Puerto Chiapas, Mexico

The state of Chiapas occupies a narrow strip of land bordered by the Pacific Ocean and Guatemala. It is almost never visited by mass market tourists, just several cruise ships. There is a modern terminal and a small park at the port.
Our day consisted of an Eco Mangrove river tour. A short drive to the river and we boarded a small, 6 person boat with a guide and a boat handler. The ride through the mangroves was slow and lazy. Not much wild life, but we saw lots of birds. After about an hour and a half the boat turned around and sped back to the origin, using it's outboard motor.

Huatulco, Mexico

At some point in the future, Bahias de Huatulco is likely to rival such hotspots as Acapulco, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, as one of Mexico;s most desirable beach getaways.
We had never been here before, so the morning consisted of a walk into town and browsing the shops. Mike and the boys did an afternoon river rafting tour. Pictures tell a thousand words.

Acapulco, Mexico

Acapulco has managed to age gracefully over the years, as it has grown into a city of a million inhabitants. Mike and I and Rudy and Shirley took a resort tour. We bused along the main road to the other side of the hill to the deluxe Pierre Marques Beach Hotel. There were two pools with lots of lounges and umbrellas. We found the quiet pool and were the only four to use it. We relaxed and swam until it was time for lunch. A great buffet was set up in the Terrace restaurant and we enjoyed local food and drinks. After five hours of relaxing it was time to bus back to the ship and join our Captain, General Manager and Cruise Consultant for a sail away cocktail party.

Deck Bar B Q

When the ship stays in port late, or overnights, they usually do a deck bar b q. Since we didn't leave Zihuatenejo until 10:00 pm we enjoyed a great evening on deck.

Zihuatanejo, Mexico

Zihuatanejo is the fourth largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The bay is where cruise ships drop anchor and tenders bring passengers to the town. Since we have been here several times, we went with friends Bob and Laura, and walked through the town. It was a Sunday, so most shops were closed and no one was fishing. Laura and I headed back and Bob and Mike continued their explorations.

Christmas Day at Sea

Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas is found in Baja California Sur. Our arrival was a few hours early, due to a medical evacuation. The weather was in the mid seventies and we enjoyed our lunch on the pool deck, enjoying the warmth.
Mike and I were not on tour, so we tendered over to town and walked around among the vendors and other cruise passengers. Two Holland America ships were in port with us. The Rotterdam and the very large Oosterdam. Merry Christmas Eve! We will enjoy Christmas Day at sea.

Heading South

Our trip to Fort Lauderdale began on Monday Dec. 20 with a short flight to San Francisco. It was a rainy, gloomy day, but the flight was smooth and on time. We boarded the Regent Navigator in time for lunch and a look around the ship, which is beautifully decorated for Christmas. Our luggage was in our cabin and I proceeded to unpack.
We had one day at sea before docking in wet, cold San Diego. We had a fun tour in spite of the weather. We rode around in a "Trolley" and saw lots of San Diego. The driver, Smitty, was a laugh riot.
Another calm, relaxing day at sea and tomorrow we will be in Cabo San Lucas.