The island of Roatan off the coast of Honduras is a popular stop for cruise ships. Carnival stops at Mahogany Bay instead of town (as a business model – it limits the passengers access to shopping and almost ensures you take a tour). John and I have enjoyed tours arranged …
Vancouver to Skagway via the Holland America Zuiderdam We sailed away from Vancouver under sunny skies, just clearing the Lions Gate Bridge – the limiting factor for cruise ships in Vancouver. Our cabin was on the 1st floor (officially called the Main Deck– jokingly called the Pluto Deck) with our porthole …
There was Love in the Time of Cholera – now we have travel (or attempting to) in the time of COVID-19. Watching this coronavirus wreak havoc on the world from a cruise ship has been a surreal experience. In January, the news came out of China about the virus, and …
A quick note about traveling in the time of COVID-19: It’s OK, for the most part. I’m glad I didn’t have to buy toilet paper in Australia (there was a run, and all the shelves were empty). The other issue is that we are now on the Magical Mystery Tour …
Day 117, Feb. 13th: Bula from Fiji! Bula is the local greeting, and the locals are a friendly bunch. We were very nervous arriving in Fiji, since as we approached the docks there was an announcement that the Ministry of Health required all passengers and crew to fill out a …
Day 99, Jan. 24th: Panama canal. I awoke when my body realized the boat had stopped at 6AM. We were getting ready to enter the first lock. I dressed and met a few hundred other passengers on the top deck at sunrise anticipating the passage. It took about 90 minutes …
Day 90, Jan. 15th: It’s a great morning when you get to both sleep in and be up early at the same time. The ship changed the clocks back an hour, so even though we woke at what would have been 8:30, it was now only 7:30. I saw among …
Day 85, Jan. 10th: Better weather, as predicted. We even woke with some sunlight! A quick trip to the gym, trying to make sure I continue with good habits. A frustrating part of travel is bureaucracy. We mailed copies of our passports and visas before we left. We provided another …
Day 81, Jan. 6th: Time to get cruising! We finished our packing, and a quick breakfast at Café Nero – another chain in the area. They had the best latte I have had in a long time. We pulled our luggage the four blocks to the Victoria coach station – …
Day 68, Dec. 24th: Merry Christmas! – Almost there! The morning and early afternoon we were docked in St. Maarten in Philipsburg. The port area was flat and had wide, with easy sidewalks, but Mom did not want to go up and down that ramp. I did some stocking stuffer …