Cruise March 30 - April 20, 2025, I will only list stops below
The cruise was $3,999.16 after a 15% costco discount. We used one of our future cruise credits (that cost us $125) and this brought the price down to $3,749.16. We had to pay all at once since it was within 3 months. Costco gives you Digital Costco Shop cards that you use like cash at Costco. We will get a $160 and bonus $200 card after this cruise for booking with them.
This also included a $120 specialty dining add on which allows us to eat at their specialty restaurants three nights. We already get two nights at specialy restaurants included since we are at the sapphire latitude level. So, we can eat at those restaurants 5 of our 21 nights. We also get a couple bottles of wine and shore excursion discounts.
This cruise is similiar to one we took in Dec. 2022 (L.A. to Miami, on the Norwegian Bliss), but longer, backwards and it skips Acapulco Mexico and adds Puntarenas (Puerto Calderal) Costa Rica, San Francisco California, Victoria British Columbia and Seattle Washington.
Tips will be extra ($40 per night) and excursions will be extra but we get a discount for our lattitude level. All in all though (for cruise, with tips, airfare, dining, excursions and parking) I estimate this will be about $130 per person, per night which is a good rate for all you get.
This will be our 28th cruise (8/64 days on Princess, 10/120 days on Norwegian (after this cruise), 6/44 days on Carnival, 3/26 days on Royal Caribbean and 1/9 days on Celebrity) = 263 days of fun and relaxing cruising.
Lastly, Lynn purchased Go Ready Travel Insurance from AEGIS for $396 which goes for one year starting March 30th, 2025 and covers items like: Trip Interruption, Airline Ticket Change Fee, Baggage Delay, Baggage / Personal Effects, Accidental Death, Emergency Accident and Emergency Sickness Medical Expense, Emergency Medical Evacuation, etc. Each with limits from $200 - $50,000.
Our airfare from Seattle Washington back to Miami was only $11 as Lynn used American Airline air miles, but we do have to pay $40 per checked bag. The flight is April 20th at 10:10 pm, back to Miami on April 21, 7:05 am.
Cartagena! For 6 hours in this beautiful colonial city, here's what I recommend:
1. Start in the Walled City (Ciudad Amurallada):
- Walk through the colorful streets of the UNESCO World Heritage site
- Visit the iconic Clock Tower (Torre del Reloj), the historic entrance to the city
- Explore San Pedro Claver Church and its square
2. Head to Castillo San Felipe de Barajas:
- This is the largest Spanish fortress built in the Americas
- Takes about 1-1.5 hours to explore properly
- Go early in the day to avoid peak heat
3. Return to the Old City:
- Walk along the city walls for great views
- Stop at Café del Mar for a drink with sunset views if timing permits
- Explore Plaza Santo Domingo and see the famous Botero sculpture "La Gorda Gertrudis"
4. Food and Shopping:
- Try local seafood at La Cevicheria or La Mulata
- Browse emerald jewelry shops
- Sample tropical fruits from street vendors
- Try arepas de huevo (deep-fried corn cakes with egg)
Tips:
- The heat and humidity are intense - carry water and wear sunscreen
- Best to take an air-conditioned break during peak afternoon heat
- Many attractions are walkable, but taxis are affordable for longer distances
- Beware of aggressive street vendors; a firm but polite "no gracias" works well
