RHS 20th Anniversary Cruise - Mexican Riviera

April 13 - April 24, 2018 - Red Hat Society 20th Anniversary Cruise Down Mexican Riviera

Carla and Doug Kerr of Alamogordo, New Mexico were a part of 100 Red Hatters and four husbands who cruised on the Ruby Princess out of Los Angeles (actually Port of San Pedro), California on Saturday, April 14, 2018.

The first stop, April 15, 2018, was in San Diego, California where a number of Red Hatters debarked to attend a big California Red Hat Hoot with hundreds of Red Hatters taking part. I opted not to do this, having been to San Diego several times. Instead, I spent the day creating my "Festival" hat by decorating the large sombrero given to each of us by the Royal Splendor Travel Agency. They even gave the husbands each one and I was really glad because I wound up with so much on my hat that I needed two (one inside the other) to make it more stable. Knowing about the sombreros ahead of time,  I brought several items to decorate with and it turned out pretty well. In fact, at the Festival Dinner, my hat won first place. I also decorated my cabin door and won a prize for this too. FUN!

On Monday, April 16, 2018, we were afforded a Chocolate PJ Breakfast to which I wore my purple Hawaiian Caftan. Afterwards at 10:00 AM, we convened in the Michilangelo Dining Room to take part in a hat decorating class. After lunch and a catnap, we went to a Red Hat Tea in the Da Vinci Dining Room which was lovely. In the evening we attended the RHS Royal Ball dressed to the nines and had a grand time. Doug wore his tuxedo and the women were making lovely remarks about him and hugging him. He glowed and I smiled!

Tuesday, April 17, 2018, we arrived at Port Cabo San Lucas where Red Hatters took a "tender" to the shore (For those unfamiliar with the term "tender", it is like a lifeboat and used where the water is too shallow for the ship to dock.), boarded buses for a tour of the area. It is beautiful and we also did some shopping (The Red Hat official sport. ) and sightseeing.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018, after a delicious breakfast with Doug, I took a tender with many other Red Hatters and vacationers to the Port of La Paz. Again, we boarded buses to sightsee and shop. We ate lunch wherever we could find a table or a chair to sit. The place was crowded where I ate, but the food was delicious and the people very friendly.

Thursday, April 19, 2018, we found ourselves at the Port of Loreto where we again went ashore in tenders and went by Taxi to Hotel Oasis where we enjoyed a clambake and Mexican Fiesta. We were entertained by Live Music with Erick, Folcloric dances by dancers from the states of Jalisco and Baja California South and as we all know, no fiesta can end without a pinata!! The food was delicious and I do believe, Boris (Debra's hubby) ate his weight in clams! He just couldn't get enough of them. After dinner back on the Ruby Princess, I became ill with what is called "Montezuma's Revenge" and  we were quarantined to our cabin for 24 hours. However, it was a day at sea so I didn't miss too much except the jewelry making class on Friday.

Saturday morning, April 21, 2018, we docked at Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, boarded buses and very much enjoyed sightseeing and shopping as usual. My husband, Doug, unknowingly bought me a beautiful silver and platinum tortoise necklace with fire opals scattered on the backs of the tortoises for, as I told him, Mother's Day, our 19th Anniversary, my birthday and Christmas, so he doesn't have to do any shopping for the rest of the year! After dinner, our Red Hat Society CEO Debra Granich and RHS Glee Club Director Christine Lozinak, among others, entertained us dancing the Mexican Hat Dance with the Mariachis playing for them and singing.

Sunday Lunch, April 22, 2018 was a Festival where we donned our decorated sombreros and paraded around the ship through the bars and pool areas. This was also much FUN and I managed to wear my hat by stabilizing it with Doug's ball cap on my head underneath. The Red Hatters also attended a 3:00 PM tea time and dinner as usual.

Monday, April 23, 2018 there were games to play and at 3:00 PM we attended the Royal Splendor Cocktail Party in the Skywalkers Nightclub. We then gathered in the pool area for a group photo and from there went to the Red Hat formal Birthday Bash Dinner. The chefs had baked a lovely purple and red cake shaped and decorated like a hat plus all the cooks and waiters came waltzing through with Baked Alaska. It was a  FUN evening. What a fabulous way to celebrate the Red Hat Society's successful 20th Anniversary!

I made a lot of new friends and for once, I wasn't the only Red Hatter from New Mexico and I got acquainted with Faun Ricks from Gallup, New Mexico. On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, we docked in San Pedro and went our separate ways to airport and vehicles.

Taking a group photo of a bunch of Red Hatters is like herding cats!

 

A shot from another direction

Marilyn Cresci, Carla Kerr, etc.

Sunday, Carla is beginning the process of decorating her sombrero

Hat completed, but unwieldy, so added Doug's ball cap to stabilize it

Carla's Fiesta Hat won First Place

Carla's decorated cabin door also won a prize

This was the Kerr address for the cruise

Nancy and David of Royal Splendor Travel, our lovely Cruise Directors

Another decorated cabin door

David, ready for the Chocolate Pajama Breakfast (He was everywhere taking pictures)

Elyse Soffer, Queen Mom of the Dazzling Jewels of Sun City West, AZ

This lovely bead bracelet is made of the dried rose petals from the roses presented to Sue Nicholson as Red Hatter of the Year 2017!

2017 Red Hatter of the Year, Susan (Sue) Nicholson

A walrus has climbed onto the back step of this boat to be fed fish

I just thought this was funny!

We visited the glass works and this artisan had just finished making this margarita tortuga!

Statue of a beautiful woman with hair flying in the wind

View of the waves lapping the rocky beach

Deb's husband Boris trying to herd cats!

An interesting shot of the Ruby Princess

This shot would make a great painting

The beautiful old church in Cabo San Lucas

Another Red Hat Sister offered to take my picture in front of the church

The beach in La Paz

Another beautiful statue of a mermaid hitching a ride with a dolphin

This gentleman is showing us how he makes thread out of cotton for the weaver

The weaver, hard at work

The front entrance to a famous Mexican tile maker

Sculpture of a scuba diver

Hammerhead shark sculpture (this area is home base for these particular sharks)

Sea nymph or mermaid with a baby dolphin

I thought I had seen a lot of saguaro cacti in Arizona, but there are forests of them in La Paz

We are now in Loreto waiting for our taxis and this adorable little girl caught our attention

Debra is asking the little girl to be in a picture with her

We are entertained at the Clambake Fiesta by these Folcloric Dancers with Christine Lozinak in training

and Red Hat CEO Debra Granich served as a bookend on the other end of these fabulous dancers

The young men dancers

A shot of the Ruby Princess from Loreto

We even had a pinata at the clambake and Nancy, our super cruise director, managed to hit it just right and out came all the candy

Walking back from the clambake, I spotted these little crabs on the rocks

Some Red Hatters took a ride in the donkey cart

A tourist kindly offered to take my picture in front of this colorful Loreto sign

Carla in front of the shark sculpture

Carla and Doug at dinner

There are no pictures for Friday, April 20, 2018 because we were quarantined due to my illness from something I ate in Loreto!

We have docked at Puerto Vallarta and this is a statue depicting the Inca influence

This wonderful statuary was just everywhere

David was trying to get everyone to stand between the Puerto Vallarta letters!

Loved this dolphin statue depicting them having so much FUN!

We enjoyed lunch in this lovely open-air restaurant with Mariachis entertaining us. Boris paid the Mariachis to play a favorite song of his and Debra's to celebrate honeymooning in Puerto Vallarta 35 years ago. There wasn't a dry eye in the place!

I spotted this statue of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in a restaurant

This is Roger Nelson, husband of Red Hatter, Aida, from San Jacinto, CA looking spiffy on formal night

Zana Simpson and Alethalou Harmon looking lovely

Aida and Roger, our table mates several times during the cruise

Marilyn Cresci from Tucson, AZ looking adorable

Bobbi Goode from Arizona

I know the lady on the left, but name escapes me. The other Red Hatter is Ila Reich, a veteran and citizen of North Dakota

David in his fabulous Red Hat Society jacket dancing to the music of the Mariachis

These fabulous Mariachis entertaining us

Breakfast with my Darling Doug

Doug's office in our stateroom

Georgean Kruger, a sister Red Hatter in Miss Kitty's Social Club

Carla with Debra Granich showing off the purple roadrunner gifted to her by the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter

Joann Miller (the lady of all things purple) with Deb Granich

These lovely ladies from California are Queen and Co-Queen of their chapter, always dress alike and are known as "Fric and Frac"

Another picture of my new friend, Ila

Nancy (hubby David is behind her) our darling cruise director

Red Hatter on right is my friend, Faun Ricks from Gallup, New Mexico

Roger and Aida Nelson

Alethalou Harmon looking gorgeous for the Red Hat Birthday Bash

Entertainment in the Atrium

That's Deb Granich on the far right dancing to Mariachi music

Yee Ha!

Special cake for the Red Hat Birthday Bash

Doug with one of our cute waitresses

With each event there was a costume change. Here I am ready to go to the Pajama Breakfast

Dressed for our formal night

Ready for the Clambake Festival

All ready for the shipboard Mexican Fiesta

Another shot of this award winning hat that I created

Samples of other decorated sombreros among the group

Elyse Soffer and Christine Lozinak

Carla visiting with Ila Reich

Our fabulous cruise director Nancy Neville (also a Red Hatter) so ready for FIESTA!

What a wonderful way to celebrate the Red Hat Society's 20th Birthday/Anniversary! Doug and I had a grand time and made new friends as well. Doug and I shared the photography on this trip.

This is all I have to say for now.