Having throughly enjoyed our previous cruise on NCL's Norwegian Star around the Hawaiian Islands, we were more than happy to take the same ship after it was re-routed to make cruises to the Mexican Riviera. This is the itinerary for our 8-day cruise.		However, this time we decided to pay extra to have a stateroom with a balcony and ended up with an excellent 10th deck cabin located mid-ship on the port side.
	As we exited the harbor in Los Angeles, Steve noticed the very nice accomodations for the Coast Guard personnel at their base as the Norwegian Star headed out into the Pacific ocean.		Lena was totally impressed with our ability to order breakfast (and other menu items) 24-hours per day for delivery to our room which we could then enjoy on our balcony while underway to Acapulco.
	Actually, since we were at sea for the first 3 days, there was not much else to do except EAT and get some sun around the pool. We really liked NCL's "Free Style" dining policy which...		...allows passengers their choice for casual dining in numerous shipboard restaurants whenever they feel like eating.
	The pool area was enjoyable, but it was rather cold until we had traveled well south of Los Angeles and approached Acapulco.		NCL also has several more exclusive restaurants which do require reservations. Patrons are charged a modest surcharge ($10-$20/person) for the opportunity to enjoy special meals like Steve's 1.5 LB angus beef porterhouse steak or Lena's filet minion and lobster entrees.
	Lena liked to enjoy a drink or coffee in the Norwegian Star's forward lounge which affords an excellent high vantage point view of where the ship is heading.		The appetizers which were served with the meals in the 'specialilty' restaurants were always exellent...
	...and patrons were offered a number of outstanding deserts following the meal. Since Steve could often not decide on just one desert, he usually ordered several in order to have a selection from which to choose.		There is a kind of special feeling to dining on a cruise ship while watching the ocean through the window that those US Navy destroyers never provided to Steve during his 22 year Navy career!
	Of course, the Norwegian Star had a an ICE CREAM shop and the only problem was Steve usually had to compete for a place in line with a whole hoard of kids.		However, once he managed to elbow his way up to the serving window and get his cone, the waiting time in line was usually quickly forgotten.
	It was probably a good thing that we reached Acapulco after only 2.5 days underway or Steve might not have had a pair of pants that would still fit after eating 4 or 5 meals a day while at sea!		Acapulco as a city had not seemed to have changed a great deal since Steve had visited it several times back in the late 1960's and 1970's while aboard different US Navy ships. As can be seen in the next photo...
	...the homes and hotels are built on the sides of the hills surrounding the harbor. However, the US Navy always anchored out in the harbor and military personnel...		...had to take small boats to and from the ship (rather than tying up alongside the pier as the Norwegian Star had done immediately next to the Port Terminal).
	Directly across the road from the Norwegian Star is the San Diego Fort which had protected Acapulco's harbor in years gone by. It's height offered an excellent...		...view of the Acapulco harbor and downtown area.
	Of course, anyone who visits Acapulco goes to La Quebrada to watch the divers plunge as much as 130 feet from the cliff top (above right in photo) into the narrow inlet of ocean far below.		After their dives, the divers literally have to climb back up the steep rocky cliffs to reach the top.
	This is a telephoto shot of the shrines to which the divers pray before throwing themselves off the cliff top into the vast void of emptiness before they hit the water 130 feet below.		This is one of the divers contemplating his destiny as he poses and readies himself to take the plunge. (As far as Steve is concerned, it would take a LOT of BOOZE...and a very tight rectum...for someone to choose this activity to make a 'living!')
	In this shot, two different divers leap off into space at the same time....and one of them executes a flip as he plunges off the top of the cliff!		While Steve stayed at the top of the cliffs to photograph the divers, Lena choose to travel down the countless steps to better watch the divers hit the water as they completed their plunge into the ocean.
	The La Perla restaurant to the right of Lena (in this photo) is the place where most tourists go for drinks while they watch the divers plunge from the cliff into the gorge directly in front of their vantage point. From La Quebrada, we next visited...		...the Flamingo Hotel which had been owned by John Wayne and which had been frequented by many of the 1950's Hollywood stars during that timeframe. This photo is of the new homes which surround the Flamingo today.

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