CABO SAN LUCAS to PUERTO VALLARTA

I haven't said much about the Norwegian Encore.  Everything is average, but not much worse than a Regent Seven Seas or Seabourn ship.  In fact, the service here is better.  Some details.

• No great surprise, but this American cruise line was founded in Norway in 1966, as a car ferry between Southhampton, UK and Gibralter.  
• Headquarters are in Miami.
• One of the original owners, Israeli Ted Arison (right), left in 1972 to form Carnival Cruise Lines.  My posting of a few days ago showed that Carnival is, by far, the biggest cruise company in the world.  The other co-founder, Norwegian Knut Kloster, renamed the company Norwegian Caribbean Lines.
• Pioneered many firsts in the cruise industry.
• Its second and third ship, the Starward and Skyward, were the first newly built ships designed for cruising.
• Their Seaward in 1971 was the first true cruise ship without any car-carrying capacity.
• Their Norway in 1979 was significantly larger than any other cruise ship, adding various entertainment options.
• In 1997, all their ships gained the Norwegian prefix, save for the Pride of America.
• 
  Kloster sold the company to Genting Hong Kong in 2000.
• Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings incorporated in 2011, purchasing the parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 2014, and is the third-largest cruise operator.
• The Breakaway class, holding more than 4000 passengers entered service in 2015, with the Encore sailing in 2019.

• 
  The Prima class came in 2021.  Max capacity was around 3100 passengers, smaller than the Encore.
• During the pandemic, Norwegian blatantly lied and said that their Caribbean cruise featured warm weather, and you were thus safe on their ship.  The CDC shut down all Norwegian ships, including Oceania and Regent Seven Seas. with all 28 ships held in ports.
• Lost $4 billion, and the company was close to bankruptcy, but secured financial support, and continues now with 19 cruise ships, with eight on order.
• 
  All of its ships are flagged to the Bahamas, except the Pride of American, which operates only in the U.S. and is so flagged for tax purposes.  It is, however, 19 years old, and should be replaced.  I won't again sail on it for the interisland cruise mainly because the internet is almost non-functional.
• Four future ships will have a passenger capacity of around 3560 or lower.
• There are 4 planned from 2030 to 2036 capable of handling 5100 passengers.

I took a tour of the the Norwegian Encore.  First our room.  The veranda is small but okay.  

The bathroom is better than most, with a good-sized shower and a double sink.  The flushing noise is not so bad.

The cabin itself is smallish, with a bed that feels larger than a queen, but smaller than a king.

Then walked on the 17th deck.

Galaxy Lounge had all kinds of participatory machines.

I think this is for soccer.

Note the water slide to the left.

Sunset.

To maintain a profit, Norwegian charges for water, even if we are on an unlimited beverage package.  However, you can bring water from the dining areas to your cabin.  Of course, you an also drink the room tap water....but.

Update:  Guests are no longer allowed to bring water and soda on board.  Bring a reusable water bottle to fill it up on the ship and carry it around with you while exploring the port.  You’ll need to fill cups provided at the beverage stations with water then pour it into your bottle.

The other annoyance is that the unlimited internet has limitations.  It's fast, but you can't stream Netflix nor access links like You Tube.  You might have noticed that I can't thus connect you to music and such.

About the drinks package:

**Please note that you will be required to pay the 20% gratuity for the price of the beverage package and specialty dining.  While the package itself is free, you’re still responsible for the gratuity. However, you only pay gratuity on the drink package price, you don’t pay gratuity for every drink purchased on the ship assuming it falls within the package limits.

It's only been a week, but we're already getting tired of the food.  We have not yet been to breakfast, for we sleep till noon.  It's the tough nightlife.

Lunch and dinner is a choice of going to sumptuous buffet, which has a couple new things daily, and a good noodles bar, or one of three fancier restaurants, plus some smaller options and the half a dozen or so which charge quite a bit for a meal.  We have three free night options, and chose Cagney Steakhouse, Les Bistro (French) and Teppanyaki.  We can pay for Food Republic, Los Lobos (Mexican), Onda, Q Smokehouse and Ocean Blue.

Last night we went to a sit-down restaurant option, Savor.  Drank two wines from Israel, a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  These are priced at $15/glass, the highest value we can get for free on on our unlimited alcohol package.

Caesar Salad and Split Pea Soup.  The salad was okay, and the soup, with ham, was terrific.

Not sure if this is already my third New York Strip Steak.  Still  good.

Incidentally, there really is too much to eat at any serving, but should you wish, you can order any number of steaks or sides or desserts.  Just don't ask for a bottle of water.  Walked a decent 4357 steps today.

We arrrived in Puerto Vallarta.  The ship is right close to shops and a shopping center.  This is the view from our veranda.

The Ruby Princess is next us.  Lunch of noodles in pork broth, with rose wine and beer.

Just below us, a shuttle to somewhere, and a massage tent.

Were told that the shuttle takes you away to a duty free shop, not where you necessarily want to go, plus the return line is really long.  So forget that.  Dessert of sugerless chocolate ice cream and coconut cream pie.

About Puerto Vallarta.

• Known as Vallarta or PV, or PVR, the airport code.
• Archeological evidence suggests human habitation from 580 BC.

• 
  First Europeans were some crew of Hernan Cortes in the early 1500s.
• Officially founded in 1851 and named after Ignacio Vallarta.
• Municipality population is approaching 300,000.
• In the Central Time Zone.
• 1466 miles south of San Diego and 2581 miles north of the Panama Canal.

• 
  Hurricanes seldom come here, although Hurricane Kenna, a Category 5 in 2002, got close.  In 2015, the most powerful cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere, Category 5 Patricia at 200 MPH approached PV, but changed directions and weakened, also affecting our next stop, Manzanillo.
• 80% of workforce in the tourist industry.
• Has developed into the premiere resort town for the gay community, and is dubbed, the San Francis of Mexico.

• 

  The 1963 Night of the Iguana, with Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr, Tennessee Williams and Elizabeth Taylor was filmed here.  Soon thereafter, Burton and Taylor built two houses in PV, joined by a bridge (above).  Angelica Houston and Danny Huston, the children of John Huston, film director, founded the Puerto Vallarta Film Festival.  Rotten Tomatoes:  75/85.

• 
  The Love Boat (Pacific Princess) features PV as a port of call.  First season in 1977 got 20/80 ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, so audiences loved the show.  Went on for nine seasons.
• Located in the largest bay by in Mexico, second in North America, and seventh in world.
• Humpbacks come in the winter from November to March.
• The typical dish is zarandeodo fish, roasted between two grills using a wood fire instead of gas.
• There is a fabulous Botanical Garden of 10 acres.  It is, though, 30 minutes by car.
• 
  One of the reasons I don't find much interest in these port stops (around the world), is the landmark structure is a church.  So the case here with the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in PV.

Tomorrow, Manzanilla.

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