Royal Princess in Puerto Vallarta

Hello from a hazy Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! 

I remember several years ago when our luggage was lost for the first time. We were headed home from LAX and instead of the luggage heading to Boise it headed to Puerto Vallarta. As we waited for its return (it took a few days), we kept joking about how our luggage got to go to Puerto Vallarta and we didn’t. At that point we didn’t even know where Puerto Vallarta was. We sure do now!

We've been here many times since. Puerto Vallarta is where I learned to zipline in the jungle, rode a mule, and swam with sea lions. We've been to the beach, hubby has been to the casino, and we had a friend from Mexico City meet up with us for lunch and drinks while she vacationing here. Puerto Vallarta is where I used to get my prescription medications - without a prescription. We've made trips to Walmart to stock up on candy for the crew, and let's not forget how we followed the locals and learned the art of jaywalking.

So much traffic.

Now that we both have lost some of our mobility, we decided to stick close to the ship today. Puerto Vallarta has a new cruise terminal that we hadn't checked out before so we just wandered in it and looked around. Hubby did wind up buying a small pack of cigars he can chew on. (Yuck. But guess it's better than smoking them.)

Once we got back onboard, hubby got a lunch he's been craving since San Francisco. There we'd pass by food carts cooking up hot dogs, peppers, and onions. The smell was amazing. So he got a hot dog from the Trident Grill and grilled peppers and onions from Horizon Court buffet. Throw in some fries and the boy munched away as I sat on the Horizon Terrace watching the cars and people and birds go by.

Up tomorrow, Manzanillo!

No FOMO on the Royal Princess

It would be easy to have FOMO (fear of missing out) on a cruise ship. Each and every day there are so many activities to choose from there is no way to get them all in. Just check out today's listing all of the activities around the ship:

You’ll find trivia, games, and sports. Movies, dance classes, and arts and crafts. Seminars and lectures. Comedians, bands, and productions shows. Throw in meals and swimming and visiting with family and friends and you’ve got yourself a busy day. You won't be able to fit it all in, so just mark the activities you’d like to attend then play it by ear. Balance your activities so you don’t go home needing a vacation from the vacation. And don't worry about FOMO! 

As for us, I don't think we did anything on the list. Somehow we finished breakfast early and wound up with some time to kill before a meetup with a crew member. Hubby went his own way (probably to go BS with someone else) and I headed to a place I used to enjoy years ago - the casino. Not so much now, but it was a good place to play for a little bit. Then a few hours later we met back up and he again went his way (probably more BSing somewhere) and I headed to the balcony for some sun...

Straight on to Mexico, please!

and got more than I bargained for. I've been in Alaska enough to know that sound. And what produces the sound. Again and again (and again) I saw bursts in the water.

Moments after the bursts I'd see these fine ladies and gentlemen:

I spent a good chunk of the day just watching and listening. Dozens and dozens of whales appeared over the next few hours. What a way to spend a day. Hubby joined me at some point, but I was too busy just being I have no idea what time it was when he came back to the cabin.

Today was also the day we planned on afternoon tea in our cabin. We took advantage of the warm weather on the balcony to stuff our faces with scones, sandwiches, and sweet treats. Along with tea, of course. (Someone may or may not have eaten one or more items before I got the pictures taken.)

We're stuffed, we're tired, and our skin is a little bit tanner than when we started the morning. While we didn't attend even one activity listed on today's event list, we had a great day at sea. With no FOMO.

Up tomorrow - Puerto Vallarta!