Almost Home

Friday - We were off the ship by 7:15 but needed to wait a bit for our luggage before going through customs. The ship arrived around 3:30am and the entire crew needed to go through immigration before any passengers could leave. We took a RC “excursion” to the Orlando airport and arrived hours before our flight. The Delta check-in process was confusing to me and TSA had some new requirements (no signage). 

Maybe it’s just the Orlando airport or I just don’t care for flying. 

We have two legs for this short-ish trip to San Antonio. We are routed through Atlanta. 

Later - At least the flight had free WiFi if you authenticate with the Delta app. And, since the flight was delayed, they provided free snacks and water in the waiting area before boarding. 

Even later - We are sitting on the taxiway at the Atlanta Airport as some subset of radios used by ATC weren’t functioning. So they shutdown the airport until there is either a fix or workaround. So much for our projected early arrival in San Antonio. 

Much later - After sitting on the taxiway, they finally went back to a gate and let us off the plane. We waited in line for the gate agent who put us on standby for the next flight. It was 8:35 then 10 the 11. Now it’s 11:56pm but it sounds like the FAA ground stop has been lifted. And, I heard a few flights take off hearing Atlanta.

Last Sea Day

Thursday - After breakfast, I went to one of the Enrichment Series called Brainstorming for One. It was very lightly attended and, I didn’t learn anything new. 

We spent the rest of the morning in the Viking Lounge on deck 14 talking with David and Marilyn, our randomly assigned dinner companions for this cruise. After lunch, I started packing as we need to have our suitcases out for pickup by 10pm. We have a ride to MCO booked for early tomorrow morning. 

I picked up a hot chai latte and we spent the afternoon lying around in the Solarium. It is “vacation” after all. The made an announcement that the ship will be docking at 4:30am and the entire crew needs to be run through immigration before any passengers can get off the ship. Our shuttle ticket says to be at the bus no later than 7:45am and the concierge said to allow 30 minutes to get off one go through customs. 

Only a Couple More Days

Wednesday - This was dropped off in our room this afternoon. My first thought was kind of premature. We haven’t made it to Florida yet. Isn’t the Bermuda Triangle around here somewhere? In fact, after leaving the dock, we circled clockwise around Bermuda so we went south through the triangle. 

Since we opted for one of the specialty restaurants last night, we were on deck for sunset. For most of this trip, sunset either was during our assigned dinner slot or it was overcast. 

Specialty dinner was fantastic. Sashimi, poké bowl, and tempura. Asian food has been missing for the last month. The attempt in the main dining room a couple of days ago doesn’t count.

There was another time change last night and we are now on EST. I think they do it a day early to allow people to adjust for disembarkation day, which is Friday. We need to get off early and catch a bus to the Orlando airport.

This morning, I just went up to the lounge on deck 14 to watch us approach a storm. The storm didn’t happen. We passed to the north. It was still a nice place to spend the morning with a cup of coffee. 

We’ve been skirting fog and rain for most of the day. I think the forecast for tomorrow is much more of the same.

Bermuda, BM

Tuesday - Today’s stop is Bermuda at the Royal Naval Dockyard across the bay from Hamilton, the capital. There is space for two ships and a Celebrity cruise ship was waiting right behind us.

It should be a beautiful day. After a leisurely breakfast, we got off the ship and wandered through the port area. 

The destination was Sea Glass Beach located about a mile from the cruise terminal. This view was along the walk just after leaving the port. 

The views of the ocean were wonderful along the walk. It was a very pleasant 73°F with a very light breeze. We did have to watch for traffic, one, because the drive on the opposite side of the street and the sidewalks were narrow. 

The sea glass was abundant along this small section of beach. Local law prohibits taking any glass from the beach. 

Near sea glass beach, there was this gate and it had the Bahamas flag, the British flag, and an American flag. I’m not sure why they had an American flag. 

We did a little shopping on the way back and noticed that the price of everything was through the roof. I purchased a locally made popsicle for $7.50. Seems a bit exorbitant to me. So we waited until we got back on the ship to have lunch. 

And Another

Monday - Another sea day that is. Tomorrow is, hopefully, a port day then only two more sea days (and another time zone change) and we will be in FL. I say hopefully as there is a slight chance that it might be too windy to dock. The time has passed quickly. Nothing unique in the picture. Just showing the weather and the calm seas.

What had become the daily routine is breakfast in the main dining room followed by the hot tub. Not really a jacuzzi as there is just bubbles not water jets. But it’s fine. At 10, they begin some sort of exercise program in the pool area so I relocate to somewhere else. The exercise program includes loud music and someone way to cheerful about exercise. The solarium is quiet but is much more crowded than last week.

The ocean is calm with not much wind but the forecast is for it it increase as the day progresses. The high and low temperature in today’s forecast is 75°F. Can’t complain about that. 

Around 2, I picked up a chai latte (part of the routine) and went to the observation deck at the very front of the ship on deck 5. I found a very chill area on the ship. Deck 4, starboard. Under the lifeboats. It’s a long outdoor walkway connecting stairs to the observation deck on both sides of the ship and wraps around the stern. I now know where the auxiliary generators are.

This was taken from the stern, deck 4.

Yet Another Sea Day

Sunday - My initial reaction (besides laughing) was we must’ve made a wrong turn. Or this isn’t what we signed up for. 

This is closer to what I was expecting. Being at the tail end of the season in the northern Atlantic, warm, sunny days were not expected. It looks colder that it actually is (75°F). The water really is a dark blue as in blue water sailing. 

After breakfast, I relaxed a bit on deck 12 then did a four and a half laps which, according to Apple, was a mile. I guess I could’ve added deck 13 which would’ve added flight of stairs. But this is vacation.

It is possible to have a vacation even though one is retired. What changed is the definition of “work”. 

I’m enjoying the quiet on this cruise. Especially the sea days. It doesn’t feel crowded unless you venture into the buffet during mealtime or the promenade when there is a give-away going on. On days like today, it’s nice enough outside to lie around and just relax. And have a Coke Zero. This is bottled in Italy. If I ordered a Diet Coke, it would be from the U.S. Interesting. The bartender said that Diet Coke is sold as Coke Light in Europe and the formula is different. Most passengers from the U.S. don’t like the change. And Coke Zero is much more popular.

On this cruise, no excursions are planned, which, for me, is nice. Granted, it’s nice to visit new places but after three weeks of that in Italy, Greece, and Spain, I need a vacation from our vacation…

Another Sea Day

Saturday - A beautiful morning with wind from the northwest. There is more movement as in rocking. Especially if you go higher up. 

We have a “behind the scenes” tour later this morning. I’ve been looking forward to that. It’s labeled as “Behind the Waves” and includes the bridge, the engine control room, galley, and waste management. And, the infamous I95 corridor that runs the full length of the ship down the center. 

The tour started out in one of the galleys. This is the seafood preparation area as well as some of the appetizers. The bakery is also in this smaller kitchen on deck 4.

The next stop was deck 2 where all of the food is stored. Currently, there are around 5,000 to feed between passengers and crew. Their last major fresh produce stop was Cartagena and they need to stock and keep fresh for almost two weeks including several days contingency.

This is also the location of “I95” the corridor that runs the length of the ship. In one of the side passages is the engine control room. Pictures weren’t allowed but they controlled the engines, power generation, & water production. Pretty interesting. 

The bridge was the next stop. It was lightly staffed as it was a “green” day. No heavy weather or really rough seas. 

This is one of three sets of controls on the ship depending on which side they are docking. The captain stopped by to answer questions and take pictures. 

Other stops included garbage processing and the ship’s laundry. It was really hot in the laundry and was the one time we were below the waterline. 

It was a good tour!

Finished the day off in the hot tub next to the pool and the solarium (better shelter from the wind). 

Sea Day

Friday - Today is the first of a string of four sea days. On Tuesday, we arrive in Bermuda. It’s cool a windy resulting in the pool sloshing water with the waves. Walking through the area felt like walking in the surf. Only the water is warm. 

The hot tubs were still open without too many waves. Not surprisingly, I was the only one enjoying the experience. It was also raining but the hot tubs had covers. So not too wet. It was 64°F with a 15 knot wind. And, the ship was at ~90° to the wind. So we rocked a little side to side. So far, I’m enjoying the repositioning cruise. 

My almost daily mid-afternoon drink, a tall dirty chai tea latte. “Dirty” means a shot of espresso added. On this cruise, no extra charge. Just a little extra caffeine for the afternoon. RC has a coffee punch card that you can purchase pre-cruise for a decent savings. I’ve used them for the last several cruises. 

There was a time change last night and another one tonight. We are already GMT+2 s quite a change already from Italy, which was GMT-2. Only a few more to go. EST is GMT+5 so only 3 more to go. 

Ponta Delgado, PT

Thursday - We arrived in the Azores this morning at Ponta Delgado, Portugal cruise terminal. Actually, we are at the commercial terminal as the cruise terminal only has room for one ship and it is currently occupied. That means that we needed to take a shuttle to the street as the public is not allowed to walk within the commercial terminal. 

We backed into the dock at 9:30 so we have about 8 hours at this port. We have no excursions planned and, if the shuttle process is quick and easy, we may wander around the town around the port.

First, I went to the completely deserted jacuzzi. Most people must’ve headed off the ship. It’s 72°F with a light breeze. Just about perfect weather. Scattered clouds so the sunshine comes and goes. 

After a light lunch, we headed out to the shuttle buses. It turned out that there wasn’t much around the port area. Some restaurants and souvenir shops. One small grocery store and a drug store. And for some reason, a lot of banks.

There were a few monuments in the area but I wasn’t sure what they were commemorating. Many black and white buildings and black walkways. The black walkways and building material being basalt (I think). A volcanic rock.

After about a hour or so of wandering, we headed back to the ship for a couple more hours of relaxation. 

Sea Day

Wednesday - We changed time zones again to Azores time. When traveling west, you have the benefit of gaining an hour every time. And, when traveling on a ship, the change is slow so no jet lag, obviously. So far, the seas have been pretty calm. You can tell that you are moving with some rocking. 

This morning, I went up to a lounge on deck 14. Actually, I think it’s about the only thing on deck 14. They had an introductory Spanish lesson for 30 minutes. Introductory is still beyond me these days. 

This afternoon, I went to the gym and tried the exercise bikes. In the past, I’ve always gravitated to the treadmills but with my sore ankle, I thought I’d try something else. The gym is at the front of the ship and there is a lot more movement. Up and down being added to the side to side roll. It didn’t feel comfortable while riding the stationary bike. I ended up lying around in the solarium. It still wasn’t sunny but it wasn’t as windy as on the open deck.

Vv

Sea Day & Gibraltar

Tuesday - This morning, around 5:00, we were passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. Unfortunately, sunrise was around 6:15am so visibility wasn’t going to be great. 

There was a crescent moon so there would be some light. To complicate viewing, we went through a time zone change at 3:00am but the phone didn’t change as it’s not on a cellular network. And, the ship-time didn’t update until around 6am. This is up on deck 13 at the front of the ship. I thought I might get a better view as it faces forward, but the glass panels were covered with dew. I went back to deck 12 and just watched from the railing on the starboard side. 

My older iPhone doesn’t take very good night photos especially when zoomed in, but this is the Rock of Gibraltar. Not as imposing as I was expecting but my expectations were based on movies and cartoons. 

This was taken from our balcony. We probably didn’t even need to go to deck 12. This was taken at 5:03 Western European Standard Time. And time to get a little more sleep before our 7:30 room service (coffee!).

The temperature prediction for today seems pretty boring. Only a 2°F variation from low to high. 

I sat in the jacuzzi for a while this morning and my ankle is much better. Almost “normal”. I got rained on a bit and it was deserted. No sun, overcast, rain. I wonder why.

The solarium is not crowded but not as empty as it has been. But it’s quiet. Most people are just reading or playing on their phone (like me). For us, having Internet on this cruise is a splurge. But it works for streaming. There are 12 Starlink dishes mounted to the rail on deck 12. And the speed is ~12Mbps down and 4Mbps up. Not bad at all for out on the ocean. 

Cartagena, ES

Monday - We arrived in Cartagena this morning. For some reason, I thought that this city was somewhere in South America. So much for my geography knowledge. 

After breakfast, we wandered into the area around the port. We found a long, scenic street with a number of shops and museums. We strolled a bit until my ankle started to bother me. I stopped for a milk-coffee (I hadn’t heard of that before) before making my way back to the ship. 

The walkway looked like it was marble. It looked very slippery when wet. Fortunately, today was dry. 

This is a very small harbor. Barely enough room for one medium sized cruise ship such as this one. Yesterday, I had left my hat, that I had picked up in Italy, at a seating area on the ship where we were resting. Today, I checked lost-and-found and it was there! It’s a small thing but getting my hat back made my day…

I found a nice, high deck on the ship. I guess it would be deck 13. It’s just a nice lounging area overlooking both the pool and the solarium. 

Palma de Mallorca, ES

Sunday - We pulled into Palma de Mallorca, an island about half way between Spain and Africa. We have no excursions planned though I may get off and look around a bit. 

The actual town is about 4km to 6km away, according to the cruise app, so we won’t be going into town. There are usually shops set up in the port area. We did no research on any of the stops on this cruise. We figured, correctly, that we would be sort of burned out on “touristing”. 

We are around the same latitude as Washington DC. Which did surprise me. I thought the Mediterranean was closer to the equator. Today’s high is 70°F which is hard to beat. 

After breakfast, we did wander off the ship into the port area. Not very touristy especially when compared to other ports. All I picked up was an hdmi cable to connect the phone to the TV. Hopefully it works as some apps look for some sort of circuit embedded in the cable before they allow their content to be sent out on the cable. 

This is our cruise ship. It looks small compared to most of the others in port. It’s over 25 years old and feels more classic in both decor and artwork. And, it has much more carpet. 

We were back on the ship by 10:30. There were long lines of people waiting for their excursions and shuttles.  I don’t think there is anything planned for rest of the day. My kind of day…

The solarium is partially open to the sky so on days like today, it’s wonderful. 

I’m not sure of the reason, but there is an old Harley with a sidecar in the shopping district. It looks to be in great shape.

We are also able to access the bow of the ship, at least while it’s in port. This is the view from the heliport towards the bridge. It was nice and calm this morning.