Wonderful Antigua Guatemala tips

 I took the shore excursion to Antigua Guatemala. It takes 90 minutes from the port to the city. A nice comfortable drive, as it’s a new highway. You will pass 2 volcanoes. 

Antigua is an on your own tour. You can hire a guide for $15 pp. but you don’t need one. It’s easy to walk, lots of shopping, restaurants etc.  With Mayan women don’t touch their goods or they will follow you til you buy.  If you want to buy start at half price.

It’s a pretty town with the volcano in the background, with cobble stone streets, low rise buildings. Lots to take pictures of including the people. 

Tips

US dollars are fine for shopping but not restaurants - you need Guatemala money

Make sure you trace your steps back to the meeting place as all streets look the same  - use landmarks and street names

Protect your wallet/ purse

Bring a sweater as the elevation is 5000 feet

Take lots of pictures 

Have fun bartering 

Hope this helps

Marcia

Costa Rica or Panama?

 Just visited both Costa Rica and Panama.  I preferred Panama.  Costa Rica has become quite commercial and more expensive than Panama.  You can do many of the adventures for a lower cost.  In Costa Rica I did the coffee plantation and Sarchi,  neither was fabulous and the 5 hour tour was 9 hours due to the highway being closed.  I thought the oxcart factory in Sarchi was very good and lots of handicrafts to purchase.

I did old town and modern city tour in Panama City.  The skyline is beautiful in Panama. The old town has a beautiful church- San Phillip.  You can bargain for everything.  I got good prices for everything -shawl meuli(?) purse etc.

Tips 

No tours are needed in Panama City . Take a cab to old town or the free shuttle for the mall.

You need a tour in Costa Rica. They are expensive.

Hope this helps.

Marcia 

Diamond Princess back in service - my review

 Diamond Princess is back in service. My 20 day cruise has only about 1100 passengers and the same amount of crew.  Here’s the good and not so good

Cabins

Smaller than most other Princess older ships

Very comfortable beds

Lights near the bed and washroom come on automatically 

As always the cabin steward is excellent 

Love that they added the extra charging usbs by the bed to the light stand

Food

The food is ok in the buffet but repetitive 

There is no international cafe. 

The pacific moon restaurant has the best ambiance 

Dinner food is usually quite good but so many shrimp dishes

The omelettes are very good

Ship layout 

Same as the other ships , with lots of self laundries 

Love the deck on 7 - kept nice and wider than the other

They have closed the front of the ship on 14 - not good when coming into port

Staff

Friendly 

Some responsive and some useless 

Like the cruise director and most of her team -A good experience with them

Many in training  on ship

Princess will no longer give you back the port fees when they cancel a port

Ship has toilet and air conditioning issues at back of ship and cabins starting with a 3 so beware regardless of floor

No pools are heated so we’re unusable even though it was really hot

Passengers really old - avg. age over 70

Entertainment in theatre really bad

Movies in room good with lots of selection 

Overall a blah kind of ship with nothing memorable 

Hope this helps 

Marcia

Hope this helps

Marcia

Expensive cruise port of Huatulco

 It was my first time in Huatulco and the port expert said it was about 1 mile to Crucecita the town from port walking. Warning it is 2.3 miles and hilly each waywithout shade.  The church is definitely worth a visit. The shops and markets are just ok.

But this port is very expensive for a Mexico port.  They don’t barter even in the market. It’s the same stuff of ceramics, t shirts etc. but double the price of Manzanilla.

The beach by the ship looked dirty so go elsewhere by water taxi or taxi.  The rates are posted to the more popular beaches. 

I found the number of pickups with security men with machine guns disconcerting.

Overall not a port I would visit again.

Hope this helps

Marcia

Is Manzanilla cruise port worth a visit?

 Manzanilla is not worth being a destination on its own, but it’s ok as one of many ports on your Mexican cruise.  There was a recent earthquake so there is a damaged Malecon, and many buildings.  Below is what is good about this port:

1. Easy walk off the ship and a five minute walk to the old town and the Sailfish sculpture.

2. Shopping while not plentiful is cheap for T-shirts, hats. But not many ceramics

3. Locals are friendly

4.  Wall art is really interesting- photo worthy

5. Fisherman are fun to watch bringing and selling fish

Not sogood 

beaches are far away

You can walk the old town in an hour

Malecon is under construction 

Overall an ok port for one visit

Hope this helps

Marcia