Category Archives: Cruises 🚢 🍸 🍽️ ☀️

Three Days in Copenhagen: Mermaids, Bridges & a Day Trip to Malmö

Arrival in Copenhagen (København)

Our ship came alongside Copenhagen right on schedule Friday morning — no fog delay, and since not every passenger was disembarking that day, the process was blissfully quick. No taxi crush, no chaos: just a calm walk off the ship and onto the metro toward our hotel.

Nyhavn doesn’t do subtle — and we wouldn’t want it to. Here, every building picked a different crayon.

Ten in the morning is an ambitious check-in time by any hotel’s standard, so we left our bags with the front desk and set out to explore. First stop: the Little Mermaid. We’d been warned she was smaller than expected. After Manneken Pis in Brussels last year, “smaller than expected” had us bracing for something the size of a garden gnome. As it turns out, she isn’t tiny—just incredibly popular. Getting an unobstructed photo took some patience, but we managed. The sheer volume of people determined to see one small bronze statue never stops amazing us.

From there we wandered — the changing of the guard, fountains, canals lined with the kind of painted buildings that show up on every Copenhagen postcard (and reminded us, oddly, of Curaçao). We wandered through the Citadel, Amalienborg, Christiania, Nyhavn, Christians Church and past Tivoli Gardens along the way, racking up something like 25,000 steps before our room was finally ready.

A bridge that is an engineering marvel, but we did not get to see it work

Some views don’t need moving parts to be worth the smile.

The circular swing bridge — Cirkelbroen — was a must-see for Meg, though no ships came through while we were there, so we didn’t get to watch it operate. Even so, the mechanics and structure of it are a genuine marvel worth the detour.

The trendy market for local food

Decision time at Hallernes Smørrebrød, Torvehallerne.

That evening we headed to Torvehallerne, an upscale food market, to try smørrebrød — open-faced sandwiches on dense rye bread, traditionally topped with herring or cod. We went with marinated salmon, roast pork, and chicken salad from Hallernes Smørrebrød, reportedly the city’s top-rated maker. Worth every krone, though at roughly $20 CAD each, they’re a proper introduction to Copenhagen prices too.

Wandering home through Ørstedsparken, we came across a crew setting up an outdoor theatre — the play turned out to be King Lear. I asked whether it would run in English or Danish; Danish, the producer told me, which left me turning over the strange fact of Shakespeare’s own words getting translated into a language he never wrote in. Unable to follow along, I let it go and called it a day.

Saturday, June 6

The Round Tower’s ramp — an optical illusion you can walk.

We started the day climbing the Round Tower, a 17th-century observatory reached by a helical ramp rather than stairs — seven and a half turns of it — which made the climb far easier than it sounds and rewarded us with a proper panorama over the rooftops in the early morning light.

During our visit, the Round Tower was marking the 350th anniversary of Danish astronomer Ole Rømer’s discovery that light travels at a finite speed— the tower’s exhibits are careful to note that’s what he demonstrated, not that he calculated the speed of light itself, despite what the internet sometimes claims. It’s a good reminder that things we now teach schoolchildren were once genuine frontiers of science. Rømer later put his talents to a more practical use in Paris, engineering the fountains at Versailles for Louis XIV.

Our aimless wandering carried us to Rosenberg Castle, where we strolled the gardens before grabbing takeaway salads for a picnic under a tree — about as good as a summer afternoon gets.

We eventually drifted into the Lego Store, where you can build a personalized minifigure — hair, accessories, a laser-etched outfit of your choosing — for about $20 CAD. Lego may have started in Denmark, but Billund, its actual birthplace, is over 250 km away. We found the Copenhagen store not` especially unique. We considered making custom figures for the kids before deciding we probably already had all the pieces at home—we’d just have to find them.

Sitting along the canal on a sunny day – life is good!

The best part of the day came later, when we claimed the last open bench along Slotsholmskanalen (a canal within the city) and just watched the boats go by. Warm evening, cold drinks, a steady parade of rental boats loaded with picnics drifting past in a generally festive mood. Simple, relaxing, and hard to beat.

Caught red-handed — mid-bite, no regrets.

That evening we found a burger bar with an unexpected Canadian connection. Their signature pulled-beef brisket burger, cooked low and slow over open flame, was outstanding—good enough to send me home thinking about firing up the Traeger.

Sunday, June 7

The sunshine had left us overnight, replaced by gray skies, though at least the rain had let up. Since our ship hadn’t passed under the Øresund Bridge, we decided to go over it instead — a 16-kilometre feat of engineering that’s part bridge, part tunnel, connecting Copenhagen to Malmö, Sweden.

The short walk to the train station turned eventful: our intended train had been cancelled, doubling the crowd for the next one. We stood the entire way, watching the car empty out at the airport stop while people were still boarding for Malmö.

Malmö – where old meets new and calm replaces busy.

Malmö turned out to be a study in contrasts — old architecture beside new, a relaxed pace instead of Copenhagen’s bustle. We wandered past the centuries-old Lion Pharmacy and a bronze marching band sculpture, where Cam couldn’t resist stepping in behind the drum major for a photo.

Malmö’s marching band welcomes its newest — and only living — member.

We spent the afternoon among churches, quiet squares, a windmill, and a lunch of smörgåsbord sandwiches that cost a fraction of Copenhagen prices, before finishing at the water with a view of the lighthouse. Malmö felt like a city living its normal Sunday rather than one performing for tourists. The parks and pedestrian paths belonged to locals, cyclists, and joggers rather than crowds like us. Between the pace, the prices (comparable hotels ran at roughly a third of Copenhagen’s, regardless of how far out we booked), and the quieter vibe, we agreed: if we’re ever back in the region, we’re staying in Malmö.

Farewell to Copenhagen

Back in Copenhagen for our last evening, we took a final walk along the canals and cobblestones to an alfresco Italian restaurant. We only ordered a sandwich, but it was memorable — the owner shaped and baked the bread to order after we sat down, which is about as fresh as bread gets. Small, independently owned spots like this one always find a soft spot with us. (If you’re ever in the neighbourhood: spigadoro-due.dk.)

It was a fitting close—not just to Copenhagen or Denmark, but to our entire European adventure. Tomorrow we’d head for the airport and the long flight home to Canada, carrying memories of castles, canals, Baltic ports, Scandinavian summers, and countless moments we’ll be talking about for years.

Thanks so much for reading — leave a comment below, or reach out through the link above.

Cam and Meg

Stockholm Cruise Stop

A Four-Hour Sail Through the Archipelago to Arrive in Stockholm

Cam was up at 5 a.m., curious just how light “light” really gets this far north. The answer: very. Sunrise in Stockholm comes at 3:41 a.m. in early June, so by the time he reached the open deck, sunglasses were not optional. He claimed a table at the stern and watched the ship begin its four-hour threading of the archipelago — water so calm it barely registered as moving, islands close enough to read the names on the mailboxes along the shore. Unable to keep it to himself, he went below and roused Meg, groggy but soon won over.

Anyone who has sailed BC’s Inside Passage or the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence will recognize the feeling. We sat at the stern for nearly three hours watching gulls trail the ship and tiny red-and-white cottages slide past, three ferries following in our wake the whole way — this narrow, rock-strewn channel carries a lot of local traffic for something only wide enough for one ship at a time. Cam, a former Navy man, found it all the more enjoyable for not being the one responsible for getting us through it.

*The ship’s wake at dawn, archipelago islands in the early light*

As we sailed away, local ferries followed us through surprisingly narrow channels shared by ships of every size.

The Remarkable Story of the Vasa

*The remarkably preserved Vasa—raised after 333 years on the floor of Stockholm harbour*. Nearly every carved detail survived thanks to the cold, low-oxygen waters of the Baltic Sea.

Docked at last, we headed straight for the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was a Swedish warship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628, less than a kilometre from the harbour, undone by being far too tall for its width — a stiff gust tipped her enough for water to pour through her open gun ports, and that was that. Of more than 400 people aboard, 37 died. There was an inquiry, as there always is after a disaster, and just as predictably, no one was ever held accountable. Some things don’t change.

The Vasa sat on the harbour floor for 333 years before being raised in the early 1960s, and the cold, low-oxygen Baltic water did something remarkable in the meantime: no shipworms and almost no decay. The museum calls her 98 percent original, carved ornamentation and all, missing only a few noses. We’d been told to budget two hours. We left after four, and didn’t feel rushed.

If you go, we recommend a Combo Ticket with Vrak Museum, highlighted below. The cost is 359 Kroner (as of June 2026) for both museums saving you 66 Kroner. You do NOT need to buy them in advance, pre-purchased tickets do not give priority access.

For us, there was only one option for lunch

Field research: authentic Swedish meatballs. Definitely worth the comparison.

Lunch required Swedish meatballs, obviously. It was our chance to settle, once and for all, whether a certain Swedish furniture retailer’s version holds up. We found a local spot outside the tourist core called Mom’s Kitchen and ordered the köttbullar with gravy, lingonberry, and mashed potatoes. Verdict: noticeably better than IKEA, though IKEA isn’t as far off as you’d hope, and Mom charges accordingly more for the privilege.

ABBA tribute band in Stockholm – it just sounds better in Sweden.

Restored, we wandered through Stockholm’s upscale shopping streets, past the Royal Palace and the Nobel Prize Museum, and into the cobblestoned heart of Gamla Stan. Whether the city actually has a clean, streamlined character, or whether we simply arrived expecting one, is hard to say with certainty. Either way, there was plenty more to see, which was just as well — this was an overnight stop, with a whole second day still ahead. That evening’s onboard entertainment was a tribute to ABBA, which felt like the only correct choice in a Swedish port.

Underground Art

Stockholm’s Kungsträdgården famous cave-like subway station looks more like an archaeological site than a transit stop.

Day two started at a gentler pace, since an overnight stop means no rush to be back aboard before sailing. We were ashore just after eight, and endured a slow bus into town. We made our first stop a detour underground. Kungsträdgården subway station, reputedly Stockholm’s most-photographed subway station, carved to look like raw rock with bursts of artwork. There are Roman-ruin-like sculpture and intricate metalwork built right into the stone. We suspected it earned that title more because it’s the busiest station in central Stockholm than because it’s the city’s most beautiful, but it was worth the stop regardless.

Maritime History

History is serious business… until someone hands you a Viking sword and shield.

From there, on to Vrak – Museum of Wrecks, the Vasa’s sister museum and the reigning Museum of the Year. It opens with a film projected 270 degrees around the room and across the ceiling, then moves into a gallery where artifacts from a 17th-century wreck have been left exactly where divers found them — the carpet itself is a photograph of the seafloor, with holograms of each object hovering in its true position. Upstairs covers early Viking history and the long-running naval rivalry between Sweden and Poland.

One exhibit landed harder than the rest. The museum plays the actual final radio transmissions from the M/V Estonia, a ferry that capsized in a 1992 storm with the loss of more than 860 of the over 1,000 people aboard. For Cam, who spent years standing bridge watches in the Navy, the strain in the master’s voice over VHF — reporting lost power and no position to give – was obvious. Listening to the radio chatter of nearby ships as they raced toward rocket flares, trying to save people they couldn’t reach in time, was hard to listen to and harder to forget.

The museum’s final section turns visitors into maritime archaeologists: a Virtual Reality (VR) dive to recover artifacts, a lesson in dating wood, a clay pipe, and a bone fragment, then a dig through the archives to piece together how a given ship actually met its end. The kid in both of us loved it.

The Ferry Ride Worth Missing the Bus For (or An Improvised Harbour Tour)

*View of the harbour from the ferry.* Our “cheap ride home” became one of our favourite cruises of the trip.

We’d hoped to finish with a harbour boat tour but ran short on time, so we improvised. The local transit option turned out to be the best sightseeing cruise of the day and a better plan entirely. A relaxed, hour-long cruise through the archipelago that dropped us within 300 metres of the gangway. A double bonus, it was a fraction of the harbour cruise fare and a fraction of the walking.

Sailing out of Stockholm – As Delightful as Sailing in

Golden hour in the archipelago: a red boathouse, a yellow cottage, and water still enough to double the view

As we sailed out that evening, the ship retraced the channel in reverse, under another cloudless sky — islands, small boats, cottages, all of it as striking leaving as arriving. It’s hard not to wonder how different this same passage looks in the dark heart of a Swedish winter.

Up Next – Copenhagen

Back aboard, Cam squeezed in a 30-minute stretch-and-release yoga class before dinner. That evening’s entertainment featured a sand artist, drawing onto a lit table with a camera projecting her work overhead, etch-a-sketch style. Impressive technique, interesting craft — just not entirely our thing.

Thanks for reading please feel free to leave any comments or reach out to us by the link above.

Travel quote “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” — Tim Cahill

Cam and Meg

🛳️ Helsinki Day Trip from a Cruise Ship: Fortress Walls, Reindeer Pie, and Shadow Puppets

Helsinki day trip

Helsinki’s skyline as see from the local ferry.

We started simply: off the ship, into town, and straight to Market Square, where Helsinki’s morning bustle was just getting underway — fish stalls, coffee carts, and locals moving with the brisk efficiency of people who’ve done this a thousand times. From there it was a quick ferry ride to Suomenlinna, the sea fortress that sprawls across its own cluster of islands and carries UNESCO World Heritage status.

Suomenlinna Park – A Must on a Helsinki Day Trip

Suomenlinna park – a UNESCO site worth the visit.

We started at the Suomenlinna Visitor Centre to get our bearings and pick up a paper map, which we still find easier to use than a phone when wandering unfamiliar places. Free Wi-Fi was also available, making it a convenient first stop for anyone planning a Helsinki day trip. The visitor centre offers a variety of guided activities, including a 90-minute walking tour (about €16 when we visited in spring 2026), but we decided to explore on our own and were glad we did. Wandering at our own pace let us linger where we wanted and enjoy long stretches of the fortress before the crowds arrived. For current ferry schedules, guided tours, and opening hours, visit the official Suomenlinna website

History and Beauty

The little geese fluff balls were so cute!

We’d arrived early enough that the crowds hadn’t caught up to us, and for a stretch it felt like we had the entire fortress to ourselves. Two hours disappeared into stone bastions, old ramparts, hidden caves and tunnels built for a purpose we were grateful never to test. Built by Sweden in the 1700s and later held by Russia and Finland in turn, the place wears its layered history quietly, weathering away in the Baltic light without a hint of fanfare.

Two moments stood out amid the ruins. The first was soft: a small flotilla of barnacle geese fussing over a clutch of downy chicks along the shoreline. The second was something else entirely — four naval vessels easing out of the harbour, almost certainly bound for training exercises. There’s something about watching ships head out with a mission that never gets old.

The Market – Reindeer pies for everyone!

Back on the mainland, hunger sent us toward Market Square’s food stalls, well-reviewed in every guidebook we’d consulted. The reindeer pie, sadly, did not live up to its billing — heavy on pastry, suspiciously light on reindeer. We made up for it with a bag of local strawberries, which were, without exaggeration, some of the best we’ve ever eaten.

We admired the Rock Church from outside… and decided to spend our €8 elsewhere.

From there, a tram delivered us toward Temppeliaukio, the Rock Church, which every list of Helsinki must-sees insists on including. The tour buses and shuffling crowds outside told us we were close. One glance from the lobby, and an €8 entrance fee was enough to send us elsewhere instead. Later, dinner companions who had gone inside confirmed we hadn’t missed much.

Wandering can lead to some great finds!

What we found instead turned out to be better than any landmark. A small Nepali restaurant, stumbled upon while wandering toward a park, advertising a lunch special. The menu echoed Nepali spots we’d loved back in Japan, and the meal that followed turned out to be the best we’d had since the cruise began — easily the day’s most unexpected win.

The best meal of the day came from the place we never planned to visit.

A few more parks followed, and at one point we simply lay down in the grass and let the Helsinki sunshine do its work — the kind of unhurried pause that rarely makes the itinerary but always makes the trip.

Back aboard for the evening, a yoga class loosened the day’s walking out of our legs before the night’s entertainment: a juggler, followed by a shadow artist who turned turned hand silhouettes and a single light source into scenes from Beauty and the Beast and other half-remembered fairy tales, all set to music. It was a strange and wonderful way to end a day that had already given us fortresses, geese, naval ships, and the best curry of the trip. Dinner followed, then an early night — Stockholm, and a whole new country, was waiting just over the horizon.

Thanks for reading please feel free to leave any comments or reach out to us by the link above.

Travel quote “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

— Gustave Flaubert

Cam and Meg.

🛳️ Baltic Cruise: Riga and Tallinn (Latvia and Estonia)

Saturday, May 30 — Riga, Latvia

Our youngest son spent six months in Latvia in 2023, as a member of the PPCLI and part of a forward-deployed NATO battle group. Walking the streets of Riga, we felt that in a way we hadn’t anticipated. For Meg especially, knowing he had stood in some of these same squares and looked up at some of these same rooftops gave the day a quiet personal weight alongside everything else the city had to offer.

A lovely park in the middle of downtown Riga

Latvia’s history earns that weight. Like its Baltic neighbours Lithuania and Estonia, it has spent much of the past several centuries being absorbed, occupied, or fought over by larger powers. Liberated from German occupation in 1945 by the Soviet Red Army — which then simply declined to leave. Latvia exchanged one form of subjugation for another and did not regain its independence until 1990. Walking through a city that beautiful, knowing what it endured to still be standing, makes the cobblestones feel different underfoot.

We were docked well up the river, closer to the old town than the cruise line apparently expected. They were offering a shuttle for € 12 per person that would have taken us about a kilometre into town. We declined and walked instead, following the river into the centre and arriving in considerably better spirits than we would have had we handed over € 24 for the privilege.

On to town and an amazing market

The old town delivered everything you’d expect: ancient churches, a castle, a fraternity hall, squares that invite you to stand still for a moment. We did all of that, then wandered beyond the old moat into quieter neighbourhoods where the architecture shifted and the tourist density dropped considerably. The central market was our mid-morning stop — too early for lunch, but perfectly timed for local berries that were just coming into season and absolutely worth the detour.

Riga’s central market in early June – bursting with fresh local berries.

We found an open-air café in the sunshine, settled in with a rhubarb lemonade that tasted exactly like a warm Saturday afternoon should, and watched Riga go about its day. By the time we returned to the ship for the 3 PM departure, we’d logged eighteen thousand steps. The weather helped — twenty degrees and brilliant sunshine — but Riga would have impressed us in any conditions. It’s a city that clearly loves itself, and it’s hard not to love it back.

Sunday, May 31 — Tallinn, Estonia

On one of Tallinn’s many cobbled streets – living history

We started the morning with ambitions of breakfast on the rear deck. It was twelve degrees with a breeze off the Baltic, which our optimism had rounded up to “brisk but manageable.” The food was cold before we finished it. We retreated inside, layered up properly, and headed ashore with a significantly more realistic assessment of the temperature.

Tallinn’s old town is frequently cited as the finest medieval city in northern Europe, and having now seen it, we’re not inclined to argue — though we’d happily put Riga and even Klaipėda into the conversation. What set Tallinn apart wasn’t the headlines — the towers, the walls, the church spires — but the texture of the place. Fat Margaret’s Tower. Saint Olaf’s Church, its steeple a classical image of the Estonian skyline. The market square before ten in the morning, before the cruise ship crowds arrive, when it still belongs to the city rather than to the visitors.

Meg is locked away in a castle – can Cam save her?

At Munkadetagune Torn (the Tower Behind Monks) we entered for an adventure. The original medieval stairs were steep, narrow and uneven underfoot. There were none of the safety infrastructure that tends to smooth the edges off historic sites elsewhere. It felt genuinely old, in the best possible way. Meg and I separated briefly — she continued along the ramparts while I went down to get a photograph of her from below. Classic Rapunzel moment. What followed was less classic.

When Meg reached the exit, she found the door locked and a handwritten note on a paper plate reading ‘Back in 15 minutes’. Stranded on the ramparts with no way down, she leaned out a window. I was approaching the entrance below when the attendant popped out heading on an apparent coffee run. I mentioned, as diplomatically as possible, that my wife was stranded on the ramparts. “That is not possible,” she said, and wandered off down the street. I looked up at Meg in the window and laughed, because there wasn’t much else to do.

She was eventually released. Regrouping, we followed a sign into the courtyard of the Dominican museum — not for the exhibits, but because the sign said Cloister Red Ale. A brewery operating out of a thirteenth-century cloister, producing twenty-litre batches of ale that regularly sells out. This, to us, felt like exactly the right use of medieval infrastructure. We sampled. We approved. We sat for a long and very pleasant pause in a building that has been standing since 1246.

Treading lightly on 900 years of history

Meg noted that after two months of beautifully reconstructed historic buildings across Europe, stepping into a genuinely original structure felt almost transgressive — as though the space didn’t quite belong to us, but to the centuries of people who’d passed through it before. The courtyard was guarded by what may have been the largest dog either of us has ever encountered: Great Dane height, Saint Bernard build, a reported sixty-five kilograms, a Caucasian Shepherd apparently used by the Russian military in Siberia. He was docile enough. Probably.

We finished the day at the local market — a proper one, with butchers and produce sellers alongside the quick bites — before walking back to the ship along the old tram track, now a green corridor through the city. Sunset that evening was at 10:20 PM. It never really got dark. Another Baltic country, another day that exceeded expectations.

Next up: Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden — the final two ports before our Baltic cruise comes to an end.

Thanks for reading please feel free to leave any comments or reach out to us by the link above.

Travel thought – “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”— Marcel Proust

Cam and Meg.

🛳️ Baltic Cruise Part 2: Lithuania

Friday, May 29 — Klaipeda Lithuania and the Curonian Spit

With only seven hours in port, we were off the ship and into the streets before eight o’clock. Klaipeda’s old town is compact and walkable. We found an online walking guide the night before that pointed us toward the main squares, historic buildings, and — as it turned out — a wonderfully eccentric collection of public sculptures scattered throughout the streets.

Statues, Bicycles and the Baltic Sea

From the shadows of the past to the rooftops of Klaipeda

Klaipeda takes its statues seriously. The Black Ghost, a tall cloaked figure said to haunt the city, looms from the waterfront. Nearby, a chimney sweep perches at the top of a building — local tradition says rubbing his button brings good luck, so we obliged. The Magic Mouse sits in a small nook, ready to grant wishes to anyone who knows to ask. There are mermaids, ghosts, and others tucked into corners and courtyards, and we found ourselves wandering slightly off-route just to see what might appear around the next corner. It has the feeling of a city that doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is an appealing quality.

Graduation Day in Klaipeda

As we made our way toward the bicycle rental shop, we heard noise and music in the distance, then chanting. Our instinct said protest march; the reality was considerably more joyful. A parade of high school students was winding through the streets — it was the last day of classes, and this was their traditional send-off celebration. Watching hundreds of teenagers pour through the old town in a wave of noise and colour was an unexpected and lovely surprise.

A Day on Lithuania’s Curonian Spit

Getting ready to take the ferry to the Curonian Spit.

We collected our rental bikes and made our way to the ferry terminal, a ten-minute ride through town. The ferry carried us across the narrow channel to the Curonian Spit — a UNESCO-listed strip of land stretching 98 kilometres, split between Lithuania in the north and Russia in the south, and nowhere more than a kilometre wide.

What greeted us on the other side was extraordinary. To the west, a seemingly endless beach ran the full length of the spit — wide, white, and almost entirely empty on this particular Friday. At ten degrees with a brisk wind off the Baltic, swimming was firmly off the agenda, but the scale of the place was breathtaking regardless. We followed the bike path south toward the tip, passing the aquarium and an old fort, riding out to the end of the breakwater where the channel narrows and the buoy markers trace the safe passage for ships heading to and from Klaipeda. Having spent time at sea in a previous life, I found myself watching the channel with more than casual interest.

A Historic Village

On the return leg, we came across a small fishing village museum — a collection of traditional wooden buildings preserved on the spit. Quiet and unhurried, it offered a glimpse of the communities that once depended on these waters for their livelihood. It was the kind of discovery that makes you wish you had more time. The Curonian Spit clearly deserves a longer visit than an afternoon allows, and it went straight onto the list of places we’d genuinely consider returning to.

A huge windswept beach but a bit too cold to go swimming.

We made it back to the ferry, cycled to the rental shop, and returned to the ship with time to spare for sail away. Standing on the upper deck as we eased down the narrow channel, we passed several Lithuanian naval vessels moored along the waterfront. A cruise that had begun only days earlier was already delivering the kind of places that make future travel plans. Lithuania had surprised us — and set a remarkably high bar for the ports still to come.

Next up:

the Baltic continues — more ports, more discoveries, and at least one more navigation decision of questionable quality.

Travel quote: The worst thing about being a tourist is having other tourists recognize you as a tourist!

Thanks for reading please feel free to leave any comments or reach out to us by the link above.

Cam and Meg

🛳️ Baltic Cruise, Part 1: All Aboard in Warnemünde and a Wandering Day in Gdańsk

Wednesday, May 27 — Warnemünde, Germany to start our Baltic Cruise

Embarkation day has a rhythm all its own, and it’s pretty much the same regardless of the cruise line or the port. Our Baltic Cruise was no exception. Everyone arrives at the terminal at once, the lines shuffle forward in fits and starts, and there’s a frantic, slightly bewildered energy as two thousand people simultaneously try to figure out where they’re supposed to be. We were no exceptions.

Somewhere between Berlin and the Baltic, hoping the German rail system would be kinder to us than the Polish one.

Getting to the port was its own small adventure. Cruise lines love to market these itineraries as visiting Berlin. The reality is that there is no ocean anywhere near Berlin; the ship docks in Warnemünde, about two hours away by train. “Berlin” simply looks better on a brochure. Despite what the itinerary says, Warnemünde is a solid two hours from Berlin by train — two trains, in fact. The German rail network, which we’d been hoping might redeem the reputation of its Polish counterpart, proved equally creative with its scheduling. A late departure from Berlin cascaded into a missed connection in Rostock, which put us toward the back of a very long check-in queue. From the moment we joined that queue to the moment we reached our cabin was forty-eight minutes. Not bad, all things considered.

On Board the Ship – Our Home for 9 Days

Once on board, we did what you do on the first day of a cruise. You get lost, wait for elevators, and slowly start mapping the ship in your head. We caught a yoga class, unpacked our bags — properly unpacked, for the first time in 10 weeks. We made it to the evening’s early show before dinner. The entertainment was a high-energy musical tribute spanning four decades, with great costumes and an equally great cast. After sixty-plus days of hotels and hostels, having dinner prepared and entertainment laid on felt like a small miracle.

This nine-day journey will take us through six countries, with only one sea day. We still have plenty of ground to cover before we fly home, but for now the simple pleasure of unpacking once and staying put is more than enough.

Thursday, May 28 our first port — Gdansk, Poland

We started the morning with back-to-back yoga classes — a thirty-minute stretch session that rolled straight into a second class when the instructor kindly offered to keep going. A good breakfast followed, and then we got ready to go ashore as the ship arrived at 10 AM.

First impressions of Gdańsk: colourful facades, cobbled streets, and a city that immediately won us over.

There’s a small asterisk on “Gdansk” as a port. The ship actually docks in Gdynia, an industrial city about thirty kilometres away. The smoke stacks and container ships weren’t exactly calling to us, so we focused on getting to Gdansk instead. The ship was running a shuttle for €60 return; we found a FlixBus leaving at 11 AM for €4.50 a person. The bus ride was uneventful, and we arrived at the main bus and train terminal just before noon.

From the station it’s a short walk into the old town, and the reward is immediate. The buildings are charming — tall, colourful, and elaborately decorated — the streets narrow and cobbled underfoot. Much of the city was rebuilt after 1945, yet it carries a genuinely authentic air. Rather than feeling like a reconstructed tourist attraction, it feels like a city rebuilt for the people who live there and only incidentally enjoyed by visitors. The area around the famous medieval water crane was buzzing with visitors from what seemed like half the ships in the Baltic, but it’s busy for good reason. We found a table at an open-air café, ordered something cold, and spent a happy hour watching the world go by.

We also spotted a handful of Solidarity signs. Quiet nods to the movement that began here in the 1980s and changed the course of European history.

Getting Back to the Ship (The Hard Way)

The return trip provided the afternoon’s entertainment. At the train station, we purchased tickets from a real person after the automated kiosk defeated us. We confirmed our platform, and boarded with confidence. Then, just before the doors closed, doubt crept in. We looked at each other, decided we were on the wrong train, and jumped off. We ran across the tracks and boarded the train going the other way — sitting down, quite pleased with ourselves — only to realize we were now definitely on the wrong train. At the first stop we hopped off, crossed the platform again, and boarded yet another train pointing in the correct direction. Ten minutes later, we were heading back to Gdynia. We were back on track — ha! — and laughing about it before we even reached the ship.

That evening the entertainment was a skilled violinist, and over dinner we received news that the clocks would be moving forward an hour overnight. Given the ship’s 07:30 arrival in our next port, that meant an early start by any measure. The travel tax — not the financial kind, but the accumulated toll of early mornings and busy days — is part of the cruising life too.

Next up: Klaipeda, Lithuania — quirky statues, a high school parade, and a brilliant afternoon on bikes in a national park.

Thanks for reading please feel free to leave any comments or reach out to us by the contact link.

Quote – “Travel aspirations? Don’t put them on your bucket list, put them on your to do list.”

Cam and Meg.

Panama Canal Part II

Puerto Chapais, Mexico.

This was our first time to Puerto Chapais, which is very close to the Guatemalan border. Rumours swirled around the ship of how dangerous it was due to the cartels and drug running. One passenger told us the MARSEC level, which identifies the port security level, had been raised to Level IV. Well, for starters, the highest MARSEC level is III. I politely nodded and managed to say nothing (out loud anyway). The normal MARSEC level is I. In all my time in the Navy, with very few exceptions, MARSEC I is the only level I’ve seen. While I don’t discount intelligence, I will certainly discount unintelligence.

A beautiful Stained Glass Window in Tapachula

The tours offered by the ship didn’t seem to visit many places and the cruise ship advised there were limited transport options to Tapachula, the nearest town. Puerto Chapais literally had nothing other than a welcome centre and stevedore equipment for container ships. We had been told it was difficult to get a shuttle into town due to the limited number of seats. We thought we were fortunate to get a seat on the shuttle for $10 return. It turned out there were lots of seats. The drive in was about an hour and as we headed into town, the bus passed banana and mango plantations, haciendas and shanty areas. Once in town, we explored a Mexican town that is neither used to nor set up for tourists.

A “Real” Mexican town

This was a great experience and the first time, in all of our times in Mexico, we were able to see a “real” Mexican town. There were stores of all types, selling everything. Numerous street food stalls, clothing stores, hardware, cell phones, you name it. People going about their daily business. Colectivos picking up and dropping off people, parents herding little ones along, children in school uniforms going to school. And us, taking it all in.

The local museum was open and we wandered through. It would not rival a Smithsonian and there were basically no signs in English. There were a number of neat artifacts. Lunch was empanadas, made right before our eyes, in a hole in the wall restaurant. When I say “hole in the wall”, it was literally a hole in the wall! Those empanadas were so good! It was a bit tricky to order as no English was spoken. Not a single word. In the end, I held out my money, and said “dos” or two. The grandma who was running the operation, took twenty pesos and prepared two “pollo” or chicken empanadas, covered in a salad and cheese. Eating these on a park bench with a drink made me feel like a local and filled me up.

Doing some more exploring and snacking, the time came for the return journey to the ship. On our next visit, we might consider visiting the Aztec ruins which, we heard from other passengers, were being restored and, although not the best ruins, were still interesting.

Huatulco, Mexico

This was our first visit to Huatulco, our fall stop here had been cancelled due to a storm. The area is marketed as having nine bays and beaches at every bay. We headed ashore with no plan. The first few offered tours were not appealing and somehow, we ended up in a dive shop. We were offered a snorkel tour for $300, then $200. It was a private tour and would take us to five bays with snorkeling at each if we wanted as well as beach time. It would have us back at 3PM and, after checking out another tour operator, we booked it.

Snorkelling in Clear Blue Water

We had our own boat, snorkel gear and headed out. Unfortunately, our captain could not speak English. We managed to communicate and he pointed out a number of interesting things. The snorkel stops were wonderful and the fish we saw were colourful. The beaches were vast with very few other people on them. There was a strong current/undertow, so you should be able to swim well, fins certainly helped. After about 3 ½ hours we had had enough and returned to the ship. On our way back, the captain abruptly stopped the boat and pointed to a sea turtle. This magnificent creature was simply swimming in the ocean, going about his (or her) business. The captain stopped the boat and explained he was not allowed to follow the turtle. We floated along and the turtle kept going on its way, eventually diving down out of sight.

In our boat between dives. The beaches are amazing.

Once back in town, we took a taxi into downtown for lunch, Mexican street food is so much better than ship’s food, even though the latter is free. Our tour guide had recommended a taco stand in town and it did not disappoint. We then wandered around, taking in the sights and headed back to the ship. It turns out there were only two other passengers after us to return to the ship so we certainly maximized our time in Huatulco.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

We returned, again to Puerto Vallarta, or PV. This was our third visit in the past six-months. We weren’t sure what to do given the limited time we had during our cruise ship stop. One thing we noticed was the cooler weather. It was about 5C cooler with no humidity which was a welcome relief from the intense heat of Costa Rica and Panama.

We spent our first half hour ashore “running the gauntlet” of time shares, souvenir shops, taxi touts and more. The cruise ship terminal is structured so you have to pass each stall. The easy exits are for crew only, passengers are politely pointed to the maze of hawkers. Once outside, we headed for a local grocery store called Chedraui. This is a full-size grocery store and it seemed better to shop here at a local store versus the Walmart. Most people head to the Walmart as it is right across the road from the terminal, however you have to cross 10 lanes of traffic. That takes a fair amount of time and, once on the other side, you have the massive parking lot to traverse. Chedraui had everything we wanted including a tour organizer that offered better prices than in town.

Travel like a local on a local bus

We then headed into town on the local bus for 20 Pesos. Arriving at the south end of town, we wandered aimlessly, remembering the Romantic Zone is just too touristy for us. Eventually we arrived at a taco place we like and had a lunch of street tacos. Lunch perked us up, however, there was still nothing we wanted to do.

The one thing that appealed to us, which we have not done before, was to take a tour to San Sebastian. Unfortunately, this tour only ran three days a week on Mon, Wed and Fri. and we arrived on a Saturday. The tour also leaves at 9AM and is about 8 hours long with 90 minutes of travel each way. Arriving back at 5PM would have had us miss the cruise ship. For our next cruise ship visit to PV, if we remember, we will try and see if we can arrange a tour that works with our cruise ship.

International Wine Tasting On Board

International Wine Tasting – a great way to spend a day at sea!

Once onboard the ship, we settled in for our two sea days as we approached LA. On our last sea day, we signed up for a wine tasting. It was the best one we have ever experienced on a cruise ship. There were six countries represented, with a red and white from each country. The capacity was limited to 30 people and you wandered from station to station trying the wines as you wished. The pours were “honest” and in the span of an hour, we think we each had the equivalent of a full bottle of wine. When we tried a wine we did not like, we simply dumped it in the dumping bin.

Grey rainy skies and cool temperatures greeted us when we arrived in LA. Our plan had been to store our luggage and wander Long Beach, but that is a thing for sunnier days. In the end, we simply headed to the airport and returned home.

Two cruises, totalling 23 days was in the books. We were refreshed and ready for our next adventure.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to leave any comments or reach out by email via the contact form above.

Cam and Meg

Panama Canal Cruise Part I

Changing Cruise Ships

As our first cruise ended, we took our time leaving the MSC Seaside. Once ashore, we hung around the Miami cruise terminal, taking advantage of the wi-fi. When we were ready to leave, we headed to to the Fort Lauderdale cruise terminal. Enrolee, we stopped at Total Wine to pick up some Prosecco for our 16-day Panama Canal cruise. Boarding of the Coral Princess was delayed as it was reported to have an outbreak of Norovirus and additional cleaning/sanitization measures were in effect. Great.

Once onboard, we noticed a change from the MSC Seaside. The Coral Princess was showing her age. Most of the newer ships have a “bigger is better” attitude, with grand foyers, high ceilings and warmer colours. The ship was functional and we were certainly going to enjoy ourselves for the next 16 days.

The buffet was no longer ‘serve-yourself’ due to the health scare. Staff would serve you. They were at the buffet entrances to make sure everyone washed their hands. There were regular announcements encouraging people to use their own bathrooms and follow hygiene protocol.

Are Elevators Really that Hard to Use?

Then we had the challenges with the elevators. I honestly wonder if any of the passengers have actually used elevators before this cruise. From asking if the lift is going up or down. Hmmm, let’s see, you pushed the up (or down) button, the arrow in front of the elevator indicates up or down – use your visual cues people. You do need to think a bit on the lifts as not all of them go to all floors.

An example is the mid-ship elevators, which only go down to deck 7. This means, if you want to eat in one of the restaurants on deck 5, you either have to take the stairs down the remaining two floors, or take the forward or aft elevators and walk back. Of course, if you are mobility challenged, you need to take the lift all the way to your destination. However, if you a physically able, you could walk two flights of stairs.

It seems the thought of walking two flights of stairs was the equivalent of high treason for some people. At one point, a couple was arguing about getting on the elevator as it did not go to the fifth floor. How would they get from the seventh to fifth floor? They were saying “this is a terrible ship, and so confusing”. I was in the elevator with the door open and waiting for them and then…the doors closed. I’m not sure how long they argued for after that. The fact I pushed the “door close” button may have had something to do with the door closing, just saying.

Starting off with Sea Days

The first two days were sea days. The routine was a bit different on this ship. For starters, being in our early 60’s, we brought the average down. Yup, we were some of the young’uns onboard. Last week, on MSC, we did not notice a single wheelchair, scooter or mobility aid. This week, there were many scooters et al. It is inspiring to see people, who have trouble covering distances, still travelling and seeing the world. We hope to be doing trips like this when we are much older. So, with a large number of older guests, most seemed to like to sleep in and we didn’t really notice anyone around until close to 9 AM. Thus we had our choice of lounge chairs, breakfast buffet seating spots, etc.

For dinner, we managed to snag a 7:20 dining time, which for us, is ideal. There was an overwhelming demand for the 5PM dining time, likely due to the overall age of the passengers and their nationality. Of the almost 1,800 guests, 1,100 were from the US, close to 300 from Canada with various European countries and Mexico making up the balance. Our table was in the rear of the main dining room (MDR) and by a window. Since we were eating just after sunset, the window was not really a great bonus.

Back to Aruba

Our first port of call was Aruba and we took the public bus, called the “AruBus” to Arashi beach, where we met up with some new friends from Oregon. Hanging out in a public beach hut for shade, we snorkeled, read, chilled and sampled some Mojitos. All with the brilliant Aruban sunshine and Caribbean ocean as our backdrop. Tickets for the AruBus can be had at the main station, $5 US for a return trip pass, or $15 for an all-day pass. Be aware the ticket sales only go from 6 AM – 1:30 PM. You can always pay cash onboard, although it costs a bit more. The driver will make change, but change is given in local currency. All times and prices current as of March 2025.

One of the nice things about Princess is the laundromats on board. It’s no secret, having your laundry done in a hotel is very expensive. The cost to do it on a cruise ship is equally expensive. On a 16-day cruise, you’ll likely need to do laundry, unless you take all the clothes you own. There are washing machines on passenger decks and it makes it easy to keep up with your laundry for minimal costs.

Transiting through the Panama Canal

After Aruba, we sailed to the Panama Canal and carried on with our transit. The toll for our cruise ship was just over $330,000 USD. That was included in the cruise ship fare, the Captain did not need to “pass the hat” to gather money for our passage. The rate is a combination of the vessels weight as well as the number of passengers onboard, which for this calculation, includes crew.

Our transit took us through the historic locks and the overall transit is nothing short of impressive. It is even more remarkable when you learn the locks have been operating the same way since 1912, with the same construction. Of course, there are much older locks in various parts of the world still operating. In Canada, the Rideau Canal was completed in 1832. Its aim was to avoid the Great Lakes after the War of 1812 between British North America and the United States . It makes you wonder. Transiting through the locks, there is very little clearance on either side of the ship.

How the Locks Work

Sunset at the Panama Canal – note all the boats at anchor, waiting for their turn

The lock is then flooded, or drained, depending on if the ship is going up or down. The gates are then opened and away you go to the next lock. In all, there are six locks, three up and three down, rising/falling a height of 85’ in each directions. That number can vary slightly depending on tides. The overall transit takes around 10 hours and makes for an incredibly scenic day.

Once the last lock has been exited and the ship has cleared the Bridge of the Americas, the Captain took the vessel alongside Fuerte Amador, Panama, the closest berthing point for Panama City. Although the ship was alongside, no passengers were allowed to leave until the next morning.

Panama City – Another Capital City Visited

There were a number of tours in and around Panama, however we decided to head out on our own. The hope was to get a tour of the old city. There were a number of touts offering every type of tour imaginable. We settled on a walking tour of the Mercado, Old City and a drive by the new town. The temperature was forecast at +32C with an extreme UV and humidity warning that made extended time outside seem like not the best idea.

On our drive into town, we passed some “areas” that seemed a bit suspect. When asked about the safety of the neighbourhood, our guide said he would walk around where we were in the daytime, but not the night time. There were two police officers on most street corners and it turns out they will discourage non-locals from wandering off the main street. Our guide lived about 20-minutes from the area we were in and told us his area was a lot safer.

Fresh Local Fruit from the Jungles of Panama

A local vendor selling us some bananas. Her selection of fruit was amazing!

Arriving at the mercado, we could see it was truly local and our guide was correct, there were no tourists there. The bounty of fresh fruit was amazing. Snacking on bananas and drinking fresh juice was so much better than the cruise ship breakfast, and healthier too! There is a lot of history in the town and it is continually developing. We learned that banking is now overtaking the canal as the main industry, although the canal is critical for bringing in hard currency. While Panama has its own currency, the US dollar is the currency of all transactions.

The architecture of Old Panama City was very colonial, likely from the French influence when they tried to build the canal in the late 1800’s. After our tour, we headed to the Biosphere Museum and learned about the evolutionary history of Panama.

As it was hot and humid, we took an Uber back to the ship and with that, our time in Panama City concluded.

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Puntarenas is one of the few Pacific side stops in Costa Rica for cruise ships. There’s really not a lot to do in the town. It is a small isthmus with a main road that leads to the mainland. Previously, we took a driving tour that left us uninspired. On this trip, as we left the pier, we met the touts who offered us various tours as we headed to the TI centre. Our goal was a tour of the Island San Lucas, which showed nice beaches and hiking trails. It turns out San Lucas was a former penal colony, similar to Alcatraz. There are tours sometimes, but nothing on the day we were in town. The TI made a number of phone calls and a private tour could be arranged for a cost of $300 US. We were not really that interested and left the TI without a plan.

Back on the street, the touts sensed we had nothing to do. If we wanted to do a local tour, we would have been given a good deal. The tour started at $65, then to $50. At no point did we even try to negotiate. When we continued walking away, the “owner” came and offered us the tour for $40, but only if we agreed not to tell anyone as this was “too low”. We hemmed and hawed for a bit, but remembering our tour last time, we politely declined. Our new plan was to head to the ferry and see where that would take us.

Making Our Own Tour

It was a 20-minute walk to the end of the isthmus where the ferry terminal was located. There, we bought senior’s tickets for the 10AM ferry to the other side. There appeared to be nice beaches there, at least according to our online maps. One hour and 20-minutes later the ferry docked on the other side. There wasn’t much at the ferry landing, but we knew there was a gas station with a convenience store only 500 meters away. At the store, we picked up some drinks and snacks and headed to a beach. There wasn’t much life around and we could not be sure of where we were going, this was certainly not a tourist area. Heading down a dirt road the “Perla Negra”, or Black Pearl, restaurant came into site.

Although no one was in the bar when we walked through, it was certainly gimmicky and geared for tourists. Exiting the other side of the bar were open fields and chairs that lead to another road. Carrying on downhill, we came across a smaller dirt road that eventually led us to a beautiful beach. It was a cove that had soft sand, palm trees, shade and only one person other than us. Unsure if there were crocodiles in the water, we spoke with the lone occupant, who was from Quebec City. He had been swimming and was just about to leave on his motorcycle. We then had the postcard perfect beach to ourselves. Wow.

Our Private Beach

We spent the next three hours there and the time flew by. Between swimming in warm water, listening to the sounds of birds calling, fish jumping and staring up at an incredible blue sky, it was amazing. And we were the only ones there. Shifting our towels twice to follow the shade of our palm trees, we were shocked how quickly our alarm went to catch the ferry back. The ferry ride and walk back to the ship were uneventful. There was free wi-fi at the port and we caught up on emails. As the ship sailed away that evening, we decided, should we find ourselves back in this port, we would do that same thing again.

Thanks for reading, we’ll post part II of The Panama Canal shortly. Please feel free to leave any comments, or reach out by email at the link at the top of the website.

Cam and Meg

A Caribbean Cruise

We started our two cruises by heading to the airport, taking a connector flight from Victoria to Vancouver. We had a four-hour layover, so after clearing US Customs, we found the lounge and started our vacation 

Do Not Try This At Home

This is the first time we have taken a red-eye flight to a cruise. If all goes to plan, we would get to Fort Lauderdale at 8:30 AM, head to the cruise ship terminal and then be on our cruise. If there is a delay, then we have to make our own way to the next port of call. So, we strongly suggest you do not try this at home! It’s really not the best plan; too much can go wrong. Weather delays, lost luggage, airport closures, and 100 other things. It does happen that people miss their ship and have to get to the next port of call, but it is a challenge.

In the end, it went like clockwork and we were at the ship by 10:30. So, if we are saying “don’t do this at home”, why did we do it? Well, it all comes down to dollars and cents. Simply put, a flight the day before was about five times as much. We rolled the dice and came out on top. If we had not, one night hotel, some meals and a flight to Nassau, would have been less than the additional cost of flying a day earlier. But, we can’t stress enough…do not try this at home!

Heading to a New Ship

Once in Fort Lauderdale, we arranged for an Uber and headed to the ship. The drive was uneventful and we both slept for most of it. Boarding the ship was very smooth. Meg had pre-registered us and all they needed was a scan of our passport as well as a photo. The camera they use was an automated one, similar to the many Border Services use at the airport. We were on the ship at 11:00 and headed to the buffet – a true veteran cruiser move.

For those of you who have cruised, going to a new class of ship can be interesting. This voyage combined a new cruise line and obviously a new ship. There were many of the same things, but also some things were completely different, with a very European flair.

Two of the most notable differences were the buffet and main pool located on the lower level of the ship on deck 8, as opposed to being on the top decks. This was very foreign to us and took some getting used to.

New Elevators – a Challenge for Some People

The other major difference was the elevators or lifts. When you press the call button for the elevators, you select the floor you want before you get on. Then the nice machine will tell you which elevator will be going to that floor and it also indicates how long it will be until the elevator arrives. When you enter the elevator, you do not press any buttons. Being trained to press the button when you get in is ingrained. It took a few days not to want to press the button when we got into the elevator. The display indicates what floor you are on and what floor(s) the lift will be stopping on. This also took a bit of getting used to, but after a few days, we absolutely loved it.

This system has dramatically reduced the number of elevator-challenged people from getting on and saying “is this elevator going up (or down)”. Maybe this is not the case, perhaps all of the 5,000 passengers on board are gifted in the use of elevators…nah, who are we kidding.

In all seriousness, the system seems to work well. The announcements are in multiple languages, English is first.

Setting Sail

The cruise departed as scheduled, after everyone had checked in for the safety drill. Dinner that night, and in fact most meals, were better than recent offerings from either Princess or Celebrity. The activities were pretty much the same: trivia, exercise classes such as line dancing, pool sports, etc. The Captain’s address offered some free adult beverages.

One thing we did not like was our dining time, which was assigned to us for 5:30PM. Now this did not mean we ate at 5:30. By the time you get settled and your order is taken, you don’t start eating until 6:10. Your main entrée arrives around 6:30ish. When we asked if we could change to the 7:45 time, the Maitre’d told us there were some 200 people on the waiting list for late dining.

MSC is an Italian line, with a heavy Mediterranean influence. Given so many of the passengers are European, it is not surprising that later dining is preferred.

It’s Better in the Bahamas

We did not start with a sea day, instead we visited Nassau, Bahamas for our first full day. We did not book any excursions and simply walked off the ship to explore. Meg had done some research and found a number of places to check out. Starting with the ‘Queens Staircase’, a series of 66 stairs that were carved out of limestone in the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. It is a very popular tourist attraction, however we were fortunate to get there during a lull with no other people around. The hoards were only 100 meters behind us, so we took our pictures quickly and carried on.

From the Fort, we wandered around town and explored, trying a local adult beverage on a public beach. We really didn’t find a lot to see or do, and the guidebooks don’t list a ton of things. One thing they do mention, and we did, was the John Wadding Distillery. Being on the Islands, rum is the specialty. A quick seven-minute tour, which really didn’t cover a lot, takes you into the sample room where you could purchase tasters of different aged rums or other drinks.

A Historical British Fort

The stairs take you towards Fort Fincastle, which had a $3 admission. Once inside the Fort, we joined a tour that explained so much about both the fort and community. The way the fort was designed and how things were carved out of limestone allowed for ventilation of the magazine. It was the original air-conditioning and highly effective. The view from the top of the fort was the best you could get in the Bahamas, which makes sense as it is on the highest point.

Not being big rum drinkers, we departed and wandered about. Nassau has a definitive British feel. The King is still the Head of State, similar to Canada. Everyone we met was very pleasant and we left thinking it was a nice place.

Cozumel, Mexico

Our next port was Cozumel, Mexico. We like Mexico. As we wandered ashore, with nothing planned or booked, we met some Touts and settled on a 2-hour snorkel tour on the reef. Cozumel has the second largest reef in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef. The tour was in a glass boat, not just a glass bottom boat, but a completely clear fiberglass/acrylic boat. This allowed for wonderful viewing of the ocean floor as we headed out to the reef.

Once we got to the dive point, we all headed out into the water and looked at fish and coral. The current carried us along and after 30-minutes, we were sheparded back into the boat to return to land. To be honest, the fish viewing was not the best we had ever seen.

Heading to our dive site on a glass boat.

Once back on shore, we wandered around the town and headed to the Mercado where we created our own food tour, based on suggestions we read. The food was fresh, reasonably priced and excellent, what more could you ask for?

As we headed back to the ship, we stopped in for some tequila tasting. Now I (Cam) do not like or drink coffee. Imagine my surprise when I tasted coffee tequila. It was incredibly smooth, to the point of being dangerously good in that it was so easy to drink. Our tasting place was on the main drag and, the prices were, in our opinion, very inflated. We decided to pass on buying any and will look for this product in other stores, just to see if we can get it fairly priced.

Belize

We then had a sea day before arriving at Belize. Our plan was to take a tour of the caves, which we would do by floating on an inner tube. We met a few touts, all of them offering the “best” price. In the end we settled on a tour and headed out. A one-hour drive took us to a touristy trap place where we got tubes, helmets and a briefing. A 20-minute up-hill walk took us to the starting point and we entered the water where we boarded our tubes and floated down the river.

The caves were truly inspiring. The stalagmites and formations were interesting and after about five-minutes of drifting down the river, it was pitch black, except for our headlamps. Our guide had us turn off our lights and we could not see anything. Our tour was about an hour in the caves and when we exited, we carried on down the river in daylight for another 30-minutes. We were back to the ship in good time for departure.

MSC’s Private Island

As we sailed overnight, we headed to MSC’s private island. We were a bit worried about it, thinking it may be similar to Icy Point Strait, which is totally manufactured. Everything has been built on the Island, from the 5,000 planted palm trees to the shrubs. Normally there are places to eat on the island, which are included in your cruise, however on the day we were there, all food venues were closed.

We managed to find two lounge chairs and some shade. Setting up our home for the day, we looked out at the ocean and, between swim breaks, read our books. While there was no food on the island, all the bars were open, however the queues were horrendous, so we passed. While the island was certainly not the highlight of our MSC cruise, the colours of the water, along with the soft sand beaches, made a for a postcard perfect picture.

Winding down

As we left the private island, we returned to Miami. Our impressions of MSC were so favourable we booked another cruise for the spring of 2026. We will head to Europe, MSC’s playground, to visit the Baltics.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave comments or reach out be email on the links below.

Our Five Days at Sea

Many people have asked us if we are bored with so many sea days. In reality we don’t have the time to be bored. Between enrichment activities, planned events such as dance classes, trivia, tours et al, we have to pick and choose what to do so as not to over do it. What seems to happen to us, is many activities are slated at the same time, forcing us to pick and choose.

When we’re not at activities, we’re reading, resting or eating. We both took e-books and enjoyed the time we could have, gazing out the window at the ocean while turning the page of a good read. Then there’s the food.

Enrichment and Learning at Sea

Celebrity put on an enrichment series consisting of three different lecturers. There was naturalist, an artificial intelligence speaker and a physics talker. The latter also did a night talk on the upper decks where you could look at the stars. The naturalist was the same one who was on the ship last fall from Vancouver to Japan last fall and we really enjoyed her talks. We didn’t attend the other two speakers as their topics were not of great interest to us.

Here’s what the five days at sea looked like for us.

Wednesday May 1, 2024

Our first sea day – warm weather, slight breezes and plenty of sunshine. We spent most of the time up top in the open air, either in the Solarium or walking around the upper decks. Our lunch was grilled hamburgers and continual snacks which made for a festive day.

Thursday May 2, 2024

The ship plodded along the North Pacific Ocean, steaming at 20 knots. The weather today was pleasant, sunny and a light breeze, although it was cooler than yesterday. Today was much the same as yesterday, lounging around the Solarium, snacking and enjoying life.

Just before dinner, there was a “Mixology” event. One of the bartenders demonstrated how to make a Manhattan, A Pimm’s and a Mai Tai over a 45-minute period. The bartender was quite the showman, tossing bottles, mixers and ice cubes in the air and catching them with ease. He made it look easy, however I’m sure here was certainly a lot of practice that helped him hone his skill. If tried that two things would happen. 1 – there would be drinks and ice all over the floor and 2 – Meg would not be impressed. It’s the latter that would worry me the most. The best part of this event was, after showing us how to make each type drink, we were offered complementary samples.

We also met a delightful couple from the Netherlands who have cruised a lot, including 9 transatlantic cruises.

Friday May 3, 2024

We knew we were heading north. Today’s weather was much cooler. There was no one scrambling for deck chairs around the pool. The Solarium on the other hand, which is enclosed, was a different story. Despite the cooler weather, I still wore shorts. This caused Meg to think I was losing it, but I was comfortable.

We decided to have hotdogs from the grill today and went to order. Our assistant waiter at dinner also works the burger gill at lunch. Hailing from Zimbabwe, he was dressed in a jacket, touque and long pants. He recognized us and asked how we were doing and we told him we were cold. His immediate reply was “I’m colder”. I’m sure he was colder. He has never seen snow before, I hope he does OK in Alaska this summer as that is where the ship was heading.

Star Wars Day

Saturday May 4, 2024

May the Fourth be with you. The warm temperature was certainly not with us any longer. It was 10C and cloudy today. Another sea day with enrichment lectures, fitness classes, lounging around the Solarium and of course eating. The naturalist did a lecture on whales today where we learned a lot of interesting facts. The whale population, that was almost decimated in the 1970’s from over harvesting and random hunting, is bouncing back strongly. Orca’s still struggle; however, many more species are doing well.

The naturalist also told us the Blue Whale is the largest mammal in the world and obviously eats the most food, up to 2 tons per day. She quickly added that this almost matched by cruise ship passengers. I’m not sure if she was being serious or not. Based on the size of many of the guests on board she may have been. The saying “more truth is spoken in jest” rings true.

Booking Another Cruise

We have very much enjoyed our cruise so far and with that in mind, we headed down to the future cruise sales office. Our fall and summer have a number of confirmed activities as well as some placeholders. We were not ready to book a major cruise for the fall/winter of 24/25, however there was a short six-day pacific coastal cruise that aligned with our September schedule.

Of course, they try and upsell you and suggest you book a high category cabin with wi-fi and the beverage package. They refrain from using “booze” package. We decided an inside cabin with no beverage package and no wi-fi would suit our needs and booked. There are some advantages to booking onboard including an additional credits, reduced deposits and in-category room upgrades that, for us, make it worth-while.

This evening we attended a Senior Officers party, where the Captain and his top mucky-mucks were there, handing out drinks. There were also yummy appies, however as this event was between the two dinner seatings, we did not have any appies, having just eaten a lobster and beef wellington dinner. Such is the life of food on a cruise ship.

Sunday May 5, 2024

Today is our last sea day. Waking up to swells that made the ship rock, we were greeted by rain and 7C. This made us miss Hawaii even more. There was more lounging, a galley tour, fitness classes and of course eating. Just before 11PM, in Canadian territorial waters, we turned north from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and headed toward Victoria. The view of the city, with all of its lights is always impressive. Race Rock’s light house was flashing and ocean was calm. The ship embarked a pilot and started the final leg for Vancouver.

Arrival in Vancouver

Monday May 6, 2024

Vancouver’s iconic Lions Gate Bridge, as seen from the First Narrows.

I was up at 5AM and went up top to see us abeam Point Atkinson light house which marks West Vancouver. The ship carried on towards Canada place, passing under the Lion’s Gate Bridge at 5:37 AM. The view of the bridge from the water never gets boring. The ship berthed at 6AM. The last morning is always a rush, people trying to get their last meal before heading home. They want to stuff themselves and get their money’s worth. There are long queues for the lifts and difficulties finding a seat at the buffet.

We had been warned the previous night, that getting ashore would be a challenge as there were three cruise ships in port. That increases the strain on Customs, taxis, etc. We had decided to take our luggage off ourselves and as we walked off at 8AM, we were on the sidewalk at Canada Place at 8:05 AM. The Customs agent simply took our card, gave it a cursory scan and said “you’re good to go”.

I checked in with my Mom, and she was just leaving to pick us up. We then sat on a bench in the warm sun, catching up on a week worth of emails with the free wi-fi. While there were a ton of emails, the digital detox was great. In the end not much happened that needed our immediate attention. Shockingly, politicians were still being fools, governments were overspending, special interest groups were rallying people for their causes, conflicts were taking place in parts of the world, the stock market was doing its thing. Very similar to when we left.

Recap

This was a short trip, two weeks. We loved it. Warm air, good food, interesting sites and new experiences. Cruising is one of our happy places. It’s not for everyone, but for us it’s great.

It’s no secret costs have gone up in the past few years. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last two years, you know restaurants have also raised their prices, sometimes by huge amounts. Increases in wages, food, rent, taxes, et al, have made dining out a luxury for many. The food on Celebrity is very good. Of the eleven nights we were onboard, nine of the dinners in the main dining room were outstanding. Two were meh and on those nights, we chose to eat in the buffet as the selections there were great. Some of the highlight meals were lobster, beef wellington, prime rib and lamb chops. There were curry dishes, vegetarian choices, fish dishes and chicken. Soups, salads as well as deserts. That is evening dining.

During the day there are burger bars, various sandwich choices, salads and everything else. There is a lot of variety and if you don’t like something you’ve been given, you can send it back and get another dish. In the evening, we often struggled between two dishes. That’s not a problem on a cruise ship, they’ll bring you both. Portions don’t tend to be overly large, so it’s not as “piggish” as it seems.

We are now looking forward to our September cruise and seeing the sights along the way, including San Francisco, where we spent part of our honeymoon some 35 ½ years ago.

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment or reach out with any questions via the contact form.

Cam and Meg