1. GLUTTONY: We were fed, fed, and then fed some more and I was shocked to see I had gained 8 pounds on the trip. All meals were buffet style except dinner which was in a the Gold Pearl Restaurant each night and in case that wasn't enough, room service was free 24 hours a day. My biggest vice was the all you can eat soft serve station which was conveniently placed in a high traffic area. The food was amazing and plentiful and all included. Those who wanted soda had to pay and I was surprised that they charged $1.50 for a bag of popcorn when they showed movies on the big screen outside. So forget that and go with the free filet mignon. One of the conditions for getting me on this trip was that Amanda had to feed me lobster, literally.
RELAXATION: While at sea, we had some time to kill and playing cards was one option. But the favorite time killer for the group was laying out and catching some rays. Well, the sun and I don't exactly get along so once I had my fill I spent plenty of time reading and I was perfectly content with that.
PAIN: Everyone experienced some sort of pain on this trip but then, without pain we would not know pleasure. David was throwing up when the sea finally got to him. Penny (Amanda's mom) sprained her knee on a mule and was in a wheel chair for half the cruise. Sam (Amanda's brother) twisted his ankle jumping around like a wild animal. And we all got burned to the point where it was a nightly ritual to lather up in aloe.
MEXICANS: We had three days at port in three different cities in Mexico: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. What was common to each port was the persistent nature of the Mexican people to solicit for your business and I have never felt like such a tourist. They were persistent to the point where I could have filed assault charges. And there are some things that can only be seen in Mexico.
FUN: We had a great time on and off the boat. There was karaoke, comedy acts, musical performances, the dating game, and movies and the NBA playoffs on the big screen top side. I even danced, albeit just a couple of times and no more than a few seconds each time. Two of our sit down dinners were formal nights where we dressed our best. I discovered this after we put to sea and so did the best I could with what I brought, which didn't include a tie.
6. ADVENTURE: There's something exciting about getting on a boat and leaving port to head for the open ocean. The boat was massive and had about 5000 people on it. We were able to see dolphins swimming along side us as we cruised slowly but steadily through the Pacific Ocean. Off the boat I enjoying clambering around the rocks and among the crabs. And probably the best part was the snorkeling in Cabo which put to shame all the snorkeling I've done thus far in my life including places such as San Diego, Fiji, and the Mediterranean. The water was cold but clear and you could swim among thousands of fish of many varieties. We even managed to find a place to do some cliff jumping into the fish infested ocean.
