Sandra and David
Trip to CHILE
Day 1.
Traveling to Santiago; we traveled from Houston to Atlanta for a wonderful day at the Atlanta International Airport. We had an eight hour layover; however, we spent it in the Crown Club. I worked on the computer and David watched CNN and sampled the free wine. We left the club about 7:30pm to go grab dinner at TGI Fridays and on to the Gate for our flight. Well! Believe, it or not we had a delay. Which work out well for us because we were to arrive in Santiago at 7:30am and the room was not available till noon. We planned the trip this way for the free flight. With the delay our plane landed at 9:30am. The flight was great we got exit row seats lots of leg room and no one across from us. We both had a good night sleep and were refreshed when we arrived at Santiago airport at 9:45 am. Delta was very impressive, great customer service and equipment.
Customs in Santiago was quick and easy; however, we were ask to pay an entry fee of $ 120 each. We hired a van to take us to the hotel. Another couple in the van were from L. A. they were flying American and luckily did not get delay after American canceled 1300 flights that day. They are staying in Santiago for 4 nights and catching a NCL cruise. We stayed at the Radisson very nice and just a walk away to sidewalk restaurants, cafés and shops. We rested walked to a great café where no one spoke English that was fun. We had lunch it was great. I had a pizza with shrimp David had a chicken (pollo) sandwich with avocadoes and tomatoes. We shared it was great (don’t forget the wine). The city was very busy and it was interesting to watch the people. That evening we had a wonderful dinner at the hotel, great salad with Avocadoes, tomatoes and olive oil. After dinner we went back to the room, got a little work done on the computer; and, signed up for our internet phone service. Called home and a few friends for 1 cent a minute. This is a great phone service when traveling. Ask me about it. Then night night.
Day 2.
We woke up at 7:30 am and hurried to catch our Driver at 8:30. The hotel dropped the ball on our wake up call. We did well, getting packed and manage to have our great free breakfast. We meet our Driver Roberto (Spanish speaking only) and we were on our way. He knew we wanted to stop at the Vineyard and tour the Valapairso (an old fishing village on the west coast of Chile). He stopped at a Winery named Veramonte. This place was extremely impressive. We started our tour at 10:30 meanwhile we tried to interpret Roberto’s stories about the valley of Casablanca. I was able to understand that this valley has mostly white wine, hence the name Casablanca. After a wonderful tour, they treated us to cheese and wine tasting outside in a picnic area. Our host had just returned from Houston and was there presenting their wine to HEB and Costco. We left the winery and headed toward Valparaiso. Roberto pointed out the Presidential buildings. In town he stopped at many of the highlights and picture sites. We could see the ship from everywhere (we were sailing Princesse one of our favorite cruise lines). He drove us over to the beach town of Vina del Mar. He dropped us at a fabulous Chilean restaurant in a hillside castle overlooking the ocean. Some of the best food and Chilean Wine we have ever had. Then he drove around Del Mar for the interesting sites then on to the ship. We drove up and checked in no lines and took a bus over the ship. All aboard, the Star Princess is a beauty, a lot like the Sapphire and the Crown. We got into our great ocean view cabin and settled in. Went to the welcome aboard show and saw a great band in another theater. They played our favorite music we will probablygo see them again.
Day 3.
The ship docked at 7:00am at Coquimbo Chile, a wonderful fishing village just 250 mile north of Valparaiso.
We did not have an excursion planned and decided to sleep in. We got off the ship about noon and just walked to the nearby harbor. They were a few souvenir booths but most impressively was the fish market. Every kind of fish you can think of fresh off the boats. Dave and I did stop and have a snack of queso in a pie shell with a diet coke. We walked along the harbor which was a park like setting and watched the seals play around all the fishing boats. Wonderful day around the small city of Coquimbo, and we went back to the ship to spend the evening at the parties they had planned onboard.Travel to Peru
2 Days at Sea
Day 4:
After reading the Princess Patter we knew that the lecturer would be a great one. John Maxtone-Graham was lecturing on his book “The Only Way to Cross” a history about Atlantic crossings between South Hampton to New York in the 19th century. Very interesting information delivered by an extraordinary story teller. We had a wonderful day by the pool and a great formal dinner we had chosen anytime dinner, its great! show up at anytime. You choose to sit with others or a table for two. We sat with 2 couples not together but both from the Vancouver area Tony and Bonnie and the other couple Carl and Susan. We seamed to hit it off well. They may join us for Australia.
Day 5
Knowing that Mr. Graham would have another great lecture this morning we prepared ourselves to be their early get a good seat. He spoke this morning on “Titanic Survivors” He is such a great story teller we felt like we had actually known Violet Jessop a room steward who had survive the titanic. She had also Violet had served on the Titanic when it hit an iceberg. And the Lusitania
when she was torpedoed by the German Submarine Boat.
Later we did go to the theater for the singer Vincent Talarico. He is kind of a cross between a Richard Simmons look and Neil Diamond (he had a great voice but not a good dancer). His clothes were flashy and he had some fake looking tan. Then we were onto Peru.
Day 6:
We awoke to the view of the desert outside our window. The bus ride was 30 minutes to El Chaco a great fishing village. We walked around a little looked at the boats. I found a great necklace and earrings from a local family. We went back to the ship to enjoy the day around the pool and then went to the sanctuary spa and enjoyed a room to ourselves.
That night we chose to dine at the Sterling Steakhouse, great food and wine a $ 15 surcharge but well worth it.
Day 7.
We arrived at our next port of call Calleo, Peru (For Lima) We are here for 2 nights. The port is very busy. They are loading coal onto a ship at the end of the pier and across from our ship is the fright ships loading Hamburg Containers. For safety reasons we were not able to walk around the pier area so we had to catch a shuttle to a great area of Lima called Miraflores an hour ride, it wasn’t really that far, just lots of traffic. We finally arrived at the JW Marriott in Miraflores Just a crossed the street from the famous high cliffs of Lima overlooking the ocean and a wonderful Galleria Mall. We ate a quick bite at KFC and went back to the ship. We decided that we would enjoy the sanctuary again. A few more people were there today one of the couples happened to be Susan and Carl. They will be going with us on the Costa Rica tour with Alonso (a driver that works out of Costa Rica we have used him with customers before but it's the first time we have had a chance to meet him). We went back to the dining room tonight and meet another Canadian couple and a young lady from Boston. We went back to hear the band Liquid Blue. Dave and I have discovered that we like Cosmopolitans they go down really nice. So shortly after the band took a break we called it a night.
Day 8:
After an overnight at Calleo, we slept in and had a late breakfast on deck 14 (buffet) I always feel like cattle when at the buffet. We did walk to the shops that are at the ship on the pier in the safety area. We watch the coal ship pull away. Down on the pier the workers were sweeping away the mess and it was clean as a hospital floor. We have been watching a couple of great movies. Miss Potter and Rumor Has It. We have appointments at the spa at 5:00 and look forward to another day at sea tomorrow.
Trip to Ecuador and Panama
Day 9
The day at sea started out with the same basic schedule, of coarse we caught the lecture about cruising and crossing. Mr. Maxtone-Grahamn is very interesting and must have spent most of his life at sea, studying or talking about it.
Day 10
Ecuador, the country on the equator. We heard lots of warnings about going off on your own, eating or drinking the local food or water; but, we do prefer to have are own driver and going at our own pace. We research the cruise line tours and decided we would hire a driver to take us to Montecristi, a nearby mountain village that made Panama Hats.
We ran into “The Sisters” ladies we met at dinner and hired a cab together for $50 he drove us to Montecristi, and waited on us at the town square so we could look around visit the church and shop. We did stop at a hat shop first and Dave and I bought our original Panama Hats from Ecuador. Afterwards we went to an Overlook and headed back to the ship. On the way he stopped at the Playa where they were building boats. Beautiful workmanship (wooden fishing boats). We went back to the ship and enjoyed an afternoon of relaxing and watching old Movies “Pride and Prejudice”. Tonight’s show was a hilarious comedian Lenny Winslow a writer from the Benny Hill series. He was the type to use the audience for his humor and low and behold he called David to the stage along with 3 other guys. He started with David asking “What is your Name” “Where are you from” and Of coarse Dave answer all the questions then the question comes out “What do you do for a living?” Much to my surprise Dave answers “a male striper” the audience and the comedian could not quit laughing. David become famous after tonight everywhere we go people recognize him.Day 10
Day at Sea today is not a typical day at sea. We had a celebration of crossing the equator. It was very funny and at the lecture this morning we found out about the customs of the celebration and we never going to admit it if we were what you call a pollywog. The area was very crowded we found a great place on the top deck with a view and a place to set on the steps. They did pick a two passengers and two crew members for the Crossing ceremony and the show began. King Triton was comedian Lenny and the Captain and cruise director became a big part of the show. The pollywogs did get smeared with food and beverages but did not get thrown into the pool. That was saved for the captain and cruise director. This evening was the magician from Lake Charles he was very good and Dave and I always set on the 3rd or 4th row. He called Susan up one of our new found friends for the floating in mid air routine. WOW amazing.
Day 11
Panama City, Panama. David and I wanted to see Panama City we have been to Panama two times and never made it to Panama City.
We researched the list of excursions the ship had to offer and decided that we should see the old city (antique), new city and the place where Captain Morgan destroyed the city many years ago. We tendered in and found a cab just outside the mall area. He did everything we ask for and more. We loved the old town it reminded us of the French quarter in New Orleans. Our driver Martin took us up to the Presidents Mansion. Not just everyone could get through the guards to get there but he managed. Afterwards, we sat at a sidewalk café and enjoyed the plaza area. Today the school kids were protesting the conditions of the schools but they could only get so close to the Presidents Mansion. The local media was there so I am sure the President knows what is going on. We did see the wonderful sites of Panama City and headed back to the ship. At the tender loading pier we had lunch at a restaurant that overlooked the marina “lots of Money in these yachts” Great food and interesting scenery. We went back to the ship, rested, and went to see the Whytes at the Theater. They were 2 brothers from England who did a great Beatles show wonderful singers.Afterwards at Karaoke, I did manage to sign up for a few tunes and found that I was 1 of 3 singers the whole night and the only female.
Day 12
A typical day at sea, relaxing and seeing the lectures and shows.
Trip to Costa Rica and Huatulco Mexico
Day 13
We have looked forward to Costa Rica the whole cruise. We ended up with six on our excursion. Alonso was our driver the same one that Scotty, Lisa, Annie, John, Brenda, George, Dale and Colleen used when they went to Costa Rica. We got off the ship and down the pier about 8:15 Alonso was there waiting. We had Susan and Carl from Vancouver and Vicky and Jim from San Diego with us.
Alonso headed to Manuel Antonio Park. We stopped at several sites along the way; one was to see the crocodiles, another to see a cliff restaurant made from an airplane, and a beer and wine stop. We arrived at the park; a beautiful area. We walked down a long path through the jungle about ½ miles long just a few feet off the beach. The jungle formed a natural canopy with many beautiful very busy multi colored birds overhead and several iguana under feet. On our journey we saw an unusual red legged crab. We arrived at an area with much activities; a closer look revealed, several white faced monkeys playing in the canopy. Our guide called them love monkeys, it is easy to see why. They loved to touch and groom each other The entry fee was $7.00 each but WOW! Susan, Carl, Vicky and I went in the water it was wonderful. The temperature was just right. We were not able to stay long but it was very refreshing. We walked back out of the park where the shops were with lots of the local souvenirs. I got a great turquoise bathing suit cover. Back in the van and we were off to the restaurant on the cliff. Alonzo had a great place picked out for lunch and the view was remarkable.
We stopped on the way back on Los Suenos to see the resort and marina. It is very nice. They had a great golf course and hundreds of beautiful yachts in the marina.
Day 14:
Days at sea seam to be for catching up on things, but emails and internet are extremely slow and some things are not going through. The food is great and We sat in on a Lenny talk about Benny Hill he really made Benny hill seam a lot different than we imagined.
Day 15:
Huatulco Mexico was in a beautiful cove just south of Acapulco. We pulled in with turtles and dolphins. The water was not quite the Caribbean but gorgeous. Dave and I decided just to walk around the port and found a great beachside restaurant to spend the afternoon. I swam in the wonderful ocean and enjoyed the wonderful day. We sat near the Princess singers and dancers boy did I fit in with my 2 piece suit. I guess it did not matter we had lots of South Americans and Europeans on board. One older lady at the table next to us proceeded to change into her bathing suit right there in front of God and everybody. After enjoying some great chips and guacamole we walked back to the ship. We walked around the deck checking out the different views. This is one of the most beautiful ports. We spent our last evening packing and watching national treasure on TV. We have an 11:35 am flight and our customs and immigration time was at 7:15 am. I hate to go and can’t believe its over, but we are homesick.
Day 16
We are setting at the Acapulco Airport waiting on our flight to Mexico City. Another interesting day at airports. It will be especially interesting to spend 3 hours at the Mexico City Airport. Aero Mexico had a great lounge area it helped with the wait time and the flight home started out a little bumpy but we arrived ontime. It’s good to be back home and we look forward to sharing our wonderful experience with our friends and family.
Thank you for sharing our great vacation. See you soon.
David and Sandra
