Day 1: San Jose, Costa Rica
Day 1 was mostly taken up by flying from RDU to Ft. Lauderdale, to San Jose, Costa Rica.
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| Aerial view of the outskirts of San Jose |
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| San Jose Airport |
Since the ship was scheduled to depart the next day, we decided to spend the night at a DoubleTree Inn near the San Jose airport, and take a shuttle to the ship the next day. Below are some shots from around the hotel.
Day 2: San Jose to Puerto Caldera
Our shuttle driver delivered us from the hotel in San Jose to the cruise dock in Puerto Caldera. On the way he let us stop at WalMart for to pick up some supplies. WalMarts in Costa Rica are just like those in the USA, only more so.
After about a 90 minute drive, we arrived at Puerto Caldera, and boarded (with some delay and difficulty) the
Crystal Symphony. The ship holds about 960 passengers.
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| Crystal Symphony at Puerto Caldera |
Below are some scenes from the ship. The public areas weren't as spectacular as some ships I have been on but it was still very nice. The food, especially in the specialty restaurants, rivals the best I've ever had, on a ship or on land.
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| Christmas decorations in the atrium |
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| And the obligatory salute to Hanukkah |
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| House wine was free at meals, but Chateau Lafitte was also available for $2300 |
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| One of the ship's bars (drinks were free!) |
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| Best library I've seen on a ship |
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| Another bar |
Next:
Day 3: Nicaragua
