Posts Tagged With: Cruising

It’s a WONDERful Cruise Life

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Doug and Jackie

Cruising again into the Caribbean!  Wow, I know it seems like we just got back from a Caribbean cruise – and we did.  In September it was aboard the brand new Utopia of the Seas with our grandsons and this first week of December is aboard the Wonder of the Seas, just the two of us.  We accumulated enough points on the Royal Caribbean credit card to get this cruise “free” (well, of course we had to buy the drink package and a few special dinners).  What an amazing adventure!  Let me give you some highlights:

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we were on the road with Santa’s sleigh to Orlando to stay the night before boarding on Sunday.  Normally a fairly easy trip, but this one took a few extra hours due to a few wrecks and slow-downs.  But we were soon checked in, having a flight of beer and dinner at Rock & Brews and talking about plans.  Parking, security and boarding were easy and quick and by 10:30am we were looking for that first “welcome aboard” drink.  Awesome!  Our room was Deck 9 all the way forward, with a nice big window out the bow.  It gave us a bit of extra space, too, but you had to watch your head.

On the pool deck I zipped down the Perfect Storm waterslide, the one that ends in a big funnel.  And since it was pretty quiet up top I had to try the FlowRider while the line was short – in fact there was no line!  My first attempt was a little wobbly, but the next time up I was able to quickly get up on my knees on the board.  Getting off can be tricky, however.  Love it!

Our first stop the next day was at Perfect Day Coco Cay.  We opted to purchase a day at Hideaway Bay, the new adults-only beach and pool on the island since we did not have youngsters with us this trip.  What a nice spot!  A huge heated infinity edge pool overlooks the private beach area and several bars and eateries surround you.  A huge swim-up bar made it easy to quench your thirst and we munched on various slices of pizza and apple empanadas.  It was sunny and warm, but there was quite a breeze.  It made it feel just a bit chilly on the beach, so after a dip in the salt water we stayed mostly in the pool.  A tram back to the ship made it easier on the return.  Overall, great day.

One of my goals was to search out all the various Old Fashioned drinks at the bars.  It made for very tasty evenings of toasted marshmallow, apple pie, peanut butter and jelly and basic Old Fashioned with several types of bourbon.  Now that is my kind of scavenger hunt.

I tried craps in the casino each night, but it was really not much action at all.  Most of the few players were new to the game and it wasn’t until the last night that we had a reasonably full table and some action.  Too bad, I enjoy the game.

On our port calls to Cozumel and Costa Maya we stayed aboard to enjoy the pools and hot tubs, lounge chairs and solarium with lots less crowd.  Surprisingly, there were lots of infants and toddlers on this cruise.  A fair number of elementary aged children and a very international crowd.  You just never know, but as former teachers we are always on the lookout.

The ship was decked out for Christmas and the large tree on the promenade deck was a favorite spot for picture taking.  We had such fun people watching from either the Schooner Bar or the Pub as couples and families paraded by or tried to stop others from walking through the selfies.  Formal wear competed with crazy Christmas sweaters, light-up necklaces and matching family outfits that would look crazy in any other setting.  We were in the spirit too, as Jackie had crocheted a gorgeous tree for our door decoration and I pulled out one of my Christmas ties.

And of course the food was always something to think about.  We got a bit goofed up with our main dining room reservations, as is usual for us somehow.  A change in policy with Royal puts reservations with My Time dining starting at 6:45, and we wanted to eat earlier to get to the entertainment.  We did manage to eat on the special nights (lobster and prime rib nights) but also reserved the Hooked seafood specialty restaurant and 150 Central Park restaurant for some delicious meals.  Well worth the added cost.  I have a sampling of food photos (who doesn’t?) to show you the good eats.  Oh, and Jackie got her beet salad, with plenty of beets arranged artistically.

Our last night was pretty special.  We went to Giovanni’s Wine Bar for a wine flight and charcuterie platter and pretty much filled up.  Our waiter was great, telling us about each wine and giving us a full pour of each, which was included in the drink package!  He also slipped us a dessert plate of petit fours.

The entertainment was fabulous, although the volume was chest thumping loud.  Aqua show featured all the expected elements of high dives, aerialist, slack line and water dancing – high energy and splashing for sure.  The ice show was just wonderful, with lots of jumps, spins, costumes and dancing.  And the two theater shows included a song and dance show with every sort of stage movement and wire harness possible and later the Effectors, a superhero story with all sorts of special effects, including lots of little drones and one big drone that circled above the crowd, with the bad guy aboard!

Our only excursion was at the port of Coxen Hole on the island of Roatan, off the coast of Honduras.  We were driven to the other side of the island to do a three reef snorkel with lunch following at the beachside spot.  Christopher, of Christopher Tours did a great job of navigating the crowded, muddy streets of Coxen Hole and hosting us for lunch at his adventure spot. 

How did it go? Well, the first snorkel was a shallow sandy reef filled with large colorful starfish.  The water was warm and felt wonderful.  We moved further along the shoreline to do a float above the coral reef, filled with lots of coral, fish and fans.  It got a bit shallow at times and we had to flatten ourselves to make it up and over some of the coral.  It was getting pretty windy and choppy, with a pretty good water current, so I felt pretty winded by the end of this long snorkel.  Plus, I think that holding the gopro camera hampers my swimming a bit.

The third spot was a swim around the wreck of an old tanker just at the reef edge.  I started out, but was still pretty winded from the previous swim and opted to head back to the boat.  Even with my light swim vest, it was a challenge to work against the current and wind chop.  We were also warned about the fire coral and shallow areas to glide over, so I think it was the smart move.  Jackie said the fish weren’t much more plentiful and it was a bit rough, too.

Back at the dock we had a choice of chicken or snapper, so I opted for the local fish.  Served whole and fried, so I picked my way through a surprisingly good lunch.  Local cerveza, too.  Altogether a nice excursion, even though the town of Coxen Hole is a challenge (extremely poor and crowded).

Back aboard ship we just took it easy.  I tried to find all of the special art – this time it was astronauts not monkeys (on Utopia).  We found nice loungers on the pool deck, spent some time in the adults only solarium, listened to all the live music we could and sampled food and drink everywhere.  Funny story about our favorite bar, the Mason Jar.  They featured some of the best Old Fashioneds – Apple Pie came with a little apple pie, Peanut Butter and Jelly came with two little PB&J sandwiches – and they had a nice country music trio playing at night.  We were warned by the bartenders that these were Romanian country singers, but you know what?  They sang the tunes with the right southern twang and it was only when they chatted between songs that you couldn’t follow their Romanian accent.  Rather strange.  It was all good, until they started in with John Denver and we were sure they had no idea where West Virginia was . . .  

So, that is how we spent the week after Thanksgiving.  We planned this cruise back in May, not knowing we would also be moving in December.  Yes, just weeks before the cruise we found a house we love on an acre of land just minutes from our grandsons.  It is only the next county over, but it will be a big change for us: single floor living with some elbow room and a nice big workshop for Doug’s many craft adventures.  So the end of the year adventure is to de-clutter, pack up and move before New Year’s.  Are we crazy?  I think maybe.

Until next time (and it may be a while before I am back online), enjoy the holidays and happy adventuring!

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A Utopian Family Cruise

Posted on September 25, 2024 by Doug and Jackie

Yes, we are aboard the brand new, second-largest-in-the-world ship: Utopia of the Seas for a fun family cruise. This is an amazing adventure onboard with my sister Linda, her husband Norm and my daughter Karina, son-in-law Jason and our two wonderful grandsons.  This 4-night cruise fit perfectly during their fall break and was easy enough for us to reach in Port Canaveral.  And of course the unofficial cruise director (me) had the typed agenda all set – after all, this was a big ship with much to see and do – we wouldn’t want to miss anything.  ((I have a YouTube video of the highlights)

For us, the best way to cruise from Port Canaveral is to get to Orlando the day before, stay the night in a hotel near the airport and then make the 45 minute drive directly to the ship in the morning.  Linda and Norm flew in from California, arrived late evening due to delays enroute, but we managed to gather and plan for the morning’s departure.  Everyone had breakfast and was ready on time in the morning for the drive to the ship – I am proud of my cruisers!  

If you have ever cruised, you know the anticipation and delight as you approach the pier, the huge ship looming over the parking decks and embarkation building, as big as a skyscraper.  Security and check-in have become much smoother with the help of digital passes, but it is always a hustle and flow of people, bags, kids, walkers and wheelchairs.  But this was definitely the smoothest and quickest check-in ever.  You make your way past the photographers and up the ramps and suddenly the crew is welcoming you aboard and into the ship!  Wow, how exhilarating, how fun, what energy, how LOUD!  Ok then, let’s get the party started and make our way to the food and fun.  Ready?  Let’s go!  

We split up, Linda and I headed to the dining room to be sure we had a table for 8 set for the 5:00pm seating and the rest heading to their muster station for the safety briefing.  That finished, we exited up the elevator to a quieter location to find food and drink.  This was the first time aboard a Royal Caribbean ship for Jason, Karina and the boys, so they went off exploring.  I was headed to the Windjammer buffet in search of what I heard was a seafood spread featuring lobster tails.  I wasn’t disappointed.  Lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp – oh my!  And in the buffet.  That is definitely a first for me.

By 1:00 we were able to check in to our rooms, where our bags and room cards were waiting.  We each had balcony rooms, some overlooking the Boardwalk deck, some overlooking Central Park.  Exploring the ship, checking out the bars, pools and such was the next adventure – and learning that the sail away party involved more LOUD music and party vibes.  It was definitely an upbeat atmosphere onboard.

So what did we do for our 4 days?  Was it enough time?  We packed in everything we could and more, and it was just right for a week off.  Here are highlights:

I already mentioned the seafood surprise on day 1.  Dinner was just as delicious.  We made our way to the early seating, main dining deck 3 and after a bit of a “let me check” moment to find our reservation, we were escorted to the center of the room, under the huge chandelier, to a round table with high backed chairs – the premier spot of the dining room!  How special.  The boys were perfect each night, ordering their selections of fruit cup, fries, chicken fingers, toasted cheese or spaghetti (I kind of forget exactly), and of course ice cream.  Our servers Christopher and Tamera were excellent and attentive.  And we waved the napkins in salute to the kitchen staff.

The first night’s entertainment was in the main theater for “All In!” a song and dance performance that was great fun. Good that we had reservations to get good seats and we were even treated to lighted drones flying about.

Nassau Port Day:  We stayed onboard to enjoy the pool, flow rider, rock climbing and more, since a lot of folks had left the ship.  Wyatt and I made a run down the waterslide and he and Owen got plenty wet in the pool and Splashaway Bay. Norm found some comfy couches and chairs in the shade by the pool and Lime & Coconut bar and we kind of claimed the spot each day.  A mid-afternoon shower sort of chased the crowd away, but we hung in there, since the bar was right there (don’t want to waste that drink package).  The show at night was in the Aqua theater in the stern of the ship: Aqua80Too.  Amazing feats of diving, splashing, swimming, aerial acts, and slack line.

Sea Day: (and I might have my days a bit mixed up, it was THAT much fun). Doug and Wyatt did the boogie board on the flow rider just before lightning struck and a storm rolled in.  The boys played mini-golf, ate ice cream, searched for five chrome monkeys onboard, ate ice cream, watched the superheroes parade and ate ice cream.  Jackie, Linda, the boys and I tried the dry slide Ultimate Abyss and survived. The highlight of the day was a power failure aboard that shut down all power for a few hours. The worst part was that the AC wouldn’t turn back on for a bit and things got pretty warm. The show at night was a tribute band that was a bit “off” for the lead singer. 

Perfect Day CoCo Cay:  We were in port with Harmony of the Seas and were a bit worried about a crush of people, but it really was not a problem.  We found lounge chairs, splashed in the water of Harbor Beach on Chill Island, bobbed in the Oasis Lagoon pool and had delicious food (and ice cream) at the Chill Grill.  Rumblings of thunder had us exit the water for about a half hour, but no rain and we were back in quickly.  The show this night was in the ice arena where we had front row seats for “YouTopia.”  Very cool skating and dancing that was very high energy.

There is a quick story for this night:  Owen and Wyatt had a big day in Coco Cay, so their family decided to eat in the Windjammer while the rest of us did the dining room.  We met up later and they raved about the seafood selection and other good food in the buffet.  Hmm, well since Jackie, Linda and Norm were watching the comedy show I thought I would wander up and see if it was true.  Oh yeah, there were piles of stone crab legs, mussels, shrimp, clams – so I just had to grab some and find a spot by the window overlooking the boardwalk.  “We see you” texted Karina.  What?  I looked around me, none of my peeps were there.  “Outside” texted.  What?  “On our balcony” she texted and sure enough, across from me and down a few balconies were my grandsons waving to me.  They spotted me having my second dinner (and you would think you could go unnoticed on this ship of 6,000 plus!).

What else did I discover?  I tried to find all the bars, especially those that were new for me.  I had a toasted marshmallow old-fashioned in the Schooner Bar, PB&J old-fashioned in the Mason Jar, Peanut Butter Pina Colada in the Pesky Parrot Bar … well, you get the idea.  Our main dining room meals were delicious.  Prime rib, Caribbean pork chop, lamb shank, beef bourgeon, onion soup, coconut shrimp, crusted salmon, escargot, calamari, crab cake … all top notch, great service.  I got my 2 for $30 t-shirts (used to be $20!)  Jackie and I spent some time in the solarium pool and we all got the hang of the new elevator system.  You tap your destination on the pad and it tells you what elevator to take.  No other buttons.  We found the traveling piano player, I spent two nights in the casino playing craps (pretty much broke even), we tried the plunge pool hot tubs, the boys rode the carousel a few times and we all walked around plenty.

The pictures tell the story, and suffice it to say a wonderful time was had by all of us.  We started early, stayed up as late as we could and started it all over again the next day.  Until the final morning’s departure after breakfast, goodbye hugs and the drive home.  Jackie and I made a detour to drive Linda and Norm to see family in South Carolina, so we spent the weekend with them before driving ourselves home.

So what’s next for your favorite adventurers?   In a week we head to Panama City Beach with the motorhome, but a hurricane is headed there before our visit, so not sure of the outcome.  

I am also in the midst of making lots of glass garden sculptures, fountains and birdbaths and filming the process.  I have them posted on my growing (can you believe it?) YouTube channel.  I would appreciate it if you view, subscribe and enjoy:  youtube.com/@adventureswithdougandjackie But we had a large pine tree come crashing down on my hanging pieces and it pretty much smashed about 30 pieces.  So there will need to be some repairs made.

Stay tuned.

Categories: Cruising, Outdoor Adventures | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What’s Next for 2024?

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Doug and Jackie

Indeed, we are now into 2024, which means we have been on this retirement journey for 9 years! (and the motorhome is now 20 years old … good deal).  And there is nothing on the calendar for the year!  So what new adventures are ahead for us?  Let’s find out.

When we last posted, we had just finished a short trip to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains.  Fun time in the fall.  Just before that we returned to Alaska to explore all the way north to Denali in search of bears and other wildlife.  I have just finished up a video of that adventure and posted it to our YouTube channel.  Check it out: Back to Alaska

So the rest of October was a two week camping trip back to St. Andrews State Park in Panama City, Florida – a tough spot to get a reservation but a favorite location for us.  The motorhome was packed up and ready to roll, so off we went, south around Atlanta and on to Columbus toward Alabama.  We usually stop for one night in Eufaula to break up the trip.  

Well, as we were motoring along the interstate outside Columbus on a sunny, clear day, Jeep in tow, I heard a loud “bang” from the back of the motorhome.  I gripped the wheel, looked in my sideview mirrors and ran through thoughts of a blown tire or generator explosion, since it looked like something happened on the rear driver’s side.  I eased off the gas, gently applied the brakes, and looked for an opening to pull off the road.  Best spot was to move left and into the shoulder of the median, without fishtailing or making things worse.  I noticed a small pickup a bit behind me that looked to be doing the same thing.  Mind you, this all happened pretty quickly.

Once stopped, I hopped out to check the tire, but it was fine.  However, the entire side of the motorhome was a mess from there on back.  The Jeep was fine, but the doors to the generator, water and electric service were crumpled, ripped and smeared with black.  What the heck was all this??  The pickup had stopped on the shoulder back behind me, so I ran to it and noticed the front right side was all crumpled as well.  “What happened?” I asked the driver and passenger.  Did you have a blowout?  Their tire was flat, so I figured maybe it blew and caused them to hit my back quarter.

All I got from them was that the two vehicles came together and hit, suggesting I had swerved or fishtailed into their truck.  Nah, not possible.  Plus, I was well under the speed limit with cruise control and not weaving in lanes at all.  That’s not how I drive.  Well, we called 911, a local sheriff arrived who then called in the state patrol.  Trooper took statements from us both and concluded that he couldn’t find who was at fault and left it at that.  I have my own ideas about how I got rammed in the back, but it remains undetermined.  

Well, since our electric and water hookups were now pretty much unavailable, I took some rope, did my best to tie down the bent and broken doors and we turned around to head back home.  It wasn’t certain we could connect to water and electricity and I wasn’t sure they were safely functional either.  Two weeks at the beach were aborted, we called to cancel the reservation and nervously made our way back along the interstate, around Atlanta and back into the driveway.  A bit shook up the whole time, scratching our heads over how this all went so wrong so quickly and making the phone call to our insurance.

The next steps, over the rest of the fall, were:

  • Get an estimate on damage from local RV repair shop
  • Wait a month for them to even look at it
  • Get a preliminary estimate/payment from insurance adjuster
  • Finally get a complete estimate from repair shop (3 times original estimate)
  • Go to RV shop to drain water and winterize (since we have had many days of freezing temps – go figure)
  • Repair shop orders parts (over holidays, so it will be 6-8 week wait)
  • Wait for parts to arrive … still waiting at this point
  • Hope the repairs are done in time to enjoy some camping in April

It’s now February and despite a rather gloomy outlook for getting the motorhome back, plus needing brakes and tires checked and running a full 100,000 mile engine checkup, we went ahead and planned a late April/May three-week adventure.  We have all the reservations set at parks in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Tennessee for a trip dubbed our “Bourbon Trail.”  There are plenty of distilleries we want to visit, plus lots of caves, hiking trails, waterfalls and Churchill Downs (yes, we will be in Louisville during Derby Week). Stay tuned for stories about the trip.

Oh, and on the rest of the maintenance schedule is some flooring repair and replacement.  When we were packing up to leave Pigeon Forge the living room slide got caught on the carpet and ripped a strip off.  Now this is a 20 year old carpet, so it wasn’t a total shame, but it does mean we have to figure out how to replace the floor for the main section of the motorhome.  Summer project, I guess.  By now you are probably saying “no thanks, I don’t want a motorhome,” but you would be wrong to think that.  We have had so many great adventures that would not have been possible without this trusty van.  It’s just part of the deal – like owning a home that always needs a little TLC.

Anyhow, thanks for coming along with us.  Sign up for notifications so you don’t miss our next adventure.

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Back to Alaska, Part One

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Doug and Jackie

“Chichagof Island has the highest concentration of bears in the world at 1 – 2 bears per square mile. The Alaska Brown Bear can weigh 1,500 lbs. and have a reach of 12 feet.  See those scratch marks high up that tree trunk? From a large male no doubt,” our Tlingit guide whispered as we walked quietly along the path.  We were walking along a creek on a moss covered trail trying to spot a bear.  That observation really didn’t help our nerves.  Just moments before, we saw one leaning back against a tree by the stream.  She moved into the brush, met up with her cub and was pulling down branches to reach the berries.  We were trying to get a closer look.  Did we?

Well here we go again, off on another adventure!  This one started last fall when we decided a return visit to Alaska was in order.  Jackie really wanted to go when bears were most active, which is toward the end of summer when the salmon make their run upstream to breed.  That meant we were looking at a mid-August cruise with an extra visit up to Denali.  So we spent days comparing the options and plotting the best way to see everything we wanted – within budget, since Alaska is pricey.  We settled on a northbound Celebrity cruise from Vancouver to Seward aboard the Millennium, a ship we were familiar with from our 2018 southbound cruise.  From there we added excursions and travel to Anchorage, Denali and Talkeetna.  It should be fun!

As news of the cruise spread among family members, we were asked by my sister Linda and Norm if they could join us.  Sure.  Can you add us to the Denali Wildlife Bus Tour?  Sure.  A bit later we added Norm’s cousin from Australia, Carol, and then my brother Jeff and Vickie jumped into plans for the cruise portion.  We were now a happy band of seven headed north. A video of highlights is posted here: Back to Alaska

The packing goal for the trip was to check one bag and have one carryon, with a backpack.  With all the possible layers for rain, cold, cruise attire and whatever, we barely got the bags closed.  Off we flew to Vancouver via a short hop from Seattle (and by the way, flying is really no fun anymore), arriving almost before we left, time-zone wise.  We took the city transit train from the airport to the waterfront, which was very clean and timely and checked into the Pan Pacific hotel at Canada Place, right where the cruise ship loaded.  The Queen Elizabeth was docked when we arrived and looked splendid.  

Norm, Carol and Linda had arrived a day earlier and we were able to meet them at the lobby bar for afternoon drinks.  Lots of catching up and chatter about what was to come, then around the corner we went to have dinner.  Rogue was a great spot at one end of the train station where we had local Steamworks beer and delicious food.  By the time we walked back to the hotel Jeff and Vickie had arrived and we all took some time to walk around the pier and admire the lively city waterfront and late sunset.  Vancouver has lots of cool buildings, rooftop gardens and lots of flower baskets, with rather mild weather, so it made for a delightful evening.

One benefit of staying at the hotel is that your bags are portered to the ship in the morning and you have only to take the elevator down to the ship’s check-in desk.  We were onboard well before noon and searching for our “spot” to have drinks and lunch.  That spot became a corner table at the Sunset Bar at the stern of the ship, just outside the buffet.  It was a beautiful, sunny and warm afternoon of drinks and chatting before sailing away under the Lions Gate Bridge and out of Vancouver harbor.  

Alaska cruises are a bit different from Caribbean cruises in that the ports and excursions matter almost more than activities aboard ship.  Combined with the time difference (3 and 4 hours) from the east coast, it makes for early mornings and not so late evenings.  But the excitement kept us going on day one and Jeff and I found ourselves at the craps table later at night, doing well and coming away ahead of the game. 

Northbound found us sleeping through most of the narrow Inside Passage, a scenic cruise past seaside villages, lighthouses and salmon farms, but the next day was a sea day of travel, cold and cloudy.  We spotted quite a few humpback whales off the sides of the ship as we headed north.  Not too close, but close enough to watch them blow and then pop their tails out before diving.  That evening Jackie and I had dinner at a unique specialty dining spot onboard: Le Petit Chef.  This was a meal that featured a projected story on our table with an animated tiny chef preparing our food.  As we progressed through the courses, the server would add the actual plated food that matched the animation.  Quite entertaining!

Our next day was in port at Ketchikan – site of a major salmon run. Jackie and I had an early excursion on a small boat that took us along the coastline looking for whales and wildlife.  It was a wonderfully scenic and smooth run along the islands and coastline where we saw harbor seals, a few bald eagles, black-tailed Sitka deer and marbled murrelet, but no bears or whales.  Since it was low tide we did see some very colorful starfish tucked into the rocks – both purple and orange, so that was neat.

Back in Ketchikan we walked along Creek Street and the salmon ladders and saw tons of salmon making their way upstream.  There were just so many fish they covered the entire stream bottom.  At the deepest end of the creek was a harbor seal diving around, no doubt making a meal of them.  An impressive display of the migration upstream to spawn.  Oh, and Vickie said she saw a bear.  Right there along the creek near the salmon ladder.  Just a quick glance before he ducked back into the shrubs and before she could alert anyone.  I could see the disappointment in Jackie’s face at the news, and of course we couldn’t find the bear.

Our next stop was at Icy Strait Point, or Hoonah, to explore for bears.  I love this port for the simplicity and emphasis on the local culture.  The main buildings are an old salmon cannery and sit well above the waterline.  If I recall correctly, there is about a 15 foot difference between tides.  Our excursion was in a van with six others as our local Tlingit driver took us through the Whitestone Logging Camp and surrounding creeks and woodlands in search of Alaska brown bear.  That is where this story started, when we were trying to get a second look at a female and cub.  

We didn’t spot that pair again, while walking through the brush.  But we did continue to drive around the logging roads and paused at the bridge crossings.  Our guide told us these bears had some polar bear DNA, which accounts for their larger size and color variations. They are also well fed from their salmon diet, preferring to eat the roe and brains from the females and tossing away the males. Of course all sorts of berries were good to eat, too.

As we checked out more creek crossings the young lady next to me said “bear” and we stopped to quietly slip out of the van and take a look.  Yep, there were two walking along the creek bank not noticing us.  The youngster moved out to the streambed where he looked back at us looking at him and decided that was a bit too much and turned to disappear into the brush.  But we all had a good look. 

We saw at least one or two more and while searching the roads we heard lots of stories about life among the bears and the precautions the local children are all taught. 

Back aboard ship we heard from the rest of the group about their adventure with side-by-sides and travels around some of the same woods we did, but unfortunately they did not spot bears.  

After a delicious dinner we sat out at our spot at the Sunset Bar to enjoy the sail away and share stories of the day.  The food and service aboard ship was really just wonderful and the drink selection was perfect.  Jackie was happy to get her Woodford Reserve bourbon with ginger ale in a TALL glass, as was I.  Dinner in the main dining room was white tablecloths and rather elegant and with one exception (first formal night) we were able to get the dining times we wanted.  A few nights we opted for the buffet, which had some really good food.  Lunch had a delicious charcuterie presentation of meats and cheeses, displays of desserts were amazing and the ice cream selection was a bonus (especially the After Eight mint chocolate).

Juneau was our next port of call and the weather continued to be sunny and rather mild.  Jackie and I planned to head to the Mendenhall Glacier and others were headed to whale watching and exploring town.  On our previous visit it was easy to catch a bus to the visitors center so we had no problem finding the City Bus this time and riding out to Mendenhall.  EXCEPT that the bus stopped short of the visitors center – by a mile and a half.  It seems the National Park Service limits visitation to the glacier and only issues a certain number of permits for transportation to and from.  Taxis, shuttles. buses and private coaches must have valid permits to drop off or pick up visitors and by the end of the season they have mostly used up their quota.  And the city bus doesn’t stop there anyway.

Aw heck, it can’t be that bad, eh?  Well it was getting to be a nice warm day, we had our layers of long sleeves and raincoats and backpack with cameras, binoculars and, well, it was a darn long mile and a half trek.  We did have some nice views on the approach and Jackie enjoyed the visitors center, but I just had to hike the mile further in to see Nugget Creek Falls and then back around to get better views from the Photo Point.  Ah, but that walk back to the bus stop …  As we got about halfway I noticed a van stop, turn and drop off two folks just ahead.  Looked like a taxi to me, so I waved frantically – the van waited and I breathlessly asked if he was headed back to town.  While agreeing to take us back, two other hikers ran up and asked to split the fare so it was a much faster and easier return trip back.  Thank goodness.

In town, Jeff and Vickie had a crab feast at Tracy’s Crab Shack, we had good eats at the Alaskan Brewery and we met up with Norm, Linda and Carol at the Red Dog Saloon for Alaska Duck Fart shots.  It’s a locally famous layered shot of Kahlua, Baileys and Canadian whiskey.  Norm met up with a work colleague who was on another cruise – what luck!  We really wanted to ride the tram to the top of Mt. Roberts, but we just ran out of energy.  We did all spend time on the aft deck searching the mountainsides for Dall sheep – spotting several. And we left port later at night, so it was magical watching the other ships set sail.

Skagway was our next stop and another sunny day.  At this port we had a midday helicopter flight to a glacier planned so it was wonderful to see clear weather.  Jackie and I made our way to the TEMSCO heliport, sat through the safety video, put on the ice boots and lifejacket belt and got ready to fly.  Front seat for Jackie, ready to assist the pilot I guess!  There were four of us plus pilot in the chopper and we each had a good view and headphones to communicate.  The flight up and over the water, through the mountain passes and landing down on the glacial ice was thrilling.  

Once out and on the ice the helicopters took the previous tour back and we were left with a couple of guides to explain the glaciers (and tell us why there was so much rubble).  It was a chilly 40 degrees and windy, but totally amazing.  Cracks in the ice were a beautiful shade of blue, with stones suspended within.  Rivulets became small streams that carved through the ice or disappeared down deep holes.  We were invited to lean down for a taste of the water – I leaned over and just scooped up a mouthful – cold and crisp.  We walked around the glacier for nearly an hour and it was just incredible, a bit like a moonscape – and cold.

The last trip to Alaska and the Hubbard Glacier was a rainy, windy visit with lots of sea ice, so we really didn’t get good views of the seven mile long icy front face.  This time it was much different.  We were able to get very close to the glacier as the ship then spun to share the view with all sides of the ship.  We saw and heard several calving moments (when the ice splits off) and I spotted a harbor seal on a chunk of sea ice as we cruised into the bay.  A great look at the blue ice and the ragged chunks of glacial rock and ice.  Very cool.

That night was “pack up” time and we all spent time stuffing everything back into our bags and preparing for what came the next day.  Jeff and I had cashed in our winnings at the casino the night before, but had to try our luck one more time at the craps table.  Mistake – minor loss on that last night.  We paid a last visit to the martini bar, grabbed some eats at the buffet and had drinks at “our spot” at the stern, although the weather was turning colder and wetter.  The next morning was our disembarkation in Seward where each of us had different plans.  Jeff and Vickie were going to catch a midday bus to Anchorage and then fly back home to South Carolina.  Norm, Linda and Carol were to catch a bus to Anchorage early to rent a car and then drive to Denali.  Jackie and I were set with a 4 hour cruise around the Kenai Fjords from Seward before catching a late bus to Anchorage to spend the night.  We would then start our land portion of the trip, catching the Wilderness Train to Denali and meeting up with Norm, Linda and Carol.

So for that portion of the trip I will start a second blog, Part Two.  For now I will try to gather some of the many photos and post this segment.  Stay tuned for more of our return trip to Alaska (and maybe soon some YouTube video – but my GoPro Studio has been glitchy lately).  Thanks for joining us on the adventure.

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Mardi Gras Magic

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Doug and Jackie

Yes, that’s right, we are back on the high seas again – this time it is a wonderful family affair aboard the Carnival Mardi Gras, a darn big ship that just launched in 2021 with a passenger capacity of 6,500.  I actually booked this one just before our cruise on the Carnival Sunshine last year, hoping that our first-time cruisers Karina, Jason, Wyatt and Owen would want to sail again.  And they did, joined this time by Bethany and Alex.  It was truly a magical time for everyone as you will see from the many, many pictures (and check out the video: Mardi Gras Magic ).

So before we get started, just a few updates on our non-sailing adventurous days.  The RV is still in the driveway awaiting the ladder repair.  This has been a bit of back-and-forth with the repair dealer about ordering the correct ladder, but I think we finally have a ladder ordered and final install soon.

We had a short visit by Nashville family Judy and Craig with the planned highlight being an ebike trip into town.  That started off just fine, but Doug’s ebike developed a “communication error” and would not power up the motor for the return back home and he pedaled off ahead of everyone back home.  Unfortunately, a heaved section of sidewalk got the better of Jackie as she swerved to avoid it and instead went up and over the handlebars.  Pretty banged and scraped up, she rode an ambulance to the hospital, went into a level 2 trauma unit to get scanned and x-rayed and ultimately stayed the night.  The result was quite a bit of road rash on arms, shoulder and knee and lots of internal bruising, but no serious internal injuries, thank goodness.  

Jackie’s pulmonologist was good about explaining how she will have a few months of recovery for her internal healing and full lung capacity to return, but everything was moving in the right direction.  Yes, we kept John’s accident in the back of our minds and were thankful for the very thorough medical exams and diagnostic equipment available to us.

So on to the fun adventure.  These trips to Orlando and Port Canaveral are always a bit of competitive fun.  Alex, Bethany, Jackie and I were in car #1 and Jason, Karina, Wyatt and Owen were in car #2, heading in the same direction but two different starting times and points.  Alex and Karina kept texting fake locations and travel points to each other (rest stops, state lines, lunch stops) so we all were never quite sure who was in the lead.  Not that it was a competition.  But I did hear it when we arrived at the hotel just five minutes after Karina’s group (yes! We beat Dad).  

And the next morning was the big reveal – a straight shot drive to the pier to see the massive ship waiting for us to board.  Cruisers will tell you this is always the big “gasp” moment of excitement, followed by the trek from parking to check-in with a few bags in tow, passing through security, passport control and the gauntlet of photographers to join 6,499 of your fellow passengers.  But then you have that first look aboard, gathering family and for some of us that first drink (for which you had to do the muster station checkpoint first) and “let’s eat!”

Ok, but what about the fun?  Where did we go, what did we do?  Well, this cruise was all about family and making memories, not as much about the shore excursions.

Aboard Ship and Sea Days

Where to start?  This is a huge, 20 deck ship and some of us were in the Family Harbor section on deck 4.  That made it easy to get to the kids club, also on that level, and a small area with food, coffee, drinks and games for families.  Very easy to grab breakfast and afternoon bites but harder to snag an elevator.  Jackie was moving a little slower around the ship due to her recovery, but didn’t miss out on anything. Alex and Bethany booked a room in the Havana District, which featured their own pool and a porch with swing. They had ready access to the Havana Bar, too.

Sea Days were understandably crowded around the pools (kid soup as Jackie put it), but lots of fun on port days with far fewer onboard.  Our crew didn’t spend much time ashore other than Mahogany Bay, so we took advantage of that.  Wyatt and Owen absolutely loved the pools and waterslides – in fact both did the Blue Lightning waterslide their first chance.  That one had a head-first mat that you used.  Wyatt later told me he did the Orange Thunder drop slide, but I said I didn’t believe him.  So of course he grabbed my hand and marched me up the stairs to show me – how brave!  That meant following him down, too. This was all about family and making memories, so everyone was splashing around together and having fun.

Several of us braved the ropes course on the top deck, even the short but breathtaking zip line section.  It might not look like much, but the step off the ramp out and over the water was a scare for sure.  Alex, Bethany, Karina and I all did it though, even with rain and dark clouds threatening nearby.

And then Bolt: the roller coaster at sea.  After some technical glitches delayed the action for a few days, Alex, Bethany and I managed a reservation and a two loop trip on this wild ride.  It did a good job of launching you forward and around the track, with a few power boosts along the way.  Definitely worth the extra $15 per person.  Didn’t let you take GoPro shots, so no first person video.

First Stop: Cozumel

Jackie and I stayed onboard to hang out with the grandsons as the rest went ashore to check the shops.  It was very hot and not too breezy that day, so it was a quick shopping trip for most.  But as I mentioned, it made it a good day for splashing at the pool decks.  Owen and Wyatt have come such a long way with their water sense, having had swim lessons this year and growing confidence.  In the pool they were holding their breath underwater for me to count how long … a big difference from last summer.  We were spending so much time in the pool that I said they were waterlogged.  Wyatt declared “I’m not waterlogged, I’m a kid!”  So true, but your hands are pretty wrinkled up.

Next Stop: Costa Maya

While this stop is a big shopping plaza, it does have a generous salt water pool in the center that you can use.  Two other pools with lounge chairs require that you purchase food and drink, so that was a “no thanks”.  Once again, the boys got wet and loved it.  We all watched the ritual of the Papantla Flyers perform high above us, marveled at the dolphins, flamingos and tropical birds all around and just enjoyed a few hours ashore.  

We were the only ship in port for the morning and as we disembarked onto the long pier Jackie was encouraged to ride the tram.  We ambled on down the pier, soon to be passed by the tram with Owen seated beside Jackie, grinning from ear to ear.  For the trip back, Wyatt made sure not to miss out and rode along, too.  Great choice.  The rest of the afternoon was more pizza and pools.  I was surprised that both boys knew what a Vespa was, so we had to stop and get some pictures.

Last Stop: Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Honduras

This was really the only beach stop.  Each day before this the boys had their buckets and shovels ready for the sand, only to be disappointed when we told them “no beach today”.  But this was a beach that had bits of coral and shell to discover and lots of water to splash around in.  From the pier you had a choice of walking through a tropical botanic garden or riding the chairlift to the beach (Jackie and I chose the chairlift).  Even though this is Carnival’s pier and beach, food and drink are not included, although the chicken fingers were quite good and reasonable.  This was a really beautiful day and we totally enjoyed bobbing in the water, holding the collected bits, dumping and refilling buckets … all good fun.  

Back aboard and showered off we set sail into a very windy sea, with the mountains of Honduras on the horizon.  The last two days were very calm sea days – extremely flat water.

Green Eggs and Ham!

Of course we had to try the Green Eggs and Ham breakfast with all the Dr. Seuss characters and a very colorful (and sweet) assortment of food.  While some of us had fun at breakfast, Alex and Bethany were taking a tour of the ship from the laundry on deck 0 to the navigation bridge and time with the captain.  That seemed to be a really special tour that was truly “behind the scenes”. 

Food, Drink and Impressions

I think we all agreed that the dining choices, from main dining to casual eats and ice cream, were varied, delicious and fun (well, Lido buffet for breakfast was the usual zoo).  Bars were plentiful and creative, with lots of specialty drinks.  The Fortune Teller, Brass Magnolia and Alchemist bars in the French Quarter were especially fun.  Havana bar near Alex and Bethany had a distinctive Cuban feel and in the Italian District you had themed selections at Bar Dela Rosa.  And that was next to the pizza, panini and Italian restaurant. Jackie and I had breakfast one morning in Emeril’s Bistro: a plate of bananas foster crepes with a side of beignets. Yummy and a nice quiet spot. And banana splits got a big thumbs up.

Entertainment was all around, with live music in the corners of most bars and great musical events in the central Atrium, which actually was along the starboard side of the ship.  One show featured a magician, several had aerialists, all had song and dance (and loud).  The younger among us went to dance parties and glow parties on the Lido pool deck, we hit several trivia contests and a few main stage shows. 

The grandsons did their best to consume massive amounts of pizza and ice cream cones, with a few trips to the candy shop Cherry on Top.  Guys Pig and Anchor Smokehouse was a big hit for barbecue pork, chicken and brisket – plus they brew their own beer aboard.  Shaq’s Big Chicken had generous chicken sandwiches and chicken fingers, Guy’s Burgers had big sloppy burgers with the fixings, Street Eats had variations of loaded fries, bao buns, stir fry and noodles, but was not open as often as we wanted.  We dined at Cucino’s Italian and ChiBang Mexican/Chinese and celebrated Jackie’s 70th birthday.  Alex and Bethany dined at Rudy’s Seagrill for lobster and seafood, and we all made sure we were at the Palm main dining for the second formal night.  Somehow our server knew I would appreciate two lobster tails, which were just about the best I have had (well, except the one from the Harmony).  

The only glitch we had was making the table request on the two formal nights.  You used their Hub app to request a table, then had to wait for the notification that your table was ready before proceeding to the dining room.  That wasn’t clear to most folks and the result was a logjam at the dining entrance (and a very long wait the first night).  Service overall was adequate, but it was clear there were many new crew members and not the usual depth of experience.  Getting there, but not quite pre-pandemic – and people are definitely cruising in big numbers.

I have to add some post-cruise notes:  what should have been a 7 hour trip back home took over 10 hours, it being the start of July 4th weekend I guess and everyone leaving Florida?  And our son Alex had a one-day turnaround to repack for a 2 week business trip to Vietnam.  Poor guy, I know he wasn’t looking forward to another long travel day.

And we won’t speak of the casino.  They had one craps table, fairly high minimum and it was not nice to me, so not a lot of time spent there.

So as we unpack, do laundry and gather our memories, I realize that we have just two days before it is check-in time for our next cruise to Alaska in August.  And I just learned the RV ladder is ready to be installed just in time for next week’s local camping on Lake Allatoona (a camping adventure for the grandsons).  Who planned out this summer?  Were they nuts?  Oops, guilty – this fun is self-inflicted.  So if I find a moment, I will edit our video from Mardi Gras and probably post about our Alaska cruise once back home.  That one grew from just Jackie and I to my brother and sister, their spouses and a cousin – seven of us heading from Vancouver to Anchorage.  Wheee!

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A Prima Voyage

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Doug and Jackie

What a great start to the New Year! Jackie and I (well, mostly me) planned this trip to celebrate our 70th birthday milestones – choosing the brand new Norwegian Cruise Line Prima ship. Actually, a year ago when the ship was announced and open for booking I jumped on a reservation, since the design just wowed me. The amount of outdoor space and outward facing design really seemed like something very different. But, booking a ship that was still under construction for another year meant not knowing much else beyond the early renderings.

What a nice surprise this ship turned out to be.
I searched out and watched posts and videos of the launch, the naming ceremony and Katy Perry’s christening of the ship in Iceland and then caught every new reveal about the ship that was posted. This was going to be wonderful – oh! and a three story racetrack, too? Are you kidding me?

Turning 70 and celebrating this way is going to be a blast. So let me recap the adventure for you, post some pictures and remind you that a video of this whole trip is posted to our youtube channel ( A PRIMA VOYAGE ) and here on our video “Places” page.

Heading to the Ship

Most of a day’s drive takes us from Atlanta to Orlando and an overnight stay near the airport. We like the direct drive to the cruise port the next morning – less than an hour east. You know that our usual habit is to find a local brewery, such as Rockpit here in town. This time we checked out Gatlin Hall Brewing for pizza, salads and beer, with a repeat visit to Hourglass Brewing. Ok, back to the hotel (which was way more bargain basement than I had expected). Ah well, only one night and we would soon be onboard.

We were able to check in pretty early for the cruise and we were on board well before noon, gazing at the gorgeous lobby, searching out that first drink and arranging reservations for entertainment. If you cruise, you know the excitement of walking the gangway and stepping aboard – such a rush! And of course checking out all the decks of the ship and finding your cabin, getting ready for that marvelous sail away celebration as you head out to sea. Actually, as we were standing in line at the bar my brother texted that he was watching us leave the dock on the harbor camera. Yikes, we were indeed on the move and we hustled out to the rail to wave to the folks on Wonder of the Seas.

Aboard the Ship

This is certainly a different ship design and layout and while I won’t detail it like the many travel bloggers, I will try to point out what we noticed. Lots of artwork all around the ship. The colors and design are muted, classy and well thought out. Technology is evident everywhere, from the ipads for ordering food at the Indulge food hall to the room alerts and the VR Galaxy Pavilion. Navigation around the decks has been a source of discussion, but you do find lots of nooks with seating and bars that are spread around the ship – you just have to explore a bit.

This was our first time booking an outside balcony and I worked hard to get one that looked out and down along the side of the ship. Generous space that made it nice to gaze out as we entered or left our ports. The room was gorgeous and comfortable, no complaints.

Some adrenaline maybe?

Onboard we just had to try out everything. Jackie was game for doing both dry slides – the curly tubes that wound down the side of the ship, one of which was the Drop – a pretty quick whoosh straight down before spiraling to deck 8. The Wave waterslide was a quick rush down a tube, then up and out over the side of the ship. That one was pretty fast since you were riding a tube. We went to the sports deck and tried foot soccer, ping pong, mini golf and actually played a short game of pickleball, but it seemed like a small court.

And of course we had reservations for the race cars! I strapped my GoPro to a chest mount hoping to catch it all on video, but it caught more of the steering wheel and my feet than the wild ride around the 3-level track. It was nearly 10 minutes of absolute exhilaration – even though my car was last in line and I only managed to pass two cars. I booked a second run later in the week and I knew enough to get the first car in line. Wheeee!

What about food?

If you know me, you know that food is pretty high on the list. We had two nights booked in specialty restaurants: Le Bistro and Palomar. Both were excellent meals of seafood and with the offerings of the main dining room there was plenty of good stuff for dinner. I particularly enjoyed my grilled octopus, lamb chops and oysters – Jackie ordered her veal oscar without crab, but was a bit disappointed by her strip steak. After all, we do steak pretty good at home.

But hands down the best meals were in the Indulge food hall. You sat at a table or counter and ordered your tapas size choices on a tablet and whoosh they arrived hot and fresh. You can see by the pictures we had salmon from the Texas smokehouse, gnocci from Nudls, tenderloin from the rotisserie, naan and chicken tiki from the Indian kitchen and my favorite: bacon wrapped grilled dates. Definitely fun for tasting and sharing.

So what about ports of call?

Great Stirrup Private Island

NCL’s private island is just a stone’s throw from Royal Caribbean’s Coco Cay, but we didn’t miss the excitement of that other private island.  We tendered over early with no problems and hiked across the beach of lounge chairs to find a spot “in the shade” as Jackie insisted.  Well, most of those spots were already taken but I did find a lounge chair under a wonderful palm tree.  As you can see, the not-so-robust tree of maybe 3 fronds had little shade to give, but we stayed anyway.  The water was definitely on the brisk side, but it was clean and a nice way to cool off.

I had a zipline reservation, so off to the lighthouse I went to get set – figuring I would have to climb the stairs to the top.  Ah, but they had an elevator to the platforms above.  Each of us got strapped into our harness and clipped to the safety cable so we could walk gingerly to the launch spot.  Amazing view from up top, and more than a few were hesitant to walk around without any railings.  But the three zips were so much fun.  Two of them were pretty long as they crossed over the beach and loungers below.  Again, I had the GoPro fastened to a chest mount, but caught more of my harness and gloves than I wanted.  O well, the only way to really enjoy it was to be there and do it.  Really, really fun.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

This was a gorgeous port to slip into and the ship slowly made the passage to the dock and past Celebrity Reflection.  Our excursion started with a short van ride to the Mystic Mountain Skyway where we rode chairlifts to the top of the mountain and got ready for the Jamaican Bobsled run.  In preparation for this we watched “Cool Runnings” to recall the story of the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team.  Jackie strapped into her sled just ahead of me and with a big starting push from the staff we were both off and running.  This was full tilt speed down that mountain and a real rush.  I had the GoPro on a head mount this time, so I got more of the action than just my feet. 

Once at the bottom, the sleds are pulled back up the mountain through the woods to the starting point.  Really cool.  At the top there was an infinity pool, a waterslide, restaurant and shops, but we were pretty much ready to head back down the lift and onto the ship.  Before leaving, however, we spotted an Eastern Streamertail hummingbird in a feeder area.  This fella had pretty amazing wings and tail and would definitely be a sight at our feeder back home.

Georgetown, Grand Cayman

We had an excursion planned for Stingray City and some reef snorkeling here, but we learned that the excursion would arrive back at port just as the last tender was headed to the ship and figured that might be a little too close for comfort.  So we opted to skip it and stay aboard.  Two other ships were tendering just offshore too on a nice sunny day, so we soaked in the infinity pool and just relaxed.

Cozumel, Mexico

And then there was Cozumel.  We booked a 3 reef snorkel, something we have done before, grabbed our gear and walked down the pier.  Once checked in we were told “your boat is here, go get on it” and we walked back to a large catamaran loading up with guests.  “No, not your boat” we were told as we prepared to board.  “You have red boat.”  The two dozen of us looked around, there was another big catamaran, not red, and well … not much else.  Wait, there was this little skiff, not much bigger than a rowboat – could that be it?  Yep, that was us. Hmm, well we were packed in pretty tight, shoulder to shoulder and heading around the pier to a reef along the shoreline.  Just past the big ships. 

Into the clear warm water we all went to look for fish.  And the fish were there, but so were snorkelers, so Jackie and I tried our best to stay outside all of the swimmers.  I wasn’t that successful and found myself bumping into folks a bit.  But it was decent viewing.  I saw many of the familiar fish and when we picked up and moved to reef 2 I saw a couple of French angelfish that always delight.  Plus parrotfish and the pesky Sergeant Majors (attracted by the photographer who was feeding them).  Whadda ya gonna do?

Hey, it’s looking kinda dark over there, I thought as I surfaced.  As we climbed back onboard and our guide said reef 3 was next, the captain up top nixed that plan and good thing, too.  Suddenly the wind whipped up, the rain began and we were in the middle of a drenching, windy rainstorm.  Heck, we were already wet, so what was the big deal?  Well, the waves were doing a good job of splashing over the boat, soaking all our towels, gear, sandals … it was a slow, wet slog back along the shore to the ship.  We all had a good laugh about it, as we squeak-squished our way onboard.  Jackie and I both got in our shower and turned the water to “hot” and tried to warm up.  Fun!

Entertain Me!

Two shows were featured in the theater and we got into both of them.  Summer! The Donna Summer story was in the style of most of the bio/musicals that featured her life and songs.  Three singers who played her at different ages were terrific and did a fabulous job with the songs.  The Noise Boys was the other show that combined tap dancing, beat boxing and rap for a lively, loud presentation.  Not bad and I enjoyed the tap dancing.  Around the ship were other small groups performing Motown, classic rock, ballads and such and we sat in the atrium to listen.

Of course no cruise is complete without a trip to the Craps table for Doug.  First night was a winner!  Followed by up and down nights at the table and going into the last night in the hole.  BUT somehow that last night the table got hot and I was able to cash out a winner for the week – having had a lot of fun shooting the dice, placing my bets and collecting my winnings.  Yay. But that last day was a whopper – the wind whipped up late afternoon, rain came down and it was pretty much rock and roll with the ship. And of course it was raining when we arrived in Orlando. Yep, welcome home.

And the sad, sleepy trip back home.

You know it’s coming, that last morning when you grab the last breakfast, disembark to collect and drag your bags back to the car and start back home.  Orlando didn’t seem that far away at the start, but somehow driving north is longer uphill.  That’s ok, we had time to review all that we had done during the week.  It was an adventure.

What’s next for us?

Motorhome has some minor tweaks and needs to get out of the deep freeze here, so we will start up 2023 with some maintenance.  Then a family camp in Tennessee followed by a celebration of spring in Panama City Beach, Florida. There are two more cruises (yes, we ARE nuts) coming up, but more about that later.

Stay happy, healthy and thanks for joining us for the trip. Be sure to check out any and all of our videos, prior posts and adventures!

Categories: Cruising | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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