Review of the 3/11/2011 Carnival Spirit Mexican Riviera SailingCarnival, how do I love thee, let me count the ways. Oh, never mind - there's not enough paper in the world, and frankly I don't have time to write a love note that long. Let it suffice to say that I am quite well-known as an unabashed, wildly vocal proponent of not only cruising in general, but also Carnival Cruise Lines in specific. As a long-time cruiser, I have reached that point in my life where, much like a young man driving his first convertible, I have ceased to consider the overall cost because the pleasure more than exceeds the monetary output. Unlike most travel, cruising relies heavily on the fair winds of weather, water and politics, either of which can change directions with but a moment's fickle notice. As a result, cruisers must be prepared for an adventure, and cruise lines do adventure better than anyone. And what an adventure this was! Of course, not everything qualified as an "adventure." Packing - as always - was a chore. It seems that we never seem to get any better at it. I mean, after 17 cruises one would think that we would have this portion of the journey down to a science. But alas, if it is science, it is weird science. Every single item goes in according to a printed list - a list that seems to grow every single time, and the most commonly heard phrase as we begin to dump into the cases is, "But what if I need..." And then, when you think the packing will never end—it is over, time to leave. The car is full, snacks are readily at hand, and the long trek across the desert begins. Of course, those of us in the southwest who crave the ocean breezes on our faces don't look on our surroundings as a desert, mind you, but rather as a long, 400-mile wide desolate beach to be overcome in our quest for undulating waves and roiling white-capped surf. Summer or winter matter not as we set our sights west, to the oceans of our desire. A mind-numbing 6-hour drive and we arrive at our interim destination, Days Inn on Hotel Circle, San Diego. Chosen for its Park & Sail program, it is a comfortable place to lay our heads as we await the coming day when we will embark on Carnival Spirit for a long-anticipated 9-day journey down the Baja California peninsula and beyond. All goes like clockwork, as it has so many times in the past, until...It's 7am Friday morning, March 11, 2011. The adventure begins. We are awakened to a signal from our Blackberry, a message from daughter Tracy, "Has the tsunami affected you?" Time to take advantage of Days Inn's free Wi-fi. An alert has been sounded that a tsunami resulting from a huge earthquake off Japan's eastern coast has inundated them with 30-foot walls of water, and the devastating after-effects were headed east. Hawaii had already been hit by waves up to 8-feet high, and a much-diminished wave of around 1-2 feet was expected to arrive in San Diego by 8am. The port of San Diego was shut down, and Carnival Spirit was left to flounder off Tijuana, unable to dock. Our shuttle from the hotel was scheduled to leave at 10:30am, but the ship was not expected to arrive until sometime after that. Debarkation procedures would take hours, and even with our Carnival Platinum Cruiser status, we would be waiting around the port, unable to board until very late in the afternoon. A quick visit to the Days Inn front office brought good news from Brian - we could delay checkout until the just-added 2pm shuttle, at no extra charge. And just as quickly, we became huge Days Inn fans. As scheduled, the shuttle was waiting for us down at the office and we loaded bag and baggage and proceeded toward the Port of San Diego shortly thereafter. On arrival, we encountered a multi-block-long line of passengers snaking from the embarkation station through the baggage area, out the security gate and down the sidewalk. However, in what could only be described as miraculous, our shuttle driver was motioned into the offloading area, a porter took all our luggage, and we walked straight into the embarkation area for VIP check-in. We later spoke to some rather irritated people who had waited in the previously-mentioned line, and even though they were Platinum guests, it still took 3-1/2 hours to move with the rest of the people in line before they could reach the building in order to take advantage of their perks as we had. While I felt bad for them, I think Carnival handled a very bad situation quite well - and I definitely did not go on about our fortunate circumstances again for the rest of the cruise!Once through the expedited onboarding process, it was up the gangway and onto the Carnival Spirit - our beautiful home for the next 9 days. From her towering lobby with glass elevators scaling the heights to her marble floors and wood-trimmed walls and ceilings, Carnival Spirit is a beautiful ship, the first of the Spirit class vessels for CCL. 80% of her rooms are outside cabins, and of these, 80% are balconies. Entering her gorgeous auditorium, the Pharaoh's Lounge, is like a trek into an ancient Egyptian temple, replete with gold-leafed sarcophagi and hieroglyphics. Our room was ready when we boarded at around 3:30pm, so we unpacked our carry-on luggage while our 15-year old son, Mark, who is very familiar with what this ship has to offer, headed to Lido deck for his passion - Carnival food. After meeting our room steward, a delightful young lady from Nicaragua named Xiomara, we followed shortly after for a light lunch, as we had not eaten since early morning. We knew that dinner in the Empire Restaurant, Carnival Spirit's Main Dining Room, would be served at 6pm, so no matter how strong the temptation - and it was quite intense - we held off filling up in the Lido deck La Playa Grille, as Carnival's Main Dining Room offerings are some of the best in the industry, all served with that special Carnival smile. As expected, our dining waiter, Noel, and his assistant, Wunna, were delightful, witty, efficient, and charming, all at the same time! Dinner was, as expected, delicious, but it was somewhat lonely, as our dining companions did not materialize. This is not, however, unexpected on the first night, as people are very tired after the day's travel, etc. We took it in stride, and followed up dinner with a hot cappuccino, after which we were set for the night and ready to explore.One of the challenges onboard any Carnival vessel is the number of activities that happen all at once. That night we had to choose between a multitude of different entertainment venues, including solo performers in the various lobbies, comedians in the Comedy Club, the Welcome Aboard Show, and their very popular Karaoke Lounge. We decided to do the latter two. The Welcome Aboard Show allows passengers to meet the Entertainment Staff who will be guiding their experience for the week, including the Cruise Director, our Master of Ceremonies for the duration of the cruise. And meet her we did! After the great dancers and singers did their requisite part to excite the crowd, out came none other than - Eliza Doolittle in the flesh - in the personage of Jen Baxter. Not your usual blue blazer and tan pants, she appeared on stage in what appeared to be a vintage frock with a lace bow on the side of her head that just did the outfit proud. And then - she opened her mouth to speak. Her deep, gravely voice set the stage for what would be one of the most surprising and best cruises of our lives. Unexpected? Yes, but not in a bad way. Hailing from Liverpool, UK, Jen was seemingly everywhere during the voyage. She was both off-putting and endearing at the same time, and frankly was the most visible CD that we have ever encountered. Having read some of the comments from others who completed the voyage, it appears that you either loved her or you didn't - there was no in-between. For our part, we loved her! She was one of the finest, funniest, and most approachable CDs in the fleet, and a delight to behold. On the evening of St. Patrick's Day, she wasn't just announcing where the fun was—she WAS THE FUN! Playing Irish music on the poop deck and dancing a jig - barefoot, no less - she beckoned all to join her in the hilarity. That night, she made me feel proud to be Irish - and I'm Italian! Carnival, you have an absolute gem in this one.After the Welcome Aboard Show, it was off with us to the Versailles Lounge for Karaoke. Those of you who know me are aware that there has never been a Carnival Karaoke lounge that I did not appreciate - every single night of every single cruise! You see, Karaoke is not an activity - it is my family. We sing together, we applaud no matter the expertise of the performer - no matter whether they sound like Cat Stevens or a strangled cat - and yes, we laugh from time-to-time as our "Crazy Uncle" steps up to the microphone to prove to the world beyond a shadow of a doubt that 1) he is drunk and 2) he can't sing when he's drunk. But he has the guts to stand up there for our entertainment, and for that we applaud just as we would for any other super star performer. After Karaoke, we were treated to a new Carnival exclusive - Superstar Live. The premise is that for an hour or so, the ship again offers Karaoke, but with a live 4-piece band and a 42-inch monitor displaying the lyrics. I'm not certain that the singers - who were the same we encountered previously in Karaoke, including our "crazy uncle" - were any better, but the music behind them was definitely an improvement over standard Karaoke fare. And now, for a real improvement, the Superstar Live host, Consuela, steps onto the stage, and she is HOT! Long legs, and unruly shock of curly tresses, she has a set of pipes that won't quit and all the energy in the world to boot! A spectacular performer in her own right, she encouraged each person behind the microphone, and when necessary even got them back on key. The most common comment we heard about her from those around us was, "Why is that talent not in the shows?" As for me, the self-professed Karaoke King, I did not sing in Superstar Live because out of the 120 tunes offered, I could find nothing that I wanted to sing, or that I thought I could sing. The songs on their sheet seemed to be more a collection of 80s/90s from the likes of Pat Benetar, Tina Turner and others. No standards like Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole, and the only real country hit I found was Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band, which I have never tried, but seemed out of place for that venue. Nonetheless, while I would like to see the song list in Superstar Live include a more varied offering, all-in-all it was an enjoyable evening, and Superstar Live is a great addition to the entertainment onboard.To those of us for whom cruise ships serve as our ultimate destination rather than a means to a destination, spending sea days aboard a Carnival Spirit-class vessel is truly a dream excursion come true. With soaring, seemingly miles-high atriums and glass-enclosed elevators that take you literally toward the sky above, then plunge you downward toward granite-surfaced tabletops and rich parquet floors in the lobby bar, Carnival Spirit is a vessel designed with us in mind. A great "walking ship," she possesses sweeping decks practically down the entire length of both sides the ship on which to stroll beside ocean waves gently lapping at her flanks. My lovely wife and I have spent many a night sashaying in the ocean air to the rhythm of her hull cutting through assaulting waves like well-warmed butter. Sea days aboard her are magnificent, rain or shine, and just as she has never disappointed in the past, Carnival Spirit did not disappoint over the next 2 sea days as we sail toward the first of two seldom-visited ports, Manzanillo, Mexico. Unlike the recently - and hopefully temporarily - abandoned port of Mazatlan, Mexico, Manzanillo lacks many of the amenities you may have come to expect from the usual ports - amenities such as congested industrial port areas accessible only by tram and teeming with pushy vendors, hard-core time-share agents anxious to lure you into their newly-renovated lairs, and a gauntlet of over-priced "Mexican" wares suitable only for hiding away in a closet, or for gifting to someone who will do the same. Manzanillo, on the other hand, had none of these so-called amenities. It is absolutely charming, a truly Mexican town just an easy stroll down the dock from the ship. The people were delightful and welcoming, genuinely happy to see this new-found source of revenue arriving. We encountered a few "snowbird" Canadians who lived in Manzanillo for months at a time, and exclaimed the virtues - and inexpensive rentals - of this sleepy Mexican village. While excursions were offered by Carnival, Manzanillo is a perfect walking/shopping town for those like us who prefer to plan their own time ashore, where vast stretches of beautifully manicured landscaped area parallel the shoreline with its clear, fish-infused waters. During our stroll, we witnessed the constant maintenance it takes to keep such an area pristine, and we appreciated the smiles we encountered as we shopped the various stores and stalls down the causeway. Standing easily 100 feet high and proud over everything in Manzanillo is a modern steel sculpture of a blue marlin. Along the shore were other smaller bronzes, all standing in tribute to this wonderful town's culture and heritage. As we visited the shops with the warm ocean breezes swirling around us, we found prices to be much lower than in the more populous cities, and as we walked back to the ship, we had already committed ourselves to another visit to this delightful port in the near future.Back onboard, it was time to prepare for another of Carnival's scrumptious dinners in the Main Dining Room, where we shared the company of 2 couples who joined us at our previously cavernous, empty table. Bill & Patti, brother and sister, were traveling with their spouses, Sherrie and Paul respectively, and may possibly have been the most wonderful people we have ever met on a cruise—and we have truly met some wonderful people. Warm and welcoming, with a delightfully droll sense of humor, their stories of travels past were riveting and we never tired of their company. In fact, we found ourselves looking forward to dinner with them each night. Besides addressing us with warm respect, they made an effort at each meal to draw our "man of few words" teen son into the adult conversations, but on his teen level. We were truly blessed to share this experience with these delightful couples.After dinner, it was off to Karaoke in the Versailles Lounge, a stroll through the ship to once again enjoy her beauty, and then to bed to rest, serenaded by the rhythmic tunes of the gentle thrum of our engines pushing us toward Puerto Vallarta and our Whale-watch/Snorkeling excursion to the Marietas Islands. Make that Dolphin-watch/Snorkeling excursion, as we received news from the excursion desk that the guarantee of whales was no longer on the table. Rather than refund the excursion, they simply converted the tickets at the same price. Once again, cruising is an adventure, and you have to go with the flow to truly enjoy it. What was amazing, was that after an extremely cold snorkel (yes, Mom went in, but she only bobbed around in the water - we'll work on that) in cloudy, low visibility water, we actually saw more whales than ever before! We returned well-worn, medium-rare from the tropical sun, and well-satisfied, ready for a rest, an evening of fun, and another night of sailing before reaching our next port, Cabo San Lucas.Cabo San Lucas, or "Cabo," as it is referred to by most visitors, may be one of the most—if not THE MOST - stunning ports in the world. With its active adult lifestyle and starkly beautiful terrain, it is home to Land's End, the southern-most point on the Baja California peninsula, which culminates at Los Arcos, a naturally created arch that literally provides a window through the craggy rocks that separate the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. It is also the winter abode of the world's oldest population of "snowbirds" from the north, consisting of various species of migrating whales who come each winter—as do we—to play, feed and breed in the balmy tropical weather amid beautiful blue seas.In addition to whales and indigenous species of birds and dolphins, the natural harbor of Cabo San Lucas is replete with every type of watercraft from sailing yachts and cabin cruisers to deep-sea marlin-fishing vessels and Mexican water taxis. Most visible, however, is a flotilla of seeming multitudes of jet skis, all operating at once under a sky full of parasailing adventurers. How there never seems to be a collision between any of them is still a mystery better relegated to the likes of NASA scientists than a cruiser aching for adventure. From Carnival Spirit we could sit on our balcony and watch not only the waves lapping gently at Los Arcos, continuing the erosion started centuries ago, but also our neighboring visitors, Carnival Splendor, Sapphire Princess and Holland America's Statendam floating nearby. With four ships in port, and limited facilities, Cabo would be very busy today. Since this is a tender port, where the only way to get to shore is by jumping from one huge bobbing ship to a little bitty bobbing boat, we were in no hurry to leave ship and join the fray. In addition, we would be returning to Cabo after our La Paz stop to indulge in a little adventure ourselves (more later). So after our son, Mark, and I made a brief jaunt to shore for a quick "St Pattie's Day" conga on the dock at Senor Frog's Cantina, we spent the remainder of the day enjoying the views and amenities offered by our wonderful ship and its delightful staff.La Paz—what can I say? It is another seldom-visited town which appears to be continuously under construction. Still largely undiscovered, it exhibits much of the charm of Manzanillo, but for how long I cannot predict. As in Manzanillo, the atmosphere is still "Mexican" but I sense a change occurring already. Perhaps it was the verrrry long and verrrry bumpy, cramped, hot and sweaty bus ride from where the ship docked in the middle of nowhere, or possibly it was the the much-touted condo villages erupting from the stark desert floor like unnatural infestations of stalagmites. There was just an uneasy sense of change all around, and I can't say it was necessarily for the better. While we were obviously one of few ships visiting, and while I never felt in danger of any kind, I did have the overwhelming sense of being a foreigner in a foreign land. It's not that the people treated us poorly - quite the contrary is true - I felt that we were more a curiosity rather than a welcome visitor. The city was bustling, but it was bustling with the normal day-to-day traffic of people intent on going about their daily lives in spite of our arrival. However, I must comment once again on the cleanliness of the city as we finally arrived, and the amazingly clear aqua cast of the sea beside us. Yes, we did encounter a few gentlemen who offered their boats for tours, but when we declined they respectfully accepted our response and thanked us for visiting. One even offered to use our camera to capture a photo of us and our visit to this delightful town. AMAZINGLY REFRESHING! That beautiful azure sea was the intended site of one of our most amazing adventures to date, and quite possibly one of the highlights of our entire lives - swimming with the whale sharks. These gentle giants, often reaching up to 40 feet in length, typically inhabit the warm, clear, aqua waters surrounding La Paz—except now they didn't. We had heard prior to sailing that the whale sharks had made what could only be described as a sudden mass exodus from the bay. They left no note, no e-mails and no voice mail explaining why—they just went. And while we were refunded on this excursion, we were hopeful the entire day that they might just as suddenly reappear, as did the whales in the Marietas Islands off Puerto Vallarta. That was, unfortunately, not to be. They had ditched us like frogs at a princess convention. Never mind that I had just purchased a brand-new hi-def video snorkel mask for just this purpose, or that every background on every one of our computers—at work and home—had their photos emblazoned. Today, it was going to be another strolling/shopping search for that perfect cowboy hat, and in the end we headed back to the ship through the never-ending construction, having purchased nothing more than a couple of delicious ice cream cones from Del Fuego, recommended by none other than the Captain of our vessel, and possibly one of the best little frozen confection shops in all of Mexico (look for the Wonder Bread tree—you'll know it when you see it). The end of the adventure? You apparently don't know my wife very well. As soon as I felt her lagging behind while we trudged from the return bus toward the ship, I knew I was in trouble, and then she uttered those words - the words I always dread, and that always fall from her lips with an ominous thud - "I wanna go to the Beach!" There it was. You have to understand my wife. Ever since she was a child, she has been fascinated with beaches. She likes to walk on them, wade in the water, dig her feet in the sand and feel the cool squishiness rising from between her toes like some mutant toe jam. Obviously, I do not suffer the same proclivity. But I do know on which side my bread is buttered, and frankly, a happy wife is a far better companion on cold sea days than a chilled slab of meat laying under the blankets with her back to you just because you had to have your own way. So, with only a "little" pushback from me ("Darling, the ship is sailing in only 2 hours!") we waited in the very warm afternoon sun for the next shuttle bus to Playa Tecolote, about 45 minutes away.As the bus wound its way through the sparse desert terrain toward the playa, we heard stories of an incident earlier that day where one of our fellow cruisers took a cab to one of the other beaches on the way that was far less populated. As they entered the water, they did not notice one of the sea creatures indigenous to the area, a sting ray, embedded in the sand and invisible, even in the clear, pristine waters. Now, I've always heard that an animal would not attack unless it was cornered, preferring the option of leaving with all their faculties intact. Of course, no one has yet been able to determine exactly when an animal will perceive that it is cornered, and I'm certain that the foot that came down on its back probably startled the ray into attack mode. Either way, the passenger ended up being returned to the ship with the barb intact in their leg after an arduous wait for a non-existent EMT in Mexico. Our bus finally arrived at the end of the road, and as it rounded the last curve, the most beautiful expanse of rippling aqua water stretched out before us. Framed by pastel-colored, striated cliffs in the distance, it was absolutely exquisite, and I began to mentally kick myself for even thinking that I might not enjoy it. While I don't necessarily enjoy beaches, I can appreciate the beauty of the Great Artist's brush when I see it. It was like He had filled the Grand Canyon brim-full, then dropped Easter egg coloring tablets in for good measure. We walked to a nicely shaded area, sat down, and ordered a couple of cold, iced drinks. Another lady from the ship - I call her Lady Mary—walked by in search of a shaded table and we invited her to sit with us. A teacher on holiday from Riverside, CA, we found her to be a delightful conversationalist, and she regaled us with tales of past cruises and future adventures as we observed the jet skis plying the waters off the shore, skipping over wave after wave to the sounds of Mexican music in the background. Afterward, we lined up for the bus trip back to the ship, but since the last bus was running very late, and we feared watching our shipmates waving "Bye, bye" as they sailed off into the distance without us, we split a cab back to port and arrived in plenty of time. Soon we were on our way back to Cabo, but once again resolved to revisit this port, if the whale sharks were willing to take our calls.Gliding into Cabo in the early morning is truly a thrill, and we were definitely up for the excitement—in fact, we had quite the day of excitement planned. Today was—ready for it?—Parasailing! My dear, sweet wife, fully under the influence of Carnival's "Didja Ever..." advertising campaign, had realized there were some adventures we had only watched from a distance, but had not yet experienced in this apparently too-short life, and had booked the three of us on a parasailing excursion. Please understand - I have no problem with heights, and I don't fear death, as I am fully aware of the reward promised on the other side afterward, but I must say I'm not a real fan of that last painful "SPLATTT" at the end of an uncomfortable drop of hundreds of feet. Frankly, I fear more that I would actually live through the experience, spending the rest of my life drooling salt and sand from every orifice until I leave for the afterlife. However, I have always envied those graceful aerialists who swung from the thin sheets of nylon as they soared overhead, and had openly said in the past that I would one day parasail, so now it was time to put my pesos where my mouth was, suck it up, and get hauled into the air tethered to an entirely too-small boat.Tendering into Cabo is much easier when there are only 2 ships in port, in this case our Carnival Spirit and Disney Wonder from the House of Mouse. We glided to the dock in record time, and had about 2 hours before our noon excursion - so Mom decided that once on the water was not enough. Before I knew it, a flock of vendors were hawking everything under the sun, and she was dickering on a ride past Los Arcos in a glass-bottom boat. Now understand, a glass-bottom boat in Cabo is not your Florida fresh-water cruising craft. It is a small skiff - no, a rowboat with a motor tacked on - with a hole hacked in the bottom (great idea?) and a piece of plastic covering it. I guess, as the Kenny Chesney song says, "Everybody wants to go to Heaven..." but I'm not certain that riding to oblivion at the hands of a boat butcher is the best way to get there. However, as I mentioned previously, a happy wife is one who always gets her way, so off we went. As we passed Lovers' Beach, we saw lots of happy, smiling people getting wet in the gently rippling waters off the sandy expanse between Cabo's most-notably featured Lands End rocks, as well as some pretty well-stuffed sea lions enjoying a siesta after raiding the fishermen's nets. As we rounded Los Arcos to the Pacific side of the outcropping, the water became very rough, especially in a chopped-up dinghy, and we bounced past Divorce Beach, the stretch that connected to Lovers' Beach through the rocks, well-recognized for its riptides that can end a marriage very quickly, thus avoiding a nasty divorce - and hence the name.We returned to the port just in time to catch our speedboat out to the outer harbor for the parasailing adventure. By this time Mom was feeling a little uncertain, but she booked it, so she was going. There's one thing Mom fears more than the thought of grievous injury - and that is losing money. So, off we went. We were aboard with another family, all veteran para-sailors who would hopefully make it easier on us parasailing virgins. Did it help? You judge from this conversation - Girl: "How high are we going?" Captain: "About 400 feet." Mark: "Did you really have to ask that before I go up?" As the captain swung our fleet craft into the wind for the last time, the parasail filled and snapped to life, billowing like a multicolored bobbing balloon behind us. Two-by-two, the vets were clipped on and dragged off the back platform and into the sky. Tension mounted as we waited our turn. Then, it was time. Being the "role model" of the family, I pushed aside any concerns, stumbling onto the platform as the boat rocked to and fro violently beneath my feet. A couple of barked orders in broken English from the crewman, "Sit down, hold here, don't touch this" and as the captain hit the throttle, I suddenly felt my butt being dragged across the carpet and off the back of the boat. My first thought was that I would go flying into the bay leaving my shorts on the boat. As luck would have it, the wind was with us, and I and my shorts went almost straight up at an alarming rate. By the way, do you remember that expensive, unused video snorkel mask that was lying in the bag like a boutonniere on the floor of a teen boy's car after his date ditched him at the prom? Well, I decided that today was the day to test its capabilities, and I wore the mask into the air under the nylon 'chute! I may have looked like a total geek, but what I returned with is one of the most amazing videos ever, saturated with the colors and excitement of Cabo San Lucas, and I carry it everywhere with me on a thumb drive just in case someone hasn't seen it yet. As I made my ascent, the first thing I noticed was the sound - a strong breeze in my face (but not my eyes, thanks to the mask), the pervasive noise from our boat's engine, so overpowering when aboard, rapidly dissipated as the boat began to shrink below me. Before long, I was soaring over the harbor, tethered to a small toy boat that rocked tenuously in the water like a floating bobber on the end of a fishing line. And all around my lofty perch was the beautiful tapestry of Cabo San Lucas, laid out in all its stark, resplendent glory. Deep, dark azure waters lapped against the pinkish tan shores of the beach, and white waves rushed against Los Arcos in the distance. Every now and then I would feel the silent breezes shift directions, then just as suddenly they would billow the canopy above me even fuller, lifting me ever higher into the stratosphere. Even the cruise ships in the harbor began to seem insignificantly small in comparison to the grandeur stretched out beneath my gaze. And then, seemingly all-too-soon, I began to feel the earth gently rising toward me as I was winched back onto the moving platform on the bobbing little toy boat. Landing ever so gently on my feet, I was suddenly aware once again of the gravity that holds us to this orb we call Earth, and I wanted to go back up again. Alas, it was no longer my turn, and Mom and Mark were looking to me for support as I stumbled back into the boat. "How was it?" "Fantastic!" I exclaimed, and I watched as one-by-one my loved ones stumbled to the back and were hauled aloft for their own first-time experience. Leaving the harbor that afternoon, we were immediately greeted with high winds as we rounded Los Arcos for the last time this trip, a fitting adieu to Cabo San Lucas, and the beginning of a welcome rest as we began our trek back to San Diego. Sea days are truly the best days on a cruise, and it's the time when I can enjoy my early morning walks around the ship. After 8 days at sea, multiple ports, and all the excitement any human can possibly handle, early morning on that last sea day is truly a respite from all around me, and a time of reflection on all that has passed. Few are up at 7am while I stroll, including my lovely wife, who has come to expect me, camera in hand, to be out finally securing photographs of Carnival Spirit as it rests, slicing its way gently through welcoming waves toward home port. This is when I can see the beauty of the ship - the way it was as it left the shipyard - no guests, no noise, just the amazing architecture of her dEcor, how all these garish parts and pieces come together to form one magnificent whole. No matter how often I sail, I never miss this time, and no matter how many photos I have taken in the past, the opportunity to get just one more is far too tempting. Resistance is futile at this special time - MY time! As the early morning sun rises off our starboard side, I make my way to that most special of places; forward on Lido deck is a spot where one can make a very quick left or right and be standing directly atop the bridge. Wind in my face, and the beauty of God's creation stretched before me, the rising sun appears through my camera's lens to be laying a fine gold carpet across the vast seas like a royal welcome back from a distant adventure. But land is nowhere to be seen yet, nor do I wish to see it. I am truly in my element; I am truly where I belong.The challenge of that final sea day is that although it is peaceful at first, it also bears a certain amount of sadness. As the ship awakens to the smells of breakfast emanating from La Playa Grille on Lido deck, I take a cup of coffee to the fantail on the port side aft; I sit and dream - not of where I have been, but where I am. I do not want to leave, nor do I want to have to say goodbye to our newly found friends - that will come soon enough. I just want to sit and watch the undulating waves sliding rhythmically along the sides of our fine vessel that has taken us to Paradise and back, moving slowly outward as they encounter the wake left behind like memories of yesterday. I dream of our next cruise on Carnival Spirit - round-trip Hawaii from LA, and the chance once again to indulge our passion as my darling wife and I walk hand-in-hand across the Pacific once again for a full 15 days. It's a journey I relish - in fact it has always been my dream cruise from the time we were on our first sailing on Carnival Holiday - and in December we will be living out my greatest dream. But for now, we have a day of enjoyment planned, one last evening with new friends, and after we are amazed yet again by our fellow guests in the Carnival Legends show, we stroll the decks one final time before bed. It is a very late night - we just don't want it to be over.The next morning, we awaken with a start. It is amazing, after 8 nights sleeping so well in the arms of our gently rocking ship, surrounded by the purring of her engines, how silence can suddenly be so deafening, so startling. The ship has stopped, her ropes are already tied off to the home port dock, and it is time to begin our morning ablutions, last-minute cleanup and breakfast on Lido before heading ashore for our return to reality. As VIP guests, we will be waiting comfortably in Club Cool until released to leave the ship. Again, I know it won't be the last time we are aboard, but I truly am not anxious for this trip to be over. Yet, all-too-soon, a member of the entertainment staff comes to lead us toward the gangway for the last time this voyage. Along the way, there is Jen, sending us off personally with hugs and good wishes. I have to sail with this beautiful, wonderfully warped lady again. I'm certain that I will, I just don't know when. I do know that I will be on a Carnival vessel every chance that I get, and I will enjoy every minute of it, just as I have in the past, and just as I have this trip. Thank you once again, Carnival, for making our dreams come true.