DAY 24 - WELCOME TO HUATULCO, MEXICO

We had dinner in the Crystal Dining Room last evening.

These are the dinner menus.

We decided to pass on the seafood for dinner and instead we had pre-ordered Matzoh Ball Soup and Kosher Chicken with Headwaiter Igor the night before.

We began the meal with a small cup of soup and one nice sized Matzoh Ball.  The Matzoh Ball was terrific.  Our next course was salad.  Anne Marie asked for a small portion of the salad entree without a few of the items that were on it and Keith had his standard salad.  This is a photo of Anne Marie's salad.

Headwaiter Igor brought over the entree that we had specially ordered on a large serving platter on a serving trolley.  He then carved the chicken.  We had about half of the chicken.  Keith was impressed at how Igor cut the chicken. He used a very sharp knife and easily cut through the bone.

Anne Marie had the white meat along with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.

 Keith had both white and dark meat along with steamed vegetables and roasted potatoes.  He also had a portion of a side order of vegetables which are not part of this photo.  We hadn't realized that so many vegetables would accompany the entree so between those vegetables and the side order of vegetables we could have fed an army.

The chicken was very tasty and moist.  Sometimes Kosher Chicken can be quite salty, but this was not. the case with the way this chicken was prepared.    We also paired a nice Skag's Leap cabernet wine with this entree.

Anne Marie passed on dessert and just had a cup of decaffeinated cappuccino.  Keith had mixed berries.

The dining room has been very full at night, and this evening while full there were quite a few empty seats/tables as guests decided to dine elsewhere.  This is fairly typical as many people choose to dine in the dining room on formal night which was the previous night.  We were told that late seating would have very few people.  In addition to the two specialty restaurants there was also casual dining around the indoor pool up at Tastes and there is always room service.

We stopped by Prego afterwards to check on which additional fish would be on the menu for this evening so we could decide whether to eat at Prego or in the Main Dining Room.  Prego did win out as there is supposed to be Tuna served this evening.  We did learn that Prego had a record number of reservations last night.  This is certainly a busy cruise at the various dining venues but the waitstaff at all of the venues is certainly doing their utmost to keep up with everyone.

When we returned to the room Keith had one (well actually one and a half) of those delicious rainbow cookies that Ricki and David had brought on board for Keith that we had Rao keep in the butler freezer. Ricki and David, thank you again for those delicious cookies that Keith loves.

As we have mentioned, we have not been going to too many evening shows on this cruise but once the world cruise starts up we will begin going to the evening shows.

The seas were very calm last evening when we first went to bed and it was easy to fall asleep.  At around 2:00 AM Keith woke up (Anne Marie wears ear plugs) to a great deal of howling wind. The ship  didn't appear to be rocking much but that wind seemed very strong.  By around 3:30 AM Keith no longer could hear the howling and he did sleep through part of it.

In spite of that wind, Keith was up early for his morning workout.  Anne Marie got in her workout as well and then we enjoyed breakfast in the comfort of our room.  Keith learned from a few others guests that they had heard a few large noises last evening which may have been related to the winds.

After breakfast Keith took another spin (indoor cycling) class.  Normally these classes are not offered on port days but today was one of those exceptions so Keith decided to take advantage of the class.  Two other men were in the class, and the instructor worked us hard which Keith really appreciated.

After the workout Keith changed and then we visited Huatulco, Mexico.  Our first visit to  this port was in January of 2011.  This port of call is very lush and is known for its pristine beaches.  The town is just a five minute or so walk from the pier.  There are many stores, restaurants and cafes located in this town.  The town appears to be very safe.

As you walk the town you are approached by many of the locals who ask/say.

"Taxi"
"Would you like to take a Taxi for $3.00?"
"Would you like to come into my store?"
"Would you like an iced cold beer?"
"Would you like me to show you the beach?"
"Would you like to eat at my restaurant?"

This is all part of travel and in the end people want to make a living so we fully understand all of this.
As we passed a few members of the crew or other guests we know Keith would say some of these phrases to them.

In the end, this is a very nice port.  For those who enjoy the beach or water sports it offers a nice opportunity to enjoy the outside.  For us who enjoy the warm weather we had a good time too.

Open Air Church

Some of the colorful prints you see as you walk around town

A small local park

"Would you like a nice cold beer or some other drink?"

Keith mentioned to the ships photographers that the prints of this photo would be delivered to their room later tonight.

We spent a couple of hours on shore.

After we returned to the ship we got ready to have lunch with Jim and Nan (her real name is also Anne Marie).  We last sailed with the two of them in November of 2011 and they joined us in the Crystal Dining Room for lunch on the first day of this Panama Canal cruise when Ricki and David spent the day with us.  We had a delightful time with Jim and Nan.

We normally don't post the luncheon menus but thought we would do so today.

We each enjoyed a nice side salad entree.


We sat at one of the tables that our Senior Waiter, Jijo, and our Waiter, Vicente, is responsible for.


Seated Jim and Nan (Anne Marie)

A Chef's Salad Entree

Keith met Bob later in the afternoon.  Anne Marie walked for one hour on the Promenade Deck and then enjoyed sitting outside for a while.

This evening we will dine at Prego and will post more about this tomorrow.

TODAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.....

"Earth laughs with flowers." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Keith and Anne Marie