For the very first NCL-official shore excursion of our trip, we took a 50-minute boat ride to Las Caletas Hideaway. Las Caletas was the former vacation home of John Huston and is now a relaxing, isolated, mostly-inclusive day retreat run by Vallarta Adventures. We ate lunch, drank a few margaritas, snorkeled in the murky waters, and rested in a hammock before returning to the ship. I’m not sure Las Caletas was worth the cost of admission, but it is a great place to relax in the Puerto Vallarta area.

Just like our last visit, after disembarking the ship, we walked along the marina and harbor area of Cabo San Lucas toward Medano Beach. After surviving a 50-minute barrage of salespeople offering fake jewelry, cigars, timeshares, and water taxi rides, we dipped our feet in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. Valerie waded in the ocean for a few minutes and then we sat down in a beachside restaurant for a couple margaritas and a basket of chips, salsa, and guacamole. To avoid a 50-minute walk back to the ship, we took a $6 5-minute water taxi back to the marina.

The first day of the cruise is at sea. Since we didn’t have a chance to eat there last cruise, we dined at the French-themed specialty restaurant Le Bistro. Unlike the steakhouse-themed Cagney’s, Le Bistro served a delicious meal for only 2/3 of the cost.

Valerie and I embarked on a cruise to and through the Panama Canal today. Valerie’s parents took the day off from work and drove us to the Port of Los Angeles. Before departing, we ate lunch at the San Pedro Fish Market at the Ports ‘o Call just outside the World Cruise Center. At the SPFM, you choose your the seafood you want to eat from a large fish-market-like selection and then carry it to the kitchen area and have the staff cook it (fried or grilled with cajun spices). For our first dish, we ate grilled whole Mexican Sea Bass that was recommended by a staff member. For the second dish, the chef combined shelled shrimp, scallops, calamari, potatoes, vegetables, and garlic bread into a tasty tray of greasy goodness.