A retired college administrator who loves to travel. I write to remember the experiences and, I hope, to inspire others to make their own travel memories.
So, we thought it would be fun to have two cruises to the Caribbean that only had a few weeks apart from each other. And it was. But, with all the appointments, tax preparation, and other obligations that we had between the two cruises, doing an individual blog for each one proved too overwhelming. So, this blog will combine the experiences of the two.
We sailed Holland America (HAL) for both cruises. The first cruise was on the Eurodam, a Signature-class ship we haven’t sailed on since 2011. At the end of February-first of March, we took a back-to-back (B2B) cruise from Fort Lauderdale. The first seven days, we were in the Eastern Caribbean.
The ports were Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; San Juan, PR; St. Thomas, USVI; and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (private island). The second seven days, we were in the Western Caribbean. The ports were Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Caymans; and Cozumel, Mexico. None of these ports were new to us.
At the first of April, we went back to Fort Lauderdale to take a 22-day transitioning cruise to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Our ship was the Koningsdam, a Pinnacle class ship that we last sailed in March 2025. We had tried to do this same transitioning cruise in 2024, but it was not meant to be. We had done some partial Panama Canal cruises where you enter from and exit back to the Caribbean Sea.
This cruise would take us from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The ports for this cruise were Cartagena, Colombia; Fuerte Amador, Panama; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Acajutla, El Salvador; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Puerto Chiapas, Mexico; Manzanillo, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; San Diego, California; and San Francisco, California. Several of these ports were new to us.
The ships and itineraries may have been different but the anticipation excitement prior to both cruises was exactly the same. 😊🚢
Next Up: Traveling to Fort Lauderdale and Embarkation
I always say that the worse thing about cruising is getting to the cruise and then leaving the cruise. Today was a perfect example of that belief.
When our bus got to the airport at noon, the other bus was unloading. We had to sit and wait for the other bus to finish and pull out. We then had to wait for the employees to unload the luggage. We were finally allowed to get off and get our luggage. I was glad that we were right next to the Delta entrance.
The first line was the luggage weigh-in and drop-off. It went pretty well. The next line was very long – security. It didn’t help that I forgot to take off my wrist brace, so I got pulled out of line to be wanded. The last line was Customs. It wasn’t as slow as I expected but I was glad we got there as it started filling up behind us. I really need to complete a Global Entry application for us.
Once we got to the gate, I went to the Subway vending machine. I have seen a lot of vending machines, but this was the first Subway. Next up was the Coke vending machine. Now we had lunch.
The flight boarded on time. Unfortunately, the Captain came on and said there would be a “slight” delay for a continued maintenance check. One hour later, we were finally taking off. Not my idea of “slight.” But it could have been worse. We have gotten on flights before only to be told to get back off with our luggage.
I couldn’t really find anything I was interested in watching, so I chose a soothing instrumental music channel and read during the flight. It was a bumpy flight too.
We were an hour late getting to the airport. We landed at the domestic terminal but because this flight was our final destination, we had to ride the underground tram to the international terminal to pick up our luggage.
I called our shuttle service to tell them that we might not make the reserved shuttle so she told me she would go ahead and put our names on the next shuttle just in case.
If you are at the international terminal but need to go back to the domestic terminal, you have to ride the shuttle bus or pay for a taxi – that is how far they are apart. You cannot ride the underground tram back because you could get off at one of the domestic gates without going through security which, of course, is a no-no.
Typically, there are two shuttle busses but today it must have been just one because we waited for 30 minutes before it arrived. We were at the front of the line, so we made it on to the shuttle. There were many people who did not.
It was another 20 minutes back to the domestic terminal and another 5 minutes to get to the shuttle pick-up area. We missed our shuttle by 10 minutes. We now had a 45-minute wait for the next one. We were exhausted but I was glad that at least it was not raining.
Our shuttle arrived on time and I was surprised that the driver was someone I used to work with at the College. I asked him if he had retired but he said “no” he just did this job on the weekends. Small world.
The van was full and we headed for home. Next thing I knew we were in the middle of a torrential rain. So glad I was not driving. I just closed my eyes and put my head on my backpack.
We made it safely back to the shuttle office. Restroom break and then the drive home. Met by an unhappy cat who let his displeasure be known all night long.
We were a little delayed docking into Montreal, so disembarkation was delayed about 30 minutes. Because our flight was not until 3:00, we signed up for a tour of Montreal and then would be dropped off at the airport.
Once we found our luggage, we got in line for our bus. There were two busses for the tour so it was a little disorganized. We were sent to the second bus. I hoped our luggage got on the second bus too.
Our guide was a retired college history professor. I enjoyed his narrative as we drove throughout the different areas of Montreal.
We stopped at a park for photos.
Our last stop was the Notre-Dame Basilica to have a brief tour.
We had to park around the corner from the Basilica and walk up a slight hill. He talked about the history while we were outside of the building. He then went to the entrance and presented our tickets. We were allowed to look around at our own pace. It was a beautiful place.
Once our time was up at the Basilica, the next stop was the airport. Time to get home.
Because the Volendam is a small ship, I thought we would be able to dock at the Old Town port like we did once on the Zaandam. Instead, we were at the industrial port like when we were on the Zuiderdam which is a larger ship. The City did provide shuttle service this time from the industrial port to a couple of different places in Old Town.
We started with a breakfast in the main dining room. Then we walked a mile around the promenade.
It was a pretty day today and lots of people got off of the ship. We didn’t however. We disembark tomorrow and the suitcases needed to be packed. It didn’t take too long. I watched the Clooney and Pitt 2024 movie Wolfs.
We spent the rest of the day enjoying the Sea View area. We said good-bye to the friends we made. Found out they will be on our April cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Vancouver through the Panama Canal.
Tonight, we had a reservation at the Canaletto. We usually don’t eat at a specialty restaurant on the last night of the cruise but tonight was the only time I could get a reservation earlier than 8:00. It was a delicious dinner. I had the shrimp and lobster puff pastries. Chuck had the beef tenderloin.
We ended the evening in the Casino playing off the casino points we had accumulated. Time to get the bags finalized and out in the hallway.
Another early room service breakfast means another early tour.
The HAL Tour: Parc Nature Pointe-aux-Outardes
ABOUT THE EXCURSION: With six miles of trails, the nature park of Pointe-aux-Outardes offers many great beauties to explore. The park’s mission is to protect and showcase wildlife. Its rich yet fragile ecosystems include many birds of prey and shore, forest and sea birds.
Wander with your guide over majestic sand dunes to contemplate the beauty of the lower estuary and the Rivière aux Outardes as it flows into the immense St Lawrence River. The eight different ecosystems here include dunes, boreal forest, a salt marsh, and a beach.
If time permits, at the end of the guided tour, enjoy some free time staying close to the interpretative center.
Notes: Tour requires approximately one mile of slow walking. Terrain includes flat paths or boardwalks and a flight of stairs.
I was leary when I saw another school bus but this one was much nicer than the last one. Also, this guide handed out headsets, so we were able to hear his commentary. His English was very good. I looked up and saw that this school bus assigns seats.
The ride took about an hour but the guide was very informative.
However, once we got to the park we were met by two young guides. The problem was that we were too big of a group to only go with one guide.
And we found out that one guide was told to take a group on a walk that would go a little over a mile and the other guide was to take a group on a walk that was a little less than a mile. Nobody wanted to leave the “more than a mile” group.
So the guide had to eventually split the group. I am sure the HAL Shore Excursions department was going to hear from the group that ended up in the shorter time frame.
The path was mostly flat through the different ecosystems and the guide stopped often to talk about the importance of the different systems and identify some plants. At different points, he would let us touch, smell, and/or taste different plants. (For the record, I would not taste any of the plants.)
Bundle berriesBundle berries and blue berriesSupposed to be okay to eat – Nope
Part of the path was a boardwalk, and you could walk up a flight of stairs to an overlook to view the marsh area and the St. Lawrence River. He talked about how during the winters the River freezes over and you could walk from one side to the other.
Protected sand dunesHeard a lot of birds. Only saw this one.
It was a pleasant trek. It was a warm day but breezy. I was glad there were no bugs. I was also glad we did not come across the animal that left a lot of scat in several areas on the path. Definitely marking its territory.
We had another one-hour ride back and the guide didn’t give any more information, so I just watched the scenery go by. I’m glad we took this tour and the weather was nice. Wouldn’t have been good if it had been raining.
We came back to the cabin to find birthday wishes from the Captain and the Casino.
It was another dressy night and we went to the Main Dining Room. We each had the beef tenderloin with crabmeat topping which was excellent. The wait staff presented a birthday cake and sang the Philippine birthday song. It was fun.
The HAL singers and dancers show was cancelled for the second night in a row due to technical difficulties. Disappointing because their shows have been very good.
However, the cancellation of the show meant that we were able to get very good seats in the Ocean Bar and stayed for all three sets. They are off tomorrow night so tonight was our last chance to hear them before the cruise ends.
A bartender tipped them off about the birthday and they sang Happy Birthday and the crowd joined in. There was also a couple in there who were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary.
The band played Moon River which was the song that they danced to at their wedding reception. Even though we all liked the slow songs to dance to, we all let them be the only couple on the dance floor for their song. I didn’t see too many dry eyes in the audience when the groom kissed his bride as the song ended.
The evening ended with the “Chocolate Surprise.” Waiters fan out all over the public areas on the ship offering chocolate samples. I’m not one to usually turn down chocolate but even I couldn’t eat all that was being offered. But I tried.
We got back to the room to find that, instead of the usual towel animal, the room stewards had built a birthday cake and left a nice note.
We also found our disembarkation tags, our commemorative tile, and a letter about the Air Canada strike. I’m glad we are flying Delta.
Tomorrow: Quebec City, Quebec
Travel Trivia
The city of Baie-Comeau was founded in 1936 when a paper mill was built by Colonel Robert R. McCormick, who published the Chicago Tribune newspaper.
Located on the St. Lawrence River, the city’s name, Baie-Comeau, honors Napoléon-Alexandre Comeau. However, the name actually came from his father, Antoine-Alexandre Comeau. Antoine worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company and had a camp there. Travelers would call it “the bay of the Comeau camp.”
Five rivers flow through Baie-Comeau: the Manicouagan River, the Amédée River, the Petit-Bras River, the Chasse River, and the English River. These rivers are fed by about thirty lakes.
Baie-Comeau has several French-language public elementary schools. It also has two French-language public high schools. There is one English-language public school that teaches both elementary and high school students.
It was our second tour and our second day for a room service breakfast served promptly at 7:00.
Our HAL tour today: Ile Niapiskau
ABOUT THE EXCURSION: Discover the exceptional beauty of the Mingan Archipelago on a boat trip departing from Havre-Saint-Pierre.
A scenic cruise — an experience in itself — takes you to Ile Niapiskau. You’re accompanied by a Parks Canada heritage presenter, who will lead you back in time to help you understand the amazing geological formations around you. It’s a story that is nearly 500 million years old.
Enjoy an easy-to-moderate walk around Ile Niapiskau where you will see the Dame de Niapisca and the Small Graduating Owl limestone monoliths immortalized by poet Roland Jomphe. There are many in all different shapes and sizes. Each has a name and a story — can you guess them?
After your walk, reboard the boat for the return trip and take time to enjoy the scenery from a different perspective. Keep an eye out for local fauna and flora.
Notes: Dress warmly in layers with a wind- and waterproof outer layer; bring gloves, a scarf and a warm hat. Wear sturdy non-skid walking shoes. Duration may vary slightly.
We met on the pier and walked as a group to the boat dock. It was very foggy. Looked like the ship was sitting on clouds.
We arrived at the National Park and were met by two park rangers. We were split into two groups. We got a geology lesson on how the stone structures were formed by sea water and glaciers.
Fossils collected
We then walked a short way through the park as the ranger pointed out some of the natural structures.
Most of the path was a boardwalk but some of it was sand and rocks. They recommended sturdy shoes, and they were not kidding.
We had 1.5 hours on the island and that was plenty of time. The boat came back for us and brought another group of tourists. It was a nice tour, and the day wasn’t as unbearably hot as it was yesterday.
Once we were back at the dock we walked around the port area and found a prayer grotto near the hospital. It was a peaceful area.
The afternoon passed quickly and it was soon time to get ready for the evening. We decided not to go to the Orange Party as it was going to be held in the Crow’s Nest and it is a small venue.
We went to the Casino and then went to the show which featured both the Comedian and the Vocalist. It was a good show.
We have another tour tomorrow, so we called it a night.
Tomorrow: Baie-Comeau, Quebec
The town has a rich history influenced by Indigenous Innu peoples, Acadians, and Quebecers.
Home to Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve: This park is a highlight of the region, featuring over 40 islands and islets known for their unique limestone formations, often referred to as “flowerpots.” These formations have been sculpted by the sea over thousands of years and are home to diverse wildlife, including seals and seabirds.
The waters surrounding Havre-Saint-Pierre are prime whale-watching territory. Visitors can often see various species of whales, including belugas and minke whales.
Today was our first organized tour of this trip and it was the hottest day so far.
We started with a room service breakfast. Then we had to meet the tour on the pier.
The HAL tour: Corner Brook Highlights
About the Excursion: This part of the world has been visited by many people, beginning with the Maritime Archaic Peoples 3,500 years ago. Since then, Inuit, Beothucks and European visitors have come and gone. Some have stayed, too.
Jacques Cartier was the first European to sail along what is now the Eastern Coast of Canada in 1534 on his first voyage to the New World. Since that time, Portuguese, Basques, and Captain James Cook have frequented this area. Today, Corner Brook is a modern, progressive city with a population of approximately 19,000 and is nestled among scenic hills 30 miles from the Gulf of St Lawrence.
Head out to the city’s eastern edge to see some highlights — Marble Mountain, the Heritage Tree and the Old Man in the Mountain.
Before returning to the ship, you’ll also drive through Corner Brook to Captain Cook’s Monument .
Notes: Transportation for this excursion is via school bus; scooters, walkers or wheelchairs cannot be accommodated on the transportation.
The transportation was a very bouncy school bus with a mic that did not work well. In addition, the guide spoke a mile a minute so we only caught a few words at a time. But he did provide a lot of handouts to review.
Our first stop was the Captain Cook Monument park area at Crow Hill.
Then we stopped at another park so we could use the public restrooms. Lots of families enjoying the area.
Our third stop was the Old Man in the Mountain. A number of people couldn’t find the face. Can you?
Our last stop was the Marble Mountain ski lift area and the Heritage Tree.
The tour was okay. It was only about 3.5 hours long. But, I think we would have just been better off walking around Corner Brook or taking the long tour to Gros Morne National Park.
We took the free shuttle back to Corner Brook to walk around and look at the shops. The heat started getting to me, and I started getting a headache probably from having no caffeine or being dehydrated or both.
Got back to the room and took a nap while Chuck went to the Sea View area.
After the nap, I was feeling much better which was good because we had another Pinnacle Grill dinner tonight. Chuck had the filet mignon again and I had a lobster tail. Another great dinner.
We played some slots. Then I decided to go up to the sports deck to see if I could see the Perseid Meteor shower. It was advertised in the daily planner. The wind was so fierce it almost knocked me over.
I had on my jacket, stocking cap, and gloves. So different from today when I thought I was going to melt in the heat.
I made it to the very front of the deck and was able to get into a spot that cut the wind somewhat. There were several other people trying to view the meteor shower too. I made it to 11:00 and only saw stars and some planes. No meteors.
Came back to the room and set the clocks back an hour and a half.
Tomorrow: Havre-Saint-Pierre, Quebec
Travel Trivia
The area was surveyed by Captain James Cook in 1767. The Captain James Cook Historic Site stands on Crow Hill overlooking the city.
The city is the main office for the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nations government.
Corner Brook was designated the Forest Capital of Canada in 2002
In 1986, The Corner Brook Royals, their hockey team, won the national championship and took home the Allan Cup.
December and January get nearly 6.5 feet of snow on average.
Today was a tender port and the Cruise Director came over the intercom and said that the tender ride over was taking about 30 minutes. It wasn’t a hard decision for us to change a port day into a ship day.
Today, we had coffee, breakfast in the main dining room, and then walked a mile around the ship on the promenade deck.
We went to the Sea View pool and Chuck decided that it was warm enough for a swim. I disagreed but enjoyed soaking in the sun.
The evening consisted of time in the Casino, a Lido dinner, watching Andrew Grose, the Comedian on the World Stage, and two sets of the Ocean Bar Band who were actually pretty good this evening.
This port was another early and short day. The last time we were here it was raining hard, so we rode the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus but never hopped off. Today our plan was to walk around the harbor area and some of the downtown.
We started with a nice breakfast in the main dining room. We shared a table and enjoyable conversation with a couple from Tucson, Arizona.
We left the ship and headed toward Harbourside Park which is across the street from the Newfoundland National War Memorial Historical Site of Canada.
In the park, we talked to a family from Prince Edward Island who were visiting St. John’s because their daughters were competing in softball in the Canadian Games (their version of the Junior Olympics). They told us that St. John’s was going to be very crowded over the next four days. It didn’t feel crowded today.
We walked a couple of blocks uphill and explored some of the shops as we made our way back toward the ship. Once we got to the Court House we took the steps down to the port area.
As we passed by the side of the courthouse, we noticed a police car pull up and out came a guy with his hands cuffed behind his back. Then I saw that the bottom of the courthouse was the jail. First time seeing that happen when taking a walk.
Courthouse with the jail on the bottom floor
At sailaway, since the weather was so nice, the Captain opened the bow and let passengers go out and take photos.
We had dinner tonight at the Canaletto. I had the pasta with shrimp and clams. Chuck had the osso bucco. Both were very good.
We went to see the HAL singers and dancers perform “Feel the Beat.” They were very good.
The Ocean Bar Band had the night off. The Piano Bar singer was performing in the Ocean Bar tonight. We stayed for a few songs and then called it a night.
This cruise only had one sea day. Perfect for people who really like port-intensive itineraries. We like sea days so we were kind of bummed there would be only one.
And, since there would be only one, HAL crammed a lot of activities into this one day.
We had to move our clocks ahead 1/2 hour last night. Our next ports are in Newfoundland and apparently they have their own unique time zone. Weird.
We went to the Sea Day Brunch in the main dining room. We each had the halibut sandwich and the apple crisp. I only remembered to get a photo of the apple crisp.
We then went to the Lido to see the “Cake Me Away” display. The line for cake was very long. We agreed we were too full for cake. I did get some photos.
Chuck went to play cards in the Casino and I went to the Mariners reception. There was only one person on this cruise who was getting a medal – silver for having sailed 300 days. The Captain spoke to the group and I realized we had sailed with him on the Oosterdam for the South America – Antarctica cruise. He always announced, over the intercom, when whales or penguins were spotted and would seem so excited even though he’s done that route so many times in his career. That cruise is still my very favorite.
I walked a mile on the promenade deck. Some of the newer ships don’t have promenade decks that are conducive to walking and you have to go to the jogging track. I enjoy walking on the promenade deck and watching for sea life. I only spotted some birds.
After doing the mile, I walked around the ship inside on the different decks and took some photos since this was the first time sailing the Volendam. I always wonder who decides what artwork, etc. is going to be featured on each ship. Each ship is unique.
Atrium
Came back to the cabin to find that Chuck had braved the Cake Me Away line and got us some carrot cake and some other cakes that I did not know the name. I really love the HAL carrot cakes.
We spent time in the Casino, ate dinner in the Lido, and then skipped the World Stage show – vocalist Tiffany Dissette. She was doing “Songs from the Silver Stage.” I heard it was a very good show – just not our cup of tea.
We went to the early show of the Ocean Bar Band but the venue was so crowded that after three late nights in a row, we decided to call it an early evening.
