Cruising: 2025-Oct Vision OTS
(Baltimore-Canada-Caribbean-Baltimore)

October 22, 2025 – Wednesday – Baltimore, MD
After two fantastic cruises with Mom and Dad, we are now on our own after seeing them off at the Delta Terminal in Ft. Lauderdale. We originally had a Southwest flight at 10:00 am, but we were able to get on an earlier flight that left at 6:30 am. The flight was less than half-full, was very smooth, and arrived early – just after 8:30. Baltimore’s temperature was around 60 degrees which felt quite cool after Florida’s humid mid-80’s. The Lyft to Homewood Suites took about half an hour. Although our room wasn’t ready until after 1:00, we were able to catch the end of the complimentary hot breakfast buffet that went until 10:00. Then we hung out in the lobby until our room was ready at 1:30. It was one big room with the bed and sitting area divided by a long desk, and a kitchenette off the sitting area. We were on the 12th floor with a small view of the harbor which is less than a block away. Since we are using carry-ons on our flight we had to dispose of some items in Florida from our first two cruises, and we had an Amazon order delivered to the hotel which arrived two days earlier (toothpaste, sunscreen, mousse, razor blades, and scissors) to use on our next three cruises. After an afternoon of rest, we headed out for an early dinner so we could walk along the harbor while it was still light out. It was nice but not as scenic as we expected. We ate at Attman’s Deli, established 1915, which was about a half mile walk from the hotel. We had large corned beef and pastrami sandwiches with warm, freshly made potato chips, and coleslaw. Also included was a small “pickle bar” with several types of pickles, peppers, olives, and sauerkraut. Everything was delicious and very filling. Despite being full, we stopped at the hotel’s Happy Hour that started at 5:30 for a glass of wine. We didn’t partake in the food there which could serve as a meal and included soup, salad, cheese, crackers, veggies and dip, fruit, and various crunchy snacks in addition to wine and beer. Satisfied, we turned in for the evening after a very long day.

October 23, 2025 – Thursday/Day 1 – Depart Baltimore, MD
We were up early and Pat made coffee in the room. About 7:30 we had the hot breakfast buffet then went back to the room to finish packing and kill some time. At 10:15 we took a Lyft to the port, went through the lines, and were seated in the Centrum on Deck 4 by 11:00! The Centrum stage was very creatively decorated for Halloween already. Our room was ready at 1:00 and we quickly moved in since we carried on our luggage. Our room has a nice large window, is a bit warn since Vision is an older ship, and doesn’t have a fridge – but we will enjoy our stay as we have on five other cruises on Vision. We went out for a bit to check in at our muster station, get a Kummelweck sandwich at Park Cafe, and filled up our water bottle. For Happy Hour we checked out the Crown Lounge and had a few appetizers.  We left and sat in the Centrum listening to a band until dinner at 7:45. We have a window table for two with Elias as our waiter and Dan as our Assistant Waiter. Both seemed very good and quick. We were done with dinner just after 8:30. Then sat in the Centrum for a few minutes watching the end of a funny game show. We turned in early to relax in the quiet of our cabin, watching some TV and reading.

October 24, 2025 – Friday/Day 2 – At Sea
As on previous cruises, Laurie headed up to the Crown Lounge early with Pat following a little bit later (6:15) to have our early coffee. In case there were chair hogs on this cruise, we decided to take some coffee up to the Solarium shorty after 6:30 to see the situation, and were pleasantly surprised that there are not chair hogs on this cruise (yet). We walked to the Windjammer at one point and brought our plates back to the Solarium. It didn’t start to fill up until after 8:30ish but we’ll see if that continues day to day. The padded lounge chairs were very comfortable and we didn’t return to relax in our room until after 2:00. Today’s Happy hour we spent in the Schooner Bar before going to the dining room for dinner.

October 25, 2025 – Saturday/Day 3 – Boston, MA
This morning’s early temperature was only 45 degrees! We had our early coffee followed by a Windjammer breakfast, and returned to our room to let our breakfast settle. About 10:15 we headed out to walk around Boston. First we walked about 2 miles to Boston Common, which is the oldest public park in the US being established in 1634, and it is also the start of The Freedom Trail with lots of historic points along it’s route which we followed more than 3/4 of the way. Across from the Common is the gold-domed Massachusetts State House which is the state capital and the seat of the state government. The most fascinating site was the Granary Burying Ground established in 1660. It is the resting place for many prominent figures from the American Revolution including Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and victims of the Boston Massacre. Most of the gravestones were very weathered and hard to read but we could make out some dates in the late 1600’s and the 1700’s. Next up – Kings Chapel & Burying Ground was the first graveyard in Boston founded in 1630. Copp’s Hill Burying Ground was another interesting graveyard with gravestones dated from the late 1600’s to the early 1800’s. We also saw Paul Revere’s House which was covered in scaffolding and not much to see. Our last stop was the Old North Church which was the site of the lantern signals that warned the colonial militia of the British march to Lexington and Concord in 1775, launching the American Revolution. We also saw many old buildings as well as cobblestone and brick streets and sidewalks, and other interesting sites on The Freedom Trail during our 6-7 mile walk today. By 2:30 we were in Windjammer enjoying some clam chowder before returning to our room. Revived with a nap and some reading, we had short Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar then walked right across the aisle to Giovanni’s for dinner. Our very nice, but slow, waitress named Gorkum was from Turkey. Dinner was delicious with the two of us sharing a steak and a pasta dish after their meat and cheese board and fried calamari. Tonight we turned the clocks ahead one hour.

October 26, 2025 – Sunday/Day 4 – St. John (Bay of Fundy), New Brunswick, Canada
Only 39 degrees early morning with a cloudy day. Sunrise did provide a spectacular red band on the horizon, quickly disappearing behind the clouds. We hung out in different areas of the ship before going for a late breakfast in Windjammer. Shortly before 1:00 we went for a walk around the mostly unattractive city. Maybe it was the overcast day, many things being closed because it was Sunday, old buildings that seemed in need of a power wash, or the mostly bare trees and tons of dead leaves around that made it seem that way. Sites we saw included the Trinity Angelican Church dating to 1783, King’s Square Park dating to 1785, and the Loyalist Burial Ground established in 1784 with the oldest headstone dating to that year. We also walked through the long hall of the City Market where there were all kinds of crafts, foods, souvenirs, etc. for sale. The sides of the hall had many food shops but most were closed. Briefly we walked through the Waterfront Container Village consisting of 60 retailers. We covered all this in a little over an hour. We started Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar at a nice, quiet table for two. The table next to us soon filled up with 8 people and then we couldn’t hear each other across our table even when shouting so we moved to the Centrum. Windjammer was our choice for an early (6:45) dinner and it was very crowded. There was no show tonight to corral people in the theater so it seemed there were lots of people throughout the ship. As soon as we finished our dinner we retreated to the calm and quiet of our room for the evening.

* Due to some bad weather our stop in Sydney was cancelled with other itinerary changes noted each day below.

October 27, 2025 – Monday/Day 5 – At Sea (Changed to arriving at Halifax at 2:00 pm & overnighting there)
Our morning started early with coffee in the Crown Lounge. Yesterday Windjammer was very crowded when we went mid-morning so we decided to have breakfast at 7:15 this morning. It was not crowded at all and still wasn’t crowded when we left at 8:00. We went on to spend a couple hours reading and relaxing in the Centrum as our other usual areas (Solarium and Viking Lounge) were both too cold. Our day was mostly spent in the warmth of our room reading, napping, and watching TV – followed by the Schooner Bar and Windjammer.

October 28, 2025 – Tuesday/Day 6 – Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada (Changed to Halifax Day 2)
There was rain overnight but by sunrise it had stopped. After early coffee and Pat having breakfast in the Crown Lounge, we had an excursion 9:30-4:15. It was partly cloudy, cold, and very windy for our adventure. A scenic hour drive from the port we visited Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia’s most authentic picturesque fishing village and its famous lighthouse. The coast is incredible granite formations shaped by glaciers and ocean tides over millions of years. Next up was a stop at Acadian Maple Products which sold all things maple and smelled wonderful inside. Following the store, we stopped at Fairview Lawn Cemetery where 121 victims of the Titanic are buried, some identified and some not. Our guide, Marie, had some back stories for some of those buried there which were very interesting. (Halifax was the closest land to the Titanic sinking and sent ships out to help with what turned out to be a recovery mission rather than rescue.) With the 1-1/2  hours of free time we had, we walked around and then had coffee and a sandwich at Tim Horton’s, Canada’s iconic coffee chain. Though it really wasn’t the best time of year to do so, we walked through the Fairfax Public Gardens. There were still some flowers around but a lot of the flower beds where empty, and there was also beautiful fountain to see. The last stop on our tour was Citadel Hill, a strategic hilltop fort constructed starting in 1828 that we did not go into. From the outside we could observe the uniformed guard controlling entry, view the clock tower built to resolve tardiness in the garrison, and had a great view of the McDonald Bridge in the distance. After a short rest we went for Happy Hour, then saw our first show during this extensive trip – Dario El Gaucho. His act consisted of drum and guitar playing, and twirling balls on strings (Boleadoras) that knocked the floor along with stomping from his boots. This was accompanied by comical commentary. It was just okay. Dinner in the Windjammer finished our day. (We turned the clocks back one hour.)

October 29, 2025 – Wednesday/Day 7 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Changed to At Sea)
A cold, cloudy day with lots of gentle rocking. Our usual lounge coffee and Windjammer breakfast. We decided to try the Solarium again. It was pretty cool but we wrapped ourselves in pool towels and drank coffee and tea. We stayed well into the afternoon reading and napping before returning to our warm cabin. For dinner we used our BOGO to eat a fantastic meal at Izumi. Everything was delicious and fresh tasting, and we ate every morsel.

October 30-31, 2025 – Thursday-Friday/Day 8-9 – At Sea (Changed to sheltering in Chesapeake Bay)
It was warmer today with peaks of sun in the morning, and rolling seas all day. We had lounge coffee, a Windjammer breakfast, and then parked ourselves in the comfortable Solarium most of the day. At about 2:00 PM it started to rain which made it kind of cozy in the all-glass Solarium, although they closed the pool due to the intense sloshing. The captain’s noon announcement informed us that another weather system was going to cause us issues. Tomorrow we were supposed to be at sea but instead we are making a beeline for Chesapeake Bay to miss a storm. We tried our luck in the casino with our $6 credits but it disappeared really fast. Kim gave us good service in the Schooner Bar, then we had a delicious lobster dinner in the dining room.

Friday morning about 9:00 AM we anchored in the bay and spent the day there. It was a mostly sunny, windy day. Coffee, Windjammer, and the Solarium until late afternoon. We relaxed for a while in the room before having dinner in the dining room. Since today was Halloween it was a real party atmosphere in the evening with lots of costumes, a parade, and a contest to judge the costumes.

November 1, 2025 – Saturday/Day 10 – Arrive Baltimore, MD
Turnaround day. We had our early Crown Lounge coffee, spent a little time in the room, then went to the Some Enchanted Evening Lounge where consecutive cruisers were meeting. They had us fill one side of the lounge, then scanned us out of the current cruise one-by-one and had us sit on the other side of the lounge. Then they did the reverse scanning us all in with our new cards. No immigration. After a short wait it was time to start our new cruise!

Since we were consecutive cruisers, this cruise started with a nice luncheon in the dining room. Turnaround day is a madhouse in Windjammer for the departing cruise breakfast, as well as the new cruise lunch. We skipped our usual breakfast so we’d be hungry for the consecutive cruisers lunch and could avoid Windjammer. Then we enjoyed the calm and quiet of our cabin for the afternoon since the first day of a cruise tends to be crowded and noisy. We returned to the Schooner Bar for Happy Hour and good service by Kim. At 7:00 we went to the theater for the Welcome Aboard Showtime which had a sampling of the orchestra, singers and dancers, and a comedian.  In the dining room we found our new waiter was Brighton (Zimbabwe) and our assistant waiter was Cherry (Barbados). They seemed a bit disorganized but it was only day one so we’ll see. We missed how quick our last servers were.

November 2-4, 2025 – Sunday-Tuesday/Days 2-4 – At Sea
Sunday – Lounge coffee, Windjammer breakfast, then we spent the morning and afternoon in the Solarium. People were in there earlier than on the prior cruise. We got there at 8:00 AM and it filled up soon after. It was a mostly sunny day so it was a nice and bright place to spend most our day. Outside it was warmer (70’ish) but also very windy. It clouded up later in the afternoon and some rain went through. Two of the neighbors near our cabin have little mailboxes on their doors that say “take a duck, leave a duck” so we’ve been checking them as we go by and trading out ducks we have for ones we like better. Our Happy Hour was in the Schooner Bar, then we headed to the theater for the show “Oh What a Night” featuring the great music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. We dined in Windjammer before turning in for the night.

Monday – Lounge coffee and an early breakfast in Windjammer before we headed to the Solarium. It was only 7:30 and most of the padded lounge chairs round the pool were already taken. This cruise there is a lot more early risers and breakfast eaters than on other cruises. As we’ve headed south it’s becoming warmer (80ish) and more humid, with some thunderstorms in the distance on this cloudy, gloomy day. In the Schooner Bar we sat with a young (30’s) couple (Tim and Amber) from Virginia who were on their first cruise and had some good conversation despite the loud piano music. Dinner in the dining room.

Tuesday – 6:30 and 3/4 of the padded chairs in the Solarium were taken! We went there after our early coffee, and went to Windjammer for about 25 minutes for breakfast. (It’s okay to reserve your chairs for 30 minutes.) Since it was a mostly sunny day it became hot and humid in the bright sun coming in the Solarium’s glass windows. Late morning we found a place out on Deck 10 in the windy shade which was comfortable until we returned to our cabin. Our Happy Hour was short then we headed into Giovanni’s for a delicious dinner where we shared everything: meat and cheese board, calamari, steak, garlic shrimp, and dessert.

November 5, 2025 – Wednesday/Day 5 – St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
A beautiful day as we docked about 8:00 AM. It was a mostly a sunny, bright blue sky accentuated with tall, puffy  clouds – some with rain streaming from the bottoms. There were also bits of rainbows mixed in. The sky and water contrasted beautifully with the lush greenery of the land. It was hot (mid-80’s) and humid already when we went ashore at 8:45 to stretch our legs. We shared the port with Adventure of the Seas. The ocean shore and some pelicans were about the only points of interest. The town was pretty run down. There was the usual gauntlet of people selling excursions, as well as vendors set up selling their wares. We returned to the ship about 10:15 just before a brief heavy downpour sending people on the pier running. After resting and cooling off in our room we went to Windjammer for lunch. It was super busy. We did some reading in chairs overlooking the Centrum before returning to our room. Dinner tonight was spent in Windjammer once again.

November 6, 2025 – Thursday/Day 6 – Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
Another hot, humid, partly sunny day. We had visited Basseterre before and checking our blog saw that it wasn’t really worth another visit. In addition to that, there were three ships docked so the town was sure to be very crowded. After our early coffee and 7:00 breakfast in Windjammer, we relaxed in the empty Solarium until it became uncomfortably warm and humid. The Centrum was our new reading spot, with a break to get “fancy” coffee at Cafe Latte-tudes. In the afternoon we wandered around the outside deck to check out the surrounding area. The town may not be much but the island’s lush, green mountains were beautiful. Back inside we had a chance to see how they change lightbulbs in the very high ceilings – they stand on a ladder and use an extremely long pole that they use to replace the screw-in lightbulbs in the high ceilings. In this case they were in the Centrum replacing bulbs several decks higher. Have to have steady arms to do that! We did a quick Happy Hour in the Schooner bar, then went to the theater for a wonderful show by the Kingston Trio. They sang the hit songs of the trio, some other songs that we hadn’t heard of but were very good, and they told some humorous stories. Dinner was in the Windjammer for Italian night.

November 7, 2025 – Friday/Day 7 – Castries, St. Lucia
We had our early coffee in the Crown Lounge, than went out on deck as we pulled into Castries to take some pictures. Our reading spot for a little while was the deserted Solarium. We decided to go ashore to walk around town and then have breakfast when we came back. Before we could do so, there was a heavy downpour but it only lasted about 15 minutes. Castries proved to be another one of those towns we probably wouldn’t visit again, although the surrounding green hills were scenic. Everything seemed to be crumbling, including the sidewalks and open gutters so we always had to watch where we walking so as not to twist an ankle. We visited Derek Walcott Square which had some huge trees with massive trunks, a non-working fountain, a gazebo, and a couple memorial stones to Nobel prize winners who were born in St. Lucia. Next door was the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception that was built in 1897 and is the largest church in the Caribbean. From there we walked to the Castries Market which had a warren of vendors seemingly all selling the same items. What was different from other markets we’ve visited, is that the people were all very nice and not pushy at all. From there we visited the waterfront to get a view of our ship, some fishing boats, and birds resting on rocks in the water. It was very hot and incredibly humid so we were dripping after our 1 hour and 15 minute walk. We caught the end of breakfast in Windjammer then sat in the cool Centrum reading until we went back to our room. We then went to the theater to see comedian/magician Bill Cook. He had a few good moments but it was mostly meh. Ended the day with dinner in Windjammer.

November 8, 2025 – Saturday/Day 8 – Roseau, Dominica
A messy weather day. There were waves of rain and fog throughout the day. In the early morning there were a few peaks of sun but the rest of the day was mostly solid gray.  We docked about a 20 minute walk from what little there was to see instead at the closer dock. That said, it seemed a good idea to stay onboard. After lounge coffee we read in the Solarium then went for a 10:00 breakfast in Windjammer. The Centrum was our next reading spot until we returned to our room mid-afternoon. We went to Windjammer for dinner.

November 9, 2025 – Sunday/Day 9 – Philipsburg, St. Maarten
After a rain shower, it was a mostly sunny, very hot, very humid, and very windy day. We had early coffee, Pat had a breakfast sandwich at Park Cafe, and we wandered around the ship taking pictures of the surrounding area until it was time to go ashore. The walk to town took about 20 minutes where we walked around the narrow, shop lined streets including Front Street, the main thoroughfare, and glanced down Old Street to see cobblestones and pastel-colored buildings. From Wathey Square we  saw the Courthouse, a lasting symbol of St. Maarten’s colonial past built in 1793.  Then we walked along the boardwalk that runs parallel to beautiful Great Bay Beach that runs the full length of Great Bay. The boardwalk is mostly lined with restaurants and small hotels. Philipsburg was all about two things – the beach or shopping (jewelry, liquor, diamonds, high-end stuff, etc.) About 1.5 hours (2.5 miles) later we were back in the coolness of our cabin to rest until lunch in Windjammer, reading in the Centrum, and relaxing in our room.

November 10-12, 2025 – Monday-Wednesday/Days 10-11 – At Sea
Monday – A hot, humid, partly cloudy day. Coffee-Windjammer-Solarium then off to our cabin mid-morning to get some computer-related items done. Happy Hour was in the Schooner Bar with service by Kim. Then we went to Windjammer for Mediterranean night which was delicious. A few nights ago a cook named Bishal came by our table and asked how everything was and if there was anything he could do for us. Laurie mentioned that there was only chocolate ice cream for dessert while he liked vanilla. Bishal went to the kitchen at the other end of the ship and brought Laurie vanilla from the dining room! He did this a second time, and tonight was the third night. He seems to keep an eye out for us, and when he sees us getting food at the buffet, he sneaks off to the main dining room to get Laurie his vanilla ice-cream and surprises us after we eat by brining it to our table.

He also brings toppings and brought Pat a bowl of chocolate ice cream. We also see him in the mornings at the omelet station and he always greets us with a big smile. Outstanding service! We finished a very nice meal with a piece of baklava which we took outside on the pool deck.

Tuesday – A change of weather – cooler, not humid, mostly cloudy, and extremely windy with huge swells rocking us! We did our coffee, Windjammer, Solarium routine. However, by mid-morning it was rocking so bad large waves of water were sloshing out of the pool and flooding the Solarium, including where we were sitting! They closed the pool but the flooding continued until they drained the pool. (Reminiscent of the start of our Radiance cruise with Mom and Dad out of Vancouver not that long ago.) We had a delicious lobster dinner in the dining room to finish up the day.

Wednesday – Mostly sunny, 60ish, windy, and still rocking a bit today. Coffee-Windjammer-Solarium, then resting in our cabin. We had Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar then headed up to Windjammer where Bishal once again brought Laurie vanilla ice cream and a side of his preferred toppings. A trip to try our luck in the casino with our $6 credits presented us with a closed casino as we were too close to land for it to be open. Oh well. A stop at the photo gallery to pick up a photo we had printed, a brief listen to a game show in Centrum, and then walking through all the suitcases in the hallway as we went to our cabin for the night.

November 13, 2025 – Thursday/Day 12 – Arrive/Depart Baltimore, MD
A chilly, mostly sunny day. We had coffee in the lounge, then decided to try reading in the Solarium. It was too cold to stay so we bounced between different spots until it was time for the consecutive cruisers to gather in the Some Enchanted Evening Lounge. We were surprised at the huge group. They gave us new sea-pass cards, then checked us out on our old cards followed by checking us in on the new cruise cards. Time for cruise #3 on Vision to begin!

As consecutive cruisers, we were checked in for the new cruise about 10:00. We went to our cabin to chill until the consecutive cruiser lunch at 11:30 in the dining room. It was a nice, 3-course meal. Then back to the cabin to relax for the afternoon. Happy Hour was in the mostly empty Schooner Bar, followed by dinner in the dining room. We have another nice window table for two, and are waiters are Joseph and Onke. They seem very good.

November 14, 2025 – Friday/Day 2 – At Sea
A beautiful sunny day in the 60’s. Coffee in Crown Lounge, Solarium, Windjammer breakfast, back in the Solarium for lots of reading. Returned to our cabin in the afternoon to catch up on some computer stuff. Joseph and Onke provided great service at our dining room dinner.

November 15, 2025 – Saturday/Day 3 – Charleston, SC
We pulled up to Charleston at sunrise with a beautiful sky filled with birds swooping through the air as well as gliding low over the water looking for edible bits stirred up by the ship. During early coffee in the lounge, Laurie had an interesting conversation with Bob from Baltimore, a retired Baltimore police officer. We relaxed in the Solarium (Pat got a breakfast sandwich) until we went ashore at 10:00. Even before setting foot outside the port we were confronted with the majestic U.S. Customs House, started in 1853 and finally finished in 1879 after many delays, including the start of the Civil War. The building still functions today as it was originally intended. Then, following a pre-planned route, we covered between 4-5 miles in 2 hours. First we visited Joe Riley Waterfront Park where we walked out on a pier to observe the view. There was also a pretty fountain at the end of the park we were at. Next up was the Old Slave Mart from 1859 down a cobblestone street, believed to be the last surviving site of a slave auction house. Then we walked along Rainbow Row, 13 pastel-colored mansions built between 1730-1750. Continuing our walk we strolled White Point Garden, commonly known as “The Battery”, a collection of huge, elegant, predominantly antebellum homes along the Charleston Harbor Waterfront and down side streets. A park at the end had old cannons pointed at the water, and Confederate-related statues along crushed oyster shell paths. The next park we stopped at was Washington Square Park which featured an obelisk-shaped memorial dedicated to the Washington Light Infantry – a miniature of the one in DC. It bears inscriptions of major military battles of US history. There was also a statue of Washington in the quiet, shady park. Lastly, we entered the historic City Market established in the 1790’s. It was a 4-block long indoor market with vendors running along each side. It was a bit of a gaunlet to walk through so we cut out a side door at our first chance to continue our walk back to the ship. We revived with food and iced tea in the Windjammer then went out on deck to take pictures of the surrounding area, including the Ravenal Bridge. We could see Fort Sumter, where the Civil War started, standing guard at the entrance to the harbor. We went out on deck as we were sailing away and cruised by Fort Sumter. It was smaller than we expected and hard to see because of the sun in our eyes. Tonight’s dinner was in Chops and everything was delicious.

November 16, 2025 – Sunday/Day 4 – Orlando (Port Canaveral) FL
A sunny day in Orlando with the temperature in the mid to upper 70’s with a nice breeze. After early coffee we parked ourselves in the empty Solarium, leaving temporarily around 10:00 for breakfast in the Windjammer before returning for more reading. We wandered around Deck 10 to see the surrounding ocean and land views, including four other cruise ships parked here. There was a waterfront park not too far away that we could have walked to but that was about it for the port area. We opted to stay onboard. Early evening we dined in Windjammer, where Bishal once again brought Laurie some vanilla ice cream at the end of our meal.

November 17, 2025 – Monday/Day 5 – Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas
Early coffee, early Windjammer breakfast, and early Solarium where we spent most the morning and afternoon. The weather was wonderful, sunny and upper 70’s. The ship opened the glass roof over the Solarium which let in bright, hot sunshine over the pool area as well as a breeze which made the side area where we were in the shade very pleasant. The only thing near the port is a small shopping area, with most sites being a 30-45 minute drive away, so we just relaxed on the ship. Our day finished up with dinner in the dining room.

November 18, 2025 – Tuesday/Day 6 – Nassau, Bahamas
Started our day with early coffee in the lounge, then quickly moved to the quiet of the Solarium to read. The Park Cafe provided some delicious breakfast sandwiches this morning. Another glorious day and they once again opened the roof over the Solarium. We’ve been in Nassau before and our notes say to stay on the ship because it’s crowded (six ships here today!), and full of aggressive, in your face vendors, taxis, people selling excursions, etc. Instead we spent time lounging in the sun on Deck 10 where the sun was popping in and out of the clouds. Ended the day with dinner in the Windjammer.

November 19-20, 2025 – Wednesday-Thursday/Days 7-8 – At Sea
Wednesday – A beautiful, sunny, calm day but they sadly didn’t open the Solarium roof. Lots of reading and relaxing. We tried our luck on the slots in the casino with our $6 credit but this ship had the worst machines ever. Dinner in the dining room was a wonderful lobster dinner. Our waiter, Joseph, was even kind enough to sneak us second lobsters!

Thursday – A partly sunny, cooler day. Our usual morning. Packing in the afternoon. We chatted and said our goodbyes to Kim in the Schooner Bar, as well as with Bishal in the Windjammer. They both gave us outstanding service.

(One thing we did on a daily basis on every cruise was keep an eye out for ducks hidden around the ship by other passengers. We accumulated a good size collection so earlier this last cruise we decided which ones we really wanted to keep, then we hid the others around the ship. We also stopped keeping additional ducks we found. It was a fun little side activity.)

November 21, 2025 – Friday/Day 9 – Arrive Baltimore, MD & Fly Home
Laurie had his early coffee and brought back a cup for Pat. We finished up packing. Pat went to Windjammer to pick up breakfast to bring back to the cabin. Afterwards, we went to the Centrum where we parked our luggage in the line to get off while we sat in nearby chairs. We got off the ship about 7:15, immediately got a taxi to the airport, went through security (The Radiance crystal block in Laurie’s bag triggered a check but not the Vision one in Pat’s), and by 8:00 AM we were seated by our departure gate for a long wait as our flight wasn’t scheduled to leave until 7:18 PM – but at least we were right by outlets, bathrooms, and a McDonald’s. We pulled back about 7:45 but still arrived as scheduled after a bumpy flight. The light rail was just about to leave at 11:00 PM when we boarded for the hour plus ride to Lynnwood where we caught a Lyft ride home. We ended our long day seeing Daniel’s smiling face and getting hugs. It was wonderful to see him. At 1:00 AM (4:00AM Eastern time) we collapsed into our beds, happy to be home.

(Pictures to come…)