Day One: At Sea

Day break, our first day at sea.

The first full day of our cruise was at sea which translates into pure relaxation with no real agenda! Having come from a winter climate we were hopeful for some sunshine. It was a bit cloudy and cool on deck, but the reality was that we were still outside in shorts! After a delicious breakfast, we went up to deck 15 for a walk on the ship's track. To our delight, we found a paddle tennis court and decided to give it a go. We weren't entirely sure of the rules, but applied basic tennis rules to the game and had a fun set. It was great fun running around the court while at sea! Afterward, we found our way to a deck chair and enjoyed sitting in the sun until about 1.00 when the clouds and wind finally drove us inside. Much to our delight, Julie and Julia was the movie of the day being shown in the ship's gigantic theater so we took in a matinee. I loved the book, 'My Life in France' and had been quite interested in seeing the film, so it was a great way to spend the afternoon. Formal attire was the protocol for dinner that night so it was kind of fun getting dressed up and enjoying a nice meal together. The entertainment of the evening was the comic/musician we so enjoyed the night before and we laughed and laughed while watching him perform his clever and silly act. What a delight to encounter someone with such a funny way of looking at life. And he was clean which made it especially nice.
In spite of the chilly afternoon, when I fell into bed at the end of the first full day, I did notice that my skin was turning the color of a cafe con leche and I was happy.

Week 3: Cruising the Mexican Riviera

My parents have long enjoyed cruises as way to take a fun, relaxing vacation without blowing the bank account. A few years back they got us interested, so when an opportunity to see some of Mexico via cruise came up, we decided to jump on it. We no sooner arrived in California when we jumped in the car and drove to the cruise terminal located in San Pedro, California, about 2 hours from Palm Springs. We boarded the Sapphire Princess cruise ship to begin our adventure to the Mexican Riviera. The ship was huge and beautiful and our cabin was surprisingly large. We took a quick look around, made sure we were on deck as the ship pulled out of its slip and suddenly, we were on our way to Mexico. Shortly thereafter, we sat down in the formal dining room for the first of many indulgent and delicious meals. Prime Rib was on the menu and the 4 carnivores who had disembarked together were happy cruisers! Our waiters were Jerry and Norberto, both from the Philippines, both adorable with wonderful senses of humor. Afterwards, we went to the Welcome Aboard show and enjoyed great singing and dancing along with hilarious humor from a guy named Steve Moris. Combining singing, audience participation and stand-up comedy, we were delighted by the great entertainment.
All in all, our first impressions were fantastic. We looked forward to a week of fun in the sun.The first of many beautiful sunrises and sunsets aboard the Sapphire Princess.