I wish we had bought some more of the Guatamalan Jade!

As far as the matter of some of the ports actually being better used as sea days is concerned, I would put Manzanillo only in that classification. We couldn't find much to do there, and the always honest tour desk people said the six hour bus rides offered by the ship "might not be worth the time."

But to be fair, the ship had a destination (the Canal), limited speed, and a set route. Ports had to be selected from that route that would fit a schedule.And frankly, the Pacific side of Mexico may not be one of our favorite parts of the world, but we realize it is a necessary route if we want to experience the Canal. What I wish is that Manzanillo could have been deleted and San Andres Island (a required Jones Act stop) could have been used for a "private beach day" like they have on the Paul Gauguin. Logistics and timing might have been a problem with this, and I'm not smart enought to know the answer.

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)