This pair of cruises brings us to Rome for five nights before embarking on the Holy Land cruise, followed by the transatlantic back to Florida. Our itinerary is as follows:
October 12, 2022, Wednesday, Most the day was spent in airplanes.
Another wonderful adventure with Mom and Dad: this time, it starts with 6 nights in a Rome Airbnb, a 12 night Holy Land Cruise, and a 13 Night Transatlantic Cruise!
We were up early to take a 4:20 am Lyft to Seatac to catch a 6:51 am flight to Chicago. Before boarding we were able to have a quick breakfast in the United Club. The flight left a few minutes early, was a little turbulent at times, and landed a few minutes early. We made our way to the United Club and who should we find but Mom and Dad waiting for us! We all had a very happy reunion after not seeing each other since our cruises earlier this year. After spending time chatting, noshing, and the ladies having a drink, we caught our 3:40 flight to Rome. We all lucked out and had an empty seat in the middle of each set of 3 seats – Laurie & Pat in the exit row, and Mom & Dad one row behind in the center set of seats. It was a smooth flight and we landed a little early around 7:30 am to start a new day.
October 13, 2022, Thursday, 70’s with a rainy start and late afternoon clearing.
Our day started with a big workout doing a long walk from the plane to immigration, then snaking through long lines at immigration. Next up was getting our luggage but that went pretty quick. Then we hooked up with the driver of our ride to our Airbnb and it was another very long walk to get to his van. Adding to our workout was the fact that three different escalators weren’t working. as well as an elevator wouldn’t budge when we pressed buttons. Most of the work of moving the luggage fell to Laurie – lugging the bags one by one down the stairs, and then running back up the stairs to get the next one until all six bags were brought to the bottom of the stairs – this was repeated three times at each of the broken escalators.
Rome welcomed us with pouring rain. The driver said it was the first rain in months and it created a lot of traffic on the roads so it ended up taking us an hour and a half to get to the Airbnb – twice what it should have. Elena at the AirBnB let us in shortly after arriving and gave us a quick tour of our home for the next five days. The place is nice, very clean, and a little strangely laid out but had everything we needed. We settled in, sometimes dozing, before we headed out to get some food items a couple doors down at the Carrefour Express and find some dinner. We ended up getting a couple pizzas a half block away at Cantina Croce which we took back to our apartment. The pizzas were very good, with a nice crisp crust. The evening was spent watching some TV and trying to stay awake until we turned in after a very long day.
October 14, 2022, Friday, mid to upper 70’s and sunny
Laurie was out very early, when it was still dark, and walked to the Colosseum – about 1-1/2 miles away. He took pictures of various buildings illuminated by lights before the sun started to rise capturing different lighting effects.
Back at the apartment we chatted and read guide books until M&D awakened. We had coffee and pastries for breakfast as we looked at Laurie’s wonderful pictures. Fueled up we ventured out to the Spanish Steps, which are only about 5 minutes away, then went on to Trevi Fountain where the ladies tossed coins back over their left shoulders to ensure that they would return to Rome again in the future. Since it was early afternoon already there were crowds of people everywhere and each of the many cafe’s outdoor seating was filled.
Near the apartment we stopped at a sunglass store where Mom bought a stylish pair of sunglasses for 10€ which included a cloth bag and cleaning cloth. Our narrow, cobbled street appears to be a popular spot. We rested in the afternoon then went out early evening in search of food. A half block away we settled on Antica Osteria Croce where we each had a delicious pasta dish along with some crispy rosemary bread. It was a beautiful evening, around 70 degrees, so we sat outside to stay Covid safe. The entire street was lit up with many busy restaurants with outdoor (and indoor) seating one right after the other. Street performers did their thing, one a great female singer and another played the accordian, moving around on the streets and providing background music. Before turning in for the night we stopped at Carrefour to get some coffee pods and all the fixings for sandwiches to have for dinner tomorrow.
October 15, 2022, Saturday, mid to upper 70’s and sunny
We had a relaxing morning chatting, looking at the many pictures Laurie took, while having coffee and pastries for breakfast. We did another quick run downstairs to Carrefour, then took a leisurely stroll to Piazza del Popolo about six blocks away.
The piazza is a huge open area with many statues, fountains, and a tall obelisk in the center of the piazza which was brought to Rome by Augustus after he conquered Egypt. After observing the area and resting near a fountain, we stopped to get some deliciously refreshing gelato to enjoy on our slow walk back. It was very pleasant – even with the usual crowds of people. We had a happy hour with a bottle of spumanti given to us by the Airbnb manager along with some zucchini and cheese bread. Our dinner was an indoor picnic with crusty bakery bread, sausage, brie, cheddar, mayo, tomatoes, and leftover pizza from a couple days ago. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing, watching TV, and chatting.
October 16, 2022, Sunday, upper 70’s and sunny
Another gorgeous day in Rome. After a quick coffee and pastry in our apartment, we got an early start on our day just before 8:30 heading to Castel Sant Angelo located by the Tiber River, about a 30 minute walk away.
The building was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family (139 AD). It later served as a castle, a prison, a place of last refuge by popes under attack, and now is a museum. For the 12€ entry fee we were able to wander around the multiple levels with various statues, rooms with ornately decorated walls and ceilings, and toured an exhibit about the history of the building. The highlight was the Angel Terrace just below the imposing Archangel Michael bronze statue high atop the building with panoramic views of Rome. The most spectacular was the view of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican which was just a few blocks away. We took a different route back, stopping within view of the Spanish Steps for espresso and a rest at Ciampini Roma-Cafe & Bistro. The crowds had grown as the morning went by and we were glad to be back in our quiet place about 12:30. We relaxed, napped, and managed to do a couple loads of laundry in the combo washer/dryer which took some trial and error to end up with clean, relatively dry clothes. Dinner was another picnic type meal with yesterday’s leftovers. We chatted after dinner and looked at more of Laurie’s pictures from the day before turning in.
October 17, 2022, Monday, upper 70’s and sunny
Today the two of us had early coffee and pastry before leaving about 8:45 to walk to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum (tickets 16.80€ each). Mom and Dad got to sleep in. By 9:15 it was already very busy. Our tickets were for 10:25 but we were able to get in early.
The Colosseum takes less than an hour to walk around, viewing the arena from different vantage points. It was fascinating to see but probably not worth a second visit. Palatine Hill had the ruins of the huge palace, mainly remnants of the palace foundations, which all tended to look the same. The best part of the area was being able to walk through the Roman Forum. We spent most our time wandering around the Forum which had the ruins of various temples, basilicas, statues, arches, and columns – most from around 100-200 AD. Our round trip adventure covered about 6.5 miles including lots of stairs and inclines, mostly over uneven stepping stone type walkways. Soon after we left the Forum we stopped at Lucciano’s Roma for some outstanding gelato to sustain us for the rest of our walk back. We relaxed all afternoon then Mom and Pat went to Carrefour to get dinner fixings. Our dinner spread consisted of scrambled eggs with veggies, salami, and cheddar as well as a mixed salad, tomato bread, and crusty bread with pesto. Very yummy! More relaxing after dinner.
October 18, 2022, Tuesday, upper 70’s and sunny
We got another early start (8:30) on our last full day in Rome. Today’s sights were the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.
The Pantheon, originally built in 27 BC and rebuilt in 120 AD after a fire, has been a Catholic church since 609 AD. The portico has 16 huge, 55 ton, solid granite columns transported from Egypt. The round interior walls were ornately decorated with paintings, statues, several tombs, and a main alter. The coffered ceiling is the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. The 30 foot oculus at center is the buildings main source of light. A short walk away we entered the oval Piazza Navona which originally was the sight of a racetrack built in 80 AD.
There are 3 fountains in the piazza, the most famous being Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers. The Church of Sant’Agnese dominates the square with it’s mammoth Baroque facade. Mom bought some “famous tartufo” (gelato) at Tre Scalini but said it wasn’t as good as when she had it many years ago. After the return trip to the apartment we were ready to rest for the afternoon. Early evening Mom and Pat went out to pick up pizza and ended up at Ristorante Re Degli Amicic a few doors down from the apartment. Two thin, crispy crust pizzas were only 20€ and were delicious along with the leftover salad from yesterday. Time to finish packing what we can before going to bed.
October 19, 2022, Wednesday, 80ish and sunny Departure Day/Travel Day
We were all up, done packing, and ready to go at 8:30 when our ride (Civitaveccia Shuttle Express) arrived to take us to the Civitaveccia port a little over an hour away. We were a bit early so we had to wait for them to start accepting luggage, then to check in. We were onboard just after 10:30 and in Windjammer just before 11:00 enjoying their wonderful, extensive buffet. Then we found a comfortable spot on the pool deck to wait for our rooms to be ready. About 1:20 we were able to get into our rooms and for the first time ever our luggage was already there! After unpacking we rested, met our stateroom attendant Supri, went to our muster station with M&D, went to the Diamond Lounge for coffee and a chat, and finally returned to our room for more resting. We went to the Schooner Bar for Happy Hour before heading into Chops for a BOGO dinner just after 8:00. The food was very good, although the steak wasn’t quite as good as in past. When they brought the steaks, sauces, and all the sides we realized M&D never got their salads. Instead of just bringing the salads they took everything away, brought the salads, then brought a new round of food. It was kind of crazy and extended our already late meal. We were all ready for bed when we got back to our rooms.
October 20, 2022, Thursday, 72 and sunny At Sea
Back to our routine of Laurie going to the Diamond Lounge around 5:00 am for coffee and to read, with Pat joining him closer to 6:30. We returned to our room to hook-up with M&D at 9:00 to go to breakfast. Windjammer has a seemingly endless amount of yummy choices which we enjoyed while taking in the view as we made our way through the Messina Strait between the toe of the boot of Italy and the island of Sicily. M&D then went to check out the casino and we went to find a place to read, first reading in the Solarium then in shade near the pool. Back to our room for more reading and relaxing until Happy Hour. We started in the Diamond Lounge but the drinks weren’t even worth a tip and it was a bit crowded so we moved to the Schooner Bar which is an open area and more Covid-safe. Gede (G’day) provided us with good service and decent size drinks. It was our first night in the dining room for the 8:30 seating. There was a mix up with our assigned table only being set for 2 so they put us at a temporary table while arranging a new table to start tomorrow. After a quick stop to use up our remaining drink credits on Cokes and beer to take back to our room, we turned in for the night. (First we set our clocks ahead an hour so we are now 10 hours ahead of home.)
October 21, 2022, Friday, 70’s and sunny, a bit windy and rocky – At Sea
Our usual start but this morning they are handing out numbers for Sunday’s Israel immigration process. They were supposed to start at 8:30 am. We got in the already long line just after 7:00. Thankfully they started giving tickets out before 7:30. Then it was back to our room until our 9:00 breakfast with M&D. Again Windjammer provided a feast. We chatted a bit then M&D went to look at the pictures taken of us so far, and we went to the Solarium where Laurie read while Pat napped a bit. After checking out where our new dining table will be, we tried our luck with the $6 credit we each get for the slot machines in the casino. We walked away $7.38 ahead! Time for our afternoon rest. Since the Schooner Bar worked out well yesterday we went there again for Happy Hour and an Elton John trivia game. We finally are at our dining table for the rest of the cruise, #300 which is in a small room off the main dining room. We’re in a corner by a window but we can’t see much at night. The table next to us is a group of 8 lively (loud) Italians. Our servers Bernardo and Jonathan provided okay service but nothing outstanding.
October 22, 2022, Saturday, 80ish and sunny – Limassol, Cyprus
Diamond Lounge for coffee and Windjammer for breakfast. We chatted a bit before deciding to walk to the Limassol terminal to see what there was to do. There was a free shuttle so we masked up and took it to an area called the Old Port. The area was a marina with lots of restaurants, bars, and shops. It was a beautiful day to be walking outdoors, especially with the gorgeous blue water as a backdrop. After we got our exercise we took the shuttle back to the ship to have one of our famous relaxing afternoons. Happy Hour with trivia was again spent in the Schooner Bar, but dinner was enjoyed in the Windjammer. Some of the food was French inspired including crepes – both savory and sweet. We retired a little bit earlier than usual which was nice.
October 23, 2022, Sunday, upper 70’s and sunny but chance of rain – Jerusalem (Ashdod port), Israel
We are in Israel today! We had coffee and breakfast early, then went to our room to wait for our group (number 7) to be called. Just before 9:30 we made our way off the ship into the Israeli immigration building where there were long lines but by about 10:15 we were through. We hooked up with our tour guide Renee (Ree-nee) from Tours By Locals for our excursion to Jerusalem’s Old City – a little over an hour drive from the port. Our tour started with a stop at a panoramic lookout on Mount of Olives which overlooked the entire Old City with thousands of old tombs in the foreground.
The Dome of the Rock stood out with it’s glowing gold dome. We could also see the Archeological Park where a current excavation is underway. The area was packed with people, including a group of young military people in uniform with weapons as well as a roaming camel which was used for rides. Our next stop was a parking garage (we passed the location of Oskar Schindler’s grave on the way) which had a feature of having sensors over each parking spot that would be lit up red if it sensed a car, or green if the spot was open. This way you could look down an aisle and see what was available. However, it wasn’t 100% accurate and many of the cars parked at an angle in the spots not leaving enough room for the smallest of cars. Renee then led us up through the Jaffe Gate and into the Armenian Quarter. The mixture of people was wonderful to observe, from tourists to orthodox locals, a mix of many different nationalities and religions, young and old. We moved on to the Jewish Quarter where Renee dispensed an incredible amount of historic timeline information for the area. The Jews lost and reclaimed Jerusalem multiple times throughout the years. In a small, cool, dark room we watched a short film that covered when Jordan took over the Jewish Quarter from 1948-1967, obliterating buildings and killing many. We saw a row of Roman columns that had been discovered when they did excavating for building. Time for lunch in a square with several food places which Renee said were all kosher – you just had to decide whether you wanted meat or dairy. Laurie, Mom, and Dad opted for beef and chicken shawarma in a pita, while Pat and Renee went next door to get falafel in a pita and brought it back to join the others. In the square where we ate was a beautiful large gold menorah, encased in bulletproof glass. This was made to try to match the menorah on the Arch of Titus in the Roman Forum (which we saw while in Rome) which depicted when the Romans destroyed the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. There were a few drops of rain and it turned cool and breezy but we continued on to the Four Sephardi Synagogues which form one complex of four synagogues with each congregation practicing a different rite. Here we met Joseph who is a scribe and he explained the work he does which was interesting. It had started to rain more along with thunder so we stayed put a little longer listening to Renee’s endless store of information. Eventually we headed out into the now cool and windy afternoon and made our way through narrow walkways to the Western Wall.
After going through security into the square, the men went over to the men’s area, while the 3 women visited the women’s area. It was so amazing to not only see this revered sight, but also be able to lay hands on it and pray here. What an incredible end to a fantastic day! Renee got the 4 of us a taxi back up to the parking garage while she walked back through the Old City. During the 1 1/2 hour drive back to the port (When the sun returned!) we had time to chat and reflect on everything we had seen and heard. On returning to the ship we had time for a drink in the Schooner Bar before our 8:30 dinner in the dining room. (Service was not that great in the dining room.) We were all beat and couldn’t wait to turn in.
October 24, 2022, Monday, 80ish and sunny – Jerusalem (Ashdod port), Israel
Early coffee in the Diamond Lounge where Laurie mentioned he had a bit of a sore throat and sounded hoarse. To be safe, we returned to our room and he took a Covid test which was negative – apparently just a cold. We had breakfast in Windjammer then M&D went to find the library and we went to the uncrowded Solarium where Laurie read and Pat fell asleep for 3 hours! During the afternoon in our room we blogged, read, and rested. The Schooner Bar was our choice for Happy Hour again. (We all did horrible on the Jackson 5 music trivia game.) We opted for the Windjammer buffet for dinner after last nights lengthy, poorly serviced dinner in the dining room.
October 25, 2022, Tuesday, 80ish and mostly sunny – Haifa, Israel
Laurie went to the lounge for a quick coffee and returned to the room at 6:00 am with coffee for Pat so we could call Daniel and Nicole (8:00 pm in Seattle). It was wonderful to talk to them and hear what’s been going on there. We then met M&D in Windjammer for breakfast then went to the Solarium to let our food digest before deciding whether ot not to go ashore. While sitting reading it started to get overcast out which was quickly followed by lightening, thunder, and some rain – so that made our decision for the time being. By the time the sun came out later in the day we didn’t feel up to making the trek in to town. There wasn’t too much to do in Haifa but if we went in we would have walked through the German Colony and then looked up at Baha’i Gardens from the bottom rather than ascending all 19 terraces to the top. We still got a picture from our balcony since we looked out on Mount Carmel. Instead Laurie worked on the blog and we watched some TV and read. Our usual Schooner Bar Happy Hour where we didn’t get a single music trivia from the 90’s correct. We went to the dining room for dinner but opted for My Time Dining which worked out really well. Our waiter and assistant waiter were excellent and kept dinner moving along. We left the dining room a good 45-60 minutes earlier then we would have with our assigned table, which is nice when we’re all tired.
October 26, 2022, Wednesday, 80ish and very hazy sun – At Sea
Up before dawn as usual and coffee in the Diamond Lounge. Back in the cabin we got our laundry together to turn in, read, and watched some news before heading to the Windjammer with M&D at 9:00. Afterwards M&D went to the shops and we went to the already crowded Solarium but still managed to get lounge chairs by the windows. Before returning to the room we went up to Decks 15 and 16 to check them out. This is where there are lots of activities such as bumper cars, iFly, FlowRider, Skypad, a rock climbing wall, North Star, laser tag, giant chess, shuffleboard, and Playmakers Sports Bar. Happy Hour was in the Schooner Bar, followed by an amazing 8:00 BOGO dinner in Wonderland. It was a fun food adventure with everything being delicious. Our appetizers were tasty tomato water served in test tubes, crispy crab cones, a phyllo bird’s nest with eggs served under a clear smoked-filled dome, wonton soup, fantastic liquid lobster served on a spoon, and a large, crunchy shrimp served with an outstanding scotch bonnet sauce. Three of us had the luscious, melt-in-your-mouth short rib with mashed potatoes, asparagus, and marrow sauce on a plate surrounded by blobs of various flavorful creations. Mom had yummy halibut with potatoes and a mushroom sauce. Then came the desserts, the best being “The World” which was a chocolate sphere that warm caramel is poured over to melt it and reveal the inside of PB ganache, chocolate mousse, and salted caramel ice cream. The other two desserts, Forbidden Apple and Mystical Mushroom Garden, were also good. It was a unique experience and usually something we’d consider a one-time thing, except the food was so incredible we would definitely consider a return trip.
October 27, 2022, Thursday, 80ish and sunny – Rhodes, Greece
Coffee in the Diamond Lounge then back to our cabin to watch as we pulled into Rhodes with the sunrise. We have a panoramic view of the huge medieval walled city that spans the entire port. After breakfast we walked over to the city, about a 15 minute walk along the harbor front, to wander the cobblestone streets and explore.
The town was occupied and built up by the Knights of St. John from about 1309-1523 AD. The feature that dominates the old town is the gigantic Palace of the Grand Masters, which we viewed from different vantage points but chose not to go into. The town has many twisting, narrow streets interrupted here and there by squares, all lined with shops and restaurants. One of the squares, called the Square of Jewish Martyrs, has a Holocaust Memorial that pays tribute to the 1,604 Jews of Rhodes that were sent to die at Auschwitz. We saw an abundance of feral cats lazing about as we walked, unfazed by the crowds of tourists. Hot and tired we return ed to the ship to hydrate and rest. The day ended with Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar and dinner in Windjammer.
October 28, 2022, Friday, 70’s, sunny and windy – Santorini, Greece
Early coffee then it was time to wait in line for tender tickets so we could get to the island as early as possible. We had a quick breakfast in Windjammer, then we had a short wait in our cabins before our number was called. Our balcony faces the dock with the town of Fira at the top of the steep-sided island which has varied, rocky sides. Since Santorini is part of an ancient collapsed volcano the land has very interesting and colorful features and formations from it’s fiery days, which were further sculpted by erosion over many thousands of years. The four of us boarded the tender wearing masks for the short trip to the dock. M&D explored the tiny town at the dock and sat watching the crowds while they enjoyed some gelato, which they said was the best they ever had, before they headed back to the ship. We got in the long line for the cable car which took about 30 minutes to get through. For 6 Euro each, it zipped us up to the top of the island in just a few minutes where the town of Fira is located. We heard the next town, Firostefani, had a great viewpoint so we walked the 1.1 km there to take advantage of it. We had planned to catch a bus to continue on to Oia (ee-ah) but a bus going the other direction stopped and told us that the bus wouldn’t stop there today due to a national holiday. He had us hop on his bus and he gave us a free ride back to the Fira bus station giving us some entertainment in the process. He was stopped by a street cop and they had a heated exchange which resulted in the bus driver making a 3-point turn on the narrow street, then driving down an even narrower street where we got stuck not being able to pass a car going the other direction. A bunch of people got out their cars to give advice (sometimes loudly) and assistance, and eventually we managed to squeak by with everyone holding their breath. At the bus station we caught a bus for the 20-25 minute drive to Oia for 1.6 Euros each.
Oia has outstanding views all around including the white-washed buildings and blue domed churches it’s famous for. The narrow cobblestone corridors that twist up and down and around Oia were jam-packed with tourists. After we saw the sights we had wanted to see, we caught a bus back to Fira. Since Fira looked a lot like Oia, we headed back down. Rather than taking the cable car we choose to take the 587 steps(!) that serpentine down the islands side and are shared with donkeys for hire to go up or down – always watching where we stepped! It was wonderful to plop down in a seat on the tender back to the ship. We immediately made our way to Starbucks so Pat could get a refreshing green tea Frappuccino. Back to the cabin to wash up and relax. Another Schooner Bar Happy Bar where they served unusually large drinks, which Mom and Pat can attest to. Then dinner in the dining room using My Time Dining.
October 29, 2022, Saturday, 80ish and partly sunny – Chania (Souda), Crete, Greece
Coffee in the lounge and breakfast in Windjammer to start the day. The sightseeing options required a bus ride to town and didn’t appeal to us enough to make the trip.
We stayed onboard chatting before going our separate ways to relax, read, and do whatever. When we went to the Solarium to read there were several people coughing so we went back to the cabin to read, watch TV, etc. Another happy Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar. Tonight was a “dress your best” night and lobster in the dining room. The dining room was extremely busy at our usual 8:15-8:30 dinner time at My Time Dining. Service was a little bit slow but the food was delicious and we each had two lobster tails. Before we went to bed we turned the clocks back 2 hours -one for the hour we gained heading east, and one for Europe’s daylight savings time change which starts tonight.
October 30, 2022, Sunday, 70ish and partly cloudy – At Sea
It was very refreshing to get extra sleep last night due to the time change. Early coffee then breakfast at 9:00 with M&D in Windjammer. Today RCL tested all back-to-back cruisers – we went for our tests at our scheduled time of 10:30. Today we sailed by the small island of Stromboli which contains Mount Stromboli, one of 4 active volcanoes in Italy. We could see steam being released from near the top of the volcano. Amazingly, there are people living on the island. This was a very impressive sight to see from so close.Went to Windjammer for dinner then turned in for the night. So ended our first cruise.
October 31, 2022, low 70’s and sunny – Rome, Italy – Departure Day
Time for cruise two: Rome to Fort Lauderdale – transatlantic. Happy Halloween! The ship had decorations up this morning including lots of large inflatables, and Halloween-related music playing. We started the day with our Diamond Lounge coffee then went back to finish packing since we have to change rooms. We had an early breakfast in the dining room this time, then we headed up to the Seaplex on Deck 15 to get set up for the new cruise. We sat in the Esplanade and chatted while we waiting for a decent time to go to our rooms. There was a lunch provided for back-to-backers but we were all still full from breakfast. Since M&D are in the room next to us (we had a room in between us last cruise) we are able to visit over our balcony railings. We spent the afternoon in the cabin before eventually going to the Schooner Bar. (We did terrible on Halloween trivia.) Our new table in the dining has a good location near a window, although it’s usually too dark at dinner time to see much of anything. Our waiter and assistant waiter are Iputu and Achref. They seem efficient and friendly so we are looking forward to dining with them.
November 1, 2022, 70 with AM sun / PM clouds – La Spezia, Italy
La Spezia is the jumping off point for Pisa and Florence. We’ve been to Pisa previously, and Florence is 2 hours away so 4 hours of travel for a few hours of exploring. We decided to stay onboard and enjoy a little bit quieter ship. From our port side balcony we look out on the coast with a small part being devoted to cargo containers, and the majority to a pretty marina area with lots of boats. There are tightly placed buildings closer to the coast that become more dispersed farther up the low green mountain sides from the waterfront. We had our coffee in the lounge but it became crowded early as there was early clearance to go ashore in this port. We then headed to the Solarium for a while, then to our room, then again to the lounge when it was time for our room to be cleaned. Again we headed back to the room for the afternoon. It was a cool, gloomy day with late afternoon rain so it was a good day to be inside. Our day ended with a Schooner Bar Happy Hour followed by an Asian themed dinner in Windjammer.
November 2, 2022, 73 and mostly sunny – At Sea
Our early morning coffee and reading in the Diamond Lounge was interrupted by a very loud conversation that kept on going. After walking around the ship a bit we found comfortable chairs in the quiet Music Hall where we stayed until a stretching class was due to start. We then went to a Sudoku Challenge where Laurie was the third person to complete the puzzle (and received a brass medal). Then it was time for breakfast in Windjammer, followed by more reading in the Solarium. The weather is glorious today with the sun warming things up even though it’s only 73 so we went back to the cabin to soak up some sun on our balcony. After we had enough sun we went inside and kept the balcony door open to enjoy the fresh air and the sound of the ship making it’s way through the relatively calm seas. We sat in the Schooner Bar for Happy Hour with a backdrop of guitar music. Then we had a really fast dinner (50 minutes) in the dining room which allowed us to see a show called “The Two70 Experience” at 9:00. The show highlighted the technology of this theater which, during the day, has a 270 degree, 2-story window looking out the back of the ship. It was just okay, the technology not being as great as the hype. We successfully fought off dozing.
November 3, 2022, low 70’s with hazy sun and clouds – Valencia, Spain
Coffee in the lounge, then back to our cabin. It was a beautiful sunrise with the sun rising up behind clouds and shooting a fan of sunbeams out the top of the clouds. Last spring we saw what we wanted to see in Valencia so we decided to spend another quiet, uncrowded day onboard. After a quick breakfast we read in the Solarium and eventually made our way back to our cabin to read some more, relax, and spend time on the balcony. We started Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar but then went to the Music Hall to listen to karaoke. There are several people who keep coming up to the mic, with a girl named Mariah being outstanding. We ended the evening with dinner in the Windjammer and turning in a little bit early.
November 4, 2022, 77 and sunny – Malaga, Spain
Early coffee in the Diamond Lounge then back to our cabin. For a change of pace for breakfast we went to the Two70 Cafe and had breakfast sandwiches, smoked trout, pastries, and coffee. It’s kind of a grab-and-go place but everything is served from behind the counters. Seating was in the Two70 venue so we had a great view out the back of the ship through the enormous window. It was also pretty quiet here so we stayed here a couple hours to read, enjoy the view, and check out the show area. We decided to visit Castillo de Gibralfaro today (a Moorish palace dating back to the 10th century) which required a lot of walking from the dock, then more walking uphill on stairs and ramps to the top of the hill where the castle entrance was (3.50 Euros each). There was still much more walking through the castle remnants including more stairs and ramps. The highlight was the panoramic view from on top of the lookout tower area where we could see wide expanses of the Mediterranean, the 4 ships in port, the city of Malaga, a bull ring, Malaga Cathedral, and Alcazaba Palace and Fortress (which we explored on a previous trip). There was a lot of lush landscaping around the bottom of the hill including a beautiful rose garden with many roses in bloom, especially a large section of red roses. We also saw many picture-perfect Bird of Paradise flowers. We figure we covered at least 5 miles this warm, sunny, breezy day. Once back onboard we revived from our adventure with a small snack from Windjammer, cold drinks, and rest in our cool cabin. M&D stayed onboard relaxing and noshing – the usual. We had our Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar and dinner in the dining room. Tonight we turn back the clocks an hour so we get a little more sleep.
November 5, 2022, mid-70’s and mostly cloudy – At Sea
We went through the Strait of Gibraltor overnight so now we’re officially in the Atlantic. Sometime during the night the ship starting rocking – a nice, smooth roll, which is supposed to continue throughout the day. We started early in the lounge but the coffee machine wasn’t working so we eventually went back to our room stopping for coffee in the Esplanade on the way. After we had a quick breakfast in Windjammer, all 4 us headed to the Two70 venue for the start of an enrichment lecture called “Spy vs. Spy” presented by Nicholas Eftimiades. It wasn’t very interesting so we never went back. We then went our separate ways so we could find a place to read. The Solarium was packed. In addition to many chair hogs were “reserving chairs” with towels, so we tried sitting on a couch by the pool. It worked for a while but got noisy when a loud movie started so we ended up back in our room. Once again, Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar and dinner in the dining room.
November 6, 2022, mid-70’s, sunny AM with increasing clouds – Madeira (Funchal) Portugal
Had our early coffee then back to our cabin. We have a wonderful view of Funchal from our balcony starting with the waterfront marinas, then dense buildings continuing up the hillside and becoming more scattered towards the top. We could see a couple of old forts, parks, a fountain, and many church steeples poking up above other buildings. After the 4 of us had breakfast in the Windjammer we covered almost 3 miles (Yay M&D!) roundtrip from the ship, along the waterfront, up some side streets, and up some stairs to our goal of Praca do Municipio. This pretty square has a central fountain, is covered in a black and white tile wave pattern, has the town hall along one side and a huge church on another. Since it was Sunday a lot of stores and restaurants where closed but it probably made for less people and car traffic. Our afternoon rest was well deserved. We followed our rest with Happy Hour “Queen trivia” in the Schooner Bar and actually got a few answers. Then we had a delicious dinner in the dining room. Our gently, rocking sailing continued through the night when we set the clocks back one hour.
November 7, 2022, mid-70’s with mixed sun and clouds – At Sea
As the captain says (repeatedly), today we still have “motion from the ocean”. We didn’t see it but about sunrise there was a medical emergency with the person being evacuated by helicopter (with a nearby spotter plane). M&D saw it very close outside their balcony. This happened while we were in the lounge having our early coffee. Today was routine with a Windjammer breakfast, an afternoon in the cabin on computers and reading, Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar, and then a break from routine – dinner in Chops. The food was okay, although M&D felt their steaks were a bit dry, and they served us some incredibly salty soup that we sent back. The service wasn’t very attentive and was slow. We were served duplicate sides and not given others we had to ask for, and also had to ask for water refills. He served Mom’s salad late and might have even forgotten it if we didn’t mention it. Pat’s Key Lime Pie was warm which made it less appetizing. That’s two times in a row we haven’t been satisfied with Chops. We set the clocks back another hour overnight so now we are six hours ahead of home.
November 8, 2022, mid-70’s and partly cloudy – At Sea
The rolling of the ocean, and thus the ship, continues. We find ourselves getting up earlier each day because of turning the clock back multiple nights. After very early coffee in the lounge we returned to the room until we joined M&D at 9:00 for a Windjammer breakfast. In the Solarium we managed to move chairs around so we could face out the window, but we were in the sun and it got too hot after a while. The chair hogs reserving chairs with towels were out in full force. Once again we went to the room to read and use computers. Something new today: we spent Happy Hour in the Crown & Compass Pub as the Schooner Bar had filled up early today. Gede and Joanna tried to find us seating in the Schooner Bar to no avail. It was a little bit quieter in the pub and there wasn’t a trivia game, but Latoya made us good drinks to go with our good conversation. Windjammer took care of our dinner needs with Italian and French themed food to go along with the usual offerings. After another one hour time change we are now 5 hours ahead of home.
November 9, 2022, mid-70’s – mostly cloudy and very windy – At Sea
Despite it being very windy we are rocking a little less. Most the day was cloudy and gloomy looking with some passing light showers. A very routine day: early coffee, back in the room, breakfast in Windjammer with M&D, reading in the Solarium, afternoon in the room reading and computer time, Schooner Bar Happy Hour and trivia (Laurie did pretty well on songs from movies), and dinner in the dining room. You’d think with gaining an hour every night we’d all be rested, but since we are all tending to wake up earlier we are ready to drop when we finish dinner around 9:00.
November 10, 2022, mid-70’s – mostly cloudy and humid – At Sea
We started rocking pretty good overnight again and it continued into the afternoon but lessened later in the day. We had our early Diamond Lounge coffee, and 9:00 breakfast in Windjammer with M&D. We found a couple of lounge chairs in the Solarium to relax and read for the rest of the morning. Most of the afternoon was spent in our room but we did venture out for a slice of Sorrento’s pizza and hit the casino to use our $6 credits. Laurie made a few dollars on his chosen slot machine. Late afternoon we heard from Dad that Mom had an ongoing headache and felt a little dizzy at times so they went to medical soon after breakfast to have her blood pressure checked out. It was high so they ran several tests (EKG, X-Ray, etc…) and took blood to check her out. Everything on the tests appeared normal except for a UTI. Later in the afternoon she felt better and her blood pressure came down to near normal so medical released her with antibiotics for the UTI, probiotics to counter the antibiotics, and another medicine in case she felt dizzy/nauseous. We continued on with our evening plans with Mom avoiding alcohol and salty food as much as possible. Our evening started in Crown & Compass Pub, the we went on to see a production show called The Book. It’s supposed to be a journey/adventure for the imagination told in 7 chapters using storytelling, the cutting-edge technology of robotic video screens in front of a huge wall of projections, and live performers including singers, dancers, and aerial acrobatics with some performers dropping out of the ceiling or being lifted from beneath the stage area. We’re not sure of the story being told but it was a wonderful visual and audio experience that we enjoyed. Next up was dinner at Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen to make use of our second BOGO. The atmosphere was relaxed and open to the Esplanade as well as the restaurant’s pizza kitchen. Everything we had was delicious from soup/salads/appetizers to filet mignon/lasagna/Osso Buco to cannoli/banana stromboli desserts. (Their filets gave Chops a run for the money and had an extremely tasty sauce.) We were all stuffed and ready to retire by the time we were done. Tonight was the last time change for this cruise.
November 11, 2022, 80ish and mostly sunny – At Sea
We are now on Florida time. With the time changes we are seeing the sun earlier but the sun also sets very early. The days have also gotten warmer and very humid (85%). There’s smoother sailing today which is the forecast for the rest of the cruise. Again, early coffee, time in the room, then breakfast in Windjammer with M&D. Today we read in the pool area but we were just outside the Solarium doors and away from some of the noise of a movie being shown on the big screen right by the main pool. A stop at Next Cruise to pick up future cruise forms led us back to Two70 where a practice session was taking place for The Book. We enjoyed seeing the singing, dancing, and contortionist again without the distraction of all the technical background stuff going on. We had our usual afternoon followed by the Schooner Bar and a yummy lobster dinner in the dining room.
November 12, 2022, 80’s, mostly cloudy, few showers, very humid, – At Sea
The last day of the cruise 🙁 We had our early coffee and reading time in the Diamond Lounge and went back to our room. There was an announcement from the captain that something orange was spotted from the ship resembling a life vest a short ways back so he decided to turn around and have a look just to be safe. It turned out to be an orange piece of styrofoam! At 9:00 it was time to join M&D for our last breakfast in the Windjammer. Then we headed to the Solarium to read for a bit and found window chairs right away for a change. Next up was collecting cookies from Windjammer (to nosh on during our stay in Ft. Lauderdale and for our flights home on Tuesday), as well as turning in the Next Cruise open booking form for M&D for an as yet unspecified cruises that we hope to take next fall. We put it off as long as we could but finally decided to pack. It didn’t take too long but we’ll have to do a little fine tuning before we put it in the hall this evening. That done we were free to enjoy one more Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar and and one more dinner in the dining room.
November 13, 2022, 80’s, mostly sunny and humid – Embassy Suites, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Departure day. We were all up early. The two of us had some coffee and finished packing what was left in our room. We were supposed to get off the ship at 7:30 but a late arrival in port and total disorganization at the port and lack of information on what was going on on Royal’s part, led to a lengthy and confusing departure. Luggage and people were not released in an orderly fashion, with low group numbers (such as our group #3) being delivered to the holding area way after higher numbers with later departure times. When we finally got our luggage we used a porter to handle our many heavy bags and take us through Passport Control and out to the taxi area. It was worth the $15 tip, although the porter did try to get more out of Dad after Laurie had already tipped him. The taxi was another adventure. The taxi driver “Antoine” said the fare would be $24 – which was much higher than the metered price of $8.50. Laurie questioned why he was asking so much more than the metered price. The driver argued that was the fare because of all of our luggage and he had to handle it himself. Then the driver pointed to his already beat up bumper and said Laurie scrapped it while helping with the luggage. Laurie took a picture of the bumper, cab name, license plate, and got the guy’s badge number. When Laurie questioned the guy again to make sure he had his name right, the driver said something along the lines of “if we didn’t want to pay then don’t pay” and he then left. (Later looking at reviews online for this company it appears this is a common practice for this taxi company – what a scam!) On a happier note, Embassy Suites’ wonderful buffet was still going on and we had a delicious breakfast. We sat and visited until our room was ready about 11:30. Time to rest after a busy morning. Soon we took our resting out by the pool with Laurie and Dad enjoying the sun, and Mom and Pat enjoying the shade. There was a unique visitor to the pool in the form of a large-size prehistoric looking iguana. It was ugly yet beautiful with a predominantly orange-ish color with others colors throughout, some iridescent looking as it posed in the sunshine. We went back to the room for a while before going back down for Happy Hour – a free (tiny) drink, veggies and dip, and salty snacks which we enjoyed poolside. Several people walking by our table gave us their drink coupons so we were able to get a second tiny drink. While we visited, Laurie ordered a veggie pizza from Manhattan NY Pizza which we walked over to pick up while M&D went to the room. It was a very good pizza. M&D were tired after the long day and turned in early.
November 14, 2022 – low 80’s and mostly sunny – Embassy Suites, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Laurie was up and out by 4:30, going for a long walk in the peacefulness of the morning. He returned about 6:00 with coffee which made Pat very happy. M&D were ready for the day closer to 7:30 which is about when we headed down for the wonderful brunch again. We relaxed for a couple hours by the pool in the morning sunshine before going back to the room to watch a little TV, read, etc. By early afternoon it was warm enough to put on shorts, swimsuits, and sunscreen to get our last bit of sun before everyone returns to colder climates tomorrow. Pat even went in the pool to cool off. It was a very pleasant afternoon. Soon it was time for Happy Hour and to use our free drink tickets and the ones that fellow guests bestowed on us yesterday. It was another comfortable evening to sit outside. Our choice for dinner tonight was Five Guys Burgers which we picked up and brought back to the room – yummy loaded hamburgers with fries.
November 15, 2022 – mid 80’s to low 50’s – Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Mukilteo WA – HOME
Laurie was up very early again and went down to read, returning about 6:00 with coffee. Everyone else was up later but still earlier than usual. We went down for the breakfast buffet about 7:00 then returned to the room to finish up packing. By 8:45 we were in a Lyft ride and headed to Miami Airport which, because of traffic, took almost an hour. We turned in our luggage, went through security, and found seats at M&D’s gate to spend a little more time chatting. It was sad to say goodbye, but in less than a month we’ll be together again in Yuma! Their flight left on time at 12:22. We then had about an hour wait for our flight which was the next gate over and also left on time at 1:55. Our flight to Houston was uneventful. About an hour later we boarded our Seattle flight which left on time at 5:02. Another uneventful flight until landing when just before touching down, there was another plane still on the runway, so we went back up for a “go around” to try again, still arriving a little early. It was a relatively short walk to baggage claim, our luggage came in with the first few, and we got a Lyft right away. By about 9:15 we were back at home and hugging Daniel. (Nicole’s hugs had to wait until morning.) So ended a wonderful, memorable trip-of-a lifetime with Mom and Dad.