Elation - Mexican Riviera

Before taking this cruise I spent hours on the Internet perusing rec.travel.cruises and reading any cruise review I could find. I got many good ideas and hints from fellow cruisers and included in my review are some hints and tips that I haven't seen mentioned in other reviews.

FIRST HINT: Be sure to take something warm to wear such a pair of long pants and a light jacket or sweatshirt as the first and last days at sea can be a little cool and breezy. I heard many passengers grumbling that their travel agent said it would be warm and ended up buying sweatshirts at the gift shop.

EMBARKATION - We stayed Saturday night at the San Pedro Best Western so we could park our car free for a week (although we were charged a higher room rate called the "cruise special"). We had heard it was good to get to the terminal early so we arrived at about 10:30. The good news was that there we no lines and we sailed right up to the counter, checked in, and were given a numbered boarding pass. The bad news was that we couldn't board the ship until 12:30 or so. But it was worth getting there early as we were able to get a place to sit and watch all of the other passengers arrive (we love to people-watch). If you are so inclined to book a massage, pedicure, etc., the spa staff set up a table so passengers could make appointments (they did offer some discounts for same-day services).

THE FIRST AFTERNOON - The first thing we had to do was get some lunch and since we had heard the pizza was good decided that was what we would have. And, yes, it did live up to its reputation. The next step was to go to Gatsby's Bar to change our seating time for dinner (we had been given late instead of early). Then it was off to explore the ship, have a beer, and unpack. We met our terrific cabin steward, Rodney Francois.
We asked him to make our bed up with a king-sheet and he happily complied. Our cabin was M58 on the main deck and we were a little worried about the fact that we might feel more movement near the front of the ship (I am prone to seasickness), and we did, but the seas were fairly calm and once the dramamine took effect, we were fine. We were also close to the breakwater point so we could hear the sound of the water and it would sometimes spray on the window, which sounded like soothing rain. The mandatory lifeboat drill has been discussed ad nauseum so I will just say it lived up to its reputation but we had fun talking to other passengers.
HINT: Ask the cabin steward for an extra blanket as the cabins can get a little chilly at night.

We went to the late seating and although we enjoyed our tablemates, discovered we really hated waiting that late to eat, so we talked to the maitre-d about changing to early seating. (Later that night a card was slipped under our door with the new time and table assignment.) I had the catch-of-the-day and found it to be quite tasty even though it was a fish I had never heard of, and my husband had the steak, which he said was good. Dessert was chocolate cake (I got mine to go and had it for breakfast the next morning) and guava torte. We went to the show in the Mikado Lounge (as previous reviewers have reported, get there early for a decent seat as they are many bad sight lines) and discovered the cruise director, Greg Kneale, was the same one we had when we sailed the same itinerary on the Jubilee four years ago. We also discovered he still had the same schtick and routines, but he was quite funny and entertaining anyway. There was also a magic show that was fairly good.

Then it was back to the cabin and my favorite time of day (besides meal times, of course). I just loved opening the cabin door to find the lights low, the bed turned down, mints on the pillow, and a cute towel animal on the bed wearing my sunglasses.

MONDAY - We woke up to cloudy but warm weather and after a breakfast in the dining room of eggs benedict (you are served one unless you specify two) and pancakes, found our spot on deck to camp out for the day. We started out on the side deck overlooking the pool but later found we liked the little strip in front of the running track overlooking the pool. It afforded a nice view of the sea and everything that was going on down below. So after spreading on the suntan lotion, ordering a few beers, we proceeded to enjoy the day while listening to the good reggae band, Motion. Ever notice how one always sees the same people over and over even though there are 2000 people on board? One guy we saw constantly we nicknamed "Bong Boy". He was a long-haired, somewhat unkempt fellow whose idea of dressing up was to don a pair of sneakers that weren't cut out. Anyway, he would wander the ship with a huge beer funnel and would party with anyone who would drink beer from his bong. He had quite a time! In the cabin was a brochure from the spa that listed services and got an appointment for a manicure at 1:30. I thought I would be charged the brochure price. Silly me! When I was presented with the bill, it was $13 more than what was listed. I asked about the difference and was told that the brochures were outdated and this was the current price. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I pitched a little fit and challenged the practice of charging more than advertised and the woman at the deck grudgingly lowered the price. I was told that it would be impossible to change all 1000 brochures, you know (noticed later that the receptionist was doing nothing but reading a magazine and I was very tempted to take the brochures and tell her this would be a good time to change the prices).
HINT: If you make an appointment for a spa service, ask the price before you go!

Then it was time to head back to the cabin where we found our robes waiting for us. For some reason, formal night seems to strike fear in the hearts of many cruisers and we were a little apprehensive about it. I had borrowed a beautiful beaded dress and was worried I would be overdressed but I didn't have anything to worry about. Dresses ran from Sunday best to Hollywood awards show kinds of gowns, and you know, it didn't make any difference. It was all festive and everyone was having a wonderful time, including us. After getting our pictures taken in three different settings, it was time for dinner. We found ourearly seating table and it was in a better location (not as crowded and noisy), our waiter Ilhelm from Indonesia had a great personality, and our tablemates were fun and we enjoyed getting to know them. Dinner was good lobster (ask for two if you like lobster) and prime rib. After dinner the waiters sang a song and served flameless cherries jubilee (Ilhelm said there were accidents with the flames and I could see where Carnival would be a little worried about fire!).
Since we didn't make the early Captain's party, we went to the later one and chatted with a nice couple while having free drinks. Then we stayed for the show Rhythm, which was quite good (similar to a low-budget Las Vegas review but we have seen worse). Then it was on to the Cole Porter Lounge for the couples and lovers party where my husband danced with me for the first time in 27 years!!! HINT: Go to many different places for formal night pictures if you want to buy one. It will ensure you get a good one.

TUESDAY - Before going to bed, we had filled out a card for a continental breakfast to be served to our cabin. Bagels weren't listed but I wrote it on the card with a "please" and received a warm toasted bagel with cream cheese - Yummy! After our walk on the track, had a late breakfast at Tiffany's. HINT: If you want eggs cooked to order, ask at the omelet station as they will cook them over-easy, etc. (except on the last morning of the cruise). The rest of the day was spent on deck even though the morning was cloudy and a little cool. It cleared up when we passed Cabo San Lucas in the early afternoon. From there the weather continued to get warmer and more humid. Dinner was one of my favorite fishes, Chilean Sea Bass and it was prepared quite well. After dinner found us in the Mikado Lounge where we saw Merle Hobbs, a very funny comedian. He had most of us women in stitches when he discussed men fitting into bathing suits and men's underwear. The second part of the show was a country fiddler, but I'll be danged if I can remember his name. He was excellent, if you like fiddle music, and it was like watching a legend as he used to be in the Sons of the Pioneers. After dinner we went to the duty-free store and purchased liquor to take home. We bought a litter each of Kahlua, Absolut vodka, Jose Cuervo Gold tequila, and received a free bottle of cheap rum. All of this was just $31.00! Returned to our cabin to find a pair of Carnival beach towels for use in the ports. However, they are quite heavy and we had brought our own lightweight beach towels, which we chose to take as they fit into my bag and we wouldn't have to fork over $22 each if we lost them.

HINT: It may be tempting to buy lots of booze, but keep in mind it must be carried off with your carry-on luggage, and even though they provide handy cardboard carrying cases, it's still awkward. We also didn't realize that extra duty would have to be paid as only one liter is allowed per person. But, fortunately, as we were debarking, the customs agent said we could get by with an extra liter each without duty.

WEDNESDAY - The ship docked at Puerto Vallarta bright and early. We had been on this cruise before and knew what we *didn't* like about the ports, so I researched the resorts and such and we decided to go on the Beach Party/Mayan Experience shore excursion (why it's called the "Mayan Experience" is beyond me–guess it's because the resort hotel is built in a Mayan design). We caught the 8am bus and it took us 10 miles north to Nuevo Vallarta and dropped us off at the Paradise Village Resort. After giving us the obligatory punch drink, we were led to a group of palapas where we could lounge away the morning (there seemed to be "authorized"

vendors and they weren't too pushy). We walked up the beach for about 1 ˝ miles and it was very nice. The pool areas at the resort are beautiful and if you want a quieter area, head for the north pool. Be sure to visit the mini-zoo on the premise. We went back on the 12:00 bus and walked over the Krystal Vallarta Resort for lunch and more time in the pool. After a few Coronas in the bar, we had a very tasty lunch and chatted with a fascinating couple from Denver. We just love the pool there and had a wonderful time drinking more beers and laying by the pool. We ignored the beach as the vendors were a little annoying but did stop at the little area of shops on the way back to the ship for t-shirts (good buys-decent t-shirts were 2 for $7.00). Headed for the dining room for dinner but for some reason, everything was off this night. Nothing seemed to be very good and we almost felt like the chefs didn't try very hard since most passengers weren't on the ship for dinner. The rest of the evening was spent sitting on the deck watching the Corona party. Unfortunately, even though it was a "Corona" party, Corona beers were still the same price - $3.50. Seems to me there should have been a discount!

THURSDAY - Mazatlan was our port today. Again we elected not to take an excursion and took a taxi to the El Cid Resort ($10). The El Cid is a huge resort with beautiful pools and they welcome Carnival passengers. After a nice walk up the beach and back, we lounged by the pool for a while and then walked down to Playa Mazatlan for lunch. After being hounded by vendors for most of the morning we were ready to head back to the ship by 1:00. We spent the rest of the afternoon in a lounge chair and had a blast going down the pool slide a few times. Dinner was at Tiffany's where we had one of the best entrees of the trip - shrimp, scallop, and vegetable brochettes. After dinner we attended the Repeaters Party, had a few free drinks and I had a wonderful chat with a retired librarian (my profession!).

FRIDAY - Up early to take the tender to Cabo San Lucas. We walked to gorgeous Sol Mar Beach. Backed by a couple of condo developments, it is a 1/4 mile or so long beach that borders the Pacific side and the waves are huge and thunderous, so no swimming! No vendors and hardly any people made for a very nice morning walk. After wandering through town, we boarded a tender and were back on the ship by 11:00. Sat on the upper deck where we had a beautiful view of Los Arcos rocks and the parasailers that flew by. The ship left about 1:00 and we were warned that it would get windy–and it did! Everyone had to leave the top decks and we found ourselves a sheltered spot overlooking the lido deck, which got extremely crowded since it was the calmest place to sun. After a while it was time to get ready for the second formal night. My husband wore his navy sport coat and I wore a long silk dress. It wasn't as fancy as the beaded number I wore the first night but it was still fine for the evening. After stopping for pictures in front the Titanic staircase backdrop (unfortunately they didn't come out very well), we had a few drinks in the Cole Porter lounge during their happy hour.

HINT: One side of the Cole Porter lounge is nonsmoking, which we didn't discover until about the 3rd night!

Dinner was chateaubriand and shrimp with a wimpy Baked Alaska for dessert (it didn't seem to be "baked"). The waiters did the macarena for us after dinner. The show that night was SPIN and neither of us thought it was as good as RHYTHM.

HINT: Get your change for the tips on Friday and avoid the long line at the Purser's Desk on Saturday.
SATURDAY - Woke to a sunny and breezy day, but my husband woke up ill with what seemed to be a mild case of food poisoning. After spending most of the day in the cabin (he did discover where the extra roll of toilet paper was kept, though--it's under the sink!), Ken and I went down a flight of stairs to the infirmary where he received a shot and pills for the nausea. The cost was $68.00 but will be covered by our travel insurance. He was feeling better that evening but still didn't go to dinner. During the day I wandered around the ship and attended the debarkation talk. I went to dinner and said goodbye to our new friends then spent the rest of the evening packing.
SUNDAY - Dabarkation was its usual downer, but we knew what to expect and were fortunately the third party to be called to leave the ship. After finding our luggage, we got a taxi back to the Best Western by 10:45 were on our way to Palm Springs, Las Vegas, and Lake Tahoe by 10:45!
HINT: If you didn't bring anything such as bright ribbon to attach to your luggage handle, purchase brightly colored sashes from a Mexican vendor. I got a lime green sash, cut it into thirds, and it was a breeze to pick out our luggage. It especially helped when I couldn't find one piece as it was easy to tell the staff member what to look for.

SUMMARY: All in all we had a wonderful time. It was a great deal as we had a Carnival credit card and had accrued $800 in credits, so our total cost with travel insurance was $1000 for a guaranteed ocean view cabin. You pretty much get what you pay for with Carnival (compared to other lines), and it does attract a certain "Las Vegas" type crowd, which means smoking, drinking, and partying. By the fifth day we were getting a wee bit tired of some of our fellow passengers and would have been happy to get off the ship after Cabo San Lucas. However, for the money the service was wonderful and all staff we encountered was very helpful and accommodating.

I hope you find this review helpful. Please feel free to email me if I can answer any questions. Robin B
robinblue@my-deja.com