an understanding of the history and the blood, sweat, tears, and death that went into creating the Panama Canal. You'll appreciate what you see that much more if you read the book in advance. The Vipond book is a great reference book to bring with you on the cruise, and provides you with the "Cliff Notes" (so to speak) version of the history. The book also includes a pull-out map that is handy to have with you while navigating through the canal.
Join Cruise Critic, and find your roll call in advance of your cruise in order to meet others who will be sailing with you. This is a great way to stay excited and continue to learn about what to expect.
If you're a coffee drinker, and you're sailing Princess, buy the coffee card on Day 1 of your cruise. You'll save money on specialty coffee drinks, and your coffee card is good on future cruises if you still have space left on the card.
If you're sailing Princess, they have an adults-only area called The Sanctuary. The cost is $10/person per half-day on non-canal days and $70/person for all day during the canal day. Special perks/amenities come with this purchase, but if you're interested in reserving your guaranteed spot in The Sanctuary each day, be sure to purchase this privilege on Day 1.
In Huatulco, there are plenty of beach bars/restaurants in walking distance of the ship if you'd like to have a relaxing day without a lot of go-go-go. Huatulco also has a great little mini mart style store near the pier where you can stock up on soda to bring back on the ship with you.
Plan an excursion in Nicaragua as there really isn't much to do around the port area.
Costa Rica has a plethora of excursion options, from adventurous and Bucket List types of excursions to "beach breaks". We opted for the Calypso Cruises catamaran tour to Tortuga Island in the Gulf of Nicoya and highly recommend it for a day of relaxation in the shade.
When preparing to cruise the canal, be sure to garner your spot on deck about 30-45 minutes prior to your ship entering the canal. We found our spot on the front railing on deck 10 at about 5 a.m. and were the 2nd and 3rd people out there. We stayed in our spots until 8:10 a.m. when we had just finished going through the Miraflores Locks, and decided it was nap time. If you've never seen locks in operation, you may want to watch all day. Having seen locks before, this wasn't as marvelous as we thought it would be. The real marvel was in the beauty of the passing trees, hills, monuments, forts, and areas along the route that had special meaning during the history of the French and American building of the canal. Those sites are not to be missed. We resumed our viewing about 11 a.m. from lounge chairs at the side of the ship and continued to view the passing through the canal and to the Gatun Locks. (We had seen the Pedro Miguel locks from our cabin via the in-cabin television while napping on and off.) We finally left the locks around 7:30 p .m. before heading to Colon. Unless you are fanatical about seeing the ship enter/exit every lock, it's really not necessary to view the entire canal passing for the continuous 8-9 hours.
In Colon, there is a flea market adjacent to the pier. This is a great place to sip a beer and relax under a palapa in the shade as a short break from being on the ship.
In Jamaica, several tours are offered, and this time around we recommend a trip to Mystic Mountain in Ocho Rios where we rode Jamaican bobsleds down the mountain after climbing to the top via a chair lift -- aw, the views!
Once you've arrived back to Ft. Lauderdale, count on a line-up of taxis waiting to take you to your post-cruise hotel or to the airport. There is no need to pre-plan this transfer.

In a nutshell, if you're just thinking about planning a cruise through the Panama Canal, do it. You won't regret it. It's really hard to have a bad time while traveling, and cruising the Panama Canal is about as relaxing as it gets.

Day trippin’…again

2010-02-18T14:12:00.000-08:00

By TravelGirl:

In celebration of our 13-year wedding anniversary, TravelGuy and I decided to take a day trip to do some sightseeing in our new homeland of Arizona. Venturing out of our Phoenix home around 7:30 a.m., bundled in jeans and sweaters, we made our way a couple of hours south to the Sabino Canyon, nestled in Tucson’s Coronado National Forest. This also being Valentine’s Day, we really didn’t know what to expect in terms of crowds given that it was a Hallmark holiday, Presidents’ Day weekend, and of course our anniversary which meant we weren’t really sure if the paparazzi had been tipped off as to our whereabouts and whether or not we could dodge them on our special day.

Our arrival to the Sabino Canyon visitor’s center proved to be uneventful. Whew! We both felt lucky that we were unrecognized and would be able to enjoy a day without signing numerous autographs. Though the sunshine felt intoxicating, the shady areas of the canyon were on the nippy side with me zipping up my hoodie as high as possible, and TravelGuy wishing he’d sported a ball cap or something for that shaven head of his. We hopped aboard the shuttle for our 45-minute round trip ride along the canyon trail, passing picnic tables and a plethora of flat rocks perfect for a picnic! Even the creek looked inviting, and we envisioned how fun it would be to come back and set up a little picnic area along the water on one of the rocks, sipping some cruise juice with sandwiches in hand.

The Sabino Canyon was truly beautiful with various shades of green foliage, red rocks, and even a red cardinal. Our PNW blood had never exposed us to a cardinal (other than the dreadful sports teams), so it was cool for us to be up close and personal with one at the end of our trip back down the canyon. That cardinal looked exactly like we’d seen on football helmets and baseball jerseys. If you’re looking for a place to explore with trails to hike, head up to Sabino Canyon – bundle up in the February shade and get there early as the parking lot fills up fast!

From there, we headed southeast to a little place called Lovin’ Spoonful, a vegetarian restaurant in Tucson with an Asian ambiance but a varied menu serving everything from vegan barbecued sandwiches to BLTs to burgers and melts. I recommend it if you’re looking for a healthy eating option in Tucson, but not looking to break the bank.

Our final stop of the day would be the Old Tucson Studios at the base of the Tucson Mountains. This place is noted as the Hollywood of the West, similar to Kanab, UT if you’ve ever been there, but bigger and more of a theme park now though it’s an active working production location. It seems that just about every John Wayne movie was filmed here along with various television series’ such as Little House on the Prairie and The High Chaparral who put their claim here. The set of The High Chaparral is still intact, and along with the entire town, can be toured and enjoyed either by guided tour or just a leisurely stroll on your own. For horse lovers, guests can even take a trail ride or simply gaze at these majestic creatures making their way around the park. If horses don’t float your boat, the park offers a train ride around the perimeter so you won’t miss a thing! We took the opportunity to watch a couple of live stunt shows that were part comedy, part pyrotechnics, but completely goofy and entertaining.

With the day coming to a close and our quest to get home before our doggies became restless, we hit the road – top down, 73-degree sun on our shoulders, and a breeze on our faces. How wonderful it was to be a quick 2-hour drive from a different world, different landscape, and a new adventure. Who knows what year 14 will bring, but if all I have is my TravelGuy, that’s all a TravelGirl really needs.

The bold and the brave

2010-01-20T20:54:00.000-08:00

By TravelGuy:

No, I’m not talking about a Saturday morning cartoon or a new soap opera. I’m referring to Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). Both have taken broad strides to revolutionize their fleets by building two of the biggest ships filled with activities and entertainment that far exceeds what the cruise industry is accustomed to. Yes, these ships are very large, but the passenger capacity isn’t what makes them great. I know I’ll be dating myself, but remember when Las Vegas casinos were just places to gamble, drink and catch a show? Now you’ve got entertainment up and down the strip for the entire family and tons of nightlife options. Similarly, the cruise industry has evolved from a method of getting from point A to B, to floating resorts with food, activities, entertainment, and daycare all included in your cruise fare. Being able to unpack ONE TIME and visit a potpourri of countries is the icing on the cake, and I love me some good cake!

Because taking a cruise on Norwegian Epic would require two more round trip tickets, we decided to add a 7 night cruise the week before our cruise on Oasis of the Seas. A price of just $599/person with a $100 on board credit was too good to pass up. So we’ll cruise Norwegian Epic from 9/18/10 – 9/25/10, hop on a shuttle from Miami to Fort Lauderdale, then sail out on Oasis of the Seas from 9/25/10 – 10/2/10. I can’t think of a better way to compare these two amazing ships.

So besides the reasons above, why do we like cruise so much? Well, you simply can’t find any other vacation where your view changes by the minute and is almost always gorgeous! Our favorite part is visiting multiple countries and then deciding which ones we’d like to return to at a later date. Cruising is like a buffet that way – sample a number of different areas, then pick a few to go back and really explore when you have more time. It’s scary to think how much we’d cruise if we lived in Florida or Southern California. It would just be too darn easy to drive to the port, hop on a ship and spend 7 gorgeous days at sea.

Life is short, and the older we get the more we realize that we need to get out and experience as much as possible. Live life!

Get out there and EXPLORE!

2009-12-09T13:10:00.000-08:00

By TravelGirl:

Last night I was thinking to myself, "What good is a travel blog if you're not traveling?" Then, my brain reminded me that half the fun in actually experiencing travel is in the planning of the adventure. A fair amount of planning goes into our travels, but that's not to say that we don't leave opportunities for impulsive decisions.

For example, we're planning a full transit of the Panama Canal in March with some good friends. We'll call them Jessie and Devin to protect their innocence (I just wanted to say that, as it reminds me of Dragnet). We plan to fly to Acapulco, and then embark on a 10-day sail that will take us south to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama before spending time at sea in the canal itself and crossing over into the Caribbean to Jamaica, and finally up to the Atlantic waters of Ft. Lauderdale. This little journey has been on our calendars for just about a year and while we plan to leave some time to just explore and spontaneously run about (or is that 'run amuk'?), we are making plans to see some of the natural wonders of Central America.

For example, in Guatemala, how cool would it be to explore Antigua and visit the old churches and museums? Or, what about experiencing Lake Nicaragua and the centuries-old Spanish churches, convents and homes? Nothing really floats my boat more than the thought of seeing monkeys swinging through trees or just hanging out in Costa Rica, and buying some good ol' Costa Rican coffee. Can you say, "Yum. If I drink 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups at night, I hope to have some left over to bring home and share?" Share really isn't a word that most only children know about, but I have learned over the years that giving is WAY more fulfilling than receiving. So, I think I'll plan to bring some of that good java back and let others experience what we did through the essence of some good Central American joe. And if that's not enough, perhaps we can pick up a little mini bobsled ornament when we visit the new Mystic Mountain Jamaica bobsled park. Can you just visualize yourself zoom, zoom, zooming down a Jamaican mountain with no snow? Imagine it. It could be you. I sure hope it will be me.

While we live and breathe travel every day of our lives, it's in the planning and the research we do for travel clients, and in the anticipation of our own upcoming travels. Remember this -- "The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page." ~Saint Augustine

Aruba remembered

2009-11-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

By TravelGirl:

Having returned from Aruba almost three weeks ago, we thought it was about time we updated the blog with some final thoughts on our travels to this beautiful and serene island. After all, we spent nearly two weeks traveling to, enjoying, and traveling home from the southern Caribbean.

Our visit not only included the fantastic eats at The Dutch Pancakehouse (and by the way, we have since learned to cook poffertjes at home!), the colorful snorkeling in and around the off-shore reefs, the CRAZY Kuku Kanuku paranda bus, the BEST all-around fare at Que Pasa, the Indian cave drawings at Arikok National Park, a visit to the aloe fields, genuine hospitality from the locals, and the crystal clear waters surrounding the island, but the island also presented us with magical gifts that we won't soon forget.

As most of our days were spent with a mixture of sunning, exploration to all parts of the island, inquisitive conversations with locals, sampling a variety of specialty foods and beverages, and truly living life like it was meant to be lived, every evening bestowed the most humbling sunsets ever imagined. Specifically, Arashi Beach -- Its lack of facilities generally keeps most tourists away from exploring this wonderland, yet the unspoiled nature of the area delivered a calmness and appreciation not found on other areas of the island. Its picturesque beauty is truly a vision plastered in my memory as an imprint of a place that I will forever remember. It's amazing how a sunset on a quiet beach can be so powerful, isn't it?

When we travel, we create memories and experiences that each of us holds in a different way. TravelGuy and I have found a way to live our dreams through travel. After all, life is short and each year seems to pass by quicker than the last. We can't get that time back, but we can look forward to what's next.

What's keeping you from living your dreams?

The good, the bad, and the fantabulous of Aruba

2009-10-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl:

After six days in Aruba, we've experienced some likes, dislikes, and some loves -- a few of which we want to share at this point in the journey.

First, one of our loves -- The Dutch Pancakehouse (yes, they spell it as one long word). TravelGuy and I stopped by this place in the Renassiance Marketplace a couple of days ago searching for a quick bite and not knowing what was in store. These little silver-dollar sized pancakes taste like they were fried in a ton of butter (and probably were) and practically melt in your mouth like cotton candy. With so many choices of pancake toppings/dippings, we agreed on chocolate, egg nog, and ice cream to satisfy our palettes. Ok, can you say, "Gimme some more!"? If it weren't for the fact that we had spent the day on the beach drinking cruise juice/vacation tang, sampling local brews, and indulging in amaretto/coffee drinks we may have splurged and put ourselves in sugar comas by ordering more. Instead, we opted to save ourselves for future visits, and I'm happy to say we returned today with Ryan (our traveling companion, partner in crime, and sun-loving "beachie"). This time around we chowed on more of the baby pancakes along with sweet crepes, and will likely make another return visit in the next day to round out our craving with some savory Dutch eats. We are challenging ourselves to find a breakfast/lunch/dinner/dessert place that can compete with The Dutch Pancakehouse in Aruba, so if you know of one please holler!

Ok, now our primary dislike -- Mamba Jamba. Admittedly, we were drawn here because of a coupon for a free Mamba Rita. This cantina-style Mexican joint is located in the Royal Plaza Mall in downtown Oranjestad, up on the second level overlooking the passersby (great for people watching) and the cruise port. Sounds nice, eh? Fast forward to the moment we placed our order. We ordered our free Mambo Rita and were told that there does not exist a Mambo Rita, but we could have a pina colada instead. Never one to pass up a drink with a plastic monkey (I'm referring to the bejeweled plastic placed in my glass, and not referring to Alex), it sounded like a fair trade. Interesting thing is that the pina colada ended up being one of those flavorless frozen drinks that come out of a machine (yeah, just like the $1 frozen drinks you get in downtown Las Vegas on Fremont). We then decided to split the shrimp wrap but were told they were out of shrimp. Really? Hmm...ok. Well, we needed something to go along with the fake pina colada so decided to split some nachos. See image. Yep, those are round tortilla chips purchased at the Super Foods store down the street, a can of cheese sauce, and picante sauce. Disgusting. Gross. Waste of money. 30 minutes and $16 later (yep, $16 for chips, picante sauce, cheese sauce, and one cocktail), we left, and vowed to blog about it and later provide a thorough review on TripAdvisor along with the likes/loves of Aruba. Thinking of Mamba Jamba? Skip the free cocktail and head back to The Dutch Pancakehouse.

Finally, one of our likes after just 6 days -- Pelican Adventures' snorkeling tour. Ever heard of the Antilla? It's a German ship that wrecked off the coast of Aruba in the 1940s during WWII. To make a long story short, the ship's captain created an explosion (rather than surrender to the Dutch Marines) in order to destroy the ship. He was successful, it exploded, split in half, and sank in eight minutes (though the crew was safe as long as they swam to shore before the sharks got them!). Today we got to see that 410 foot ship up close and personal as part of a two-site snorkel trip -- to Boca Catalina where we saw a plethora of fish and eel, and to the Antilla shipwreck where your imagination could place you inside the hull over 60 years ago. If you get a chance to snorkel in Aruba, a visit to the Antilla is a must!

With six days left on our Aruban journey, we plan to create memories at Arashi Beach, Malmok Beach, Surfside Beach, San Nicolas, and various other natural sites around the island via bus, jeep, and car. We might even find time for a few more visits to The Dutch Pancakehouse. Stay tuned.

Journey to the paradise called Aruba

2009-10-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl:

It's been a month since we've posted a blog update but I think we'll be making up for it as we blog daily (or close to it) while on our trip to, in, and from Aruba.

The journey to paradise was a long one, albeit worth the hassles of 4 flight segments, waiting for resolution on a maintenance issue on one plane, jetway personnel who were "off" when we needed them to be "on", and enduring some of the most smelly, unhygenic, H1N1-spreading, and interesting people the world has to offer. Ah, travel. Don'tcha love it?

We arrived very late into Aruba last night due to a delay, but the bottom line is that we made it to this breezy, warm paradise. By the time we arrived to the Hyatt Regency on Palm Beach -- one of three lodgings we'll be enjoying -- it was 11 p.m. We learned that Aruba restaurants close very, very early, with no kitchens open beyond that time along Palm Beach, and our bellies were only full of cheese sticks, granola bars, and pretzels/carbs distributed by various flight attendants during our 24 hours of crazy travel. We opted for cocktails at the open-air bar in the middle of our resort. I enjoyed an Arashi, a tropical refreshment to soothe my aching and dry tummy, while Alex opted for his signature drink -- a Coke with no ice. The stroll through the Hyatt grounds presented us with black swans, tropical fish, gardens, small bridges, various pools, hot tubs, lounge chairs, and finally the palapas on the beach. Imagine Bo Derek running in slow motion along the Mexican beach in the movie, "10". That was Alex and I last night, though less endowed, and neither of us sporting corn rolls.

As I type this, Alex is playing with an iguana that has climbed his way up to our balcony. Iguanas are such beautiful creatures, with various shades of green along their long bodies. It's got to be good Feng Shui to have THAT much green on your skin, eh? Luckily, I saved some leftover salad from our in-room dining service last night, enabling Alex to feed our guy (we've named him Iggy) some greens. We've video-taped this little escapade, but how cool is it to practically hand-feed an iguana that knocked on your door?

I'll make this a short update, as we're anxious to get out to enjoy some local eats, frolic in the sand, and capture some Aruban culture. More later...

Land and Cruise Travel Packing Tips

2009-09-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl:

It really amazes me how much luggage people bring on a weekend getaway or on a 2-week adventure. Why, people, why? Do you REALLY enjoy lugging around bags while you're traveling? Why is it that so many women must emulate their daily cosmetic routine while traveling for leisure? I just don't understand it. Leave the make-up at home! Travel light and enjoy your time OUTSIDE of your hostel, hotel, resort, yurt, villa, vacation rental, or cruise cabin. Get out and see the world.

Alex and I typically don't check our luggage when we travel. Prior to an 18-day trip to Europe in 2005, I took a "packing class" in Edmonds, WA offered by one of Rick Steves' packing gurus, and WOW did I learn a lot. Since then, it has been my goal to never again check a bag on a plane flight. I admit though that some of my overseas purchases have included many bottles of rum, and therefore, I've been required to check a bag on the way home.

If you've traveled with Alex and I, you have seen our brows raise when we see the plethora of bags you've decided to schlep along with you. Not only does this delay the start of your travels when you've landed at your destination, but it also delays the start of the adventure for your travel companions who are waiting with you at the baggage carousel. Out of courtesy for your travel buddies, and to get you moving along to begin your journey, we've decided to arm you with a couple of packing resources. After all, you really don't want to spend your time packing, and waiting for, multiple bags of luggage…do you?

My favorite packing tips for land travel is from Rick Steves.

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/packlist.htm

My favorite packing tips for cruise travel is from Cruise Diva, Linda Coffman.

http://cruisediva.com/pack_it.htm

I hope you'll learn as much as I did. Enjoy!

Agency Cruise Deals -- What are you waiting for?

2009-08-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

By TravelGuy --

Many of you have asked me to look for special cruise deals, so I thought I’d make it really easy on everyone by posting the cruises where my agency is offering extra benefits. If you call me to book one of the cruises below, you will receive the benefits associated. Not enough sun where you live? Take a cruise! Too much sun where you live? Take a cruise! What are you waiting for?

9/26/09 -- 7-night Mexican Riviera cruise aboard Sapphire Princess starting at $444/pp, departs L.A. (Receive $75 onboard credit per cabin)

9/28/09 – 12-night Pacific Coastal “wine” cruise aboard Celebrity Millennium starting at $580/pp, departs Vancouver, BC (Receive $100 onboard credit per cabin)

10/12/09 – 10-night Mediterranean cruise aboard Oceania Insignia starting at $1500/pp, departs Barcelona, Spain (Receive prepaid gratuities of $132/pp, free airfare, and $100 onboard credit per cabin)

10/24/09 – 7-night Mexican Riviera cruise aboard Sapphire Princess starting at $464/pp, departs L.A. (Receive $75 onboard credit per cabin)

10/25/09 – 14-night Hawaii cruise aboard Golden Princess starting at $1145/pp, departs LA (Receive $100 onboard credit per cabin)

11/09/09 – 5-night Key West/Bahamas cruise aboard Carnival Fascination starting at $170/pp, departs Jacksonville, FL (Receive $100 onboard credit per cabin)

11/16/09 – 4-night Baja Mexico cruise aboard Carnival Elation starting at $70/pp, departs San Diego (Receive $75 onboard credit per cabin)

11/16/09 – 5-night Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard Carnival Destiny starting at $240/pp, departs Miami, FL (Receive $100 onboard credit per cabin)

11/22/09 – 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard Freedom of the Seas starting at $560/person, departs Port Canaveral, FL (Receive $50 onboard credit per cabin)

12/5/09 – 8-night Exotic Mexican Riviera cruise aboard Carnival Spirit starting at $350/pp, departs San Diego (Receive $100 onboard credit + bottle of red wine)

Be looking for some updated ship tour videos soon!

Alex@TravelGuyTravel.com or 206.335.4676

Phoenix vs. Seattle after 3 ½ weeks

2009-08-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

By TravelGuy --

We arrived in Phoenix on Thursday July 16th. Here are some similarities and some differences between the two cities:

• Seattle has 7 letters
• Phoenix has 7 letters

• Phoenix’s light rail system opened in December, 2008
• Seattle’s light rail system opened in an abbreviated version on July 18th, 2009

• Phoenicians still love Randy Johnson
• Seattleites still love Randy Johnson… mostly

• The Phoenix Cardinals play in the NFC west and lost in the Super Bowl to the Steelers
• The Seattle Seahawks play in the NFC west and lost in the Super Bowl to the Steelers

• Phoenix had only one of two Costco Home stores in the country and it just shut down
• Seattle (Kirkland) had only one of two Costco Home stores in the country and it just shut down

• Phoenix has cowboys
• Seattle has Cowgirls Inc.

• In Phoenix you can go through neighborhoods where 100% of the store signs are in Spanish
• In Seattle you can go through neighborhoods where 100% of the store signs are Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese

• Phoenicians look forward to October when it cools to the 80s
• Seattleites look forward to July when it warms to the 80s

• Phoenix has excessive heat warnings when the temperature goes above 110 degrees
• Seattle has excessive heat warnings when the temperature goes above 85 degrees

• Phoenix just suffered through its hottest July on record
• Seattle just suffered through its hottest day on record during July (103 degrees)

• Phoenix does not observe daylight savings time during winter
• Seattleites rarely get any daylight time during winter

• It is a 5 hour drive (approximately) from Phoenix to Las Vegas, San Diego or Los Angeles
• It is a 5 hour drive (approximately) from Seattle to Spokane or Eugene

• The median home price in Seattle is $369,000
• The median home price in Phoenix is $192,790

• The average price for gas in Washington is $2.80
• The average price for gas in Arizona is $2.51

• Phoenix drivers will park at the other end of the parking lot to score some shade
• Seattle drivers will go around and around the parking lot to get 3 spots closer to the entrance if it’s raining

• Phoenix drivers will tailgate you while on their cell phones. They are relentless.
• Seattle drivers will hang out in the left/fast lane while doing 60 mph. They are relentless.

• About 50% of Phoenix drivers start to coast forward in anticipation of a green light
• About 50% of Seattle drivers have no clue when they’re supposed to go at a 4-way stop

• Phoenix has suicide lanes that become normal lanes during rush hour
• Seattle has the highest rate of suicide in the country

• Phoenix has cactus everywhere
• Seattle has Cactus in Madison Valley (and it’s delicious!)

• Phoenix dog parks have quite a bit of poop laying around
• Seattleites will dial 911 if they see someone not pick up after their dog

• In Seattle, the garbage/recycle man hops out of his truck, picks up the trash can and physically dumps it in the truck or they wheel the bin over to the truck which then lifts and dumps the contents
• In Phoenix, the garbage/recycle man never gets out of his truck. He pulls along side the bin, then a giant metal claw extends, clamps around the bin, lifts it up and over the top of the truck and dumps the contents. I love this!

Road Trippin’ to Phoenix

2009-06-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl --

It’s no secret that TravelGuy and I are relocating to Phoenix, Arizona in mid-July. To prepare for our big move from Seattle, we drove to Phoenix over the course of three days last week, stopping to enjoy the beautiful and not-so-beautiful scenery along the way.

Our journey began on a Wednesday morning, with blue skies and decent weather for Seattle – low to mid 70s. Heading east through the state, we set our sights on driving with no plans. In other words, we really had no idea how many hours our bodies could sit still in a car (even though we had endured a 17-hour drive up I-95 a couple of years ago as we escaped a hurricane on the east coast). So, we opted to just find a little motel each night that could offer a place to sleep and shower.

We ended up driving about 8-9 hours to Twin Falls, Idaho where we landed upon a Motel 6. All the basics were there, plus friendly staff, but no frills. You get what you pay for and $66 dollars later we had a room. ‘Nuff said. Morning greeted us with more sunshine, and we were simply happy driving in 75 degree weather with mostly blue skies. Our route took us into northern Utah where freeway speeds increased to 80 mph. Really? I mean, that’s great and all, but unless the freeway is paved with the ability to withstand those speeds, cars simply bump along. It was a very rough ride on a road not paved well, but paved with good intentions.

We drove through Utah -- first Ogden, then Salt Lake City, then Provo, passing through places like Payson, Meadow, and Panguitch, through beautiful mountains, forests, and canyons. The temps seemed to stay a comfortable 75 and at times crept up toward 80, just enough for us to use the AC. The comfort of the heat brought immediate delight to a couple of people who relish that big fat orange thing in the sky. Evening would be arriving soon, and we knew we must find a place for our heads before we got too far into the canyons where there would be no services. We passed through gorgeous Bryce Canyon, Hatch, Glendale, and Orderville, and happened upon Kanab which appeared to be our last viable stop before driving into Arizona.

Ah, Kanab. If you have never been to Kanab, go there. If you have no idea where Kanab is or why you should go, keep reading. Kanab is known as the “Little Hollywood” of Utah. This is the place where the old westerns were filmed. Remember TV shows like Maverick, Bonanza, The Lone Ranger, and Gunsmoke? How about movies such as Wagon Train, Buffalo Bill, The Outlaw Josey Wales, or Planet of the Apes (both 1968 and 2001 versions)? Well, all of those shows (plus many more) were filmed in and around Kanab, Utah. What’s even more interesting is that we happened to stay at The Parry Lodge. Of all accommodations in Kanab, we stumbled upon the one where many of the western stars stayed during their shoots. In fact, we stayed in Joey Bishop’s room. Yes, Joey Bishop from the Rat Pack. He stayed there while filming Sergeants 3 in 1962 with pals Frank, Dean, Sammy, and Peter. While I won’t make this a review about The Parry Lodge, I will say that if you are ever in beautiful southern Utah, a stay here is a must. You’ll even be treated to a free western in the barn!

Friday morning brought more sun and increasing temperatures. Heading east on 89, we drove along Lake Powell, took pictures from the bridge, and TravelGuy pretended to be Phil Keoghan (host of Amazing Race) explaining a Road Block. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, never mind. If you do, then this is where you chuckle and just picture TravelGuy as the host of Amazing Race. Lake Powell is set amid deep canyons carving out majestic red rock waterways. If you have never been there, add it to your list of places to see.

Heading into Arizona the temperatures continued to climb well into the 80s. Our AC was happy to keep us cool, performing a function it was rarely able to serve while in Seattle. We had some extra time, and since we’d both only seen the Grand Canyon several times from a plane, we really wanted to see this natural wonder close up. Entering from the south rim, we stopped at the Desert View viewpoint and looked out at the canyon below. Simply breathtaking. We moved along to additional viewpoints on our way to Grand Canyon Village, and noticed something quite different. Many of the viewing areas were not blocked off by a railing. A loss of balance could have meant falling a mile to one’s death. Needless to say, we never got within 10 feet of the ledge but were able to clearly see the inner depths of the canyon, the Colorado River, and view both east and west from the viewpoint at Yavapai Point where there is an observation deck. At some point we plan to go back to camp and do some hiking.

The day wore on and the heat started to warm our blood to the point of discomfort. As we meandered our way out of the national park and over to Flagstaff, the temperature began nearing 90. We were in Arizona, so we didn’t care. We were in an air conditioned car, so we cared even less. One more hour to go and we’d be in Phoenix…but then…the worst happened. The temperature had hit about 95 degrees, and our air conditioning stopped! Yes, the poor car had no idea what to do. Coming from Seattle, the AC was a rarely used feature, but on this road trip it was a constant. We spent our last hour headed to Phoenix with a systematic rolling up and down of our windows, pulling over to check fuses, hydrating as much as possible, and trying to keep the sweat and discomfort to a minimum. In the end, after the replacement of a $1200 air compressor, we were officially initiated into the southwest and openly accepted our sweaty state of being. After all, we made it to Phoenix, we found a great house we’ll be renting, I went to an interview, and all is good in the world. We flew back to Seattle a few days later, left my chilled car with our dear friends, and plan to be back to make a new life there in less than three weeks.

Have pool will travel.

2009-06-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl --

What a summer it’s been in Seattle. We actually hit 80 degrees in late May, and here we are approaching mid-June and we’ve had consistent 70-80 degree weather for two straight weeks now! If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, you’re probably thinking, “Hmm…sounds a little chilly to me.” The truth is, it is usually drizzly, rainy, and cloudy, at least on and off in June. Not this year. Perhaps we’re making up for the 6 snow storms we had this past winter? Or, the snow/hail we experienced in April? Who knows for sure, but I think it’s all Mother Nature’s ploy to try to get TravelGuy and I to stay in Seattle.

That’s right folks – we are moving to sunny Phoenix! We’ve had enough of the grey skies 10 months out of the year (well, ok, not counting this month), and the continual investment in moss remover, duck shoes, sweaters, carpet cleaning (yeah, when ya have dogs in the Northwest, count on a dirty carpet or get wood floors or laminates). It feels like we spend most of our time complaining about the crappy weather, then raving about the 75 degrees when we get it. I seriously feel like the topic of weather is the number one thing we talk about here, and now I’m blogging about it.

Phoenix, here we come! Ok, so we’re not set on where we’re going to live yet, but we have a great list of rental houses we plan to visit soon. Our good friends (Jimmi and Kevin) have been fantabulous in providing feedback, though I DO know that as a native girl from the PNW, if I am packing up and moving to Arizona you BETTER BELIEVE that any house I live in will have a pool. A private pool is almost more important than a bathroom. Well, if you know me, I guess that statement really isn’t true. Anyway, while we get ready to spring from Seattle in favor of Phoenix, we will always remember the great memories we have created here (and in Portland of course!) with our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers – all good times. Let the good times continue in the Northwest, and may we create new memories in the desert.

My pets are not packages.

2009-06-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl --

Pets on Airlines. Love it. A Pets-Only Airline. Even better.

Southwest Airlines announced this week that they will start allowing pets on their aircraft. Well, woop – tee – doo! It’s about time! This isn’t new in the travel world. It’s just new for Southwest. I really don’t understand some of the rage from current Southwest customers about this. Other airlines, except Frontier, allow this and they’ve reported very few negative incidents. In fact, just like a screaming child, a pet can be moved to another seat (or UNDER another seat, rather) where they won’t bother someone who may be allergic. Yes, I wrote that correctly. Some people are allergic to children simply because of their distaste for the small humans. And, some people are obviously allergic to pet dander. My point is that you can’t please everyone but there are measures in place to make sure passengers will be kept safe.

The fact that Southwest is finally acknowledging that pets are family members is one step closer to improving how we treat animals. How would you feel if you were placed in cargo hold? I mean, really! Why is it ok to do that to a dog or cat? Is it because they are an inferior species to humans? Is that what we think as a society? Sad. In fact, the Humane Society of the United States recommends we do not transport our furry friends in cargo hold…ever! Many deaths have resulted from extremely high or low temperatures, and “pet parents” have found their animals dead on arrival to their destination. If they survive the flight in cargo, they are subjected to conditions where their kennels are unstable and can jiggle and move about during the flight. How would you like your beloved dog to fly in the dark, without you, in extreme temperatures, being tossed about? I can’t even imagine.

Then there is the new airline – Pet Airways – where you can send your fluffy babies in a first class environment – a pre-boarding pet lounge, a potty break, flight attendant service during the flight, and a post-flight pet lounge where you get to pick up your furry kids upon their arrival. No, pet parents -- you can’t come along. The only downside that I see for this service is that it’s only offered in a limited number of cities – New York, Washington D.C., L.A., Denver, and Chicago – and airfare starts at $149 each way.

Perhaps if we can evolve the way we think about and treat animals, we will see that our companions deserve better. We’ll get more in return as a result. Who doesn’t need more unconditional love?

I am dedicating this blog post to my dear sweet Charlie. Charlie was my kitty for the last 16 years, and we made the tough decision to let him go this past Saturday due to a severe illness that he couldn’t beat. He was a beloved housecat, and will be missed by all of us.

Charlie Jacobs – 1992 - 2009

Final cruise?

2009-05-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl --

Imagine this – You’ve just graduated from high school after what seems like an eternity. All of those hours spent in math class, at school dances, at football games, studying for mid-terms and finals have finally come to an end and you get to celebrate with 35 of your classmates! Your parents got together and sent you on a week-long cruise out of New Orleans to Key West and the Bahamas as your big bang into adulthood. How cool would that be?

Then, imagine your second night at sea. You and your friends are scarfing down at the buffet, dancing and partying, and just having a grand ol’ time when you find out your classmate is missing and has reportedly fallen overboard. What a horrifying feeling for you, your friend, and for his family!

Well, that happened last night – again. It seems like we hear about a handful of people falling overboard from cruise ships every year. What’s really perplexing is that it is actually difficult to fall over the railings. If you are standing on the railing, yes you could fall over. If you are sitting on the side of the railing, yes you could fall over. If you leap over the side and dangle, yes you could fall over. Those are all deliberate actions one must take or be forced into taking. It just makes me wonder if foul play is involved in many of the overboard stories we hear about since no one would intentionally do those things. Would they?

It’s so sad to hear about news like this, and especially when it’s a young person whose best years are yet to come. Positive thoughts and wishes go to the family and friends of 18-year-old Bruce O'Krepki in hopes he will be found safe and unharmed.

In a rut? Travel.

2009-05-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl --

It’s been a week since we’ve blogged from Playa del Carmen. You’d think our fingers were broken from typing, but the truth is that life has just been very busy. I flew to Phoenix for a couple of days while TravelGuy stayed in Seattle and caught up on some client travel planning and booking.

Life is good, despite the return to rain in Seattle. We actually hit the mid-70s for several of the past days, which is typical of late June weather here, but we welcome that in mid-May. Why is it that some people (me included) respond so heavily to the changing weather patterns? I feel it in my knees and my mood. While generally a positive person, something about the gray skies seem to make my surroundings dirty and create a feeling of uneasiness. Maybe it’s because I know my doggies will end up with muddy feet after spending 10 minutes in the yard? Perhaps it’s because my arthritis is screaming at me? Whatever it is, I’m a statistic of a PNWerner who lacks Vitamin D about 10 months out of the year. With a bit of luck and perseverance, that will change. Enjoy May, and what it has to offer, and most of all…get yourself out into the huge world. There is so much to do and see. Get out of any rut you might be in. Travel.

One last night of shrimp tacos, for now anyway.

2009-05-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl --

Here we are, spending our last few hours in Playa looking out at the beautiful Caribbean, enjoying the swaying of the palm trees, updating a blog with a laptop. Somehow this seems out of place, though a Muzak version of “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas is more out of place than I.

We spent last night in the main drag of Playa, yearning for more shrimp tacos. Our pre-planning had pointed us to El Fogon, which was to have some of the most authentic food in town though about a 6-8 walk block away from the action. The bounces in our steps enabled us to make it through a shack-filled neighborhood to 30th and 6th Calle last night, where we were welcomed by Miguel. It was still about 85 degrees last night at 7 p.m. and something about the heat takes away an appetite. After looking at the menu, we opted for simple drinks, chips and guacamole. Alex drank a Dirty Banana while I sipped an Apple Daiquiri – good stuff to wash down the complementary sautéed cactus, radishes and cucumbers. Ah, Mexico!

Strong drinks El Fogon does make! We slumbered our way back to the main drag in Playa where the nightlife was barely starting to get underway. Still yearning for shrimp tacos, we headed to El Oasis, another little joint known for its seafood and service, where I indulged on my sought-after shrimp taco (only 20 pesos!) while Alex enjoyed chicken fajitas. The people-watching from this locale was great as it was right off of 5th Avenue, on a side street where many people enter the main downtown area of Playa. We were lucky to have two cute Europeans seated next to us. I wanted to hug them both, but instead…I snuck a pic of them while pretending to photograph Alex. Yeah, I can be sneaky that way.

Finally, we decided to hit the beach and the old favorite – The Blue Parrot. Seated in the sand on the beach at The Blue Parrot, we sipped on a Banana Daiquiri and a Blue Parrot (mixture of blue curacao, vodka, and some other tropical flavor). With a full moon (no, I’m not talking about Alex getting all wild and crazy), sounds of ‘80s music thumped in the night sky as we watched late-night fishermen pulling in their nets against the backdrop of the strobe-like light that was flashing to the beat of “Hungry Like the Wolf”. Seconds later, a child of maybe 9 or 10 asked us for money. The odd part of his request was that he wasn’t selling anything. He simply wanted money. All we had on us was cab fare, and we couldn’t give that to him or we’d be walking 5 miles in the heat. After all, this was a budget vacation so we needed every last peso we had just to get back to our room!

As the clock nearly struck 10 p.m. we decided these two bodies needed to hit the sack, so we headed back for a nightcap of leftover Mexican eggnog, watched the ending of Finding Nemo, and drifted to sleep to the sounds of the seas.

Alaska Airlines canceled our direct flight to Seattle (back in Jan/Feb when all airlines were eliminating itineraries) so we’re flying to LAX this afternoon where we’ll spend the night before flying to Seattle tomorrow morning. Alaska is paying for our hotel since they canceled our original itinerary, and I can only hope it’s within walking distance to shrimp tacos.

While this week in Playa del Carmen is coming to an end, we have reinforced how much we prefer the Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen to the craziness of Cancun or the Pacific side of Mexico. While ANY side of Mexico is a TREAT, as long as a beach can be appreciated, we know we’ll be back here within the next two years to do it all over again. Now if we could only maintain our tans that long. Ahhhhh…

Xcaret – Crowds + Corona = The Best Time

2009-05-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl --

Ah, 89 degrees at Xcaret today. It felt like we had the park to ourselves. As each day goes by, we are more and more thankful that we decided to continue with this trip rather than reschedule due to the U.S. Travel Advisory. The park fully re-opened yesterday as Mexico’s government allowed government offices and establishments (holding 80 people or more) to re-open to the public. Still, it was evident tourists are not flocking back to Mexico quite yet…which makes more availability everywhere for us!

If you’ve never been to an eco-park in the Yucatan, imagine part beach, part jungle, part zoo. If you’ve been to Xel-Ha, just imagine a larger version of the park with animals in their habitats EVERYWHERE.

After entering the park, we strolled along several of the walkways to view howler monkeys, spider monkeys, a pig-like swine thingy, iguanas, parrots, manta rays, pumas, bats, flamingos, manatees, a shark, dolphins, turtles, ducks, and a kitty cat…yes, a sweet and loving kitty who obviously had made a home at the park. The cool thing is that the animals were not kept in cages. Instead, they lived in habitats that were separated by lagoons. The lagoons were a simple way to keep the animals from drifting over to the people population, though dumb tourists could easily have hopped into the lagoons to get into the animal areas. Oh how refreshing it is to be in an eco-park void of railings and walls to keep people from falling into water tanks or in with the animals. It just makes for a more natural environment.

Xcaret is built around a series of underwater rivers, and we took advantage of our extra buoyancy this week (yes, we have really enjoyed the cocktails and tacos the last few days) by floating down the 1/3 mile river, partially in the sun, partially underground in the caves. While we have been accustomed to 80 degree Caribbean water, the cave water temperature was a refreshing 75…still nothing to snivel about. It was a refreshing and relaxing boost to the day. Following the river float, we found some beachfront palapas and, you guessed it, we plopped ourselves down for the next 4 hours – Alex in the shade, me in the sun – with an occasional dip in the water to simultaneously view the dolphin show about 100 feet away. Upon our exit from the park, I spotted a pyramid of Coronas. Having consumed mostly Dos Equis the past few days meant I was yearning for the pure taste of that freshly cut lime wedged into the top of a Corona. Quench my thirst it did.

The day’s activities ended with a stroll along the beach, each of us sipping some Mexican egg nog. Wow, that stuff is good! Not sure why it’s considered “Mexican” but the basic ingredients are eggs, milk, macadamia nuts, cane sugar, alcohol, and something else we can’t translate. Ha! The flavor is sort of a sweet caramel, milk nog of some sort, but all I can say is that it’s the perfect nightcap for a sunset stroll and an end to another blissful day in the Riviera Maya.

Mamita’s Beach Club

2009-05-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Wednesday arrived and we decided to get out of our room at the bright and early time of 9:50am. The resort’s complimentary shuttle dropped us off right in the middle of Playa del Carmen. This time we hung out at Mamita’s Beach Club. Great location, great service, and a great beach. For 90 pesos we were able to secure two chaise lounge chairs and a palapa, because the TravelGuy needs his shade. The menu was the most “American” we’ve seen during our trip, featuring: Hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, and spaghetti. They also had fajitas and quesadillas, but no tacos! All in all, Mamita’s is a great beach club with a regular pool and a kiddie pool in the back, a DJ (but not loud and obnoxious), and a section of actual beds on the beach for 200 pesos each. We would definitely spend a day there again.

Supposedly the temperature today hit 95 degrees, though the beaches have been quite breezy so we haven’t really felt it. That being said, we are looking a tad redder than we’d like, so we’ll need to stock up on more sunscreen before venturing out tomorrow to Xcaret to relax even more.

Until tomorrow…

Chips, salsa, guacamole…and a mask.

2009-05-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl --

Ah, 90 degrees, white sand, turquoise water, blue skies, fresh tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole. That’s the Mexican Caribbean I know, and where we’ve been for four days now. To have a little bit of fun, we decided to snap a photo of me wearing a mask while on the beach (think Speidi in Mexico a few days ago as they strolled romantically along the beach...except they were SERIOUS about wearing masks. Hahahaha!). The minute we started to put them on, people around us started laughing. Of course, we told them we were just going to wear the masks for photos, but conversation ensued about the paranoia that has been created surrounding the H1N1 flu and how everyone agreed that this week is the BEST time to travel to Mexico.

Lazy, lazy, lazy days. Isn’t that what we all want and deserve every now and then? Today was another lazy day – Cinco de Drinko in the U.S. or just May 5, 2009 in Playa del Carmen. What seems phenomenal is that we moseyed our way down to the beach around 10:45 a.m. and had our pick of palapas and lounge chairs. No need to slither to the beach at 7 a.m. to save spots since there are empty spots everywhere! We plopped our towels and books down, and beached ourselves for the next 7 hours only taking breaks to visit the pool’s swim-up bar, body surf in the 80 degree Caribbean water, partake in a Taco Fiesta, or cool down with “Vacation Tang” (a concoction of rum and mixer for anyone who wants to save a few bucks each day).

Other than the fact that the day must come to an end…does it get any better?

A single tall soy latte…with a mask!

2009-05-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

By TravelGirl --

It’s about time! We finally encountered our first interaction with non-medical or non-government workers wearing masks! Wouldn’t ya know it…it was at American-owned Starbucks. Visualize this…we’re wandering along 5th avenue in downtown Playa del Carmen, zig zagging from side street to side street, eyeing the mouth-watering fresh mangos, cucumbers, and other fruits from the little Mexican ladies at the fruit carts, when we see a Starbucks a few storefronts ahead. First, it’s a bit surprising to see a chain in the quaint, village-like Playa del Carmen (especially compared to Cancun), however since Starbucks seems to be everywhere, it really wasn’t a shock. As we strolled past, we saw a gal wiping down the tables outside the store wearing a mask. We looked in as we walked by and saw that ALL of the employees were wearing masks. We couldn’t pass by the opportunity to pop inside to have a word. According to the young man behind the register, they were required by Starbucks to wear masks (see photo; you can’t really tell, but he IS SMILING behind that mask). American paranoia at work in Mexico. They stood out like a broken pinky toe.

We’ve had the chance to speak to Mexican nationals who regard the entire H1N1 flu scare as a “planned” attack by the World Health Organization to create paranoia around the world in order to test new flu strain remedies. After only having been here for three days, we are reinforcing our belief that this whole flu scare is just a bunch of hype. Many more people have died from the “regular flu” than from this new strain. Ok, enough of that for today, and back to the adventure on the beach.

Most of today was spent in lounge chairs on the beach, next to Bad Boys Beach Club. We got a bit of a late start today, so by the time we got into downtown PDC it was already 2 p.m. However, it’s never too late to order Coronas with shrimp tacos and shrimp quesadillas. Have I mentioned that I’ve been eating shrimp tacos almost on a daily basis here? I can officially say that I’m addicted, and I will fully admit that I am a shrimp-eating vegetarian when I travel. It’s the one living thing I’ll eat, but I’m also not convinced shrimp even has a neo cortex (so I don’t feel bad). No fish or other seafood enters this body though!

After several hours on the beach, we got antsy and realized we needed to explore. We spent the next two hours walking south along the beach, then up to 5th avenue, through a jungle-like dirt path full of interesting bird sounds and iguana-like creatures, to Playacar. The beaches there were not only deserted, but a crystal-clear light turquoise color with some shades of teal and blue. We frolicked in the water because we could. It was gorgeous. The oceanfront villas in Playacar looked mostly empty as we strolled past one, then another, then another, until we realized we had to make the trek back into town to grab a cab. Feet tired and bellies gurgling with hunger, we made our way back into PDC, headed to a bar showing movies on the beach, decided we were too old to stay out late and grabbed a cab to head back to the Royal Haciendas.

Tomorrow will be similar. When you find yourself in 85 degrees, nothing but beaches and white sand, there is no reason to do anything other than just chill.

Free Drinks at Happy Hour!

2009-05-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Playa Del Carmen!

We decided to spend our first full day just relaxing at the resort in the chaise lounges and enjoying the scenery. Nothing creates smiles more than sun, surf, sand and free alcohol for TravelGuy and TravelGirl. The “Welcome Home” party at the Royal Haciendas is one of the few times when we’ll be offered free alcohol during our stay. Beer? Si. Rum & Coke? Si. Non-alcoholic beverages? Si… but not for me. One full hour of open bar with middle-aged folks being goofy as all get out, cuz there ain’t no party like a Royal Resorts party. Limbo contests, musical chairs, water balloon toss and of course, the often imitated, but never duplicated “Protect your balloon, but stomp all of your enemies’ balloons” game. Good times for one and all, especially if you enjoy laying back and watching the shenanigans.

We had forgotten how large and reasonably priced the on-site grocery stores are at the Royal Resorts. The prices are lower than a 7-Eleven and in many cases lower than your typical Safeway (one liter of mango nectar is $1.69, for example).

What I learned today: The great thing about falling asleep while listening to your MP3 player is that you can figure out how long you were asleep by back-peddling through the songs you don’t remember.

Today we also learned that among Royal Resorts’ five resorts in the Yucatan, they only have 2000 guests this week. That means we’re probably under 10% occupancy in our specific resort (yes you read that correctly). That gives you a glimpse into the VIP treatment we’re receiving (despite the fact that Tara thinks she’s a public figure and the reason for her VIP treatment). We didn’t get out to the sand until about 11:30am and we had our pick of palapas. Traveling to Mexico right now is akin to flying after 9/11; it’s the best time to be in Mexico, especially if you don’t like crowds.

As the sun prepares to set in the next hour, I relish the smell of the flowers outside my balcony as I take my second nap of the day.

Until tomorrow…

Masks and Mayhem – where is it?

2009-05-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

From TravelGirl --

We landed in Cancun this afternoon, and based on all previous media accounts, one would have thought we were jumping into a pit of fire with rabid monkeys and flesh-eating zombies. Au contraire, I’m afraid. Oh wait, that’s French. Here I am in Mexico for probably the 15th or 16th time, and I can only say, “Uno Cerveza, Gracias, Si, No, Uno mas,” and that’s about it. Time for Spanish lessons, eh?

Anyway, upon boarding the Cancun-bound Alaska Airlines jet at LAX, we had expected to be armed with masks and hand sanitizers. Alaska had previously removed all pillows and blankets and reportedly was distributing the masks and sanitizer to all passengers flying into Mexico. This just simply wasn’t true. Either they ran out, or they came to their senses and realized there is a flu virus going around, not the plague. Did you know that 1400 American women die EACH DAY during childbirth? Yeah, I never knew I’d have a better chance of losing my life to childbirth than I would to the H1N1 virus. Oh wait. I’m not pregnant.

Ok, so getting back to the topic at hand here – no masks and no hand sanitizers were distributed. We flew first class thanks to an MVP upgrade, and arrived to Cancun painlessly and effortlessly. You’d never know there was an epidemic (or near pandemic) going on. Cancun greeted us with 86 degrees, sunny skies and bright and cheery nationals waiting to help us part with our money via timeshare tours, car rentals, shuttle rides, you name it. Guess what? NOT ONE of them was wearing a mask. No where did we see canisters of hand sanitizers. Most of the immigration and customs officials were indeed wearing masks, but not even the airline employees in Mexico were wearing them. There was no sign of a rampant disease that was out to kill us!

We signed up for a tour of the Grand Mayan. It is the best way for us to gain entrance to Xcaret for only $40 as opposed to $240 for both of us. Yes, we will be giving 90 minutes of our lives to the timeshare salesperson that will receive a mere, “Thanks for your time” from us, but it’s all part of the game here. Plus, we are on a teensy little budget.

Arrival to The Royal Haciendas via shuttle was again quick and painless. We checked in, unpacked, checked the inventory of our pre-purchased groceries that were nicely tucked away in the fridge and cupboards, then wandered along the beach for a sunset walk, before heading to dinner at La Palapa, the onsite restaurant. There is no mayhem here. Heck, we jumped into what we thought was going to make for great video footage, but it’s just not here. We DID, however, bring our own supply of masks, anti-bacterial soap, hand sanitizer galore, and a prescription for Tamiflu (just in case). We ARE using the soap and sanitizer just to be safe, but the masks appear to be overkill. At the point I gain the urge to lick a doorknob, well, then…I suppose I’ll fight that urge by wearing a mask.

Tomorrow we’ll likely venture into town or at least spend the day relaxing in the sand, and will give a more ambient report of the sunshine, sand, and beautiful Caribbean Sea.

Masks and Mayhem? Not in Cancun or Playa del Carmen…at least not today.

Swine flu – Hype or Health Concern?

2009-04-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

From TravelGirl --

Remember when SARS was all the rage? And the avian flu? Where did they go? Still alive and kickin’ (think Simple Minds, 1985) years later, here we are inundated with images of the swine flu – lines of Mexicans awaiting visits to their overworked doctors, tourists wearing masks on vacation, passengers quarantined upon arriving back to the U.S. from Mexico, cruise lines cancelling their port stops to Mexico. Is this the “big one”? Will this be the virus to weed out our overpopulated earth? Who knows?

All I know is that it is virtually impossible to turn on a television and not see Dr. Sanjay Gupta or a stern face of a newscaster preparing us for updates on the number of confirmed swine flu cases, number of deaths, and number of states in the U.S. where the virus has hit. It’s really hard to remain objective about the topic of leisure travel to Mexico when the swine flu is looming around us. Yes, I said leisure travel.

Is leisure travel considered essential travel? I think it is. I am of the belief that travel/vacation is essential to life, as much as vitamins, minerals, water, and the occasional cocktail with an umbrella and plastic monkey. In fact, people who take vacations at least once per year are expected to reduce their risk of heart disease by 30% (per the State University of New York at Oswego). That is HUGE! 30%! Wow!

Four days from now, Alex and I will be settling in nicely at our condo in Playa del Carmen (after having wiped it down with bleach wipes), smelling the salty air (through masks of course), nibbling on tacos (with our over-sanitized hands), enjoying the beautiful Caribbean Sea.

Ahhh, leisure travel. Does it get any better than that?

The Final Day of Alaska Airlines' Daily Discount - Puerto Vallarta

2009-04-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

We've made it to the final day of Alaska Airlines' 14 days of deep discounts and it brings us Puerto Vallarta.

You can purchase your ticket to or from Puerto Vallarta for 30% off all day today, but the offer expires at midnight and travel must be completed by 6/19/09.

I think this is a great city, as there has never been a better time to find last minute resort deals in Mexico.

This was a fun promotion and I'm looking forward to the 14 days of deep discounts that Alaska Airlines runs!

Day #12 of Alaska Airlines' Daily Discount - Minneapolis

2009-04-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Day #12 brings us a discount to/from Minneapolis.

You can purchase your ticket to or from Minneapolis for 30% off all day today, but the offer expires at midnight and travel must be completed by 6/19/09.

The promo code you'll need to use is EC142609.

Sunshine on Earth Day -- It's what I'm craving!

2009-04-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

From TravelGirl --

Do you ever have those days where you just daydream of sunshine and sandy beaches, and maybe kicking off your flip flops to let the waves grab them? Or, bellying up to the swim-up bar to order the perfect, refreshing foo-foo drink with an umbrella and plastic monkey? Well, I’m having one of those days! We had such nice weather – ok, 70 is NICE for Seattle – the past 3 days, and now we’re back to the rain. I’m one of those people driven by the blue sky and sunshine, and totally perform better at everything when I can soak in some natural Vitamin D.

Ha! Now that I say that, a sliver of blue just snuck out! I think I need to venture outside and see if I can get a glimpse of it before it goes away. Happy spring. Happy Earth Day. What will you do today to celebrate Earth Day? If you ARE in the sun, how about using a biodegradable sunscreen? Or, how about something simple like working by daylight today? Keep the flourescents off! Instead of your usual latte order in a paper cup, how about you bring a coffee mug with you to your favorite cafe? Save a tree, save our environment, save the earth. Cherish it.

Wherever you are, enjoy whatever weather you are having, but deep inside I hope you are in sunshine, slathered with your biodegradable sunscreen, drinking your cocktail from a bottomless/reusable glass, and loving every minute of it.

We’ll be in Playa del Carmen in 10 days and will give you a full report so we can all feel like we were there together! (Villa rentals in Mexico are super inexpensive right now, so if you want to experience the Riviera Maya too, give TravelGuy a call. You'll be happier and more tan because of it.)

Day #9 of Alaska Airlines' Daily Discount - Edmonton

2009-04-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Day #9 is now here and today's discounted city is Edmonton.

You can purchase your ticket to or from Edmonton, Canada for 30% off all day today, but the offer expires at midnight and travel must be completed by 6/19/09.

Day #8 of Alaska Airlines' Daily Discount - Cancun

2009-04-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

Day #8 marks the second destination in Mexico to go on sale during Alaska Airlines' 14 Days of Deep Discounts Promotion. You can purchase your ticket to or from Cancun, Mexico for 30% off all day today, but the offer expires at midnight and travel must be completed by 6/19/09.

I've had a couple people ask me what I think will be included in the remaining days. If I had to venture a guess, I would say the following:

1 more SoCal city (LAX, Burbank, San Diego, etc)
1 more city in Mexico (Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, etc)
Either Miami or Orlando
Austin, TX (because Austin is a relatively new route and I think they'll want to promote it)

Happy Flying!

Review -- Freedom of the Seas

2009-04-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

From TravelGirl --

I don't know about you, but I'm so impatient in waiting for summer to arrive. Sooooo, I'm posting a review I wrote September 2008, highlighting Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. If this doesn't get you excited for your summer vacation, then maybe you're a snow bunny!

Freedom of the Seas Review (Western Caribbean itinerary), originally posted to Cruise Critic 9/2008

A MOOvelous cruise and UDDERly fantastic ship!

Pre-cruise:

We stayed at the Best Western on the Bay Inn & Marina in North Bay Village. It’s about a 15-minute shuttle ride to the pier, making it an easy pre-cruise hotel. We flew a red-eye out of Seattle and landed at MIA at 6:05 a.m., called the Best Western after collecting our bags at about 6:55 a.m. and were picked up by the complimentary hotel shuttle at 7:30 a.m. We were very fortunate that it was off season, as our room was ready and waiting for us! We enjoyed the complimentary continental breakfast before going straight to bed where we slept until about 3 p.m. We spent the afternoon walking around the area and wound down with a nice dinner next door, dockside at Shuckers.

Embarkation:

The cruise shuttle from the hotel cost us $10/person and dropped us off at the Port of Miami at 12:25 p.m. the next day. We were checked in and on the ship by 12:45 p.m. It was an easy and quick process. From embarkation until sail-away, we spent our time walking around the ship, visiting the Windjammer for a nice lunch, puttering around the pool deck(s), and taking in the beautiful view of Miami. This was our first sail-away from Miami and I must say that the view of Miami from the ship was absolutely gorgeous! For a moment, I felt like I was on The Love Boat during sail-away as onlookers and passersby honked their horns and waved to us as we slowly sailed out to sea.

Cabin:

We had booked the Ben & Jerry’s “Sweet”, also known as the “Cow Butt” cabin – Stateroom 6305 on Freedom, Liberty, and Independence. You might be asking, “What is different about that cabin?” Well, the Ben & Jerry’s Sweet, as it’s called, is an Inside Promenade cabin with an obstructed view of two cows’ behinds as one looks out the window! Because of the view (which I learned was unplanned by RCCL), passengers in this cabin each receive a complimentary ice cream item every day of the cruise (yes, that means that between the two of us we received 14 items) plus Concierge Club benefits! Concierge Club benefits are typically restricted to Diamond cruisers or those who have booked the Royal and Family Suites, Presidential Suite, Owners Suite or Grand Suite. However, the Ben & Jerry’s Sweet also qualifies for these benefits which include use of the Concierge Club on Deck 10, admission to the Ice Show without waiting in line for tickets, and complimentary appetizers and beverages (alcohol included) each evening from 5 to 8:30 p.m., among a host of other benefits. The cabin itself is a bit kitschy, decorated in a cow theme, but RCCL really wanted to turn this “unfortunate” design into something that is now “cowveted” and cute!

Our cabin steward, Marcia from Jamaica, seemed to be working non-stop. Every time I was in the hallway, whether leaving for the day, returning from port, going to dinner, or returning from a nightcap, Marcia always seemed to be greeting us and even opened the door for us with her key card when she saw our hands were full! I must say that she was the most attentive and friendly of any cabin steward we’ve had. She was genuinely interested in how we enjoyed each port and how we spent our time onboard. She even offered to cook for us at her home in Jamaica the next time we cruise with her! We hope to see her on future cruises!

The Ship:

Freedom of the Seas, currently the largest ship in the world, was big, but didn’t have the HUGE feeling we thought it would. We expected lines of people wherever we went, a long wait for elevators and the potential inability to visit every nook and cranny on the ship by the end of the sailing. However, none of that happened. The layout made the foot traffic flow nicely, and we rarely had to wait longer than 2-3 minutes for an elevator. Though the ship was full, there were only 421 children on this sailing which could have contributed to the feeling of not being overwhelmed with the number of people. Three weeks before our sailing passengers enjoyed the company of over 1800 children!

Food:

We ate in the Main Dining Room every night, as we weren’t really in the mood to splurge at Chops or Portofino this time around. We found the food to be pretty good, but my husband did notice a slight decrease in quality of selections since our last cruise on Jewel of the Seas in February, 2007. There were two nights, however, where we were challenged in finding something on the menu to get really excited about. Something new on the menu for RCCL is the $14.95 steak from Chops. Yes, you read that correctly. You now have the choice of ordering a steak from Chops for $14.95 while you dine in the Main Dining Room. One of our tablemates ordered that steak and stated that it was very bland, and that he would not order it again. This steak was offered on the menu every night, and on some nights, a steak for no extra charge was offered. The big steak-eater at our table felt that the $14.95 steak was no better and no worse than the steak on the menu offered at no extra charge. As a vegetarian, I was pleased with the many options on the menu every night except just a couple of nights when I didn’t care for the vegetarian alternatives. On those nights, I ordered two to three appetizers and felt satisfied and full in a jiffy.

Our favorite after hours eatery by far was Sorrento’s. This Italian eatery stayed open very late in the early morning hours (3 a.m., I believe), and served up pizza, deli foods, and dessert. My husband loves pizza, so it pretty much became a ritual of his to grab pizza each night. I was enamored with the deli eats that were offered at Sorrento’s – everything from eggplant and roasted red peppers to corn salad and mozzarella balls – the servers would scoop up a spoonful of whatever I wanted and serve it on a plate for me with my choice of Italian breads as an accompaniment.

Café Promenade, a bit different than the Café Lattetudes found on other RCCL ships, was one deck below and across from our cabin which made for easy viewing to check on the length of the line before venturing down for a morning coffee. Café Promenade did not offer a coffee punch card as does Café Lattetude on other ships, and the cost of a small soy latte is comparable to what I would pay on land. Plan to pay $3-$5 for a latte depending on size and any additions you may like. Two days into our sailing we realized that all of the cookies, pastries and sandwiches at Café Promenade were available at no additional charge.

Entertainment:

We enjoyed the Ice Show one evening where a featured guest (I really wish I could remember his name) performed acrobatics on a cylindrical device over the ice. Picture a hamster in a wheel, but with an 18-year old athlete rolling around inside, never allowing the wheel to lie flat on the ice. He WOWed us!

Eric Lydon performed on Adult Comedy night, and if you have a chance to see him, DO IT! I cannot tell you the last time I laughed for 30 minutes straight without stopping!

Other performers from dancers to a magician really performed like typical cruise performers, and were entertaining, but didn’t bring the WOW factor.

Nightclubs:

The Crypt is a late-night club that we visited on the first night, then not again. We really enjoy music and like to dance, however, only hip hop intermingled with some Latin vibes were played during the two hours (or so) we were in the club. A few in our group requested other styles of music – techno and 80s – but the DJ wouldn’t play them. We didn’t return to The Crypt and decided to spend our evenings at other locales because of it.

Other Activities:

The Quest – As usual, this is the most fun to be had on the ship! We thought our team had won (and so did the winning team), but I guess we came in second. We really don’t know what happened with the scoring, but our group had so much fun playing that it didn’t matter. If you don’t know about The Quest, just picture a cross between a scavenger hunt and a co-ed wedding shower taken up a notch to an R and sometimes X-rated level. If I told you any more than that, I may have to shoot you. You just need to go participate!

Name the Lyrics – This is a “finish the tune” type of game. Honestly, it was pretty boring, but we went to this because my husband is so good with music lyrics. If he had not been in the contest, continually advancing, and then WINNING it, I would have left from boredom. He’s such a ham and a showman that he kept it interesting. His winnings included a pen, luggage tag, lanyard, waterproof case, hat, and bag all branded with the RCCL logo.

Sexy Legs Contest – RCCL makes this a fun poolside event. This contest was won by a 7-year old which goes to show that you really don’t need to be “sexy” to participate or even win. I really think the crowd makes this game what it is, and contestants respond to the energy and start to get a little crazy.

Ports of Call:

Labadee – We lounged in the sand near Dragon’s Breath to watch the zip lines. The sand was a bit more on the “reefy” side, with some rocks so we ventured about 200 yards away to Hideaway Beach where the sand was soft and water was b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l! Beach staff found us lounge chairs, some in the sun, some in the shade, but we didn’t use them. It was so hot on Labadee that we stayed in the water to cool off. The only time we emerged was for the BBQ. As a vegetarian, I was pleasantly surprised with the food offerings at the barbecue. I indulged in Greek salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, cheese and bread. For the carnivores, choices included hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, and chicken.

Ocho Rios – We took the ship’s excursion to Dunn’s River Falls, and boy was this fun! We were driven through downtown Ocho Rios for a tour of the area before heading up to Dunn’s River Falls. We arrived to the falls at about 10 a.m. and were among one of the first groups to start the climb. We probably had about 20 people in our group, led by two guides. One guide was capturing the footage of our climb on a camcorder, and helping us step on the right rocks, while the primary guide was making sure everyone was safe, having fun and getting wet, and holding our cameras to keep them safe and dry. He would then take photos of us with our own cameras at various points along the climb. The climb itself took about 45 minutes to an hour and was a lot of fun. I highly recommend this for anyone who is stable on their feet and doesn’t mind getting very wet!

Before returning to the cruise port, the tour included a stop at a couple of shopping spots. Our favorite was Taj Mahal, as we were looking for a good deal on Blue Mountain coffee. We negotiated to $17 per pound, which I’m told is a decent price, while some were selling it for up to $25 per pound. I am drinking my Jablum Blue Mountain coffee as I write this, and I highly recommend it if you like a robust flavored coffee!

After this excursion, we walked to Island Village which is about a five-minute walk from the cruise port. We visited the Reggae Xplosion Museum where we learned the history of reggae through a guided tour. If you really enjoy reggae and its roots, take this tour! Cost was $15 per person.

Grand Cayman – We took a taxi to Sea Grape Beach from the cruise port. Cost was $5 per person. The taxis will not depart until they are full, so do your best to select a taxi that looks on the crowded side. The taxi made two stops along the way to drop off additional passengers, the first group at Royal Palms and the second group at the Beach Colony. Sea Grape was the last of the three stops and we were very glad we chose this beach as it was deserted when we arrived. Calico Jack’s is a restaurant located at Sea Grape which is a public beach. They rent chairs, umbrellas, and water sports equipment right there. The cost to rent two chairs and an umbrella was $21 so we opted to save our money and walk about 50 yards to grab one of the free cabanas with another couple. Each cabana housed a picnic table in the shade and was the perfect spot for eating lunch and storing cameras, bags etc. We used the ship’s towels to enjoy the sun and sand right there at Sea Grape until the clouds rolled in. Showers emerged on the beach, though it remained 90 degrees and humid of course. We waited it out under our cabana for a short while, then took a cab back to the cruise port for some shopping. There are several shops right there at the cruise port, and this is where we picked up a six-pack of the famous Tortuga Cayman Islands rum cake. This is good stuff! The store even lets you sample the rum cake before purchasing it, and also sample their selections of rum, which isn’t a bad thing.

Cozumel – In this port we grabbed a cab with some cruise friends and headed over to Chankanaab Park. Once there, we snagged a couple of palapas and some lounge chairs, ordered some cerveza and chips and lounged and chatted for a long while. The beach here is very reefy and good for snorkeling, but if you’re looking for a place to wade or beach comb, you will have some challenges. The water does not roll up to the sand at the beaches here. Instead, there are steps that lead down to the water, and once off the bottom step you will be in very deep water. The water was ultra clear and we could see many fish without even using snorkeling equipment. We took the opportunity to cool off and swim out to the dock a couple of times. We were originally going to rent snorkel equipment, but when it came down to it we just ended up lounging in the sand and hopping in the water for a cool down when needed. This was a very relaxing stay as the beach only appeared to be about 20% full due to the off season timing of our visit. The food was average, but I would not recommend the guacamole. It tasted like it came out of a can.

From Chankanaab we took a cab downtown were we walked through a few shops then found a plaza area where we grabbed a lunch. The plaza area was full of shops and eateries providing outdoor seating perfect for people watching. The area is very village-like and is only one block off of the main drag that takes you to the cruise ship. If you are sailing on Carnival, the ships dock in downtown. If you cruise RCCL like we did, you’ll want to take a cab to enjoy the downtown area.

When we got back on the ship we found out that Flowrider was having an “Adults only” session starting at 3:30 p.m., so we waited in line for about 20 minutes and boy was it worth it! The schedule for Flowrider is posted on the wall across from the Flowrider registration booth. I recommend reviewing it and planning accordingly to better optimize your Flowrider experience. We each enjoyed the Flowrider four times before we simply got too tired. Something to note is that the bottom of the Flowrider is padded, so falls really do not hurt. Important message for females: wear a tank top and shorts over your bathing suit. I lost my shorts and a portion of my bikini bottoms and many women were losing their tops!

Sea Days:

We had two sea days on this itinerary, which was just about right for me. My husband would have liked an additional sea day as he likes to relax a bit more. Sea days were spent at the pool deck in the water and simply relaxing in the sun. The sundeck immediately above the Sky Bar was an unofficial topless deck filled primarily with Europeans. There was no sign identifying this deck as a topless deck, but while we were there about half of the women had removed their tops for sunbathing. Nothing was said to them by other passengers or the Deck Patrol and cocktail servers who visited often.

This is the first cruise of our four where I have found lounge chairs any time I needed them. So, even though this ship is so large, and sailed full, there were ample chairs for anyone who wanted to enjoy the sun on the pool deck. The only exception to this being the Solarium, which was fully occupied nearly 100% of the time. Why? The padding on the lounge chairs was wonderful. We were also disappointed that the Solarium was not self-contained, and by that I mean that if you wanted to get something to eat, you needed to leave the Solarium. The only comparison I have is Jewel of the Seas where they served pizza, wraps, sandwiches and crepes in their Solarium.

Disembarkation:

Because we were in no hurry to leave the ship, we stayed in our cabin as long as we were allowed – until 8 a.m. We had a little breakfast in the Windjammer and then headed to the Champagne Bar where we lounged until about 9:30 or so. We were off the ship by 10 a.m., found our luggage immediately, and grabbed a cab for South Beach.

Post-cruise:

Because of the flight schedule from Miami to Seattle, we had arranged a post-cruise stay in South Beach for one night. We took a cab to The Kent Hotel, arriving at about 10:30 a.m. Our room was not yet ready, so we dropped our luggage and walked up to Lincoln Rd for some browsing and sightseeing, and enjoyed a wonderful and healthy lunch at Pasha’s. I must say that the BEST fresh-squeezed juice I have ever consumed is the melon juice at Pasha’s. Do not skip this place! We continued our afternoon with a stroll through the famous and historical Delano Hotel, followed by a visit to the sands of South Beach. We walked the beach from 16^th down to 11^th which is the cross street for The Kent, arriving back to our hotel about 2 p.m. when our room was ready. The Kent is an art deco style hotel, with lavender being a primary color choice in the rooms. Though the room was equipped with everything we needed, it smelled of cigarette smoke badly. I initially thought we’d stop smelling the smoke, but we never did. The smell was so bad that we would likely not stay at The Kent for future South Beach visits even though the location is one block from the sand and the nightspots of the lively South Beach.

In Summary:

This was such a fun cruise not only because the ship had something to offer us during any given moment, and the ports of call were inviting and fun, but also because of the friends we made along the way. We are social people, but really connected with people on this cruise and already have plans to sail with them again on Oasis of the Seas! From the activities, to the ports, to the enjoyment of our fellow cruisers, this was a cruise we will always remember!

Day #6 of Alaska Airlines' Daily Discount - Eugene, OR

2009-04-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Day #6 has arrived and with it comes another 30% discount to or from a city where Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air fly. Today's discounted city is Eugene, OR.

You have until midnight tonight to book your reservation to or from Eugene, OR on www.alaskaair.com using promo code EC144109. Travel must be completed by June 19th, 2009 and is valid to or from all destinations except Hawaii.

Day #5 of Alaska Airlines' Daily Discount - Long Beach

2009-04-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Day #5 is here and with it comes another 30% discount to or from a city where Alaska Airlines flies. Today's discounted city is Long Beach, CA.

You have until midnight tonight to book your reservation to Long Beach, CA on alaskaair.com using promo code EC143709.

Travel must be completed by June 19th, 2009 and is valid to or from all destinations except Hawaii.

Alaska Airlines Offers 14 Days of Deep Discounts

2009-04-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

For 14 days Alaska Airlines is discounting one city each day by 30%. This is really a great promotion that I will be viewing on a daily basis. Today's special (4/17) is Calgary and lasts until 11:59pm Pacific time. The daily discount is unveiled at midnight each night during the promotion.

Destinations which have been previously discounted are:
April 14th - Phoenix
April 15th - Newark
April 16th - Ixtapa, Mexico

It's impossible to know which cities will be part of the promotion, but cities of note which haven't been used yet include: Seattle, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, Orlando, Cancun, Mazatlan, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Austin, Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix, the Hawaiian Islands, and most all of the Southern California.

I will be sending out updates on this promotion daily via twitter if you care to follow: http://twitter.com/TravelGuyTravel

Reviews

2009-04-05T17:34:00.001-07:00

Since this is a new blog spot for TravelGuy Travel, yet we've been posting reviews of our travels for quite some time, I decided to go ahead and post some reviews of our travels over the past couple of years so you can enjoy them all in one spot -- right here!

From TravelGirl --

Ocho Cascadas Review

Alex and I had the fabulous opportunity to stay at Ocho Cascadas with three friends, April 10-17, 2008. The best word to sum up our week is “WOW”! It was probably one of the most relaxing vacations we’ve ever taken in paradise.

Ocho Cascadas is located in the Conchas Chinas neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta, which is an exclusive area built into the hillside overlooking the Banderas Bay. What a spectacular view we had! All villas are open-air with no windows and very few full walls. Our visit was in April, and while there were very few bugs, each sleeping area was complete with mosquito netting to ward off any bugs while sleeping at night. There was very little humidity during the day, but it did get humid at night. There were very few bugs during the day or at night, although we did see a few bats fly in and out of our living room each night as we played games at the dining table.

We rented Villa #3 directly from the owner. Villa #3 is the only villa with a sundeck, except the Penthouse, and some call it the “Lower Penthouse”. Other villas do have a nice area to relax and get the sun, but the sundeck of Villa #3 is HUGE! Villa #3 has two bedrooms, sleeping two people each, plus two sleepers out in the living area. Our single friend slept in one of those sleepers and while it was very comfy, the sound of the outdoors (the street noise from the house below our hill could be loud at night) was sometimes too loud for him to sleep through the night. In fact, anyone who is a light sleeper may have some challenges sleeping through the night here. The villa itself was huge – over 2800 square feet including the sundeck.

We spent every day enjoying our own plunge pool, then laying on the sundeck or relaxing on the hammock while sipping a mixed drink. The kitchen came stocked with all of the appliances we needed (especially a blender J). Ocho Cascadas offered a grocery shopping service where they delivered our requested groceries in advance of our arrival, based on a grocery list we had sent in advance. We ordered enough groceries to last us 3-4 days, then made another grocery store (and liquor store – La Playa) run midway through our stay to last us the rest of the week. This proved to be a very economical and convenient way to ensure we always had ample food and beverage on hand. Additionally, Ocho Cascadas offers twice-daily maid service. Josephina came in each morning and efficiently swept, mopped, washed dishes, and took out the garbage. She did an outstanding job; it almost felt like she was part of the family!

Though we spent most of our time relaxing in the luxury of our villa, we did venture out several times to visit the city and experience some great tastes! Pipi’s is a favorite of ours for inexpensive and fun Mexican fare, so we ate there again on this trip. Boca Bento was recommended to us by some friends as a really good Pan Asian eatery, and boy were they right! The owners are very friendly and the food is very, very good as is the ambience of the space itself. Barcelona’s provided great tapas (even the potato salad appetizer was incredible!) and EXCELLENT views of the city! We spent three meals at Mama Dolores’ Diner on Olas Atlas – one dinner and two breakfasts. We HIGHLY recommend it for breakfast as the menu is huge and they offer everything from a variety of crepes to variations of eggs benedict, omelets, and the biggest fruit smoothies in town! Mama Dolores’ is a must for breakfast, but note that they are closed on Mondays.

On our third night we hired a floating chef. We placed our orders from a menu provided by the front desk, and though it is a really good deal ($25 total for five of us + the cost of groceries) the downside is that the floating chef doesn’t really know how to cook for vegetarians. Two out of five people in our group are vegetarians. Instead of cooking a real meal for the non-meat eaters, the floating chef simply removed the shrimp from their plates so their meals consisted of two side dishes – rice and vegetables – in addition to the appetizers (soup and salad). So, for anyone contemplating the floating chef – go for it only if all of your group will eat the same thing, and it involves meat or seafood. If so, it’s a screamin’ deal!

Head over to Los Muertos Beach for some good people-watching, sunning and sand. We cabbed it over there for $6, and staked out our spot next to Blue Chairs Resort under a palapa with four of us in the shade and one in the sun (me!) for a day of blue skies, sunshine, dipping in the water, eating, and drinking. As long as you order food and beverages from the beach menu, you won’t be charged for rental of the palapa and chairs. Carlos took great care of us, and helped to provide another relaxing day in paradise! We also got lucky and saw a sting ray jump out of the ocean twice!

Outside of Puerto Vallarta, we spent one day taking a bus to Mismaloya Beach. The bus stops at the bottom of the Conchas Chinas neighborhood and is an easy walk from the villa. The bus ride itself cost .60 each way per person, and took about 20 minutes to get to Mismaloya. The public beach area is located behind Hotel Barcelo and offers several options for outdoor lounging on chairs with food and beverage service. The beach wasn’t too busy, and we found out that there was a soccer game on television so many of the locals stayed home that day (on a Saturday). This meant we weren’t elbow to elbow like we’ve been on other Mexican beaches (Acapulco specifically comes to mind).

Another day we took the bus up to Sayulita for the day. We took a cab from Ocho Cascadas (cost was $10) to Wal-Mart, then caught a bus in front of Wal-Mart that took us to Sayulita (cost was $2/person). Busses to Sayulita run every 20 minutes. Once on the bus, it took about an hour or hour and a half to get to Sayulita, so be sure to leave Puerto Vallarta in the 10 o’clock hour so you can spend a full day in Sayulita. Plan on the bus ride as part of your overall experience, and a great way to see the Riviera Nayarit. Sayulita is a small fishing village with maybe 4-5 square blocks of shops and a small beach with very soft sand. The surf is perfect for boogie boarders and surfers, and we saw several people taking lessons there. This laid-back area was such a switch from the touristy areas of the Malecon and Olas Atlas areas of Puerto Vallarta. Not only did everyone seem slower paced in Sayulita, but time also seemed to pass by slower, offering another great relaxing day for us.

If I had to do it all over again I would only change two things – I would stay in the Penthouse next time (we got to tour it and it was amazing, with 3 pools and a bridge in the living room!) and I wouldn’t have more than four people in our villa. Even though the villas will sleep up to six people, the sounds from the lack of windows and doors can really be a detriment to anyone sleeping on a living room sleeper.

We loved Ocho Cascadas so much that we are already looking for a way to go back in 2010, hopefully in the Penthouse!

Alaska cruises out of Seattle -- WOW!

2009-04-05T17:26:00.001-07:00

You've probably read the online ads or seen the television commercials, but if you've been sleeping under a rock then let me apprise you - the BEST value for your vacation bucks right now is a cruise to Alaska. Never before have Alaskan cruises been this inexpensive, and NOW is the best time to book your cruise from Seattle or Vancouver for as low as $449 per person, round trip. I might not be able to see Alaska from my house, BUT I CAN see that cruise fares to Alaska have never been this low.