World Cruise FYI

World Cruise FYI

Complete 2011 World Cruise 34 DVD Collection

The ship is offering the Reflections Ultimate World Cruise DVD Collection which covers all four segments squeezed onto 34 DVDs.  It includes every port of call, shore excursions, folkloric shows, ship’s events and more.  If passengers order the complete collection prior to Auckland, New Zealand, there is a substantial discount totaling about $210 off the regular retail price.

Laundry Room

The Pacific Princess has upgraded the Laundry Room by removing old washers and dryers and installing 8 stackable machines.  This photo only shows four of the new machines.  The laundry detergent is no longer free.  It’s now $1.00 per box.

Frig Move

We took the small refrigerator out of the shirt/jacket closet and relocated it to below the desk in our stateroom.  The refrigerator operates on 220 volts.  There are two 220 outlets and two 110 outlets on the desk, so this location works out well.  The extra closet space has really come in handy.

Magnetic Baskets

Prior to this trip, a friend suggested that purchasing several magnetic baskets.  We checked them out on the Internet and decided they would work well for holding all the little things that clutter drawers.  Cindy uses them in the room and the bathroom.  These are in addition to the old standby, our shoe holder which we use for arranging items such as sun screen, hand sanitizer bottles, first aid supplies, etc.  We use large magnets to hold the shoe holder in place.  FYI--each wall and the ceiling on the Pacific Princess is steel allowing for use of magnets to hang things or hold a stretchable clothes line on laundry day.

Passenger Suggested Discussions

Our Deputy Cruise Director, Frankie, has done an excellent job organizing discussions based on suggestions from passengers.  For example, Peru—Two Different Worlds, Academy Award Movie Review, IPOD Touch Users & Audio Book Discussion, Common Interests @ Sea, How Natural is Supernatural, Facebook discussion, etc...These discussions have been interesting and lively.

Frankie and Cindy

Manta and Lima Shuttle Changes

After many visits to each of these ports of call we have noticed some changes in the transportation arrangements.  Getting from the pier to the town in both of the cities has changed.  In Manta a shuttle service used to operate on a no fee basis with several stops on the way to town.  Stops included Manta Mall (handicrafts, grocery store and bank), Artisan’s Market, and Hotel Oro Verde for beach access.  The shuttle service is still in place for these stops, except now there is a $6.00 per person each way charge.  In Lima, the shuttle service there was on a fee basis.  Now the shuttle service to the JW Marriott Hotel in Miraflores is provided free of charge by H. Stern.  The shuttle departed the port at 8:00am, 10:00am, and Noon and returned from the JW Marriott at 2:00pm, 4:00pm, and 6:00pm.   Not sure if these changes affect only the small ships or to all ships within the Princess fleet.

Live Television Lineup

The live television lineup has changed and most passengers appreciate the variety.  The live channels include FOX News, BBC World News, MSNBC, CNBC, ESPN,  and ESPN2.  Additionally, there are the standard recorded channels such as Discovery Channel, Princess Movie Channel, Leonard Maltin Movie Channel, Romance Movie Channel, Pacific TV Channel, and other Princess related channels.



Sunday Brunch At Sea

What a great day today, partly cloudy sky with a smooth calm sea.  The ship has made good progress since departing Lima yesterday.  At noon today we are at Latitude 14 degrees 57 minutes south and Longitude 83 degrees 18 minutes west.   This places us 401 miles from Lima with 1633 miles remaining for the trip to Easter Island.  The temperature is a mild 76 degrees F.

The Executive Chef, Antonio Cortese and the Maitre D’hôtel, Francisco Patricio had a real surprise in store for everyone.  They hosted an elegant Sunday Brunch for the passengers.  There was a large variety of food and wonderful desserts.  Here is the menu they prepared.



Chef Cortese



And now I think it might be time for a little South Pacific nap!

Lima (continued)



After much anguish, frustration, and research, we finally got the laptop computer to boot again.  Although it isn’t booting-up as you would normally expect, we were able to find a work-around on the HP website.  Hopefully, we will get some assistance to correct the Power Management settings from the onboard Computer Officer.  Anyway, we are back and running.

Here is a shot of some dolphins that we passed heading down to Lima.  Throughout the day prior to our arrival in Lima, we saw many dolphins and sea birds fishing. 

The port for Lima is actually known as Callao.  Its population is a little over 600,000.  The two cities have merged forming a very large 8 million person metropolis.  Getting from the pier in Callao to downtown Lima takes about 35 minutes unless you hit rush hour traffic.  Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro, the conquistador who defeated the forces of the Inca Empire and delivered South America into the hands of Spain.

During the day yesterday, we did a refresher trip to Plaza de Armas (now know as Plaza Mayor), the Cathedral, and to see some the colorful homes.   

We ended yesterday with our usual shopping at some of the usual Indian Markets.

Departure from Lima is a 1:00pm today.  The Pacific Princess will then spend the next 4 ½ days at sea.  Our arrival is at Easter Island will be on February 3, 2011. Both of us are looking forward to returning to what the indigenous people call Rapa Nui (Easter Island).

Lima, Peru

Early today we arrived in Lima, Peru.  We will be here for two days.  I will Post more later, but currently having a real problem with my laptop computer.  It stopped booting yesterday; then it booted, but has refused to boot today.  So I am using the ship's computers which don't allow you to download any photos, etc.   I have asked a friend in Auckland is he can scope-out any Netbooks that would allow me to again Post photos.  So, looks like I will just be posting narrative for awhile, and add photos later after we get some new computer equipment.

Manta, Ecuador

Throughout the day yesterday, the ship was on a southerly course en route to Manta, Ecuador.  Not too much was visible at sea other than some Brown Bobbies diving for fish and a couple of small dolphins.  Shortly after midnight, at 1:00am we crossed the Equator. 

This morning at 4:15am we embarked our local pilot for the final course into the pier at Manta.  Today the sky is overcast with a temperature of 79 degrees.  Manta is very close to the Equator.  It’s Longitude and Latitude is 0 degrees 55.880 South Lat. and 80 degrees 43.240 North Lon.  The port of Manta is the gateway to Ecuador and its capital, Quito, the second highest capital in elevation in the world lies at 9,300 feet above sea level.

Many passengers disembarked at about 5:30am this morning for extended tours.  The tour to Quito flew out and will return tonight at 6:30pm.  Tours to the Galapagos Islands (600 miles away), and Cuzco/Machu Picchu will rejoin the ship in a few days at Lima, Peru. 

Over the years we have visited Manta several times.  Because of these previous trips we chose to not do any of the tours, most notably to the village of Montecristi.  This village is noted for small family-run home industries where you can see women weaving Panama Hats.  In Manta there is the Archaeological Museum and Ivory Nut factory.  At this factory they carve the Taguera nut into jewelry, buttons, and artwork.  Probably the biggest industry in Manta is tuna fishing and processing.

 This morning we watched as many of the tuna boats were unloading their frozen catch of hugh tuna.  Our ship’s Hotel General Manager and one of the Chefs were lucky enough to get one of the tuna that fell from the trucks.

Our scheduled departed is at 7:00pm tonight.  We will then have two sea days and will arrive in Lima on Friday, January 28^th.

Panama Canal

Last night we continued our voyage toward Panama and arrived at the break waters of the Caribbean Sea near the entrance to the Panama Canal at Cristobal, Panama around 8:30am.  We had a wait for our turn to traverse the canal.  Here is our schedule of transit times through the three different locks.

10:30am	Entrance to Gatun Locks
Noon	Clear Gatun Locks
2:40pm	Passing Gamboa
4:10pm	Entering Pedro Miguel Locks
4:45pm	Clearing Pedro Miguel Locks
5:10pm	Entering Miraflores Locks
6:25pm	Leaving Miraflores Locks

Today, there are 23 ships going through the canal southbound and 21 ships going northbound.  Our ship boarded two Panama Canal Commission Pilots who took control of the ship as we traverse the canal some 48 miles.  There are also numerous linehandlers from the Commission onboard who handle the lines that are connected to the electric mules in the locks to pull the ship forward. 

 Between the Gatun Locks and the Pedro Miguel Locks we cruise along Gatun Lake which was created by a dam and provides all the water to operate the locks without any electricity.

Sea Day

After our departure from Grand Cayman, the Pacific Princess set a southerly course towards the Panama Canal.  Today the weather is perfect with sunshine and just a few clouds.  All day we have traversed the Caribbean Sea, midway between Nicaragua and Columbia on our course to Panama.

Most of this morning a flock of Masked Boobies has followed our ship.  They are the largest of their species.  We watched them dive near-vertically fishing in the deep waters either side of the ship.  While I was shooting photos of the birds, Cindy was attending a presentation by former NFL Referee, Robert McElwee—3 time Super Bowl Referee. 

Tonight is our first of three formal nights on this leg of the world cruise which ends in Sydney, Australia.  Captain Andrea Poggi and his officers will be hosting a Welcome Party for all. 

To Hell And Back

Arrival at Georgetown, Grand Cayman was at 10:00am under clear skies and a warm tropical temperature.   This island was discovered by Columbus who originally named it Las Tortugas after the multitude of sea turtles he found.  Everyone made their way to the ship’s tenders and headed ashore.  We were lucky and caught the very first tender.  Then it was off to Hell.  That’s correct, you didn’t read this wrong, we really went to the small village named Hell.  There’s not much there except some rough looking rock formations, a Post Office, and a general store with souvenirs.

 We then traveled to the world famous Cayman Turtle Farm at Boatswain Beach, where we enjoyed some tasty rum cake. 

It was then back to Georgetown to wonder around town for some shopping….Jewelry store, jewelry store, jewelry store!! 

We stopped to Jimmy Buffet’s for some cool refreshment.

Then back to the ship to really cool off.

Sailaway And First Day

Yesterday we were delayed in our departure from Fort Lauderdale until after sunset.  The Pacific Princess finally got underway on the World Cruise at about 6:15pm.  The Cruise Director, Brett Siborne hosted the

Champagne Sailaway Celebration for all the passengers and the ship's company.  The views along the Florida coastline were magnificant!  Miami at night from 4 miles out to sea was something to behold.  It really didn't matter that our suitcases didn't arrive to our stateroom until much later, since there was so much going on around the ship. 

The Maitre D'Hotel, Francisco Patricio selected a very nice four-top table for us in the Club Restaurant for dinner.  Here is  a autographed copy of the Sailaway Dinner Menu.  

Of course, we both selected the Prime Rib.  This will be our biggest meal for awhile, as we attempt to pace ourselves and keep the calorie count under control.

This morning we awoke to clear skies and 75 degrees F.  The sea is really calm with absolutely no swells.  After a light breakfast we headed up to Deck 10 for a Meet and Greet with all the Cruise Critic Roll Call members.  Almost all are doing the entire 107 days.  

NEWS FLASH FROM THE CAPTAIN.  Our scheduled port call to Seychelles, Mahe, April 1, 2011 has been cancelled.  The reason given is Pirates in the area west of the Seychelles.  We will be changing our course and will now be making a port call on Richard's Bay, South Africa on April 7, 2011.  This is a disappointment for most of the passengers because the Seychelles are lush islands with white sand beachs not frequently visited.  But---Safety First.
  

Tomorrow's The Big Day

The Big Day is just about here.  We will head over to the ship tomorrow at about noon for boarding.  The ship is expected to sailaway at around 5:00pm.  The weather is looking very good with small sea swells expected. Our first stop will be Grand Cayman and then on for the transit of the Panama Canal. We just do the transit with no stops in Panama and head on to Manta, Equador.  Manta is the disembarkation stop for passengers who will be going overland to Mauchu Picchu or the Galapagos Islands.

We will spend today getting last minute laundry done and packing up things here at the Palm-Aire.  Needless to say, the long wait for this cruise is finally over.

Pompano Beach

The weather is really improving, and the temperature is up to 72F.  Should even get warmer over the coming days.  Most of the clouds have dissipated and the sun is out in all its glory. 

Enjoying our stay at the Wyndham Palm-Aire in Pompano Beach, Florida.  It's a very large country club with golf, tennis, and several swimming pools. 

Yesterday we went for a leisurely drive with our friends John and Leslie around Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale.  During our drive we got to see the Goodyear blimp doing several takoffs and landings from their facility at the Pompano Beach Airpark.

We heard by email from our friend Phyllis who is currently on the Emerald Princess.  She is arriving on a B2B cruise into Fort Lauderdale on Monday.  All of us are going down to the pier to greet her arrival and then go out for lunch at the Chessecake Factory.  It will be good to see our cruising friend again.

Cold In Florida

This morning we awoke to a sunshiny and balmy 42 degree temperature here in Fort Lauderdale.  The weather is forecasted to warm over the coming few days and hopefully by sailaway it will be in the 70s.

Yesterday we did some shopping for items that we will need during the world cruise that we didn't want to transport on the plane.  And, hopefully our box that we shipped by FEDEX will arrive here tomorrow.  It's going to be fun trying to get all the luggage and extra items we purchased to the ship.  But, I'm sure we will be able to figure something out. 

En Route To Florida

Today is the big day.  We are all packed and will be flying out to Fort Lauderdale at mid-day today.  Will spend a few days doing some last minute shopping prior to boarding the Pacific Princess on January 19th.  Needless to say, we are really looking forward to this cruise.

Oh, the box of miscellaneous items that we sent by FEDEX to Florida ended up weighing 36 pounds. 

Formal Nights

This morning we received a notice from Princess through our travel agent confirming the itinerary and formal nights.  Looks like we will have 9 formal nights on the entire world cruise (3 from Fort Lauderdale to Sydney and 2 on each of the other segments).

Our Cruise Director

Got an email today from Princess saying that Brett Siborne is going to be our Cruise Director.  CLICK ON THE PHOTO BELOW TO ENLARGE IT.



Belated Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone. 

Time is really getting short for the cruise.  Just 16 more days and we are on the way to warmer weather.

Most of the pre-packing is done and we have loaded our box of goodies that we will send to Florida via FEDEX.  Should send that box on its way on January 6th.  Just a few loose ends left to complete prior to flying out to Florida. 

Here are a couple of  tidebits of information for anyone planning a long trip.  It's a good idea to check with you auto insurance company.  You can do what is called "Garaging" your auto and receive a substantial reduction in the premium while you are on travel.  Also, we use a device called a Battery Tender that will keep our car's battery topped off but not overcharge it.  Works really great.
http://batterytender.com/automotive.html