Las Vegas at the Encore December 21 -24, 2014

Wynn Waterfall

Vegas Show!

Our most recent trip was a quick pre-holiday getaway to Las Vegas!  We stayed at the Wynn Encore Hotel and we were treated very well.  As with any trip to Vegas I ate too much and had some fun in the  casino.  We had dinner with friends at La Cave and enjoyed drinks out by the lake while enjoying the show.  During this trip we saw Jersey Boys and Oh what a night we had!  Before show time we had a great dinner at SW Steakhouse.  Oh what a Steak!  I can't wait for our next trip to sin city!

Our Suite at the Encore!

Future Trip - Crown Princess Cruise in January!

Princess Baja Cruise November 23 - 26, 2014

Ensenada from the deck of the Golden Princess

We just returned from a quick cruise to Baja Mexico on the Golden Princess.  This was my second cruise on the Golden and we had a blast again!  The ship, the service and the weather were all beautiful.  It made for a perfect mini-vacation!  Best of all when I returned home Princess sent me an email with a offer I could not refuse.  They offered me a free cruise on the Crown Princess in January!  All we have to pay for is the tax!  It looks like we will be heading back to Baja in January.  The only thing better than a cruise is a FREE cruise!  Thank you Princess! 

Balcony cabin

Sunny Ensenada!

Future Trip Las Vegas at the ENCORE! in December

Future Trip Orlando & Bahamas Cruise in April!

Enchantment of the Seas

Las Vegas August 19 - 22, 2014

The Strip from the High Roller

We just returned from a short Vegas vacation for my birthday!  We flew out of LGB on JetBlue and stayed at the new Cromwell hotel on the strip.  While we had some good food and fun on this trip I would not stay at the Cromwell again.  Our hotel room was small and dark and we had a view of the hotel loading dock.  In addition our room was very noisy at night because of the nightclub on the roof of the hotel.  The service at the hotel was not great, for example we were told that turndown service was done each night but we only got it one night of our three -night stay.  There are so many great hotels in Vegas and the Cromwell did not live up to our expectations.

The trip itself was outstanding!  We ate at some great restaurants such as Giada’s new Italian place and we had a great steak dinner at Cut.  We enjoyed a spectacular view from the new High Roller and saw the Michael Jackson show at Mandalay Bay.  All in all we had a great time in Sin City!

Future Trip Las Vegas in August!

Future Trip Princess Cruise in November!

Fort Lauderdale & Caribbean Cruise July 1 - 8, 2014

Vision of the Seas!

Cabin

Beach Day!

Our four-night Western Caribbean cruise to Cozumel aboard the beautiful Vision of the Seas began with a cross-country flight from California and a two-night stay in Ft. Lauderdale.

We flew on Jet Blue from LAX to FLL (love that leg room).  We landed in Florida right in the middle of a huge storm!  After getting our bags we took a cab to our hotel, Il Lugano.  I booked this place after reading great reviews about it.  The stay was not so great for us.  We were given a room right next to the most inconsiderate and loud “guests” ever.  We were kept awake from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.  the first night with yelling and screaming and music blasting next door!  I called down to the desk twice before the noise stopped and we were able to get some sleep.  I would not recommend this hotel.  The walls are thin; noise travels between rooms and if you value sleep this place is not for you.

The morning of our cruise we checked out of the hotel and headed over to the port about 11:00 a.m.  When we arrived we gave our bags to a porter and we were off to check in.  The check in process was quick and painless and we were on the ship in about fifteen minutes. 

The vision of the Seas is a beautiful ship!  I was last on her a few years ago before her make over.  I think she looks better than ever!  Everything is modern and new.  We got our first drink in the R Bar and we were in full vacation mode!  We purchased the top tier drink package for this cruise and it was great!  We always had great drink service. 

The food and service on the Vision were outstanding with only a few exceptions.  We had dinner in both Chops and G’s Table and had delicious meals.  The service in the main dining room was great as well.  The only issue with food on the Vision was that it was sometimes hard to get.  If we wanted a snack at times it seemed as if there were not many options available to passengers.  The pool buffet had limited hours, as did the Park Café.  I wish there was a true 24-hour dinning option on this ship.  We did order room service a few times and each time our order was late and the food was cold when it arrived. 

During our time ashore I booked a beach day at Nachi and we had a blast!  We could not have asked for a better day, great weather, a great beach and great service. 

Back on board the shows and activities kept us entertained while at sea.  I loved that this cruise had two sea days!  We enjoyed sitting out on our balcony watching the blue ocean!  Our cabin was great with one exception.  The bed was very uncomfortable!  It was both too firm and uneven.  My back could have used a better bed.  Our room attendant was outstanding!  We asked him for both ice and shampoo at the start and we were fully stocked all cruise.

We had a great time on our short Vision cruise!  We were sad to leave her at the end.  When we got back to Ft. Lauderdale we had breakfast and were off the ship by 10:00 a.m.   Then it was off to an airport hotel  for our last two days of vacation!  It was a great trip!  When is my next cruise?

   

Future Trip Ft. Lauderdale & Caribbean Cruise!

We fly from LAX to FLL stay two nights in FLL and then board our four night caribbean cruise!

La Jolla & Del Mar February 15 - 17, 2014

Hilton La Jolla
View from our room

We just retuned from a weekend trip to Del Mar and La Jolla and we had a great time!  The drive down the coast was beautiful.  The first night was at a Marriott in Del Mar.  It was a newer hotel in a great area close to many places to eat in Del Mar.  The next morning we headed to Brunch in Solana Beach and we had an outstanding meal at Claire's!  We walked and shopped in the design district before heading to the Hilton resort in La Jolla for night two of our trip.  The hotel was a bit old but the location was nice,  right on the golf course over looking the Pacific.  The next morning we headed towards Hillcrest in San Diego for a late breakfast at Snooze.  The food and service were both outstanding!  So many great items to try!!  After breakfast we zoomed up the coast and back to reality.  It was a great  trip!

Future Trip

La Jolla in February 

Las Vegas January 2 - 5, 2014

Vdara Suite Bedroom

Vdara Suite Living Room

We just returned from a post-new year trip to Las Vegas.  It was my first time staying at the Vdara and it was very nice!  Our trip was very eventful.  We flew out to Vegas on Jet Blue and had a great time eating, seeing Love and relaxing at Spa Vdara.
Our trip back home took an unexpected turn due to the Polar Vortex storm.  Our return flight to Long Beach was a no-go. So we rented a car and drove home from Vegas.  I love Las Vegas and I cannot wait to return!