Fall aboard the Miracle

In the fall as previously blogged, we will be cruising aboard the Carnival Miracle. Our cruise will depart the Port of Tampa heading for the Western Caribbean. In 2006, we cruised aboard the Miracle on the same basic itinerary. On that cruise we stayed in an obstructed balcony (lifeboat below) stateroom. On our upcoming cruise we will be in an aft extended balcony stateroom.
The Miracle was in drydock in 2015 and had Carnival 2.0 upgrades added. These included the Red Frog Pub and an update to the Sports Bar. It also includes an aft adults only pool called Serenity. The Miracle was designed by the iconic Carnival designer Joe Farcus. The decor is loosely base on all things Miraculous.

Cruising Elegance

Cruising affords many adventurous opportunities. Just being on the open sea and knowing that there are exotic experiences to come makes  me open to possibilities. It is a time to relax and get in tune with my soul and reconnect to what is important. If you have never been on a cruise it is hard to explain the experiences that occur.
We have met new friends, visited places I never imagined I would go to and dined in elegance. On a typical seven day cruise there are two elegant nights. It is a time to dress up and experience life from a different era. Now I know some people hesitate to dress up however this is one of those times that I get to accompany my beautiful wife and bask in her glow. So here we are on formal night on the Carnival Miracle. Five months and counting until we board her again.

Ready to Cruise Again

It has been way to long since I posted a cruising blog. Life and work balance came first. Now I am ready to dive back in (pun intended) and discuss my upcoming fall cruise (post hurricane season) to the Western Caribbean aboard the Carnival Miracle departing from the port of Tampa.  This has very special meaning as the Miracle is the first cruise ship my wife and I went on together. As fate would have it we are sailing from the same cruise port. In coming blogs I will discuss the benefits of cruising fromTampa, the sights to see and places to stay.
Our ports of call will be Cozumel (diving shore excursion), Belize, Roatan Honduras (diving excursion) and the Grand Caymans. We will arrive on Friday and spend a couple of nights in Tampa before cruising and one night after we return. We are privileged to have an aft extended balcony stateroom on deck 6.
Enjoy the drone video of the Miracle leaving Long Beach.

Puerto Vallarta

Our Lady of Guadalope

     Puerto Vallarta was just a sleepy fishing village before John Huston decided to film "The Night of the Iguanas".  He a very famous star named Richard Burton who brought his mistress, Elizabeth Taylor, to accompany him during filming. The rest they say is history.

    Puerto Vallarta is located on the Bahia de Banderas (one of the largest bays in the world). It contains old world charm with modern conveniences. Cruise ships pull into the terminal that is approximately  3 miles from the famous downtown Malecon. A $3 taxi ride will have you there in about 10 minutes.

Puerto Vallarta Malecon

     Along the Malecon there are plenty of shops and restuarants. As you stroll along the Malecon you will view the spectacular Bahia de Banderas. Along the shoreline there are sand sculptures. As you conitnue south you will come to the central plaza and gazebo. Here you will find artisans selling their paintings and crafts. This is also where the iconic church comes into view.

Sand Scultures

     As you stroll south along the water you will come to a bridge that overlooks the Rio Cuale. This is my favorite part of downtown Puerto Vallarta. Take the steps down and walk along the shaded river. Here there are fine restuarants and local vendors. The prices for souvenirs are lower here. If you look carefully into the trees you will notice that you are surrounded by iguanas. Once you are able to spot one you will be amazed.

Rio Cuale

          There are some amazing excursion that are available. Puerto Vallarta has some of the finest oceanside golf courses. Outside the city you will find tequila factories giving tours and samples. If you venture further into the jungle hills you can go ziplining. I must say this was probably the coolest shore excursion I have ever done. My wife and I thouroughly enjoyed the experience. From the ride out of town to sailing through the canopy 70ft in the air the experience was breathtaking.

Ziplining

         Here is a little trivia about the Mexican Riviera. The ports of Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta were the destinations cruised to by Captain Stubing and "The Love Boat" crew. That television series introduced cruising to the masses and made the Mexican Riviera a must see tourist destination. I am looking forward to my next cruise to Mexico. The people are warm and welcoming and the scenery is stunning. Well until my next post Bon Voyage.

Cabo San Lucas

Los Arcos

     The iconic Los Arcos greets cruisers when they arrive at Cabo San Lucas. If it is the last port of call then it is directly across from the bow of the ship with the beautiful morning light playing on the rock face. If it is the first stop then climb on deck and view the Baja coast as the ship cruises around Land's End before droping anchor. Either way it is an extrordinary site.

     The first time I visited Cabo was in 1997. Then it was still a sleepy resort community. The timeshare boom had not begun and the first shopping consisted of a dusty flea market before you arrived at downtown. Now it has a modern cruise port where ship's tenders drop off passengers and then the shopping begins.

     A stroll through the shopping and restuarants along the harbor will bring you to the downtown area and from there you can keep walking to Medano Beach or just hang out aroung the harbor. There will be plenty of vendors trying to vie for yor business. The most prominent are the water taxis that will take you to Medano Beach or out to Lovers Beach. The round trip is about $7 per person.

Lovers Beach

      Lovers Beach is definetyl worth the the taxi fare. There are no facilities at the beach so bring your own water (or other beverage of choice) and a towel and be prepared to enjoy a few hours in the sun at this natural wonder.  Lovers Beach is located on the Sea of Cortez side of the Baja Penisula. Through the gap in the rocks you can walk over to Divorce Beach which faces the Pacific Ocean. Why the different names you might ask? At Lovers Beach it is possible to swim and snorkle in the relative calm of the Sea of Cortez waters. Divorce Beach is another matter. Here the water of the Pacific crash against a beach that has a steep drop off. The rip tides that are created are extremely dangerous and swimming is out of the question. Hence if you are looking to "dump" a significan other just push them into the Pacific.

     The weather in Cabo is wonderful in January with high temperature usually in the low to mid 80's and the lows in the mid to high 60's. In the morning the Sea of Cortez is typically smooth as glass and the sport fishing boats are headed out to open ocean. In Cabo fishing for marlin is a way of life. Also, from November to April the humpback whales are present in these warm waters feeding and calving. From the cruise ship you can watch for whale spouts.

Frigate Bird

      Overhead you will find Frigate Birds circling. There are the everpresent sea gulls and some of the most beautiful Pelicans. Seals line the rocks heading out to Los Arcos and they have been known to follow the water taxis. You will also spot dolphins.

downtown Cabo

      So what do you do with your time. Cabo has plenty of duty free shops were you can buy anything from t-shirts to fine jewelry. Here you can find some wonderful Mexican Vanilla but I would suggest waiting to purchase tequila until you visit Puerto Vallarta.



shopping plaza



      If you get thirsty there are plenty of places to purchase reasonably priced libations. You can usually find a Pacifico for $1.50 a bottle. Typically meals are also vary affordable. The people in Cabo are friendly and willing to help point you in the right direction. I am looking forward to spending 2 days in this port. My wife and high have a snorkle excursion planned to Chileno Bay and Santa Maria Bay. Next up Pueto Vallarta.            

Cabo Restuarant

Final Video



     So here is the final video from my 2006 cruise to the Western Caribbean.  The final 2 ports that are on this video are Belize and Costa Maya. I must say it is hard to believe that it was 6 years ago that I was on the Carnival Miracle. The Miracle is a Spirit Class ship whose sisters include the Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride and Carnival Legend.

    I am very excited because the Miracle is repositioning to the West Coast to replace the Splendor on the Mexican Riviera itinerary. I look forward to being aboard her again. Well enjoy. 



Ports of Call

Costa Maya Mexico

          Where would you like to visit? How long would you like to cruise? These are a couple of  questions that cruisers have to ask themselves. From the warmth of the Caribbean to the spectacular scenery of Alaska; the ancient ruins of Greece to the canals of Venice. Of course there are always those who don't care where the cruise because the ship is the destination. Three days, seven days, ten days, fourteen days or how about a 103 day cruise around the world.  There is a cruise length and itinerary for everyone.

Belize

     In January I am headed to one of my favorite destinations the Mexican Riviera. Though it has been much maligned in the news it is still a very safe and beautiful destination. Since I live on the west coast in beautiful Oceanside California it is easy to drive to Long Beach, San Pedro or San Diego to embark on a 7 day cruise. Just load up the luggage and head for the cruise terminal without the extra stress associated with flying.  

San Diego

   

     I like to research the port stops and decide what I would like to do while there. With limited time it pays to have a game plan. Since I have been to Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta several times I usually play it be ear and just kind of hang out. However this year my wife and I have booked a snorkle shore excursion in Cabo. We are going to Santa Maria and Chilean bay. My wife is an avid diver and I enjoy snorkling so we are looking forward to visiting this marine sanctuary in the Sea of Cortez.

     In latter posts I will go in to greater detail about my up coming ports of call. In the meantime enjoy my next installment of our cruise to the Western Caribbean.