Tag: travel

Embarkation

Saturday, March 29, 2025

According to my Apple watch, I slept nine hours. I knew I was exhausted. I also woke up with a headache but luckily it went away after coffee.

The shower flow was terrible. Felt more like a rinse than a shower. At least the water was hot.

This hotel only offers a Grab-and-Go breakfast. They used to have a restaurant but the pandemic put an end to it. There were three choices of your to-go bag: an egg and sausage biscuit bag, a fruit and yogurt bag, and an egg and cheese wrap bag. They all came with water and juice and two granola bars. We both chose the biscuit bag. We heated them up in the room’s microwave.

While we were eating, I received a text from HAL letting us know that the ship was late coming into port due to wind and high sea swells. Our embarkation was pushed back to 1:30. This was a problem since our check-out was 11:00. The hotel graciously extended our check-out to 12:30 with no cost.

We checked out at 12:00 and got an Uber. We decided if it was chaos at the port, we’d drop our luggage with the porters and find a restaurant along the waterfront for lunch. We arrived at the port at 12:20. We were directed into the port building, went through security and were in our room by 1:00. No chaos whatsoever.

In our room, we found a gift from the Casino, an invitation to a Casino meet and greet party, and an itinerary for the weeks Casino drawings, etc.

As I mentioned in a previous post, even though we had never sailed the Koningsdam, we knew the layout because of our trips on its sister ship the Rotterdam. Because of this knowledge, we knew exactly where we want to go for lunch – The New York Deli and Pizza. I had the Manhattan Treat – a turkey, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. Chuck had the Reuben Rye – a hot corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. Each order came with potato chips. Sadly, we scarfed them down before I thought to get a photo.

I checked on our luggage and two of the suitcases had arrived in our room.

We went to the Sea View area on the back of the ship and immediately met a staff member who recognized us from our South Pacific cruise in 2022. He told us about two other staff members who were on that same cruise so that we could find them. Looking forward to seeing them.

We soon had to attend a full muster drill instead of just having our cards scanned and watching the video. At least we were able to go to the dining room (our muster station) for the information instead of standing out by the lifeboats.

After the muster drill, we went back to the Sea View for the sailaway party. It was fun with music, dancing, drinks, and appetizers. Thus begins our first leg of our B2B cruise – seven days up the Pacific Coast.

On the way to the Casino meet and greet, we stopped by the room again and our third piece of luggage had arrived. At the party, we talked to several people and met the casino hosts. The casino activities on this cruise are not as elaborate as the last one we attended but it was advertised as an “Ultra” Casino cruise and this one was advertised as a “VIP” Casino cruise.

We came back to the room and got all the luggage unpacked and stored under the bed. I never think we are going to find space for everything but somehow we do.

We decided to eat the steak dinner in the Lido. So did a lot of people. It was hard to find a spot to sit. A couple from Nevada invited us to eat at their table. We had a pleasant conversation. It wasn’t long before the casino opened.

Wow! The casino was so crowded. Being a Casino VIP cruise, I shouldn’t have been so surprised. I guess people had staked out their favorite machines early. I think it is going to be the tone for the next seven days.

Chuck made sure he had been credited with his promised “free play” money, and he had. We ended up playing an unfamiliar machine. We just “weren’t feeling it” so we headed to the BB King Lounge to listen to the Band.

I think the two singers are pretty good, but the backup band just overpowered their voices. The band also dragged out each song with unnecessary riffs. We stayed for the whole set but moved on to the Rolling Stone Lounge to listen to the Band’s last set.

They were good and played so you could hear the singers. They also didn’t talk a lot between songs like the last Rolling Stone band we had on the Rotterdam.

Once the set was over, it was after 11:00 pm and I was fading fast. Back to the room we went. It had been a good embarkation day.

There is a tiny gnat flitting about in our room. I have named him Nathan.

Tomorrow – Sea Day

Traveling Days

Thursday and Friday, March 27 and 28, 2025

For early flights, I always prefer going to an airport hotel the afternoon before the trip. Just cuts down on my travel anxiety and Chuck indulges me. Unlike our last trip, we didn’t have any last-minute house problems.

We left Pumpkin sulking under the couch. He hates to see the suitcases roll out. He knows his staff is taking another unauthorized vacation.

The shuttle to the airport left on time but the traffic was terrible. I was very happy not to be driving and not worrying about getting to a flight. Several passengers kept checking their watches/phones during the ride.

We stayed at the airport Hyatt Place again. We like the location and the prices are reasonable. We walked over to the Ruby Tuesday for dinner. The service was very slow but, once it finally arrived, the food was good. We each had their special of the evening – one trip to the salad bar and a smash burger with tater tots.

After a restless night (typical for a trip), I got up at 5:30 for a shower. The bathroom light is on a motion-sensor. Last time we were here, the sensor didn’t work and I was caught in the shower in total darkness until I could reach the switch. This time, when the lights went out, I just had to move a little and they came back on.

We ate breakfast at the hotel and caught its shuttle back to the airport. With CLEAR, TSA-precheck, and not having any carry-on go through the “naughty” line, we quickly arrived at the T-gate which is right past the security area. We don’t get to fly out of T-gate very often, so it was nice that we didn’t have to take the tram to another gate.

The flight left on time. I watched the movie “A Complete Unknown” about Bob Dylan. I’m not a huge Bob Dylan fan so I wasn’t sure I would like it. I thought it was very good. Chuck watched several episodes of 1923.

We arrived in San Diego early but then we had to wait for a gate to open so the flight ended up being officially late. We took an Uber XL to the Best Western Bayside. Getting to the Uber pick-up area in the airport was very easy which I appreciated. Not that way in every airport.

The traffic was bumper-to-bumper, and a lot of construction was going on, but we got to the hotel by 2:30. Our room was ready but “there is currently no hot water but we’re working on it.” Oh, great. Hoping we’ll have it before tomorrow morning. I am not a cold shower person. The hotel is very near the port and the view is always interesting.

With the time change and the breakfast being a long time ago, we were soon ready for dinner. We walked to the Queenstown Public House, a New Zealand inspired restaurant. We’ve eaten there before and enjoyed the food. This time, we were seated inside because I thought it was too breezy and chilly for the outside seating. We were by a window so we could still watch all the dog walkers.

We got there during their happy hour so we chose food from that menu. Chuck chose the fish and chips, and I chose the chicken/pineapple/potato chip slider with string fries. Everything was very good.

We walked back to the hotel. I was getting the bags tagged for the ship, and we heard a loud bang. We saw a car on its side, the traffic light down, and the windows blown out of the Starbucks. There were numerous police vehicles and rescue vehicles. I hope the person(s) involved would be okay. We had just walked through that intersection about 20 minutes prior to the accident.

Starbucks windows boarded up after the accident

The time change was finally getting to me. 7:00 – lights out.

Up next – Embarkation

New Experiences

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

We received a good offer on a cruise we’ve never taken before and a good offer on a cruise we’ve done twice before and loved each time. Bonuses: (1) They were back-to-back cruises which makes traveling to and from the embarkation/disembarkation ports easier to justify. (2) We stay on the same ship – Holland America (HAL) Koningsdam (a Pinnacle-class ship we have never sailed before although it will be similar to the HAL Rotterdam, a ship we’ve sailed several times). (3) We stay in the same room for both cruises.

The first cruise is a seven-day one described as the Pacific Coastal. It begins in San Diego and ends in Vancouver.

We will overnight in San Francisco. I’ve been to San Francisco, but Chuck never has so I’m happy to be able to experience the tourist attractions with him. Neither of us have been to Astoria, Oregon so a new experience for us both. We’ve been to Victoria, British Columbia, but only for a very short stay. This time we’ll be there for an extended day, so we’ll be able to take an excursion to the Butchart Gardens which I’ve wanted to see for a while.

Once we arrive in Vancouver, Canada, we will stay on the ship as it heads to Hawaii. We will island hop and then sail back to Vancouver – a 17-day adventure. We’ve been to the islands before but there is always something new to experience.

I hope we make it to Nawiliwili this trip. The first time, a storm kept us from being able to go. The next time, this port was not on the itinerary. Third times the charm so fingers crossed. I want to see the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

Bags are packed. Let’s go west and have some new experiences.

Home Sweet Home – Eventually

Friday, February 14, 2025

The nice thing about Port Everglades and the Ft. Lauderdale airport is that they are only 3.5 miles apart, and when the traffic is light, travel can take only about 10 minutes. However, when cruise ships are embarking and disembarking, the traffic is never light.

We have always been fortunate to get to the airport in plenty of time for a 2:00 flight. As a matter of fact, in the past, we could have taken noon flights, but I had never chanced one. Today was the day. Our flight was scheduled to take off just a few minutes after noon.

Our scheduled disembarkation time was any time between 8:00 and 9:00. Since we had a large window to disembark, we decided to eat breakfast in the main dining room instead of the Lido. I should have realized the service would be slow even when we ordered the Express Breakfast. I was not sure we were going to get our breakfast before the 9:00 disembarkation deadline. We did but we had to eat fast. Guess we will just stay with the crazy Lido from now on.

We got back to the room, emptied the safe, and stored our remaining items (toothbrush, paste, hairbrushes, etc) in the backpacks and carry-on. Unfortunately, I had packed our Band-Aids in the large suitcase and Chuck scraped his arm on one of the shelves.

We were having a hard time stopping the trickle of blood. He was pressing tissue on it as we were called to join the long line of disembarking passengers. Fortunately, one of the ladies in line saw his predicament and gave him a Band-aid from her purse. I made myself a mental note to add Band-aids to the backpacks.

We found our luggage section and immediately saw one of the bags. We were searching for the other one when I noticed a bag halfway inside a garbage bag and lying on the floor. I was dismayed to realize it was our other piece of luggage.

A worker said that the luggage had been leaking so they put a bag around it. I knew it was possible since I did have liquids inside but I had thought I had double-bagged all of them. We took the luggage out of the bag, and I didn’t feel that the luggage was damp. Whatever it was, we would just have to deal with it when we got home. I did notice that one of the luggage wheels looked bent and it was harder to push than normal.

Port Everglades uses facial recognition for Customs and Border Protection so we just kept walking through the terminal without the need for our passport. Once outside, we got a taxi. The driver had to take us the backroads to the airport as the highway was at a standstill. She mentioned that last Saturday it had taken her two hours to get a fare from the airport to the ship, the traffic was so snarled everywhere. She wasn’t sure they made their cruise.

We dropped off our large luggage at the outside kiosk and used CLEAR and TSA pre-check to get through security quickly. We were at our gate by 10:20 – plenty of time for a noon flight. Then I got the first text from Delta – our flight would be delayed 30 minutes. That was going to throw our shuttle pick-up time off so I had to make a call and get on the next one.

Thirty minutes later we got another text saying that our flight would not be taking off until 2:00. You could hear everyone’s phone dinging with the same message and a lot of moaning. I felt very sorry for those with connecting flights that I was pretty sure they would not make. I made another call to the shuttle office to change our pick-up time again.

Our next announcement was that we had to change gates. We picked up our carry-ons and went around the corner to a different gate. Got settled in and then we were told to move to a third gate. Luckily, we never had to leave Terminal 2, and the gates were fairly close together.

We finally started boarding a little before 2:00. Then we had to wait on the tarmac because they hadn’t gotten all the luggage loaded. I hoped our luggaqge had made it on. We didn’t take off until after 3:00. I should have already been on the way home by now.

By the time we landed and retrieved our luggage, it was almost 5:30. We had to wait 45 minutes for our shuttle. We were both happy to have our jackets as it was much cooler than the 70 degrees in Florida this morning.

I was happy to be in the shuttle van and that I was not driving the 2-hour drive as the Friday rush hour traffic was bumper to bumper. I got my neck pillow out, leaned on the window, and fell asleep. I woke up about 15 minutes before we arrived at the shuttle office.

We then retrieved our car and drove home. We were met by Pumpkin who alternated between scolding and purring (mostly scolding).

We checked the water. Good pressure – no leaks. We took the water heater off of “vacation mode” and bumped up the house thermostat. I sorted through the mail and then heated up some soup for us. We soon called it a night. It was a very long travel day, and it had caught up with us. I would deal with the suitcases (and whatever leakage we found in the one) tomorrow.

Stopped scolding long enough for some back scratches

P.S. Nothing had leaked in our luggage so I don’t know why we were told it had. However, the bent wheel could not be fixed so a new piece of luggage is in our future.

Until next time –

 “Life is meant for good friends and great adventures” – Anonymous

Sea Day #5

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Today is the last sea day and the last day of the cruise. Time to get that last latte and coffee from the Grand Dutch Cafe.

We had a nice leisurely breakfast in the main dining room. It had to be leisurely since the service was so slow. There were a lot of people who had the same idea as we did so I wasn’t surprised that we had to wait for the food.

After breakfast, we went to the Casino to play off the points we had accumulated all week. We ended up turning the points into cash which was nice.

Now for the always dreaded task – packing. We had to pick out what we would need to keep with us for the evening and the morning. Everything else would be packed. I was happy that we did not have very many dirty clothes that had to be packed so I wouldn’t have much to wash when I got home. I had received two loads of clean, folded clothes yesterday, so they were the first to go into the suitcases.

We had a late lunch at the NY Deli and Pizza. We split a meat lovers pizza and a salad.

Now it was time to finish the packing, weighing, and tagging the bags, enjoy some quiet time on the balcony, and then get ready for the last evening.

We spent some time in the Casino and then had a late dinner in the Lido. We went to one set of the Rolling Stone Lounge band. This band would be disembarking tomorrow, and a new band would be embarking. I hope the new band plays as well as this one does and maybe does less talking and more singing.

Once back at the cabin, we double-checked all the drawers and closets making sure we hadn’t skipped anything and that we had everything we needed for tomorrow. We then locked and pushed the two largest bags out into the hallway. We kept our backpacks and the one carry-on. We would see the large bags tomorrow at baggage claim in Port Everglades.

Tomorrow – Disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale / Traveling Home

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

It was a short port day beginning very early. We had no plans to go into Montego Bay today. Having visited Jamaica many years ago, we had already climbed Dunn River Falls and shopped at the Straw Market, so we didn’t have any pressing reasons to go today.

We spent a lazy morning at the pool and then a Lido lunch. We spent the afternoon playing Rummikub with our friends.

This evening we had dinner at the Tamarind Restaurant – the specialty Asian restaurant. It was very busy and the service was a little slow. However, the food was excellent. Chuck had the Satay sampler and the Panang Red Curry Chicken with Crab Fried Rice. I had the Lobster Shrimp Pot Stickers and the Lamb Chops. We split the scallop appetizer.

Thought the orange strips were carrots. Nope – ginger. Very spicy.

Tonight was the Orange Party. It is Holland America’s celebration of its Dutch heritage and orange is the royal color. Most everyone dons something orange. Some people really embraced the orange.

We spent the evening in the Rolling Stone Lounge. We went to the BB King Lounge to watch the Orange Party. It was very crowded, but people were having a lot of fun.

We called it an evening after the last set of the Rolling Stone band.

Tomorrow – Sea Day

Sea Day #4

Tuesday, February 11, 2024

I made it to the gym this morning. The gym is on the 9th floor at the very front of the ship. I could really feel the wave action. I didn’t spend as much time as I should have because I started feeling seasick. Got back to the room and took a Bonine. Not long before I was ready to go to Brunch in the main dining room.

Chuck and I both had the cheese and fruit plate. I had the mushroom crepe and Chuck had the seafood poutine. He was not happy to find calamari in the seafood. I graciously allowed him to give me all the pieces. 😃 They were delicious.

After brunch, we met up with our friends and they taught us how to play Rummikub. Lot of fun and a lot of laughs.

Tonight was another dressy night. The restaurant was crowded so we agreed to share a table. We had such a lively conversation that I forgot to take photos of the dinner. We did skip dessert so we could make it to the first set of the BB King band.

We went to the main stage to see the new comedian – Tim Nutt. He had a couple of good stories. Unfortunately, they occurred after Chuck had given up on him and left to go play cards.

After the show, I went to the last set of the Rolling Stone Lounge band.

When I got back to the room, I found our towel animal and some chocolates.

Tomorrow – Montego Bay, Jamaica

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

Monday, February 10, 2025

The day started out as overcast and rainy. First time this trip that we’ve had rain.

Since our excursion was not until 12:30, we had plenty of time to eat breakfast in the main dining room this morning and spend some time on the balcony once it stopped raining.

The Cruise Director had announced that there was a delay from the port authority so passengers could not yet disembark. The announcement allowing people to leave came about 8:45.

Our HAL excursion was The Tortuguero Canals – 12:30 pm (3 hours)

ABOUT THE EXCURSION – The Tortuguero Canals are known as Costa Rica’s Amazon because of the surrounding rain forest. Heavy annual rainfall fills the area with an extremely rich flora and fauna.

A 25-minute ride from the pier brings you to a dock in Moin. Board a jungle pontoon boat specially designed to cruise in comfort through the jungle canals that form part of a river system running parallel to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coastline.

Watch for orchids and water lilies, birds, monkeys, crocodiles, sloths, and toucans in this unique system of natural and man-made canals, used for transportation and exploration. Wonderful views of the lush jungle foliage mirrored in the canal’s waters will delight you.

Wave to friendly natives in dugout canoes and watch women scrubbing their laundry at the river’s edge while children swim along the bank or dive from tall trees.

After this exciting boat tour, enjoy soft drink and tropical fruits.

Notes: Wildlife sightings are likely but are not guaranteed.

The sun was out in all its glory by the time of our excursion and it was hot. I went to check us in with the Shore Excursion staff only to be told that our bus was not here yet. We were told we had time to walk through the market. We didn’t find anything we needed.

We kept waiting. One of the Shore Excursion staff finally got on the microphone and announced that because of the delay this morning for disembarking, the morning excursions were delayed. Since the afternoon excursions were using the same buses, we were going to have to wait for them to return. I was thankful that there was a little bit of shade and a breeze.

About 45 minutes after the scheduled departure time, our bus finally showed up along with two others. We had enough people to fill up 3 buses. The guide gave information as we were traveling to the canals but since we were sitting in the back, we could only catch a few words. He needed a better microphone or a quieter bus.

Once we got to the canals, we were given a chance to use the restroom and then we were directed to the pontoons. We were provided with chips, a banana, and a bottle of water.

The first animal we saw was a sloth hanging conveniently in the first tree posed just perfectly for photos. I know they are slow, sleepy creatures but I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a stuffed sloth, or a live one put there before the tour to get people excited about the tour. Just seemed too coincidental.

We did see some birds, lizards, and a couple of crocodiles. I was never able to get a decent photo of the crocodiles. The guide also pointed into the trees and said there were monkeys, but I never was able to see them. And we never saw any people in the river though there were some buildings along the canal.

We packed bug repellent but didn’t need it. We also packed our neck cooling cloths and they came in handy.

Once we got back to the pier, we had time to look at the gift shop. We could sample some fruit juice or some coffee. The coffee was very good. We didn’t try the juice.

Back on the bus, the guide tried to talk some more on the way back, but his microphone completely broke down. He even moved to the middle of the bus to try and talk without the mic; however, he couldn’t speak loud enough for us to hear anything in the back. We arrived back at the ship with a few minutes before the all-aboard time.

Once we got back to our cabin, we found a nice tray of candy from the Casino.

We had dinner in the main dining room with our friends from a previous cruise. I was so busy talking, I forgot to take photos of the meal. I had a NY strip steak and a baked potato.

We went to one set of the BB King band and then went to the main stage to see Song and Dance. It was a good show by the HAL singers and dancers.

After the show, Chuck went to play cards, and I went to the last set of the BB King band.

When we got back to the room, we found a letter from the Shore Excursions staff acknowledging the delay of the excursion and having to stand so long in the heat. They applied a $30 credit each off of our onboard account. Nice gesture. 😁 They didn’t have to do anything as it was not HAL’s fault that all the excursions were delayed.

We also found the “Clocks Forward” card. 😣

Tomorrow – Sea Day

The Panama Canal

Sunday, February 9, 2025

I was up at 6:00 this morning so I could follow the schedule of events of when we would enter the Locks. Chuck was up soon after. It was a pretty day and the new locks were interesting although I missed seeing the trams that would use ropes to pull the ships through on the old locks.

Coming toward the Atlantic Bridge
One of the tug boats that keeps the ship from smacking the sides of the canal
Locks closing behind us
Looking down to show how close the ship is to the side
One of the many buildings along the canal
Panama flag
Traffic crossing the canal when the locks close

When we reached the Gatun Lake, the tenders were lowered so people could go on tours – most to go see the old locks. I spent the time on the balcony watching all the different ships coming and going through the lake.

I watched this pelican harass a seagull until the gull dropped his newly caught fish – right to the pelican’s gullet

We went for sandwiches at the NY Deli for lunch and then walked a mile around the track.

We had some more pool time until it was time to get ready for the evening.

We had another Pinnacle Grill dinner tonight. Chuck had the filet mignon and I had the sea bass. I had the creme brulee for dessert and Chuck had the coconut-banana pudding. We also received some macarons.

The main stage was showing the Super Bowl on the big screen. I just popped in to see what the score was. The Eagles were leading.

We went to the Rolling Stone Lounge and then to the Casino.

We get to set the clocks back another hour tonight.

Tomorrow – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

Cartagena, Colombia

Saturday, February 8, 2025

I cancelled a HAL excursion for here on the 2nd day of the cruise because they moved the starting time back to 7:15. I wanted to see the National Aviary, but I didn’t want to leave that early and spend two hours on the bus. We were not really interested in going into Old Town either as we heard the vendors could be pushy. We decided we would go to the mini aviary at the Welcome Center at the port.

They had a number of pretty birds and some other animals and you could just follow the marked path to see them. There was no cost. The path was shady and there was a nice breeze. The path and aviary circled the huge gift shop which was a very good marketing strategy.

An argument broke out

While Chuck was watching a red parrot eat, the parrot decided to crawl up Chuck’s arm and made himself at home on Chuck’s shoulder. He soon became fascinated by Chuck’s lanyard and started chewing on it. While Chuck was trying to figure out how to get it out of the bird’s beak without getting bit, something hit the back of my neck -hard.

I thought someone had thrown something at me. Nope. A small green parrot had decided that my neck would be a great landing space. He eventually moved to my shoulder and dug in. I am not a fan of birds on my person. I moved closer to Chuck to see if he could shoo it away. The two parrots started squawking at each other and flapping their wings. I quickly got away from Chuck. His parrot started chewing on the lanyard again.

Another person was able to coax the green parrot off of my shoulder. Then Chuck realized the red parrot had chewed through the lanyard and was flying away with it – it had his keycard in it. Another guest was able to intercept it before the parrot got away. I was ready to move on from that area.

He almost got away with it
Before he decided my neck was a good landing spot
I am not happy

We soon came to an area where a staff member was holding a small monkey. It immediately jumped to Chuck. The monkey started trying to find something in Chuck’s shirt pocket. Luckily, there was nothing in it. The monkey, being unsuccessful at stealing, jumped to the nearest tree and posed for photos.

One hand in the pocket
A more polite parrot

After we finished walking through the aviary and bought a souvenir at the gift shop, we went back to the ship and had lunch. The afternoon was spent in the pool.

When we got back to the cabin to get ready for the evening, we found that our Mariner tiles had arrived. Everyone gets a tile every cruise. We have so many now that I don’t bring them home any more. We also had another nice gift from the Casino.

We had an excellent dinner at Rudy’s. I had the grilled shrimp Provencale. Chuck had the grilled seafood platter with a lobster tail. We split a bottle of chianti (also complimentary from the Casino). For dessert, I had the apple tart tatin with cinnamon gelato. Chuck had Rudy’s Face to Face Chocolate and Fruit dessert.

After we finished dinner, we went to one set of the Rolling Stone Lounge band and then to the main stage to see the second show of Doc Dixon. He was very good again.

Afterwards, Chuck went to play some cards, and I was ready for some quiet time on the balcony listening to the waves.

Tomorrow – Panama Canal