Travel Notes
DEC. 8, 2023 – GETTING TO THE AIRPORT
We didn’t get much sleep. Our bags were already packed in the Highlander (barely). Fitting all our luggage into a single vehicle had not even crossed my mind, but it should have as it was a tight fit. We were up around 5:30 a.m. and after getting ready, had a little more time to say goodbye to the last set of our grandchildren.
We got to the airport around 8 and wrangled the luggage through the airport by moving the bags about 70 feet at a time. It was so nice to be able to drop off 5 bags and the golf clubs at the counter. The sense of adventure was definitely palpable. Around 10:00 a.m. and the wheels were up and we were on our way!
DEC. 9, 2023 – THE GALA
What an awesome way to kick off a cruise. No travel stress as we got to the Intercontinental Hotel the day ahead of the Gala and 2 days before embarkation day. There is excitement in the air as we are all the full voyage cruisers. So many of us had already purchased magnetic metal name tags so we would have an easier time getting to know each other. The formal setting was fantastic and there was plenty of food and drink for everyone.
DEC. 10, 2023 – MIAMI – EMBARKATION DAY!
Up Early! We headed to the room to prep for shuttles to the ship. We had a moderately early time that didn’t put too much stress on us getting up and having pressure. 9:15 Shuttle turned out to be a 9:30 shuttle, but hey, we don’t have anywhere we need to be. We got to the ship to find that the luggage was already in the room. A quick bite to get energy and we started hard at it to get the room organized and our bags unpacked. We actually finished everything we wanted to accomplish before going to bed. We were ready to face the world!
DEC. 11, 2023 – AND… WE’RE OFF! PORT 1 – COCO CAY, BAHAMAS
Coco Cay is the private island that is only for play. A great place to start as a port with a beautiful setting and lots of fun and relaxation! We explored to look at all the different areas, which included a kid friendly beach and play area, a huge pool in the middle with a party atmosphere, very tall and twisting slides for the adventurous, and several beach areas. We settled on a couple of beach front lounge chairs under an umbrella at south beach and enjoyed the view of calm waters. Later in the day we moved around to different beach area with little waves. When we walked back to the ship the wind and waves were very strong, so it was amazing to see the difference it makes to go from one side of this small island to the other. Also, I love sand sculptures, so I happy that we passed this one on our walk.
DEC. 12, 2023 – DAY AT SEA
So many things to do. Trying to figure out where everything is even though we have been on this ship twice before. We joined a Christmas Choir that will perform in the main centrum on Christmas Day. Just like every other choir I have ever been in, the director was being a stickler on vowel sounds and not have the essss sounds make people think we are snakes. It felt like old days.
They have a theater on board, though small, that will be showing movies every 3 hours throughout the day. Add that to the movies that will be themed on our travels being shown in the large performance theater and the new large screen on the pool and you will always have choices. Gwen went to a movie, but I was still slaving away on learning how to build a website, and both of us had fun.
DEC. 13, 2023 – COZUMEL, MEXICO
Chichen Itza is the largest of all the Mayan ruins, so off we go! Our tour begins with a 45 minute Ferry ride from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen on the mainland of Mexico. Once getting off the ferry, we marched about a half mile inland to get on buses to take us to the site. The bus ride there was 2 and a half hours long. It doesn’t leave much time for exploration of the ruins, but we still saw enough. It is a very impressive site.,
We stopped for a buffet lunch on the way back where they had a Mayan ceremonial dance and drum presentation. Pretty impressive, and I know Gwen loves to get pictures of things like that. My favorite part of the day was making new friends on the bus on the way back to the ship.
DEC. 14, 2023 – DAY AT SEA
We had choir practice and Gwen went off to do some line dancing and diamond art. There is a young woman in her late 30’s onboard who has traveled to every country in the world. Gwen heard her speak and got her book, that RCCL gave to the World Travelers, signed. Together we went to see the movie, GOLDA, which we both found interesting and are now motivated to research more about that time in Israel’s history. We also went to the evening show with ventriloquist, Kevin Johnson, who I thought was the best ventriloquist I have ever seen. I didn’t say funniest, but I never saw his lips or neck betray his speech. It was very entertaining.
DEC. 15, 2023 – DAY AT SEA
Not much going on as we had a chill sea day. We have settled into a “Walk Around the World” program where they gave us a book for short diary entries and they will stamp if we have walked over a mile. It is on the honor system. I think it will keep us active. Gwen thrives where she has a goal and can see progress. We stumbled onto a short ceremony to honor the veterans on the ship. It helped them to see other veterans from their branch of the service and it looked like friendship and conversations were going hand in hand. Another day of working on this website and a choir practice.
DEC. 16, 2023 – ORANJESTAD, ARUBA
We did something we have never done before, Blokarting. Since we have been to Aruba multiple times, it seemed natural just to find a fun activity. It was a blast. The wind wasn’t as strong as some days, but it was good enough to allow us to race up and down the beach wind sailing in what were 3 wheeled wind powered go-karts! We did a little exploring around Oranjestad after getting back, as Gwen was looking for postcards to send to the grandkids. Spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool and then went dancing.
DEC. 17, 2023 – WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO
Doug and Margaret went off scuba diving, so we got a taxi to take us to Blue Bay Resort. There, Gwen was able to spend some time snorkeling and reading at a very nice resort beach, and I was able to play golf.
We also walked around the shops near the port where they were having a celebration. As we sat eating dinner, the ship was leaving port to a salvo of fireworks over the bay.
DEC. 18, 2023 – KRALENDIJK, BONAIRE
Our excursion in Bonaire was definitely one of our favorites. We walked about a half mile from the port to catch a water taxi. It took us to an island that is preserved as a National Park. We were allowed to take our beach bags and towels to the beach and then reboarded to be taken part of the way back to our original departure. Our captain stopped the boat while about 8 of us went down a ramp and jumped into the water with our snorkels and fins. It was an easy float/swim along the coral reef back to the beach where our towels were stowed.
We met up on the beach with some friends from Florida and Gwen went back out for more snorkeling. She was glad she did as some of the largest fish were just off the beach where the underwater terrain dropped significantly. There were so many fish on this snorkel trip, it was like swimming in a large aquarium.
DEC. 19, 2023 – DAY AT SEA
Same itinerary as previous Sea Days as we have a choir practice on every one leading up to Christmas. We are also working diligently to get this website caught up. The good news is that we are learning more and more each day on how to use this software.
Dinner later at one of the specialty restaurants, CHOPS, that was not as good as our normal nightly service where they pamper us. Are we being spoiled? Yes.
DEC. 20, 2023 – BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS
We booked a semi-private tour for 8 people or less that ended up being a private tour. Our guide, Dunstan, was great at making sure we got the pictures we wanted and taking us to the sites that we wanted to see. We started at Bridgetown, the capital, in the south and worked our way up the western coast where most of the celebrities stay near the Sandy Lane Resort. We then went to St. Nicholas Abbey, which sits on 400 acres and still runs as a rum distillery today. After doing a rum tasting we worked our way across the island to Bathsheba and the dangerous waves and rocks that protect the eastern coast.
We ended our tour at Hunte’s Garden, one of the most unique gardens we have ever toured. With many sitting areas to rest in a peaceful tropical oasis, it was a beautiful way to end the day.
DEC. 21, 2023 – ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA
We had a very unique experience here in Grenada. Before this cruise a Messenger group was formed with the idea of taking Christmas to the Bel Air Children’s Home located on this island. After communicating with the home about the needs and wishes of the children, many cruisers donated gifts and money. When Royal Caribbean became aware of our efforts, they wanted to participate. They saw some of the big item requests and met needs with new pots, pans, bedding and numerous other gifts.
We had the honor of going with a few other couples to deliver these gifts with Santa. With the help of 2 of the ship officers, we received transportation and lunch for everyone involved, including the kids. (As a side note, I found out that one of the 2 officers was our Hotel Manager who has a home in Cherokee Village, AR! We have many friends in common.)
Our focus on this trip was the children. Our hearts were so touched by all of them! They loved being held and hugged. The home appeared to be very well run and everyone was so appreciative of our efforts to bring Christmas to their home.
While all the children loved receiving gifts of dolls, dinosaurs, watches and other gifts, it appears that a candy cane from Santa was the most treasured! The candy canes were consumed immediately with lots of smiles as our fellow travelers quickly unwrapped the candy for their little hands.
Both of us will treasure the smiles and hugs we received on this unique shore excursion. The home director made us aware of how unique it really was. They had never had anyone from a cruise ship come to visit them. We both really loved this day as it helped us share the love of Jesus at this special time of year.
DEC. 22, 2023 – DAY AT SEA
The morning started off with a talk from Captain Stig. He has been with the Serenade of the Seas since she was built. He is from Norway and shared slides and talked about his life as a sailor and some of the interesting experiences he has had. At the end there was a Q&A session where we found out that we could possibly be in for rough seas when we reach Drake Passage. There have been times when he has faced 40 foot waves on past journeys. When asked how that would affect our ship, he said we would be “uncomfortable”. He had a great sense of humor.
Our Christmas Choir had the last practice before our dress rehearsal on Christmas Eve day. We are thankful that the RCCL staff are finding fun ways to involve the world cruisers. We had a meet and greet this afternoon with the managers and officers over entertainment on the ship. One of them came up with the idea of a passenger choir.
Most importantly, today is the day that our website seems to be totally caught up and functioning properly. Finally! We didn’t know what we were really getting into when we started this site, but we have become a lot more knowledgeable and efficient lately.
DEC. 23, 2023 – DEVIL’S ISLAND, FRENCH GUIANA
Devil’s Island walking tour turned into a sea day as the waters were too rough to take us ashore in tenders. We spent the day getting work done, planning future ports, and just hanging out on the ship.
DEC. 24, 2023 – DAY AT SEA
We are trying hard to stay healthy and intellectually stimulated while on this journey. We have developed the habit of walking and listening to audio books. Our goal is to walk at least a mile every day and on sea days to get in 2+ miles.
Gwen and Margaret went to a Cultural Enrichment talk in the theater. They had a professor who spoke on the history of Bossa Nova music in Brazil. Gwen and Margaret found it quite interesting. They will be adding Bossa Nova music to their playlist
Gwen, Margaret, and Doug also did an onboard book exchange that was planned prior to sailing. It was an Icelandic tradition called Jolabokaflod translated as “Christmas Book Flood”. It originated around the end of WWII when Denmark gained its independence.
They had some great Christmas activities to get us in the holiday mood. We didn’t know it, but the 25 or so kids on board had a Christmas Choir. Gwen went to hear them and came back to the room wiping her eyes. She had a flood of emotions watching the children sing and thinking about her own grandchildren.
DEC. 25, 2023 – DAY AT SEA – MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We were up around 8 a.m. as they had promised home-made eggnog in the Schooner Bar. It was nice to attend a church service where we sung Christmas Carols and had a nice message from a Catholic priest who did a good job of keeping the service inter-denominational. We always like having time to return the focus of Christmas back to where it should be, the birth of our Savior.
Finally, the day was here for our Christmas Choir. We were overwhelmed with the turnout from the passengers and they surrounded the Centrum, even up several floors. It was a lot of fun to do something musical with the other passengers. Those type of activities always deepen your relationships with each other.
One of the highlights of day was to sit and watch It’s A Wonderful Life in the Rogers suite. Gwen and I had bought some bags of popcorn in Aruba so it made us forget we were on an ocean.
Of course our big highlight was getting to Facetime with all our children and grandchildren. It is always fun to hear kids excitedly tell you what they got for Christmas!
God Bless you all, and we hope you had a great day remembering the birth of Jesus and may that continue into next year.
DEC. 26, 2023 – FORTALEZA, BRAZIL
Fortaleza has been a challenge for us when it came to planning excursions. To get to some of the places we were interested in involved travelling 90 minutes away from the city. We don’t usually like to commit 3 hours of the day in a bus or car unless there is something we really want to see or do. Combine that, with everything else being in a large city, a 20 minute taxi ride from our port, and some safety concerns and you come to a decision to just stay on board and plan other destinations.
We were able to see dolphins playing about the ship here in the harbor. Doug and I played some pickleball. All of us were picking and choosing activities and interacting with the staff. In the evening we had a lot of fun at “A Night at the Races”. Our cruise director, Joff, has created an evening activity where he would give “his take” on the form for an actual race. It would say things like “Horse 3… what can I say about Horse 3, well… nothing” . After everyone picked 2 horse numbers our “tickets” were collected. We then watched an actual horse race with everyone rooting their picks to the finish line.
We are settling into meeting in the Crown & Castle Pub most evenings because of the entertainer that we are getting to know. Daniel Ondaero is a very good guitarist and a good singer. We really enjoy the music and he is always asking for requests. Last night we met a TikTok couple (Andrew and Ale Kenney) who are Hayley’s age. We spent the evening sharing travel and life stories. It was fun to interact with this young couple that our daughters follow on TikTok. They were so excited because they had been interviewed for The Today Show and should be on the show tomorrow morning.
Our number of friends keeps growing as we get to know the staff and fellow cruisers!
DEC. 27, 2023 – DAY AT SEA
Today was the first At Sea Day after crossing the equator, so Neptune made his appearance on the pool deck today. It was more of a fun time to drench some of the officers in an ice bath. Their crime was dancing in videos with the Tik Tok’ers on board. They showed some of the videos. RCCL is getting a lot of online publicity from these videos going viral on Tik Tok, so of course they dowsed some of them as well so they could post more of the videos.
Gwen attended an enrichment lecture by a Brazilian professor on Revelry of the Kings. We also launched our Bible Study group with 8 people (including our friends Ale and Andrew Kenney (TikTok’ers). We spent our first meeting telling our faith stories and it got emotional real quick as people shared both loss, pain, and joy in their lives.
The evening entertainment of 5 singers and 2 dancers and the ship band was absolutely entertaining. What a well laid out program of singing, dancing, and instrumentals. One of the best shows we have ever seen on a ship.
DEC. 28, 2023 – RECIFE (OLINDA) BRAZIL
We took an Uber to the neighboring town, Olinda. The views from the town were spectacular! We toured some churches, then sat for lunch in a park area where there are several stands that sell a local dish that used to be what struggling families would eat. A “Tapioca” is made from Cassava root ground to a starch flour that becomes a thick tortilla type shell, which contains either cheese and meat, or chocolate and coconut. Not the most delicious or nutritious, but was an interesting lunch.
We also toured a small museum that houses some of the figures created for Carnival. It was well worth the 50 cent admission fee. I even got to try one on to see how the dancers would move to bring them to life. When we got hot, we found an empty Red Bar that served us up 20 oz. Heineken Beer for $3. We got another Uber to take us to the lighthouse on the hill for some quick photos, then back to the ship. A very fun and very inexpensive trip. Even with buying a shirt and some things for our grandkids, we spent less than $50 for the whole day. Brazil was a bargain in our book.
DEC. 29, 2023 – DAY AT SEA
We spent time working on photos and website along with doing some laundry. We were able to get in some reading at the back of the ship in the Windjammer cafe.
As good as the evening show was 2 nights ago, was this evenings show as bad. Brazilian musicians and dancers were brought on board. The music was not that great and the dancers, in skimpy costumes, felt compelled to bring children up on the stage. Doug and I walked out on the show, as we thought it was not appropriate. We all met up in the Schooner Bar to watch Ohio State play Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. We met some new friends who live in Columbus and teach at Ohio State. That was fun but the game wasn’t as the Bucks lost in a very low scoring, boring game.
DEC. 30, 2023 – DAY AT SEA
Just found out that our neighboring cabin had a water leak above the closet and it may have ruined most of their nicer clothes. RCCL has put them into an upgraded suite, and will work to replace and clean clothes as they are able. Mark and Jane have been such nice people to visit, we are hopeful they will get to move back. (They don’t like the bigger suite as the closet is smaller than their original suite)
Gwen played in a Baggo (Cornhole) Tournament and won 3rd place. The last 3 teams each beat each other and a tie-breaker was used.
DEC. 31, 2023 – RIO DE JANEIRO
Today was another Wonder of the World as Gwen and I had an earlier group departure than Doug and Margaret. Their group didn’t leave till 10 a.m. and that suited them just fine.
We boarded a bus with 28 others and our guide told us about the history of the city. It was interesting to learn that Rio is called a “city of levees and tunnels”. Throughout history its leaders would build a levee and reclaim more of the ocean for expanding the city.
We arrived at the base of the 2000ft hill that supports the 120ft Christ the Redeemer statue.
Got a Question?
Feel free to ask us any travel questions or anything you would like to know about specific pictures.
It is great to read your updates and see the pictures here. Keep them coming, please. 😊 We love you both.
I just wanted to wish you both Merry Christmas 🎅. You are thought of often and loved all the time. Be safe and have a great time celebrating our Lord and Saviors birth.