Cruise to the Mexican Riviera on the NCL Star

If you are thinking of taking a cruise with a destination or stops in a foreign country, remember to apply for a passport or passport renewal 4 to 6 weeks before departure to allow adequate time for processing. Although a passport may not be required for some cruises that stop in foreign ports, if you have any type of emergency or issues that require you to fly home from a foreign country, you will need a passport, so it is a good idea to have one. If you've booked a cruise that departs in less than six weeks, there are expedited passport services that can process your passport application more quickly, but there are additional fees for the service.

I was concerned that the "at sea" days would be boring, but there was much more to do than I had imagined.

• Explored the ship - it's huge!
• Enjoyed reading a book I hadn't found time to read
• Worked on a suntan
• Ran around the running track
• Watched for seabirds and other wildlife while eating breakfast and lunch
• Watched some of the surprisingly hilarious poolside contests and shenanigans
• Attended a wine-tasting class
• Shopped in the gift shops
• Searched through the photo gallery to find our pictures from the previous day
• Attended a beer tasting class
• Talked to the staff at the Excursion Desk for more information about one of our shore excursions
• Watched some shipboard entertainment, including a band, a magician, a comedian and the "Not So Newlywed Show"

(Photo by VickiSims)

Although we booked our zip line adventure as a shore excursion through the ship, you can book your own zip line adventure in Puerto Vallarta through a reputable tour company like Viator and sometimes save quite a bit of money. Viator will guarantee that you will be returned to your ship ontime. For more information about booking a zipline tour visit Viator's website. Or if a zipline adventure doesn't appeal to you, see all of the available Viator Puerto Vallarta Shore Excursions

(Photo Credit: brianholsclaw on Flickr)

Between taking a swim in the pool and going on snorkeling trips, I was glad I took 2 swimsuits. One was always ready to go while the other was drying. If you are going to somewhere warm and sunny for a winter vacation it can sometimes be hard to find a swimsuit in local clothing stores in winter. Remember there are companies online that specilize in swimsuits year round.

2012 Hurley Women's Rashguard - Black Rashguard - One Piece

Our last full day on the ship was spent making our final duty free purchases in the gift shop, finding the rest of our pictures in the photo gallery and deciding which ones we wanted, packing, seeing all of the things on the ship we hadn't seen yet, another beer tasting class, completing our customs forms, relaxing and enjoying in some of the evening entertainment after dinner.

All luggage is to be set outside your cabin door the night before disembarkation, so you need to plan what clothes and toiletries you'll need in the morning and keep them with you.

1. Was it expensive?
NO - it was a bargain!
I admit I shopped around and got a good deal, but it's not that difficult to find a cruise that will cost approximately $100 per day per person or less! That includes meals, your stateroom and diffferent scenery every day. (You do pay extra for drinks and shore excursions)

2. Was I bored?
No, I can honestly say I wasn't. The days we were in port we went ashore and the days at sea were filled with all sorts of activities to choose from.

3. Did I feel confined?
No - actually our stateroom was comfortable and wasn't as small as I'd expected. I didn't feel confined at all! We got a cabin with a balcony (I highly recommend) and it was fantastic to sit on our balcony and watch the sunsets.

4. Was it crowded?
Amazingly enough even during our days at sea with everyone on board it didn't seem crowded at all

5. Did I get enough excercise?
I didn't go to the gym once and I still got plenty! I got up early and ran around the jogging track on the days we were at sea and took the stairs instead of the elevator.

6. So did I gain 20 pounds?
Actually I did gain one pound. Although there were many temptations, there were lots of healthy choices available like fresh fruits and vegetables.

7. What about the "Shuffleboard Demographic Group?
There were people of all ages from all over the world on the ship. We met many interesting people on the ship and on our shore excursions.

8. Cocktail party/casino atmosphere?
I suppose there might have been if you stayed up late to party or went into the casino. I did neither. I enjoyed sampling the "drink of the day" on some days and we had wine with our dinner, but I never saw any loud, obnoxious drunken behavior.

9. What about Formal wear for dinner?
I didn't need to worry about buying a new wardrobe for "Formal Night" - it was completely optional! You can be as casual or formal as you like.

10. Cheesy Tourist Trap Excursions
You can always find them if that's what you want, but there were lots of shore excursions choices. There was something for every taste and budget.

(Photo property of VickiSims)

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