Puerta Vallarta: Ship pulls dockside (that's a plus), right next to a shopping complex. That's the best place to buy your souvenirs. The countryside tour I took was fairly dull, and they were always taking us places where you could buy something. The bullfights, rescheduled to Wednesday nights so that the Elation tourists can see them, were not going on this month. However, that might be a possibility. They were offering a beach party excursion; I think it's what I'd do if I took this trip again.

Mazatlan: Ship pulls dockside again, but you have to be tendered by land to a staging area where bus tours depart. I went on a countryside tour, which was more of the same, but they did take us to a shopping strip next to a beach at the end of it. I wasn't interested in shopping by then (I was broke, and had plenty of souvenirs), so I just hit the beach. Wish I'd been there all day.

Cabo San Lucas: We were tendered ashore, leaving the Elation floating in the middle of the ocean like a gleaming mountain of white. There were no directions on how to get to the beach, so I had to muddle my way there. Had I not had a large bottle of water along, I might have collapsed from dehydration. We had to leave there far too soon. It was my favorite of the three ports.

DEBARKATION:    Debarkation was slow, but straightforward. I recommend bringing a book or a gameboy or something else to entertain yourself. This may be the first time you'll need it, but will you ever...

OVERALL:    First, I'll restate the improvements I'd most like to see, and add some new ones. First, more free drink options. Second, better maps. Third, longer waterslide and Jacuzzi hours. Fourth, less pressure to gamble outside the casino. Fifth, a longer time in the casino where the limits are reduced. Sixth, a more extensive Room Service menu (no big thing, though. You could get pizza 24 hours a day). And one more thing, not really a complaint but a recommendation: Cruising is fun alone, but it's even better with a loved one. I hope that, by my next cruise, I have someone to go with. Overall, though, I loved the Elation, and I still do. And my next cruise will also be on a Fun Ship, though probably one of the ones sailing the Bahamas or Caribbean.