Cruised: Mexican Riviera on the Norwegian Bliss (2/3)

Continued from Cruised: Mexican Riviera on the Norwegian Bliss (1/3)

Day 3 A Sea

Another day at sea today, so there was plenty of time to enjoy the ship. Norwegian had all kinds of activities to keep people entertained, like dance classes in the Atrium, for one. It really got people moving! Others decided to make their own fun by hosting slot pulls, doing bar crawls, and hiding cruising ducks onboard. If you know, then you know. The buffet for lunch and dinner was a great option for a quick bite and was in line with my go-with-the-flow attitude for the day. I always make sure to "washy, washy" every time. Hey, if you know, then you know! But the best part of the day was chatting with my new solo friends.

I made sure to take the time to check out the various shops and boutiques onboard. You can find everything from t-shirts and hats to duty-free liquor and over-the-counter medication. There are tons of watches, jewelry, designer bags, and also a photo gallery. You can do

some serious shopping on the ship, as well as in ports, when you go on a cruise.

I watched the comedian, and after that was the 80s party on the pool deck. There was a really good amount of people, both kids and adults, enjoying the nice weather and fun music. Several people dressed up and even had props and wigs. Our Norwegian Solo Director was there and was dancing, too! It was a real rad time!

Day 4 Puerto Vallarta

There are many advantages to being a solo traveler, and one of them is that if you decide to change your plans, you are completely free to do so without upsetting anyone else. So, while I had intended to do the Town Country and Tequila tour in Puerto Vallarta, I woke up at 6 am and decided it was not what I wanted to do after all. After I was better rested and ready to go, I went up to the pool deck to take a look at the city first.

I ran into a fellow solo cruiser on the pool deck, a high school teacher from my state, who was gracious enough to let me tag along. Since he had been to this port before and knew where to go, I am very lucky that he took me under his wing because I doubt I would have seen all the major points of interest on my own without a guide.

When you first get off the ship, there are massage tables with very inexpensive deals. There are also some other tents with various items for sale, kind of like a craft fair or event would be set up. We took a free ride on a shuttle cart to Puerto Magico where they have a small mall of shops. Make sure to check out the free samples of hand-crafted, organic tequila at Chile Tequila. Super yummy!

Next on the agenda, we took a rideshare to see some more sights at the Puerto Vallarta Malecon. Right on the water and lined with lots of shops and restaurants, it was a beautiful area to explore. There were cool sculptures scattered along the walkway.

We visited a famous historic church, the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. No photography was allowed inside, but it was impressive.

Nearby was the Plaza de Armas, which is easily distinguishable with its colorful flags. There are lots of vendors available with tables and even wandering around trying to sell you goods, so be sure to bring some pesos if you are interested. If not, just say "no gracias" and hopefully they will take the hint. You may run into a pushy person from time to time, but most people I encountered were very friendly.

Before we returned to the Bliss, I wanted to try some local food to get a true appreciation for the culture. Being on the Pacific coast, it was a no-brainer for me to have the fish tacos. We found open seating outside and decent prices at Zoo Bar. The food was great, and I think my solo cruise friend was pretty entertained by watching me try all of the hot sauces! It was a fun afternoon, but enough monkeying around for now. We took another ride share back to Puerto Magico for one last stop. A bar with a swing inside...that was another first for me!

After another shuttle ride, we were back onboard. I was ready to cool down in some water after all that walking around. I met up with more solo cruisers on the Spice H2O deck, the adults-only area on deck 17, where you can escape the kids and escape the heat. They have hot tubs and water features, plus I enjoyed the views as our ship sailed away and the sun was setting.

After more fun at the solo meetup and dinner in the main dining room, I had a super fun night at the Silent Disco. Everyone wears headphones, and the dance floor is divided into 4 zones, each playing a different genre of music. You can move around to the different areas and your headphones will pick up the music of whichever zone you are dancing in. It was more fun than I even thought it would be and I highly recommend it.

But we weren't done dancing yet! That night was the ABBA party on the pool deck. It was fabulous!

What will part 3 of my Mexican Riviera cruise bring? Find out on Cruised: Mexican Riviera on the Norwegian Bliss (3/3)