Island Princess and first stop, Puerto Vallarta February 9-25, 2026
One unique feature on the Island Princess is the issued fob that unlocks our door to our cabin when it is approached. In a touch you can ask for privacy or room service. It is very futuristics.
Our room was on the 11th floor....Baja 221.
It was a fabulous interior room completely off of the main hall.
Hats off the Blaine Mende, our booking agent, who selected this room for us.
The lobby was on the 5th floor with a spiraling stair case and windowed elevator.
This ship had lots of private nooks to relax in.
Of course there were lots of places to listen to live music.
The Wheelhouse Bar
The library housed loads of books, puzzles, and games to borrow.
An indoor pool and
an outdoor pool were available. The outdoor movie screen was awesome. Pickleball, shuffleboard, and basketball court were on the 16th floor aft.
Fabulous paintings adorned the walls.
I have especially enjoyed one of my favorite artist, Didier Lourenco. I love how he executes music into his
drawing.
The auditorium was packed every night.
Our favorite performers were Jared Freiburg and the Vagabonds
and Andrew Bidi, both singers and pianist extraordinaire
The food was fantastic! The last day the baker made delicious desserts that were a sin to cut into.
Although the Island Princess was 20 years old, it was a well cared for ship.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Thurs, February 12, 2026
We were welcomed by two costumed greeters into the port.
Larry and I decided to ride a local “Centro” bus for 10 pesos or a US buck into the downtown Mallacon.
The ride was so interesting that we ended up staying on the bus and heading out of the city north to Los Tamarindos.
We rode out past the skyscraper condos and hotels that hugged the beach, past the airport to an area that the local commuters lived.
This was a great self guided sightseeing tour....
all for a buck. INCREDIBLE!!
Several miles outside of Puerto Vallarta, the working class lived.
Unpaved roads, unfinished homes,
and small businesses existed for the families who lived in Las Tamarindos.
What sites we saw!
The bus carried us over cobblestone and dirt roads and many areas that the usual tourist normally does not go.
What an adventure!
We loved every minute of our three hour local bus ride.
The local car license plate
I enjoyed at all the painted walls we passed going back into Puerto Vallarta.
What amazing talent!
The designs on this building were very eye catching.
We returned to the Malecon to find the Burros Bar. We had heard that folks rode a burro to enter the bar. We didn't see any burros other than the one outside the bar.
TheMalecon was great place watch people as they strolled by.
After having lunch on the beach, we picked up a couple of cool cervezas and just watched the parasailers take off and land right on the beach in front of us. WOW! This was as much fun as actually doing it ourselves.
The lampposts were so unique.
We walked along the Malecon enjoying the statues along the way.
This infamous boy on a seahorse statue had been washed out to sea during a past storm. It was miraculously found and placed in a new spot with Puerto Vallarta letters. It is one of my favorites along the Malecon.
Crossing the busy street to the next block, we found this umbrella cover street and the local bus to the “Walmart” stop.
We were shortly surrounded by a packed bus of commuters. How lucky we were to have had a seat before it got so full.
After scurrying to the Walmart to purchase some white watercolor paint for me along with a million locals who were doing their weekly shopping. Some how we managed to get back to the ship just by the 4:30 curfew. Yes, we were the last to board….we made it just in time. Nothing could have made our day in Puerto Vallarta any better.
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