Day 10 – April 18, 2023 – Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

We decided to have breakfast in bed this morning because I didn’t want to make that trip to Lido. It’s pretty cool to have coffee delivered. Yogurt for Diane, and granola for me.

Joined the throng of folks leaving the ship for tours. Our number was Red-24. After leaving the ship we had a long walk to where the buses lived and folks out there directed us to the correct vehicle. We felt fortunate that we were able to get seats in the 2^nd row, and we could see out the windshield. Seeing out the windshield came with a mixed blessing because we had a front row seat for any cars or people who got mowed down. Fortunately, we had a good driver and that didn’t happen.

Bindy, our tour guide, introduced Alex, the driver, by saying he got his driver’s license the normal way, from a box of Captain Crunch cereal.

On our 5-hour tour we were shown 3 volcanos and some very narrow streets. They got so narrow, once we reached Antigua, that we had to empty our big bus and get on two smaller ones.

When we got to the heart of Antigua, we left the buses and walked to a plaza where locals inundated us with handmade tchotchke’s, as Diane likes to call them. I think that’s a Russian word for trinkets. All of those who had tchotchkes to sell were very insistent that we buy something from them. Even the smaller kids were involved.

In Antigua, all of the streets are made of cobblestones, and they are very rough and difficult to walk on for old folks which comprised the entire bus load of people we were with. Everyone on this cruise is old unless they’re part of the entertainment. Unfortunately, one elderly lady, who was a bit wobbly on her own, took a tumble after traversing only abut 15 feet into an intersection. She face planted and skinned her knees. Mother Bindy got her medical treatment quickly and an EMT patched her up and stayed with her for the duration of our visit to the area. Luckily, nothing broke but she was a bit shaken.

Total time on buses today was about 3-4 hours, but we had breaks along the way.

Hey! There’s my bride.

And an interesting fountain.

Everyone had something to sell.

Bindy was a wealth of knowledge and taught us a lot about Guatemalan agriculture in addition to the various cultures that makes Guatemala tick. We also learned how difficult it is for common people in Guatemala to navigate the intricate tax system they enforce. Sadly, none of their elected officials, who manage the tax maze, pay taxes. They declared themselves exempt. Nifty job if you can get it. Sure makes thing difficult for the common folks.

Back on the ship, although we were sweaty and tired, we went to the Lido deck to get a late lunch. Diane likes the Dive In venue for their hamburgers. It’s by the pool, hense “dive in”.

After eating we retired to our room to wait for our departure at 1630. We read, eventually fell asleep, and totally missed the sail away from this narrow Guatemalan harbor. Didn’t feel a thing. By then it was time for supper and Diane was still dragging. So, I went to the Lido Marketplace and used her shopping list to gather food to bring to our room. It was going great until I spilled a glass of cranberry juice all over my tray, my shirt & shorts, and the floor. One of the young waiters saw my dilemma as I stood in the middle of the puddle so no one would walk through it. He got busy and cleaned the floor up, cleaned me up, cleaned my tray up, and refilled the glass I’d just dumped on the floor. He also put a napkin under all the items I had so they wouldn’t slide and showed me how to transport the tray without dumping the drinks again. After that was all done, I made it to the elevator, down three floors, and to our room without incident.

Then we ate and kept on resting.

It didn’t take long for Diane to feel the need to do something, so she dug around in the dirty clothes suitcase and pulled out some shirts and shorts to rinse out in the tub. It’s jetted so they got a nice wash getting sloshed around with all those jets. Now the clothes are being rinsed, then she plans to hang them around in the bathroom thinking they will dry overnight. I’ll be taking a picture of all that.

Now we’re on our way to Mexico, arriving at noon tomorrow. It’s another short stop as we leave at 1630. We’re on another tour but for sure it’s going to be a short one.

Day 9 – April 17, 2023 – Acajutla, El Salvador

Arrived in port about 0730 and got to watch the skipper wiggle this big ship through a tight spot to a secluded pier. It was accomplished without mishap and smooth as silk.

There will be no walking on the pier as it’s an industrial area. Getting to town requires everyone to use either a shuttle bus, or take a tour.

Our ride will be on a tour bus. It’s a big one. It’s the pink one on the right side of the row. They were ready for us.

The ride through many very narrow streets was amazing. The driver didn’t hit anything.

We were taken to see volcanos, from a distance, then to a town that has an amazingly large vegetable market. All fresh produce that is grown by pretty much everyone who lives here. Lots and lots of bananas.

Met an indigenous lady who is very small and old.

There were kids everywhere who were amazed to see strangers like us in their town. Apparently, school got out early, or they have short days. All of them wear uniforms to maintain uniformity. Tricky, huh?

We had to be back at the ship before 1630, our scheduled departure time. We were plenty early because our trip wasn’t a marathon 9-hour bus ride. More like 5 hours.

When we got back, and had been on board a short time, I heard drums banging. Looking from our veranda I say a large orchestra arrange on the pier. They were playing a big band stuff and they were absolutely great. They played for a couple of hours with enthusiasm, and they were good. We understand they were a Navy band which we presumed because they were all dressed up in white uniforms that just looked Navy to us.

The band played until the last bus arrived and the gangway was removed. As the ship pushed away from the pier, they finished putting their instruments away and waved us off. Quite stunning.

The evening show was pianist Hyperion Knight. This guy is incredible. He narrated the entire show, giving us an education about the composers before playing them.

Then to bed at 2100. Got an early morning trip planned.

Day 8 – April 16, 2023 – At sea – Depart Costa Rica, bound for El Salvador

Woke up way late this morning around 0730. Took my pills and ate one of the oranges I snitched from the Lido Market after eating dinner yesterday. It’s OK. That’s legal.

Diane slept until 1030 which was good because she was pretty exhausted after that long bus ride and walking we did yesterday. Surprisingly, my normal morning pains were absent, so the walking was good for me.

We went to the Lido deck and ate a late breakfast. On the way out I greeted to a guy who had on a Navy hat. Those guys seem to be everywhere. His name is Jerry and his partner is Barbara. We wound up sitting down at their table and talking for about an hour.

Spent some time in swimming suits on our veranda. I have photos but I’m not allowed to use them. Diane said no. The weather was calm and the air was perfectly warm. Nothing to see out there except a bunch of seagulls that followed us from Costa Rica.

The ocean was initially very choppy in the morning, with white caps everywhere. As the day progressed, those went away, and the calm flat water returned.

Went to lunch then returned to the veranda for a while until the ladies next door decided to hang out on their veranda and talk loudly. So, we went inside and read, waiting till dinner then we’re going to see a magician in the theater.

We cruised up the coasts of Costa Rica, and Nicaragua to line up for our arrival in El Salvador. I understand that this will be the first time a Holland America vessel makes a port visit there.

The day was spent sleeping, resting, and eating when necessary. Spent some time on the veranda. Went to bed early because tomorrow’s port visit is only for 8-9 hours. We have a tour that starts at 0800.

Day 7 – April 15, 2023 – Saturday – Puntarenas, Costa Rica

I woke up about 0530 and spied the coast of Costa Rica in the distance on our starboard side. That’s the kind of stuff we see out our windows because we’re on the starboard side. Did I say that before? Probably not. Now you know. Just to make sure you understand, since we’re on the starboard side, when we sit on our porch looking longingly out to sea, the ships’ pointy end is to our left.

We fiddled around a while, waiting for the Lido foodery to get active so we could go get our morning coffee and some breakfast. Coffee, first.

Diane had her traditional yogurt and I had two poached eggs that were boiled as I waited, one sausage patty that was hard like a harness (but good), two sausage links, and two pieces of wheat bread. I ingested all this while looking out the window at Costa Rica. Kinda cool.

Back in our cabin I dialed up my messenger and sent big brother Jim a Happy Birthday wish because today is his birthday. He’s 80-something today. He’s 86 I think. I sent him a Happy Birthday text, but it wouldn’t send.

Then they opened the bow for people to go watch the docking process at Puntarenas Costa Rica. Arrival time was scheduled for 1100 and I think they made it pretty close. Departure time is 2230 this evening.

During this in port time, Diane booked us a tour. We were scheduled to leave on our bus tour first thing so we joined half the ship at the mainstage. We were issued number stickers that related to the bus we would ride. There were four of them, and we got #3.

Angie was our tour guide, and she’s a talker for sure. A native Tikas, she has an environmental engineer degree but didn’t like being cooped up in an office so branched out. She said she’s almost 5 feet tall and I’d say that’s pretty accurate. She talked almost non-stop on our trip to the botanical orchid gardens. We spent at least an hour there as Angie guided us through the flowers and displays explaining everything to us. She’s full of information is really good at sharing it.

I probably took a thousand photos of orchids but I’m not going to show you all of them. The most interesting ones we saw were those that were living free of pots, just absorbing moisture from the humid air.

This is Angie, our guide.

This is a shiny hollow log.

The electric wiring in some of the villages we went through was interesting.

Our next stop was the Doka Coffee Plantation in the mountains. It’s a one-and-a-half-hour drive from the orchids. Again, she talked all the way, educating us about Costa Rica’s history. She looks like she’s about 12 but admitted she’s about to turn 30. An amazing girl.

On the way we passed Kmart but we didn’t stop.

At the plantation we ate lunch before touring the facility. It was a wonderful meal and I didn’t take a picture. After that Angie took us on a tour of this facility, also, explaining the coffee growing process, the bean processing process, and the export process. She knows it all, which isn’t a surprise, because she said she’s been doing it for 9 years.

Angie strapped on this basket and told us that pickers get paid about $2 for each full basket. It takes a lot of coffee beans to fill it so it makes us appreciate that cup of coffee a little more.

After Doka, it started getting dark and we headed for another brief stop; an old church that was built of eggs. I need to research that a little because I really didn’t understand how that happened when Angie explained it.

On the trip home everyone was totally ready for a shower. The trip seemed to take forever and we arrived back on the pier at 2030. It was a very long day for us old people.

We rushed aboard to see if the Lido deck had any food left (they did) so we could eat something and go take a shower (we did).

Now we’re ready to tuck ourselves into bed as the crew takes the ship out and heads north to El Salvador. I took a peek out the door before laying down and discovered that we were already miles from the party beach. All they had to do was push us away from the pier and go straight ahead into the night. Never felt a thing.

Day 6 – April 14, 2023 – Friday – At sea

Today was spent just sailing around the coast of Panama, then turning WNW toward Costa Rica, our next stop.

Since we’re far from land, except for small islands in the distance off our starboard side. We have no information about names, or if they even have names.

After Lunch on the Lido Deck, we attended a briefing at what they call Mainstage. It’s an auditorium that will easily seat 1000 people, maybe more, where all the entertainment takes place. The briefing was about our next two port calls; Costa Rica, and El Salvador.

We have off ship activities in both countries that Diane arranged when she booked the cruise.

We will arrive in Costa Rica tomorrow morning at 1100. We have an excursion that starts at 1030 so the arrival time will make that difficult.

We’re wondering … OK, I’m wondering … if they might send a helicopter out for those of us attending the 1030 event. Probably not.

At 1500 we went to the theater to see “Panama”, a 2022 Mel Gibson movie. I got 2 bags of popcorn on the way in and ate them while waiting for the movie to start. Once it started, it was immediately evident that we wouldn’t be staying because the language was bad, and the voices weren’t in sync with the actors’ lips. Kind of weird

So, we went shopping on the 3^rd deck and bought two water bottles to keep us hydrated when we leave the ship tomorrow. And many times thereafter, wherever we go.

If it was a little cooler outside, we’d be in our deck chairs, but the humidity is still stifling, and the sky is muggy looking. So, we’re just hanging out in our cabin until it’s time to decide about where to eat. We both agree that we like the Lido Marketplace better than the formal dining room. At the Lido, you can look at the food and decide whereas the dining room requires one to choose from a menu. I have a hard time with menus for some reason.

Went to the Dive In for hamburgers and fries. Way better than Burgerville.

Considered waiting for a couple of hours to see the stand-up comic, again. Went to the crow’s nest and played dominos instead. I tried to lose but won a couple anyway. I’m pretty sure the set we were using was a mixture of two sets because we had 38 pieces in a 28 piece box. Still fun.

Then Diane pulled down one of the puzzles to fiddle with. Very complicated. We got all the pieces turned over, found all the edge pieces, put a lot of the edge together, then retired to our room to roost for the remainder of the night.

Our arrival time for tomorrow is 1130, an hour later than originally planned.

Here’s a fun photo of the passageway that goes past our cabin. It’s pretty long.

Our room …

Day 5 – April 13, 2023 – Thursday – Panama Canal Transit

At 0530 we got in line for entering the Gatun Locks, a series of three, that will raise the ship almost 100 feet for access to Gatun Lake. It’s a freshwater lake stretching approximately 45 miles across central Panama where we will transit locks to the Pacific Ocean. It’s a very slow process. We began with the first lock at 0700 and exited the third lock at approximately 0930.

The pointy end of the ship was opened to all passengers for the transit so everyone could have a good look at the process. Normally, this part of the ship is inaccessible while underway. I’m sure that has something to do with free flowing alcohol and the penchant of those who imbibe to not be careful. It’s a pretty fair drop from the main deck to the water and should one fall, it would definitely leave a mark. I speak from experience.

The ship ahead of us was a car carrier, bound for Portland, no doubt. Seems like there’s always one parked near the St. Johns Bridge when we go by there. From the looks of the way it fit in the lock, one might think it’s a perfect fit. You can see the masts of two sail boats tagging along behind it as they navigate the locks.

We finally hit the third lock and were turned loose on Lake Gatun. In the above photo you can see the railroad tracks on which the locomotives ride. There are one on each side of the ship, fore and aft. The ship propels itself through the locks and the locomotives job is to maintain the ship in the center of each lock as the water level is changed, up and down. It’s quite a ballet of machines because our ship had 2.5 feet to spare on each side making those little locomotives an important piece of the puzzle. They did a good job.

Diane lounged while I ran all over the place, trying to see it all. Hard to do.

Just had to throw this one in so everyone could see my pale little chicken legs.

Judging from the way the islands are moving past us, we’re going about as fast as a relaxed jogger. A guess, of course, like most of the judgements I make.

This is Tama, one of the cabin boys on our deck. He’s from Java.

About halfway across the lake we passed the Zandam, the ship Diane and I rode on our first cruise to Alaska. Interesting. We thought it was a big ship, and it really is, but just not as big as the Eurodam.

After a leisurely 4 hours cruise we entered the first of two locks known as the Pedro Miguel Locks at 1300. These two locks lowered us about 30.5 feet. The Miraflores Locks has 3 chambers that are separated from Pedro Miguel Locks due to a tectonic fault beneath Miraflores Lake. Miraflores lowers the ship an additional 54 feet allowing the ship to enter the Pacific Ocean on an even keel.

Looking at the above photo you can see the new channel added for larger ships and it appears that they have to go uphill a little to reach their locks. An interesting illusion

Here’s a better look at the locomotives that keep things centered.

A tight fit.

We exited the Miraflores at 1630. Upon leaving the last lock I saw, and photographed, either an alligator or a crocodile whimsically swimming in the lock exit next to us. He appeared to be right at home.

We entered the Gulf of Panama, on our way to Costa Rica, at 1700. Ahead of us were approximately 45 large vessels parked just north of the sea lanes. They seem to be waiting to transit the canal, but that’s a guess. Makes me wonder why they don’t just go get in line and move along.

Glad we’re through. From here we move north to Costa Rica.

Day 4 – April 12, 2023 – Wednesday – Cartagena, Colombia

The crew eased the Eurodam quietly into port and had us tied up at 0600 before most normal people wake up.

We decided to NOT join the group to cruise around town for a few hours. Instead, we choose to stay closer to the ship and visit the welcome center nearby. We’d heard it had kind of a petting zoo with parrots and various other birds so decided to visit that. It was virtually at the end of the pier, before having to go through customs to officially enter the country. It didn’t dissapoint.

First off, there were flamingos.

A little further in was this peacock with a posse of some sort. They followed his everywhere.

When he spread his tail, I swear I heard a collective sigh from the wannabes.

This guy let me pet him for a bit, but I wasn’t gonna let him wrap his feet around any part of my body, They’re pretty scary.

A little further back in the facility, we found this guy living in an enclosure with a bunch of pigs. It was pretty sad and we figured the pigs beat him up every night, trying to get him to leave.

Apparently he likes the attention, and stayed. Even with his disability, we had to applaud his willingness to strut his stuff and show the world what he had.

Or, maybe it was one of these guys …

Around a couple more corners and we found the open air atrium. There’s no enclosure. These guys just live here, flying all over the place.

… except for this guy. We learned later that he’s a Hermit Parrot…

We caught the shuttle bus back to the ship and prepared to get underway.

We departed Cartagena at 1300 or so. Backed away from the pier and into the turning basin on the port side, then accelerated away at warp speed.

A plumber showed up to fix the shower that Diane broke yesterday. Yup. She ripped the holder for the shower wand right off the wall. In her defense, it wasn’t the first time it had been ripped off the wall.

We lounged on a chaise lounge on our veranda and watched Cartagena fade away.

Got a brief tutorial from the skipper about how we’re going to transit the Panama Canal tomorrow. We get in line at 0530 and began entering the locks at 0700. If we want to watch what’s going on it’s going to be an early morning. The distance between the entrance locks and the exit locks is about 45 miles. Rumor has it that we’ll be passing the Zandam which is coming from the west. That was the first cruise ship we were on.

Ate dinner with Tommy Lee (girl), Mike, and Helen. Tommy Lee is from Texas and Mike & Helen are from Vancouver Island. Lots of Canadians and Washingtonians on this trip.

Went to the Mainstage and got entertained by a pretty funny guy, Steve Soelberg.

Back in our room by 2030.

Ship is rocking and rolling a little bit. I think the reason is because the ship speed is increased. During dinner and most of the day, the speed is slowed to take it easy on the passengers. At night, they crank it up a couple of notches.

Day 3 – April 11, 2023 – Tuesday – Jeran’s birthday – At Sea

Th time change messed up our inner clocks. Sleeping in isn’t an option until we get caught up with PST. I normally wake up between 0430 and 0600 on the west coast, so here in eastern waters it’s worse. Getting that time back is something I’m looking forward to.

We went to breakfast in the main dining room, for some reason, and sat with Robert and Tracey from Saskatchewan. They own a farm and are, no doubt, very hard working people. They were very nice and it was fun talking with them.

At 1000 we attended a presentation by Stephanie about something. It was very informative but I have no idea what it was about. Maybe Diane can fill in those blanks.

At 1100 we attended another presentation about future cruises and how their star system works. Hey! I remembered that one. We are 2 star cruisers which means we’ve obtained 40 stars on this 20 day trip because we upgraded to a suite instead of a lowly cabin. In total we’ll have 47 stars after this cruise. Once we get to 5 stars (500 nights at sea) we get our laundry done for free. That’s a huge perk and keeps your cabin bathrooms from looking like this …

As you can see, our suite had a jetted tube that works almost better than an agitator. Rinses everything pretty good, too. Sadly, although the air circulation is really good, it’s not enough to dry things like this. It took a couple of days. As you can see, most of the clothes are mine. That’s only because she insists that I change my underwear every day. I keep telling her that I have a method that makes wearing a pair of underwear for four days. She’s not a fan, however, so I swapped them out daily. I brought 20 pair and she still found a reason to wash the old ones anyway.

At 1230 we had lunch on the Lido Deck. Sat with a couple who live on Hayden Island. Go figure. They live on an island right off I-5 between Oregon and Washington. Their boat was one of many that burned up about 6 years ago. It was 45 feet long. That’ all I know. Maybe their names will come to me in a vision later today. Nice folks and seasoned travelers.

At 1400 I joined a group of 19 other people in the Crow’s Nest on deck 11 forward for a painting class. I enjoy those and have attended many with our daughter, Jennifer, and her daughter, Lydia. This time we painted a beach scene with beach umbrellas and a couple of people.

My umbrellas look a lot like festive sand dollars. It was fun. Now all Diane has to do is figure out how to get it home. I suggested that we just leave it for the crew to hang on a wall somewhere but she vetoed that. For some reason, when I paint something she keeps it no matter what it is. So, we’re stuck with it.

I have to add that before we put any paint on the canvas we had to load a paint brush with a bunch of paint. Everyone was wearing an apron, provided by the ship, which proved to be very fortunate to the lady sitting next to me.

I don’t know how it happened, but my fully loaded paint brush landed squarely in her lap. She was very understanding and gleefully handed me the brush without fear. Quite an ice-breaker, huh?

After that mishap the day was lost to me. I’m sure we went to dinner, probably on Lido Deck, then went to bed. Tomorrow we’ll be pulling in to Cartagena for a few hours.

Day 2 – April 10, 2023 – Monday

Our cabin boys knocked on the door about 0830 and told us we had to vacate the place so they could clean up our mess. It really wasn’t much of a mess because we only took up residence yesterday. We were just about ready to leave to search for a couple cups of coffee so their timing was impeccable. Actually, they didn’t make us leave. They’re really nice fellows.

We chose the main dining room for breakfast where we were paired with a couple from Wenatchee, Washington. It’s a pretty fancy place and those who seat people always ask those who are being seated if they would like to sit with strangers. We said “yes”, both times. So far.

We had a nice visit while eating. I had a breakfast bowl with two poached eggs over potatoes and vegetables. Diane had oatmeal and Greek Yogurt. She eats a lot of yogurt. So much, in fact, that I’m sure she’s picking up an accent. I was totally OK with Tillamook yogurt for a long time until they got a conscious and dropped their sugar content to an undesirable level. Raspberry was my favorite. I can still eat it if I add sugar, but Diane frowns on that.

After eating, we went to a presentation in the main theater of upcoming ports of call. it was hosted by the Cruise Director, Stephanie. I think it was Stephanie. Yup. I checked. It was Stephanie.

After listening to Stephanie extol the wonders to come, we wandered off and were drawn in by an art history presentation that proved to be extremely interesting. The paintings on the ship are amazing. Actually, all the artwork is amazing. It’s everywhere.

We wandered back to the Lido Deck for sandwiches because it was time to eat something. It’s always time to eat something on a cruise ship.

On the way I stopped at one of the public restrooms and learned that they don’t have paper towels. Interesting. No, they roll real, little towels up instead. Nifty.

While seeking a table a nice lady pointed at the seats next to her and her husband. We took them and learned they were Peggy & Ken from a village between Corvallis and Albany. Again, very nice folks.

I ate my ham and cheese in addition to Diane’s mystery meat. Should have taken a photo. Neither of us could figure out what it was, but it was on an entire miniature baguette roll so I didn’t care. I love baguettes. Even the little ones.

Then, we spent the afternoon lounging on our balcony watching the coast of Cuba sail past us. It was miles way, but I knew it was Cuba because, oddly enough, Google Maps works at sea. What fun.

At 1700 it was time for dinner and we chose the formal dining room again. We sat with a couple from Canada, a lady from Mississippi, and a lady from California. We all shared our names, but I can’t remember any of them. I just know the guy from Canada was a truck driver and his wife is a nurse. As always, it was a fun group. The lady from Mississippi is a professional cruiser, it seems. She’s been everywhere.

We finished our transit along the northern coast of Cuba and turned right before we hit Haiti. Next stop is Cartagena, Colombia. It will take us another day at sea to get there. The ship is moving along at 19 knots. A nice clip.

A few miles off our starboard side is a Carnival cruise ship going the same direction. Being on our starboard side meant they were closer to Cuba than us. It was good to have a buffer should someone on Cuba take offense for getting too close. They left Fort Lauderdale just ahead of us so had plenty of opportunities to choose the east most position, but they didn’t.

Tonight, we get back one of the 3 hours we lost on the airplane ride from SEA to FLL.

We are currently sitting in SEA-TAC airport waiting for our flight to Portland. The trip is done, but I was unable to post anything while underway. Instead, I kept a running diary and will now cut and paste all that stuff to get you up to date.

Here goes …

April 9, 2023, Easter Sunday – Fort Lauderdale, FL

We loaded up our luggage and checked out of the condo we inhabited for a week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida prior to boarding Holland America’s Eurodam for a Panama Canal cruise.

We dropped our car off at the FLL airport rental car return facility and worked hard to find a ride to the Eurodam. The tickets didn’t come with instructions. I finally located a little counter inside the terminal that checked cruise people in and gave them cards to get a ride to the ship. They didn’t have any cards left when I found it, but they let us pay $38 for two seats anyway.

It was a long walk to the bus, but we made it and I didn’t fall down even one time. There were lots of people around us at all times so I probably wouldn’t have actually hit the ground had I fallen.

We finally embarked aboard Holland America Eurodam at 1030 after parting with our luggage in the parking lot. We were assured it would all be delivered to our cabin. It was an act of faith to walk away.

Once on board, we went to the Lido deck where I had a hamburger, from the Dive In grill, and part of a chicken sandwich Diane couldn’t finish. Both were pretty good. We had to wait for the crew to determine that our cabin was ready for us to move in.

The ship was scheduled to leave at 1500, was moved to 1530, and was still tethered to the pier at 1630. We finally got underway at 1645 in the rain. We went to the Lido deck to watch the world go by and stake out a seat for supper that was supposed to start at 1730, but they opened at 1715. I had NY steak, salmon, fruit, and a very large salad. I need to find out where they serve pasta as least once on this trip. Two of the windows, next to the table we selected, had huge cracks in them. Apparently, there was no danger in sitting there because there were no warning signs. Still, the danger lurked in the back of my head that the window would fracture and we would be sucked outside and into the sea. After thinking about that for a minute, I suspect that’s only a danger on an airplane.

Bobbie Lee and Doug, people we didn’t know, sat at the table next to us. He’s an old Navy guy from the Korean era. We had a nice visit.

After our meal we wandered around the ship for a while then went looking for our stateroom. The ship is massive, right at 1000 feet long. Finally found #6097 around 1830. It’s a very spacious cabin with a nice size TV, which was very important. We have a balcony, too, where we can while away the hours on nice days.

Diane christened the shower immediately as we were very sweaty from all the hullabaloo getting to the ship and checking in. I showered later. We were both very tired but the next couple of days are at sea so there’s nothing to do but eat so we’ll have plenty of time to rest up.

All of our luggage appeared outside our cabin door before the afternoon was gone.

Our first port visit will be Cartagena, Colombia. We’ll only be there about 5 hours.