September 26, 2025 – Friday/Day 1 – Departure Day From Vancouver, BC
Here we go on another cruise adventure with our favorite travel companions – Mom and Dad! After a wonderful two week stay with mom & dad in Mukilteo (including a week with Adam) to visit with family, we hit the road. We rented a car to drive to our departure port of Vancouver, BC, about 3 hours away. Everything went smoothly with no waits anywhere from crossing the border, returning the rental car, catching a taxi to the port, going through all the pre-bordering stuff, and boarding the Radiance of the Seas. Once on board, we headed up to Windjammer which did have about a 5 minute wait before they opened the doors, but we were one of the first ones through the door. Our lunch was delicious. Laurie took care of making some specialty restaurant reservations. After a short wait we able to get into our cabins and start to get set up and settled in. Mid-afternoon we did a bit of walking visiting our different muster stations and checking out our dining room table location, which is by a window as requested by Laurie, and not too far back in the room. We rested up in our staterooms, with the ship departing a little early at 3:45. Next up was Happy Hour which we spent at Quill & Compass, a British-style pub. 
Then on to the dining room where our waiter is Karen and the assistant waiter is Edmark. They both were very good and we had a delicious dinner. On the way to our rooms we stopped by the Centrum to enjoy a singer who sounded like Adelle for a few songs. Back in our rooms we turned in about 9:00 after a long day.
September 27, 2025 – Saturday/Day 2 – Astoria, OR
We started our usual routine of Laurie going to the Crown Lounge for coffee and reading very early, with Pat following about 6:15. The lounge is on deck 13 and overlooks the pool area and provides a great view. We headed back to the room early so Laurie could work on some technical stuff. On the way Pat happened to look out a window at just the right time to glimpse two Orcas, seeing the black and white head and spouting back of one and the tail of another going into the water. After meeting up with M&D at 8:00, we went up to Windjammer for a delicious breakfast. Afterwards we settled on lounge chairs in the Solarium to rest, nap, and read. While resting on the lounge chairs, the ship suddenly went through a rough patch of seas when we entered the Columbia River heading to Astoria which sent about a 1-1/2 foot wave of water gushing out of the pool and onto the deck. It was strong and deep enough to sweep away everything loose on the deck, including Pat’s purse and sandals. They both were soaked and her phone had gotten dislodged from her purse so Laurie had to hunt that down. Her pants also got wet, as did Mom’s shoes which were on her feet! This happened several times before we moved on to calmer water. A little adventure within our big adventure! After drying off in our cabins, we sat in the Centrum watching all the people getting ready to get off the ship in Astoria about noon. It took a long time to get everyone off. We went out on deck four to check out the surrounding area, taking pictures of the Astoria Bridge, but otherwise it didn’t look worth going ashore. Instead we hit Windjammer again for a light lunch before returning to our rooms to rest. The Schooner Bar was our spot for Happy Hour today before going to Izumi for a delicious sushi dinner. As we left Izumi the ship was headed back out into the ocean from the Columbia River and we went through that rough patch again so it was interesting walking back to our rooms to turn in for the night.
September 28, 2025 – Sunday/Day 3 – At Sea
Our morning was a repeat of yesterday: early coffee, breakfast in Windjammer, and resting/reading in the Solarium – without the water works! Then we checked out the shops before returning to our cabins for the afternoon. Using our $6.00 slot machine credit provided by RC, we had a little fun in the casino. Dad was the only one to walk away several dollars ahead. We returned to the Schooner Bar prior to our dinner in the dining room. It was a “Dress Your Best” night and they served some delicious beef tenderloin.
September 29-30, 2025 – Monday-Tuesday/Days 4-5 – San Francisco, CA
We finished up our early coffee and picked M&D up for breakfast at 8:00. Today we decided to give the dining room a try for breakfast which was very good and much quieter than Windjammer, although there was a much smaller selection on the menu. As we ate we went under the Golden Gate Bridge and passed by Alcatraz on the way to our docking spot. From our table we can look one way and see the Golden Gate Bridge, and look the opposite way and see the Oakland Bay Bridge. There are lots of birds in the area, especially pelicans, as well as they said there were dolphins around. Before settling into the mostly empty Solarium to rest and read, we stopped in M&D’s cabin to call Adam and Greg, who were both doing well. Shortly after noon, M&D had a nosh at Windjammer and we headed out to Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 39. We were docked at Pier 27 and it was about a 15 minute walk to get to the start of Pier 39. It was a very busy, colorful area with some unique shops, tons of restaurants which gave off a multitude of scents, and wonderful views from various points. We saw the famous sea lions that hang out there swimming around, resting on the piers, and often doing a lot of barking. Sights included the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Oakland Bay Bridge. We also watched a magician (Big Al Catras) who wasn’t very good and begged for applause and tips. After covering about four miles we returned to the ship, going straight up to Windjammer for a snack and some iced tea before going to our cabin to rest. We were in the Schooner Bar prior to dinner in the dining room again for some good conversation and food.
Tuesday we had a Windjammer breakfast, lazed in the Solarium, and relaxed in our cabins in the afternoon. There wasn’t anything else we were interested in seeing after going ashore yesterday. We ended up in the Schooner Bar and the main dining room again.
October 1-2, 2025 – Wednesday-Thursday/Days 6-7 – At Sea (Yom Kippur)
Our usual start to the day. The Solarium filled up earlier because it was a sea day and everyone was looking for somewhere to park themselves for the morning and afternoon. M&D went off on their own for a bit to try their luck at the casino, check out photos we had taken onboard, and a little nosh. Yom Kippur starts at sundown today so we decided to skip Happy Hour and were at Windjammer when it opened at 5:30 for an early dinner. We had some delicious Italian food and desserts before sundown. Then we turned in early for the evening.
As Yom Kippur continued into Thursday, we didn’t have our usual early coffee and breakfast. We were up in the Solarium early when it was still cool and dark out. A couple hours later M&D joined us to relax, snooze, and read. Before returning to our cabins for the afternoon we stopped in the photo gallery so Mom could order a photo. There was lobster for dinner tonight although it was pretty small and a bit dry. Karen and Edmark were good all week, but we found Savio, a maitre’d, was especially attentive and great to talk to. After dinner we turned in for the night. About midnight we discovered our toilet had stopped flushing. We called and about 45 minutes later maintenance came and got it working from out in the hall. Not fun but just a small blip on a wonderful cruise.
October 3, 2025 – Friday/Day 8 – Catalina Island, CA
Back to our regular schedule of the two of us having early coffee in the Crown Lounge, then picking up M&D at 8:00 for breakfast in the Windjammer. Catalina is a tendered port and we thought rather than wait in line to get tender tickets we’d see if wanted to go ashore a little later. Unfortunately, it took them over 4 hours to call the tickets which put it at 1:00 before they opened the tenders to everyone! We felt we’d barely get ashore when we’d have to get in line for the last tender back at 4:30. Oh well. It was a beautiful, warm day and we enjoyed our time in the Solarium with M&D and then started packing up in the afternoon (we need to change to different cabins for the next cruise). We had dinner at Chops where we had delicious steaks and salmon with appetizers, all the side dishes, and dessert. Our waiter was Vinit from India and he was excellent.
October 4, 2025 – Saturday/Day 9 – Arrive San Diego, CA Turnaround Day!
The two of us had our early coffee in the Crown Lounge, dropped coffee off for M&D, and finished up our packing. We had to pack everything into our cases but could leave clothes on hangars. Since we had to vacate our rooms about 8:30, we headed up to the Solarium until 9:30 when it was time for consecutive cruisers to meet up in the dining room to check out of the cruise and check into our new cruise.
After being officially checked into our Panama Canal cruise, we had time to kill before a lunch for consecutive cruisers at 11:30 in the dining room. It was a delicious meal with choices of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Once we had filled our stomachs once again, our rooms were ready so we went to unpack, get set up, and relax for the afternoon. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day in San Diego. Where we docked we could see over to the USS Midway Museum. We could see many aircraft parked on the top deck of the aircraft carrier along with booths and lots of visitors walking around. We got comfortable in the Schooner Bar for Happy Hour which started out with us being the only ones there so we got great service. We found a waiter named Michael who was very nice and makes good drinks. In the dining room we met our new waiter, Dennis, and we had the same assistant waiter as the first cruise, Edmark. Dinner was good and then we returned to our cabins. Still no sign of our room attendant but she did leave her card in the key card slot without going in our room to see the note we left on the mirror for her.
Crown & Anchor members on board: Gold 362, Platinum 238, Emerald 118, Diamond 376, Diamond Plus 332, and Pinnacle 98
October 5, 2025 – Sunday/Day 2 – At Sea
Early coffee and another Windjammer breakfast. Then we had a disappointing surprise when we went to the Solarium to find every lounge chair “reserved” with towels with only two people in the hot tub. Chair Hogs strike again on this cruise with a lot of higher status cruisers! We had no problem with this on the prior cruise. We ended up sitting in the area by the Loyalty Ambassador where there were comfy couches and chairs. Later we took M&D up to deck 13 to see the Crown Lounge and get coffee and cookies which we took next door to the less crowded Viking Lounge where we had an expansive ocean view. On our way back to our cabin we finally met our room attendant, Maggie, who seemed very nice. Our day ended with dinner in the dining room.
October 6, 2025 – Monday/Day 3
(Cabo San Lucas, Mexico CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER)
Hurricane Priscilla is spinning off the western coast of Mexico impeding a safe route to our first two ports. Instead we have been traveling straight south since San Diego and then we will turn east going south and around the hurricane. After early coffee and a Windjammer breakfast, we found lounge chairs by the pool where the temperature was comfortable. When the sun started to shine on us warming things up too much, we found lounge chairs in the shade on the side of the ship on deck 12. Eventually this area became a bit too cool when the wind picked up a little, so we grabbed some coffee and cookies in the Crown Lounge and took them over to the Viking Lounge before returning to our cabins. After an afternoon rest we finished up our day with a visit to the Schooner Bar and dinner in the dining room.
October 7, 2025 – Tuesday/Day 4
(Mazatlan, Mexico: CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER)
A hot, humid, rainy, foggy, slightly rocky day. Following early coffee and breakfast in the Windjammer, we parked ourselves in the Viking Lounge on deck 13 for the morning. Our view was of the deserted pool area and out into the gloom, where at one point we saw about 10-12 dolphins leaping out of the water together as we went by. Our cabin provided a cozy place to rest and read for the afternoon. Happy Hour was followed by dinner in Giovanni’s. Three of us had delicious choices but Dad’s fish was very dry. They were very accommodating working to try to make it right and offered another entre in its place at which point dad went with the Gnocchi.
October 8-9, 2025 – Wednesday-Thursday/Days 5-6 – At Sea
Our usual routine on this hot, humid, mostly cloudy Wednesday. Although, we did make a quick afternoon stop at the Park Cafe for a Kummelweck sandwich (a crusty roll with caraway seeds filled with tender sliced roast beef and topped with horseradish) which was outstanding! When we went to pick up M&D for the evening we ended up chatting so long that we just went straight up to the dining room for dinner. (Moved clocks ahead one hour.)
Another warm, humid, mostly cloudy day on Thursday. Early coffee and Windjammer breakfast before hanging out in the Loyalty Ambassador area for a while. Mom and Dad went off at 11:30 for the Cheers With An Officer lunch for Diamond Plus members. We picked up coffee at Café Latte-tudes and sat in the Centrum chatting and people watching before going to our cabin. The Schooner Bar and the dining room ended our day again.
October 10, 2025 – Friday/Day 7 – Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
Approaching Guatemala for our 8:00 docking we were greeted with smooth-as-glass water with a backdrop of a line of sawtooth volcanoes and mountains in the morning haze, including one spewing puffs of steam. Coffee and then the Windjammer, which surprisingly was not crowded. We then went to the also uncrowded Solarium to relax and settle our breakfast. Late morning the two of us decided to do the short walk over a bridge to the tourist area. Here there were loads of vendors selling the same merchandise – jade jewelry, embroidered goods, leather goods, colorful clothes, and lots of beaded items. Pat bought a cute beaded hummingbird for $3. There was a group playing local musical instruments, with benches and chairs to sit on around the area. For the hungry/thirsty there were several small bars and restaurants. All the local people were very nice and not unpleasantly pushy selling their items. It only took us about 30 minutes to wander around and return to the ship. As usual we relaxed in the afternoon, had a Schooner Bar Happy Hour, and dined in the dining room.
October 11, 2025 – Saturday/Day 8 – At Sea
This cloudy day went by in a blur with nothing much happening, and our usual routine for the day.
October 12, 2025 – Sunday/Day 9 – Puntarenas, Costa Rica
It was a gloomy, foggy, wet morning that greeted us as we docked early in Puntarenas. We had our early coffee and then breakfast in Windjammer followed by relaxing in the mostly empty Solarium. The rain continued all day until later in the afternoon. The only things we would do after a walk off the ship and down a long pier, would be walking along a tourist shopping street or walking along the waterfront. Neither would be enjoyable in the rain and we could see the long stretches of waterfront from the ship anyway. The beaches appeared to be black sand being lapped by waves with some people enjoying the water despite the weather. Also lasting all day were large birds circling overhead. Half were pelicans and the others half were more sleek with split tails like swallows. We all went to Windjammer for a snack then back to our cabins where we spent time on our balcony taking pictures, bird watching, and watching the comings and goings on the pier. We were in the Schooner Bar for sail-away, then dined in the main dining room. (We moved the clocks ahead another hour so we are now two hours ahead of home.)
October 13, 2025 – Monday/Day 10 – At Sea
We had our early coffee and Windjammer breakfast before settling in lounge chairs outside on deck 12 in a shaded area. It was a warm, partly sunny, breezy, morning with a passing shower. We eventually moved inside to the Loyalty Ambassador area and ended our visit there by bringing down coffee and cookies from the Crown Lounge one deck up. Then we went off to our cabins. Our room steward, Maggie, provides excellent service giving us extra towels, ice twice a day, and making us some adorable towel animals. She seems to specialize in smaller ones so far but we do have one large frog. Finished the day at the Schooner Bar and dining room.
October 14, 2025 – Tuesday/Day 11 – Panama Canal
A lot of cruisers were up shortly before dawn to observe the area just before the beginning of the Panama Canal where lots of ships were scattered around the Gulf of Panama. As the sun came up it lit up the many tall buildings of Panama City a short way off in the distance. We went up on deck to check out the area from higher up while Pat sipped her early coffee in the fresh air. We called M&D to go to Windjammer for an early breakfast which didn’t have many people and so it was a breeze to get around. Afterwards we parked ourselves on Deck 12 lounge chairs that were in the shade to observe the beginning of our day-long journey through the canal, making frequent visits to the railing to see what was going on. Two guest lecturers onboard also dispensed information over the PA about the locks throughout the day. First we went under the Bridge of the Americas, followed by going through the double Miraflores Locks, then the single Pedro Miguel Lock which all took us up to higher water levels. After going under the Centennial Bridge we began the hours-long trip to the triple Guton Locks that each took us down to a lower water level and finally released us into Limon Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way the first 8 miles (of about 50) was the Culebra Cut which was the narrowest part of our passage with greenery along the water and dense forested mountains behind that. Most of the passage went through Guton Lake which was more open water where we snaked around islands and land formations that jutted into the water. We were in the Schooner Bar and the sun was setting as we finally pulled out of the locks after a very interesting day. From here we also saw a cute local animal in the distance on the shore called a Coatis which has a long snout and tail, and is a member of the raccoon family. Dinner in the dining room.
October 15, 2025 – Wednesday/Day 12 – Colon, Panama
We pulled into Colon just before 7:00 AM with a gloomy, humid start which matched the gloomy industrial area that surrounds the port. We understood that if we didn’t go on pre-booked excursions, the only safe thing to do was to visit the world’s largest duty-free shopping area in the Colon 2000 Cruise Terminal. (Colon is not the safest or most attractive town.) About 11:15, after the morning rain had stopped, all four of us headed out to get a little exercise and check out the shops. There was the usual gauntlet of people selling excursions but we made our way through, visited a couple stores, and decided we had had enough already. Pat bought a Panama magnet with a picture of the canal for $2 from one of the small sellers set up on tables on the way to the mall. It was nice to return to our cool, quiet cabins on our return. We met up for the Schooner Bar followed by an Italian dining room dinner.
October 16, 2025 – Thursday/Day 13 – Cartegena, Colombia
About 6:00 AM today we were in the middle of a storm. In the Crown Lounge on Deck 13 we could see fork lightening and hear the loud thunder that followed, as well as sound of the downpour of rain on the roof. By 8:00 or so we were back in partial sun and we had our breakfast in the Windjammer. Afterwards we settled into our usual mostly covered lounge chairs on Deck 12. It was a bit windy which picked up and the temperature dropped as another storm went through around 9:30, so we went into the Ambassador Lounge also on Deck 12. The rain continued as we returned to our cabin late morning. Early afternoon the two of us decided to venture to the Port of Cartegena cruise terminal to check it out and maybe decide to take a taxi to the Old City. We took a free shuttle bus to what turned out to be a very short drive to the terminal. There was the usual duty free shop mostly selling jewelry and a place to get food and drinks, but that was surrounded by the amazing Port Oasis Eco-Park/Aviary. We walked along winding, lush, jungle-like paths and over wooden bridges to observe all the wildlife on the ground, in the trees, and in the air. Colorful flamingos danced and sang together and were very comical to watch. There was a plethora of brilliantly colored Macaw parrots everywhere making an unbelievable racket. It was also fun to watch a group of about half dozen Howler monkeys swinging throughout the trees. The wide variety of birds we saw included various types of peacocks, parrots, ducks, Toucans, cockatoos, and many others. Non-birds we saw were small turtles, one very large turtle, and an ant eater! In all, within the 10,000 square foot park, there were supposed to be over 700 animals from 74 species. Between taking a long time there and the rain picking up a bit, we never made it into town but still enjoyed our afternoon. The Old Town walk we planned will have to wait for our next trip. It was nice to be back in our cool, dry room. For our departure we were in the Schooner Bar with a beautiful view of the city skyline, then we finished up in the dining room.
October 17, 2025 – Friday/Day 14 – At Sea
A beautiful, mostly sunny, hot, humid day. We had our usual start in the Crown Lounge, then met up with M&D for 8:00 breakfast in Windjammer. From there we sat outside on Deck 12 for a while but it was very windy and we eventually moved inside to the Loyalty Ambassador area. There we read, napped a bit, chatted, and had coffee and cookies which we brought down from the Crown Lounge. Around 2:30 we returned to our rooms to do stuff and rest up for the evening ahead, which again consisted of the Schooner Bar and dinner (lobster).
October 18, 2025 – Saturday/Day 15 – George Town, Grand Cayman
Morning coffee, Windjammer breakfast, and relaxing in the Solarium. Since the main things to do in George Town are visit the beaches or shop, the port is tendered, and rain was in the forecast, we decided to enjoy the uncrowded, peaceful ship. We had a quick snack in Windjammer before returning to our cabins for the afternoon. After the Schooner Bar we opted to try the Windjammer for dinner. It wasn’t crowded at all and the food was good, but it was decided that we prefer the dining room. We went by the Photo Gallery so M&D could pick out and order their two free photos for pickup tomorrow. (Set our clocks one hour ahead so we are now on Florida time – 3 hours ahead of home.)
October 19, 2025 – Sunday/Day 16 – At Sea
With the time change the sun doesn’t come out until around 7:30, but when it finally did it was a beautiful, sunny, 84 degree day. We had early coffee, 8:00 breakfast, and then enjoyed the view out the Viking Lounge on Deck 13. Towards noon M&D went off to get a Kummelweck roast beef sandwich at Park Cafe, pick up their photos, and return to their cabin. We went and picked up our photo, and then returned to our cabin to pack and rest. One more Happy Hour in the Schooner Bar. We had some great conversation and laughs. Our last dinner in the dining room.
October 20, 2025 – Monday/Day 17 – Arrive Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Embassy Suites
Laurie was up first and went to the Crown Lounge, and Pat joined him about 5:45. After a brief stay we went back to the room to finish packing. By 7:00 Pat was standing in line with all our luggage for a self-assist exit from the ship while Laurie went and got M&D and their luggage and then joined Pat in line. About 7:30 we were off the ship after scanning our Sea Pass Cards, made our way down the multiple-ramp exit, quickly went through passport control with just a glance at a screen, and were out being loaded into a taxi by 7:45! On the short drive to Embassy Suites Laurie asked the driver if there was a meter. He said it was a flat rate of $30 which seemed pretty high and we let him know it. From the rear seat Laurie took a photo of the driver using a flash and making sure he noticed Laurie taking the picture in the rearview mirror. When Laurie went to pay after unloading the guy had dropped his price to $20! Laurie knows their tricks! By 8:00 we were partaking of the hotels wonderful buffet (which was very crowded) with made-to-order eggs and a lot of other food. Full, we went to sit out in the shade by the pool. Pat, as happens every visit it seems, started to get itchy little bug bites and went inside, shortly followed by Mom. The ladies sat in the hallway near the bathrooms, while the guys enjoyed being out by the pool. Back in the room we rested and chatted before we went to Happy Hour at 5:00. We each got our free drink and had some veggies, chips, and dips to nosh on. After placing an order at Five Guys, the two of us went across the street to pick up our hamburgers and fries which we ate in the hotel lobby. More relaxing and some TV until bedtime.
October 21, 2025 – Tuesday – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Embassy Suites
The buffet this morning was not crowded at all and we had a delicious, quiet breakfast. We went back up to the room so we could do a couple loads of laundry in the laundry room down the hall. Despite being told the machines were free when we called the hotel to check, they ended up being $3.75 per load payable with a credit card. We had brought our own laundry detergent sheets as well as fabric softener sheets. The washer took 30 minutes, the dryer 60 minutes, and there was only one of each machine but there are more laundry rooms on other floors. The rest of the day was spent packing, watching TV, chatting, and relaxing. For dinner we picked up a pizza and brought it back to the hotel lobby where we ate it along with Happy Hour wine and visited some more. A little more packing and early to bed.
October 22, 2025 – Wednesday – Depart Ft. Lauderdale
(M&D to Honolulu – L&P to Baltimore, MD)
We planned on departing for the airport about 5:30 but everyone was up early so we got a Lyft before 5:00. We got M&D checked in and set with wheelchairs at the Delta Terminal. It was sad to say goodbye after over 5 weeks together, but we had a wonderful time with them at home with the family and then on the two cruises. We will see them on our Voyager cruise from Brisbane next Spring when we overnight in Honolulu. Last hugs, kisses and waves then we walked over to the Southwest Terminal for our flight to Baltimore.
More to come (pictures!)…