Dec 20-22 Galveston

February 26, 2013
We were up by 4:30 A.M. while the ship was making her way into the Port of Galveston. We rendezvoused with our friends in the Piazza at the International Café for coffee and donuts, as we watched the final docking. We avoided the breakfast buffet on the last day, as it is too chaotic. My goodness, has it really been 20 days already?  (More)

Dec 19- Arriving at Fort Lauderdale

February 18, 2013
Dec 19- Arriving at Fort Lauderdale By 6:00 A.M. on December 19th our ship was tied up at the Port Everglades Cruise Terminal. For 600 passengers, this was their final stop. For the rest of us, we had the entire day to explore Fort Lauderdale, take a tour, or just hang out on the ship. Of course, because this was our first port in the U.S. everyone was required to disembark and go through immigration. The nearby Walgreens seemed to be the most popular place for both passengers and crew to stock up on things they needed.  (More)

Dec 13-18 Crossing the Atlantic

February 14, 2013
Leaving the Azores was exciting and the thought of not seeing land for another seven day was even better. The weather was getting warmer and the outside spaces were filled with sun worshipers. Lunch moved out to the table around the pool; the pizza place and the grill where burgers and hot dogs were prepared were busier than ever. The line at the ice-cream bar grew longer and longer and the weather got better and better. The live band that had been restricted to the inside due to weather also moved outside to the joy and delight of the passengers.  (More)

Dec 12 Punta Delgada, Azores

February 8, 2013
Punta Delgada is our last port before reaching the United States. It is part of the Azores and owned by Portugal. This volcanic island been populated since 1444. We walked through the old town, visited a church and saw the most beautiful Bird of Paradise flowers growing everywhere.  (More)

Dec 11 At Sea

February 5, 2013
Another sea day means sleeping late, possible having room service deliver breakfast, and just being lazy. For some, it was a chance to get caught up on laundry (there is a well-equipped laundromat on each deck) or spending time at the Internet Café to contact family back home.  (More)

Dec 10 Lisbon/Fatima Portugal

January 31, 2013
The town of Fatima is our destination today to visit Our Lady of Fatima Basilica. Our tour took us from the harbor through the city of Lisbon, and past the beautiful aqueduct built in 1746, made up of 109 stone arches to bring clean drinking water to Lisbon. After a beautiful 65 miles scenic drive we arrived in Fatima.  (More)

Dec 9 At Sea

January 28, 2013
Today is a sea day. We are on our way from Barcelona to Lisbon, and will be sailing through the Straits of Gibraltar passing from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean arriving in Lisbon the morning of December 10th. After four straight days of tours, it is nice not to have to go anywhere off the ship today, just enjoy our ship, the sea, and the sky. There are a lot of things to do on sea days: there are movies, bingo, team trivia, art auctions, casino gambling, enrichment lectures, shopping, live music, sitting around one of the four pools and of course, non-stop eating. Or, we can do nothing.  (More)

Dec 8 Barcelona, Spain

January 24, 2013
Barcelona is a modern and crowded city. Las Ramblas is its famous shopping district, filled with boutiques, cafes and colorful flower stalls. The plan for today is to visit the Pablo Picasso Museum and Casa Mila, also know as La Pedrera, a large five-story house designed by Antoni Gaudi, built between 1906 and 1910.  (More)

Dec 7 Cannes- Monte Carlo, Monaco

January 21, 2013
Today, we are in Cannes, France. This is the location of the most famous film festival in the world and for us, the gateway to Monte Carlo, Monaco. Monaco, a tiny principality that has been governed by the Grimaldi Family since 1308, most notably ruled by Prince Rainier and his beautiful American wife, Grace Kelly. Now, power is in the hands of their son, Albert II.  (More)