Panama Canal - Puntarenas

 14 November, 2023

Sipping and reading

After a day packed with extreme FOMO as we transited the canal, a quiet day at sea was precisely what we needed. I slept in a bit and awakened just in time to grab a small bite in the Solarium, which was just enough breakfast to get me going. I continued to fuel myself with several (cough!) cups of coffee throughout the remainder of the morning. One of the nice perks of sea days, in my opinion, is the availability of coffee in the Solarium for most of the day. I claimed one of our usual tables and was joined by my wife a short while later. We read, knitted (well, I read and she knitted) nibbled on a light lunch from the Solarium buffet, and enjoyed a few beverages while watching the ocean roll by. I may, or may not, have participated in a bit of napping from time to time as well. All-in-all it was a day of blissful "nothingness" 

15 November, 2023

Rio Barranca

We arrived in Puntarenas, Costa Rica in the morning and had just enough time for breakfast before departing on a sightseeing excursion. We boarded motor coaches and drove approximately 30 minutes to the town of Esparza. Some of the journey took us along the Pan-America Highway, which had the largest gutters of any road system I've ever seen. In the town square of Esparza we were treated to a presentation of traditional singing and dancing by local school children, followed by an opportunity to peruse items crafted by local artisans.  After departing the square we took a winding route through the countryside, where we observed wild hogs and primates along the roadside, as well as bananas growing EVERYWHERE. Our sightseeing was punctuated by a stop at what could best be described as a Costa Rican Buc-ee's, just without the fuel pumps. There were trinkets and t-shirts galore along with snacks and beverages. We were given a cup of fresh-cut local fruit (which was sinfully delicious) and offered samples of freshly brewed coffee.

Roadside bananas

Instead of a wall of beef jerky there were vast displays of chocolate and coffee. Apparently there is a huge rivalry between Colombia and Costa Rica over who really has the best coffee, and any self-respecting Costa Rican will quickly inform you that their chocolate is superior to anything to be found in Europe. I purchased a couple of pounds of chocolate in a variety of cacao percentages and with several "enhancements" (nuts, orange, caramel.) I resisted the urge to buy coffee, as we don't have a good track record of making good use of it, and we certainly didn't need any more trinkets considering we're attempting to do some Swedish Death Cleaning and amassing random "stuff" goes against that concept. 

Everyone re-boarded the busses and we continued our trek back to the cruise pier, first through the jungle and then along the coastline for several miles. The harbor was filled with ships at anchor, awaiting their turn to offload and reload before setting off to another port. 

16 November, 2023

Another blissful day at sea, punctuated with napping and a dip in the pool along with all of our usual sea day activities. Having passed the halfway mark of the trip it was becoming more important to extract all the relaxation possible from our remaining time on the ship.

Sunset at sea

Panama Canal - Transit

13 November, 2023

 

Puente Atlántico

I woke early, at about 6:30, because I didn't want to miss the approach and entry to the canal. Due to the vagaries of scheduling and sequencing for canal traffic the Captain was only able to provide a general window for when we might expect to start our transit. I dressed quickly, checked the ship position on CruiseMapper, and rushed up to the Solarium to make a first-hand evaluation of the situation. At 6:50 I was met with a solid layer of low overcast with steady rain.

Not exactly the weather I wished for during our transit through the jungle.

Over the next hour the weather steadily improved, and by the time we were approaching the gates of the first lock just a few minutes after 8:00 the skies had gone from solid overcast to scattered with an occasional light shower.  By the time the doors closed behind us we were experiencing jungle heat and humidity under bright sunshine. The outside decks were packed, no one wanted to miss a single moment of our entry into the Panama Canal.

Entering the first lock

The ships are guided and towed by a group of small locomotives who use braided metal lines instead of ropes to connect with the ship. Each ship uses a new set of wires for each transit, which I assume is in order to reduce potential liability due to a worn or damaged cable breaking during the process and the ship or locks incurring damage. According to my research at the time of our transit a set of locomotive wires cost $6,000, relative pocket change in the context of the total expense for our cruise ship, which was approximately $400,000. Vessels pass through three locks in sequence when entering on the Atlantic side, raising them up to the level of Gatun Lake. The locks function in tandem with an adjacent lock handling traffic going in the opposite direction. As the outgoing vessel is lowered the water from the lock it occupies is transferred to the adjacent lock, raising the incoming vessel. The same process takes place on the Pacific side, but the locks are split into a single pair and another set of two sequential locks. (Note: these references are for the original locks and not the expansion project which entered operation in 2016) 

Panamanian jungle

The entire transit takes 8-10 hours, on average. We approached the first lock on the Atlantic side just after 08:00 and exited the final lock on the Pacific side just a few minutes before 18:00 and there were no delays that I'm aware of. 

There are a few things a bit surreal about passing through the canal. The first thing that hit me was the faint lapping of water against the hull as we moved along at a sedate 10 knots or so across the flat lake, a stark contrast to the crash of the sea while running over twenty knots in the ocean. The second surreal aspect is the deep, lush green of the jungle. In some areas it's a literal wall of green that comes to the water's edge. In other places grasses begin at the water and transform into full-blown jungle a hundred yards inland. But the intensity of the green is constant, regardless of the shade. 

Panama Canal

While making our way across the lake we passed several small boats filled with eco-tourists going on jungle adventures, a few private yachts, and others offering sightseeing trips. We passed an assortment of larger vessels, from cargo ships to military ships going in both directions. Passengers on the smaller boats waved enthusiastically as they passed, seemingly amused at the appearance of a cruise ship among the myriad cargo vessels. Crossing the width of the lake consumed most of mid-day, with the visiting enrichment lecturer offering bursts of information off and on as we made our way from one ocean to another. Lunch in the Windjammer afforded the opportunity eat while still taking in the incredible views that surrounded us. 

Deepest section of Culebra Cut

The Culebra Cut, the largest section of the canal dig, was the most costly to construct in both time, money, and lives lost. In the initial phase the combination of malaria and mudslides imposed a regular toll. Between 1907 and 1914 it is estimated that over 100 mudslides occurred in the Cut. The death toll from malaria during the initial phase of canal construction under the French is placed at 22,000 souls. After the connection between malaria and mosquitoes was determined the casualty rate took a precipitous drop. 

Culebra Cut

Today, the Culebra Cut is the bottleneck with respect to ship traffic, as it is too narrow for two large ships to pass each other. A widening project completed in 2001 allows two Panamax-class ships to pass simultaneously, but in practice the Cut is still operated on a one-way basis, splitting traffic between northbound (Pacific to Atlantic) in the morning and southbound (Atlantic to Pacific) in the afternoon. Less maneuverable ships over 90 feet often require the assistance of tugboats to navigate the Cut. Modern cruise ships, equipped with azipods and bow thrusters, are among the most maneuverable vessels afloat and don't require assistance to navigate the canal. Heck, they rarely need tug assistance under any circumstances. However, in an abundance of caution, they are trailed through the Cut by a tugboat as a precaution. The Canal is marked by approximately 290 permanent buoys (as the channel is dredged and altered the number fluctuates, usually trending upward) and there are 40 lighthouses along the way. The oldest lighthouses date from the French construction era, 1881-1898. You may also see remnants of former United States military installations that have been abandoned and are being reclaimed by the jungle.

Exiting the last lock

This evening we had seats reserved for the Chef's Table. We missed the line on the invitation/reservation confirmation that asked us to meet at the Vintages Bar and instead went directly to the private dining room, where the hostess and the rest of our dinner companions eventually discovered us.

The multi-course menu was well-executed and everything was quite good, even the items that were not well-suited to our palettes. The wine pairings were thoughtful and complemented the courses well. Our dinner companions included a retired US Navy F-14 RIO and a couple from Australia, so the conversation was lively and entertaining. This is the third time we've dined at the Chef's Table with Royal Caribbean. While it's not something we would do every cruise, it is a nice change of pace every four or five cruises. 

 

Panama Canal - Cartagena

12 November, 2023

Catalina Macaw

We arrived in Cartagena to a mostly blue sky, sunshine, and HEAT. Cartagena isn't on the equator, but as they say "you can see it from here." Having worked in pet shops and with exotic animals for many years when I was in college, it was quite surreal to see parrots and macaws in the wild. The cruise port has a large area with feeding locations with fences to keep the birds and humans nominally separated. Of course, when the birds perch on the fences the efficacy of the barriers are significantly diminished. Nevertheless, for those of us who appreciate the power and potential danger contained in the beaks of large hook-bills, being this close to this many wild birds is a remarkable experience.

If you're on a cruise and none of the excursions are particularly attractive, but you would still like to have a tour with some degree of structure, the Hop On-Hop Off Bus is always a solid option. It provides an overview of the walled city as well as several of the forts and defensive structures that secured the city from invaders for centuries. We've used CitySightseeing in multiple cities and have enjoyed good service. Their audio is informative but doesn't flood you with a constant stream of inane information just for the sake of filling space. Other than an occasional glitch due to stops being relocated due to local traffic closures we've never had any problems.

Navigating your way through the cruise terminal to the pickup area can be a bit confusing if you're not on a ship-organized excursion. We booked a private car and guide with Sion Tours via Viatour. We were picked up in a nearly new Toyota RAV4 that was immaculate both inside and out. Our guide spoke excellent English, so communication was easy. If you travel enough, one day you will end up with an "English speaking guide" who is less than conversant, which can make things both challenging and frustrating. Our driver spoke very little English, but understood a good bit from what I could deduce. As a team they were wonderful.

Convento de Santa Cruz

First we drove up to Cerro de La Popa, the highest spot in Cartagena. The road to the peak is quite winding, so if you're susceptible to motion sickness you may want to take precautions. The views are incredible and visitors quickly obtain an excellent overview of the city, making the visit well worth the trip. Vendors are present in the parking area, selling everything from souvenirs to bottled water. A well-preserved convent dating to 1606 is located at the peak, The architecture and history of the structure are fascinating, but don't take long to tour. The structure remained largely intact over the years thanks to the protection afforded by it's altitude above the city.

We wound through the city, passing the Estadio Mono Judas, a facility for developing young baseball talent, and the Old Boots sculpture on our way to the Castillio de San Filipe de Barajas. Built on San Lázaro Hill in 1657, this was the primary defensive structure to fend off invaders, built after Sir Francis Drake occupied the city for severalmonths in 1586. The structure consists of a vast network of underground tunnels supporting a series of interlocking parapets. The design was considered virtually impenetrable due to the challenges involved with taking a single battery without taking the entire structure. 

Castillo de An Filipe

The approach to the fort consists of a series of wide, open switchbacks and the walls are surrounded by a series of tunnels that could be imploded to thwart the approach of invaders. After it was no longer used for military purposes the fort was largely abandoned and fell into disrepair. It was largely consumed by vegetation and tunnels filled with dirt and debris until 1984, when it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the historic center of Cartagena. Since then it has been restored and, in addition to the tourist activity, it is used for cultural activities and private events. The peak of the castle affords an excellent overview of the colonial defense structure of the city to include the walls and sea level emplacements.  The interlocking city defenses, as well as the natural funnels created by reefs and peninsulas, made an attack on the city a formidable undertaking.

Idyllic Cartagena street scene

After departing the Castillo we went to a small shopping area in the city center. As is almost always the case, the shops we were directed to were owned by friends and associates of our guide. If you have a reputable guide (i.e. not a random person you found holding a sign on a curb) then this is generally a good thing, as an accountable guide isn't likely to risk their reputation by steering visitors to unreliable vendors.  If you're in Colombia and have an interest in emeralds, then this is your opportunity. While I didn't have any plans to purchase jewelry on this trip, we did find a nice pair of earrings at a reasonable price that I couldn't pass up. I made a pact with myself long ago that I would not buy marginal jewelry, so I don't buy often. Quality over quantity is my mantra in this regard. One of the shops was owned by our guide's neighbor, and their son, who was in his final year of high school, was working in the shop. Our guide said he had been working on his English conversational skills, so I happily engaged in a bit of negotiation with him as my wife selected various traditional Colombian items and pieces from local artists to take home as gifts. My wife purchased several Wayúu mochillas and the young man was offering a discount based on the quantity she was purchasing. He arrived at a price $10 less than what I calculated, and I corrected him. He insisted that I only pay what he asked - and I made a concerted effort to give him what I knew the fair price to be. After several rounds of back-and-forth we took our purchases and moved on to the next shop. After perusing hot sauces and chocolate in the adjacent shop, we emerged to find my young friend waiting on the sidewalk. He awkwardly explained that he under-charged me by $10, and asked me to make things right in the most diplomatic manner that he could muster. I smiled, and repeated the original calculations with him as I reached into my pocket and extracted the $10 bill that I placed there when I left his shop earlier. He smiled broadly and thanked me profusely for my understanding. I assured him that I was more interested in helping him than anything and encouraged him to just take the money when someone insisted on paying more than he was asking.

With about 15 minutes before final "all aboard" we arrived back at the ship in dire need of a shower. Despite the efficacy of the air conditioning in our guide's car, even brief moments in the equatorial heat produced a layer of sweat that then dried in an uncomfortable salty crust. Showered and refreshed,  we headed to the Schooner Bar.

Panama Canal - Deja Vu

9-11 November, 2023

Serenade model

Our first port of call, Cozumel, was one we've visited at least a dozen times before. Given the length of the cruise before us, and our familiarity with the port, we didn't have any grand plans for shopping (not that we ever do) and we've pretty much run the gambit on offered shore excursions. There were a couple of specific t-shirts we wanted to procure, but that was all we were interested in. With so many new places to visit we didn't want to consume our "cargo space" in places that are so (relatively) easy to visit. I made a quick run to the stores in Cozumel, but came up empty and retreated to the ship to salve my failure with a fruity beverage or two. The ship was mostly empty, making it easy to claim a prime seat in the Viking Crown. We enjoyed the panoramic view, plentiful air conditioning, and beverages, as we listened to our respective playlists and read our books. Dinner was in Chops - and not to sound like a broken record, but it was solid, as usual. I almost always get the large filet - cooked rare. (By "almost always" I mean I've ordered something different about two times over the years.) I could almost cut it with a spoon, which is my usual test for tenderness. Service was top-notch, as it nearly always is.

I'm on a smaller boat!

The next morning, after another satisfying breakfast in the main dining room, I hopped a tender from the ship to the passenger terminal in Georgetown, Grand Cayman. There are no piers in Grand Cayman for cruise ships, so they each claim an anchorage spot in the harbor and tenders (think water bus) shuttle passengers back and forth to one of the terminals. In general terms the harbor serves a maximum of four ships per day, but in the event of something out of the ordinary (weather event, unrest, damage to facilities at another port) they may squeeze in more. As a cruise passenger I don't recall ever seeing more than two other ships, but I have seen as many as four ships when vacationing on Grand Cayman. A few live-aboard dive boats operate from Georgetown, but their impact is negligible when compared to a modern cruise ship. It was quite warm in the sun, but the breeze and shade made the short (5 minute) transit from ship to pier quite pleasant. Once ashore I made my way to the DelSol kiosk and picked up a color-change t-shirt for our grandson. I offer the observation that their selection was exceptionally slim as compared to all our previous DelSol shopping experiences. I don't know if this is a side-effect of the COVID fallout or just an indication that their product line is no longer as popular as it once was. 

Cayman Chicken

After I completed my business at DelSol I dodged a few of the local chickens and made my way to the Piraña Joe shop. In all my visits to Grand Cayman I can't say that I've ever encountered free-range livestock, much less in a bank parking lot - but there they were, a few hens with an assortment of chicks! I've been shopping in Piraña Joe stores for almost 30 years, and the first t-shirt I ever purchased is still quite wearable, just a bit faded. I browsed through their newest designs and found one to my liking. (I tend to lean heavily towards those that feature SCUBA diving in some  form or fashion.) A quick walk back to the terminal and I found myself waiting in the sun for my return tender. When it arrived I found a shady spot, which was quite comfortable, and I was back at my seat in the Solarium in no time, fruity drink in-hand!

Our sea day broke with weather a bit on the "nautical" side of the chart, which is to say we had wind, rain, and some decently sporty seas. Many of our fellow passengers were less than comfortable with the pitching and rolling, which ultimately meant that we enjoyed quicker service in the dining room and at the bars.

Emesis bag dispenser

Late in the morning, when we were enjoying the Schooner Bar, our Lady of Emesis was standing at the ready for anyone who felt the sudden onset of nausea. I've often seen emesis bags scattered around ships in the event of rough seas, mostly around the stairwells and near elevators. Having the figurehead in the Schooner Bar serve as a dispenser was quite humorous.

That evening we had dinner at Giovanni's Table. Based on the low density of diners I suspect that many people abandoned their reservations due to the sea conditions. The video included below gives a pretty clear illustration of the amount of motion being transmitted to deck 6. Our dinner was spot-on and the servings were generous beyond the norm, to the point that neither of us could finish our entrees. After dinner we moved out to the adjacent Schooner Bar and enjoyed the piano player for a while before heading back to our cabin, where the seas rocked us gently to sleep.

Panama Canal - Getting Underway

7-8 November, 2023

I've been fascinated by the Panama Canal since my grandfather first told me about it when I was a child. He told me about passing through the canal on a destroyer during World War II and conveyed the scale and magnitude of the project. He omitted the involvement of the French, Ferdinand de Lesseps, mosquitoes, malaria, the eventual U.S. takeover, and the secession of Panama from Colombia that led to completion of the canal. Transiting the Panama Canal is one of several noteworthy cruises on my list, along with going around Cape Horn, which we did in 2011. The rest of the list consists of transatlantic, transpacific, and crossing the equator. This cruise was booked when we were on our ABC Islands cruise in October of 2022.

On the way to Miami!

Sailing out of Miami again, we had grand plans to eat dinner at Versailles the evening before embarkation. Unfortunately our flights were delayed (again!) and our plans for dinner had to be scrapped long before we even left Charlotte. We stayed at the Hilton Tru again and enjoyed a nearly identical experience to the year prior. This time we did take advantage of breakfast, which (as I am fond of saying) was quite useful. A quick repack of the suitcases and another Uber ride and we were at the cruise terminal, ready to check in. Still waiting for ankle replacement, a RCCL team member assisted my wife with a wheelchair, making the boarding process as convenient as possible. The smaller Radiance class ship, coupled with a Tuesday departure, meant the cruise terminal was virtually deserted and there was ample staff to keep the boarding process running smoothly and efficiently.

All aboard!

We were a bit surprised that our cabin was in the bow of the ship, neither of us recalling making that selection. In retrospect, it appears that a finger-fumble went undetected and our choice of cabin 7600 was changed to 7500. Lesson learned! The cabin was perfectly acceptable, save the fact that the air conditioning was woefully inadequate. My suspicion is that the HEPA filters in the return were overly restrictive and hampered the air circulation. A few doors down the passage there was a server room and the air blasting from beneath that door could have stripped the varnish from wood. Unfortunately we didn't enjoy even a reasonable fraction of that air volume. Multiple calls to maintenance and repeated attempts by our steward to mitigate the problem proved unrewarding. We couldn't even get a box fan, as none were available.

As is our routine, we handled the muster station check-in, finalized our specialty dining arrangements, scoped out the Solarium, and enjoyed lunch in the Windjammer before grabbing a drink. For sail away (which was a bit early, as all the provisions and fuel were loaded and everyone was aboard) we staked out a spot in the Viking Crown Lounge and watched Miami disappear in our wake.

We headed to the dining room for dinner, which I think we've done on every cruise. (Well over thirty at this point.) We eat most of our meals in the dining room, so meeting our service team the first night tends to set the tone for the entire cruise. We make a point to communicate our first specialty dining reservation so they're not anticipating a late arrival for that evening and can move along with service instead of looking over their shoulder for guests who aren't going to arrive. "Our guys" were being pulled all over the place by a couple of high maintenance tables, thankfully the table full of Brits next to ours were of a similar mind as us and the angst from the other tables didn't overflow to our space.

Morning view

Wednesday was a delightfully relaxing day at sea. We were up and at breakfast early after a restful night's sleep. If you're surprised that I had Eggs Benedict then you haven't been paying attention to my previous posts. After breakfast I spent the remainder of the day reading about the Panama Canal project while sipping on various libations and nibbling snacks in the Solarium. A lifelong friend recommended the book and gifted it to me for my birthday. I was already a couple of weeks of light reading in, but really wanted to get much deeper before we passed the first lock on the way to Gatun Lake. This book digs deep in the diplomacy involved and the drastic measures de Lesseps took to try and secure the project. Unfortunately he attempted to replicated his wildly successful Suez Canal project in an environment that couldn't have been more different. The project was doomed to failure until the link between mosquitoes and malaria was determined, regardless of the progress that may have been made on the engineering side.

ABC's and 123's – Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao

Everybody has a cousin in Miami

29 October, 2022

After working as a paramedic full-time for a year we took our first real vacation as a couple in over three years. Given the vagaries of air travel in the post-COVID world we flew to Miami two days prior to our cruise departure. One day would have been adequate, but the difference between flying on Thursday instead of Friday for our Saturday embarkation exceeded the expenses of spending an extra day in Miami by a significant margin. Having never spent any time in Miami I was flying completely blind when I started making hotel plans. We've been huge fans of Cuban food since our time in California, and have been limited in our access to Cuban food for the better part of twenty years. We do have friends in Miami, of Cuban heritage, so I did have an excellent source of recommendations for Cuban restaurants to visit! Our original plans included Cuban dinners for two nights, but our flight from Charlotte to Miami was delayed, so the first night we had to make alternative plans.

We stayed at the Tru by Hilton in West Brickell. This new property is nestled in a mostly residential area that appears to be reasonably quiet by our impression. As is the case with the Tru product line, there are grab-and-go beverages and a limited selection of snacks, but not much else is available after breakfast service in the morning. Fortunately there is a pizza shop just a few blocks away that offers delivery, and it happens to be "The best pizza in Miami." After eating their pie, I don't consider that claim boastful in the least, and would have no problem saying their pizza is among the best I've ever eaten. Amazing crust covered with fresh and flavorful toppings is a recipe for success.

Ready for dinner!

Friday morning we woke up at our leisure and caught a ride over to the Brickell City Center to pick up a power adapter for my laptop. In highly abnormal fashion I managed to leave mine at home. While connecting to the outside world isn't the highest priority when I'm on a cruise, maintaining contact with family is a consideration - along with downloading books and the occasional new music. The shopping at City Center is definitely upscale, with ample security to match. I located a replacement power adapter and my wife ended up with a new iPad mini by the time we were ready to go back to the hotel.

Dinner that evening was at Versailles - and it met every expectation we had. They were busy, but not packed to the walls when we arrived. The staff was efficient, but a bit curt and seemed to have the expectation that we should know the menu without requiring any need for clarification. The servings were ample and we ordered with our memory and our heart instead of our stomachs, so regretfully we left a  good bit of amazing food on our plates. The roast pork was tender and crispy and the moros rice was the perfect ratio or rice and beans. The plantains were tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. My only regret is that I couldn't eat more.

Saturday morning we woke early, eagerly anticipating getting on the ship and starting the core of our vacation in earnest. Our Uber got us to the pier without any hassle, check-in was seamless, and we were aboard Explorer of the Seas, completed our check-in at our muster station, and enjoying lunch in the Windjammer Cafe in no time flat. We gained access to our cabin a few minutes early and dropped our bags before going to finalize our specialty dining reservations for the week.

Cruise mode engaged

With all the "business" matters squared away we found a comfortable spot and enjoyed our first drink of the cruise as we passed time waiting for our luggage to be delivered to our room. We confirmed (to our dismay) that Explorer doesn't have a Vintages wine bar, which is one of our favorite places on the Voyager class ships. 

By 4:00 our luggage was delivered and by 4:30 everything was unpacked and we were headed to the Viking Crown Lounge to watch the sail-away. This is when it starts to sincerely feel like vacation has started.

Instead of trying to give a blow-by-blow report of the week this post will be more general. In the time between booking our cruise and departure my wife was diagnosed with a failed ankle and was scheduled for replacement surgery. While our cruise didn't turn out to be the trip we originally envisioned, we made it what we wanted and had a wonderful time - largely in part to the excellent staff and crew of Explorer.

In summary, the grew was outstanding in every respect and at every interaction. Smiles and genuine warm greetings abounded, with none of the perfunctory "painted-on" expressions that understandably sneak in as the travel-weary members of the crew approach the end of their contracts.

Our cabin steward greeted us as soon as we arrived in our cabin. He did everything within is power to keep us comfortable the entire cruise, and always with a beaming smile. Ice packs were needed regularly, and our ice bucket stayed filled day and night.

Our service team in the dining room was exemplary. While the food continues to lag behind the level of quality just after the RCCL-Celebrity merger, it does represent a significant improvement from the few years prior to the pandemic - when it seemed to trend steadily towards "pedestrian" in every venue except the specialty restaurants. Our waiter and assistant waiter were consistent and never missed a beat. When things got hectic, thanks to a few "high maintenance" tables in our section, our headwaiter magically appeared and seamlessly filled in the gaps. 

Royal Promenade

Breakfast service in the dining room was some of the best we've ever had in the open seating era. Due to my wife's limited mobility we were seated in the same general area, near the entrance, every morning, which means we had the same servers several times. "Our" breakfast guys made the general chaos of breakfast disappear. With the large menu, varied schedules of guests, and a wide variety of demands and expectations, things can get a bit wild - but our teams just kept smiling and took everything in stride. This cruise also had the most consistent and best Eggs Benedict I've experienced on a cruise to-date. They were so good I couldn't bring myself to branch out and try anything else for breakfast. The final morning of our cruise we thought we were arriving early for breakfast, but thanks to the change from daylight saving time and the confusion caused by modern technology we arrived just after service ended. Apparently we weren't the only ones who suffered this affliction, and our (familiar) breakfast team made sure we were not turned away hungry. While their job is customer service, they went far above and beyond for us. Our experiences with specialty dining were, as always, special. From dinner at Chops to appetizers at Izumi the food and service were both exactly what we have come to expect. 

We had great service in the R Bar, the Pub, and the Schooner Bar throughout the cruise, from both bartenders and cocktail staff. The pianist in the Schooner Bar was simply amazing. Keep an eye out for Ventzi Nelson - he's not just a musician, he's an entertainer. If you make a request that's not in his catalog at the moment he'll learn it and play it for you on a subsequent night. He works the crowd as good as anyone and has a range that expands well beyond the usual sing-along piano bar fare. Finding a seat was always a challenge due to his popularity. If I were choosing between two similar cruises and Ventzi was on one, that's the one I would pick. He's that good.

Bonaire

As I've mentioned previously, our cruise wasn't what we intended, and the guest relations staff ironed out all of our rough spots without so much as a pause - they just "fixed it" and that was that. To summaryize everything to this point, we've been satisfied Royal Caribbean guests for many years, and this cruise affirmed the choice we made many years ago.

We had grand plans to take excursions in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, but everything required walking and climbing in and out of a bus, which had become a non-starter for us. Not to worry, we maximized our enjoyment even without doing anything grand in any of the ports. A perfunctory quick stroll around the pier served to mark our "visit" - which was suitable given the circumstances. Life happens and sometimes you have to adapt and make the best of your situation.

The only disappointment in the entire trip was the transfer from the pier to the Miami airport at the end. While the buses aren't owned by RCCL, they do reflect on RCCL. Most of the seats were permanently in a "semi-reclined" position, which was uncomfortable. They also failed to accommodate those with mobility issues with seating near the front of the coach, forcing several individuals to slowly shuffle to the rear of the bus to find a seat. Hopefully this issue has long been rectified.

Stormy sunset at sea

Real-time Update

2 May, 2025

We've been home from our latest adventure for just over three weeks. If you're at least 50 years old, love history, good food, and experiencing other cultures, then we HIGHLY recommend giving a river cruise a try. We chose the Rhine itinerary on Viking (Basel to Amsterdam) and had an incredible time. It was our first river cruise, and our first vacation with friends, aside from an occasional long weekend getaway here and there. I've decided to keep things chronological from the time COVID tossed a wrench in the works, so look for my Viking posts in a few months. (We still have to transit the Panama Canal, go back to Disney with a huge crowd, spend a few days in Rome, then cross the Atlantic before we join up with Viking.)

At the moment we're putting the final touches on our fall trip while my wife recovers from her first hip surgery. Surgery on the other hip will be after the fall trip, then we're headed back across the Atlantic in 2026 - in the opposite direction this time. Further out on the horizon we have a family trip on the books for New Year's Eve 2026 and another river cruise with Viking on the Danube in early 2028.

I hope you're not waiting to travel "one day" – that day may never  come. Figure out where you want to go, what you want to do, and work out a budget.

Then do it. 

"Oh, the places you'll go!" –Dr Seuss