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Bermuda, NOV 27, 2025

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After four days at sea I could sense that people were anxious to get off the ship. We arrived in Bermuda at the Royal Naval Dockyard on Thanksgiving Day. This dockyard was the main base of the Royal Navy in the western Atlantic between the Revolutionary War and the Cold War.

Bermuda, pop 64,000 is an archipelago made up of 181 islands. The most significant islands are connected by bridges that appear to form one landmass. Bermuda is about 650 miles from the United States, with its closest point being off the coast of North Carolina. Close to the pier was a ferry that took passengers to Hamilton, Bermuda for five dollars.

White and Pink Ferry

Hamilton is a self governed territorial capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. With a population of 900, Hamilton is one of the smallest capital cities.

Bench

Lots of Motorcycles and Mopeds

Bermuda has a strong tourism industry and a large international financial base. The U.S. Is a strong trading partner with Bermuda. Bermuda is listed as one of the most expensive places to live in the world.

Sidewalk City Marker

The ferry was very crowded with ship passengers, standing room only. With only six hours in Bermuda, we watched our time carefully to be sure we made it back to the ferry to get back to the ship on time.
We walked uphill to the beautiful Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity church, an Anglican church built in the mid 1800’s. We were very disappointed to learn the church wasn’t going to be open until noon. Since it was only 10:30, it was too long to wait.
We did a little shopping and took pictures of the town. The locals were very friendly and helpful. Since it was a work day for them, we saw many men in suits and ties and women in business attire.
We learned in Bermuda there are no rivers or lakes. Homes have white stepped limestone roofs to collect rainwater into underground tanks. This is a centuries old system that still provides the island’s main drinking water.

Sidewalk City Marker

The next ferry was supposed to leave at noon and we were back on the ferry by 11:35. Good thing because people were piling on the ferry and it left ten minutes early because it was full. Unfortunate for those hoping to take the noon ferry because the next one back toward the ship wasn’t until 1:45.
It was a nice day in Bermuda with sunny skies and pleasant temperatures. Bermuda had long been on our list to visit. Not many cruise ships visit Bermuda.
We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner on the ship with six new friends.
We now have two sea days before reaching Port Canaveral, Florida, our home on Sunday, November 30th.
On one of those days a choir made up of 150+ passengers performed for us. They had been meeting and practicing since early in the voyage. They were great.

Next up: HOME

Vigo, Spain NOV 19, 2025

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After two days at sea, we arrived at the port of Vigo, Spain. Vigo is a city on the northwest coast of Spain. Fortunately we didn’t have any excursions scheduled for this port because Bill was not feeling well from his cold and cough. Since it was a short walk from the ship to the city center, we decided to go into the city for an hour or two depending on how Bill was feeling.

Marina and Our Ship In The Background


We wandered through Casco Vello (the old quarter) and we were pleasantly surprised to see it decorated for Christmas, including a huge Christmas tree. There were musicians playing in the street, giving the area a lively feeling.
We were immediately charmed by the architecture with wrought iron balconies. Many of the buildings are made of granite.
We saw the Mermaid Man or Merman. It is the first European sculpture made of aluminum.
We walked into the beautiful Basilica Santa Maria, a Roman Catholic Church dating back to the 12th century. It was burned down by Sir Francis Drake’s soldiers in 1585 and rebuilt in the early 19th century.

Church Bell Tower


We certainly enjoyed our short time in Vigo, Spain.

Our cruise ship is registered in Hamilton Bermuda and this it their flag.

Next up: Ponte Delgada, Portugal

Ponta Delgada, Portugal NOV 22, 2025

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Today is Bill’s birthday!! He enjoyed a big sundae called “The Godfather” in the afternoon and later at dinner a piece of chocolate cake and a chorus of Happy Birthday by the waiters. He wasn’t too worried about the calories. The ship is three football fields long and our cabin is located in the front of the ship. Lots of walking to get anywhere.
After two days at sea. We have started the process of turning our clocks back an hour at a time so we will be on Eastern time when we reach Florida on November 30th. We will have to do this six times before we reach home. Nobody’s complaining because each time we turn the clocks back, we get an extra hour of sleep.
Today we are in Ponta Delgada, Portugal in the Azores. The rugged, volcanic Azores lie 800 miles off the coast of Portugal. The Azores were colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century and consist of nine islands. Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores, is located on Sao Miguel, the largest of the nine islands. The island’s rich volcanic soil supports fields of tobacco and tea, vineyards and pineapple greenhouses.
Bill still had a cough and was not feeling great, so we took a short visit onshore. We took the short walk into town along the marina.
We noticed two other cruise ships in port, including a Holland America ship. We sure miss Holland America!!

Also we spotted this warship in the port.
The Catholic church was holding mass so unfortunately not open to the public.
The City Gates were constructed in 1783 as a gateway to the city from the sea. It is a construction with three arches of stone, having the center one some baroque elements, the royal coat of arms of Portugal and of the Municipality of Ponta Delgada.
The streets of mosaic tile reminded us of Lisbon. Very pretty but also dangerously slick when wet.
Bill managed to find two geocache during our short time in the area.

Next up: Bermuda

Weymouth, England NOV 15, 2025

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Leaving the Canary Islands, we turned north back towards England. Three sea days was spent relaxing and enjoying the ship. November 11th was Veterans Day in the United States and Rememberance Day in England. There was a patriotic service on the ship. Many English people dressed up for the service with men in coats and ties. For several days leading up to Nov 11th, most of the English wore poppies. At 11:00 AM on the 11th day of the eleventh month, there was a moment of silence with bells on the ship.
The night before reaching Southampton, there was a special performer on the ship by the name of Michael Ball. Evidently he is a big deal in England. Many British had taken this cruise just because he was performing live on the ship. We heard some Australians also booked the cruise just because of him. The English were amazed when we told them we had never heard of Michael Ball. Every American we asked on the ship had never heard of him. He performed four shows and they handed out time stamped tickets to control the crowds. The English dressed up for his concert like they were going to the opera or a ball. We attended the concert, not knowing what to expect. Michael Ball was a good singer but not that impressive to us. As a fellow American said, we enjoyed his concert but we wouldn’t pay to go to his concert or buy his CD. Surprisingly, he sang two Elvis songs, a Kenny Rogers song (The Gambler), a Tom Jones song and then several songs we had never heard before. Listening to the crowd, you would think Elvis was performing.
We reached Southampton on Nov 14th, ending the first half of the cruise. Most of the British left the ship at this point while 472 of us were continuing on for the second half to Florida. If you remember, on the first leg there were 80% British. We learned that on the second leg of the trip there would be 3,463 passengers of which 60% are Americans, 16% British and 15% Canadians.
We had three hours of blissful peace and quiet from the time people left the ship until all the new people came stampeding onboard. It was very nice. No problem finding a place to sit, no crowded elevators. We enjoyed every minute.
After everyone was onboard, we headed for the next port of Portland, England. This port does not get many cruise ships and we were one of the last ships of the season. The weather was chilly and overcast. The nearby town of Weymouth provided free shuttle buses from the port in Portand to the village of Weymouth, population 54,000, about a 15 minute ride. In my mind it was very smart of the town to provide the free shuttles. In exchange for their cost of running the shuttles, they had about 4,000 passengers and crew spending money in all the stores and restaurants.
Bill and I took the shuttle and enjoyed walking around the town. Located on a sheltered bay, it was such a pretty, charming English village. Weymouth played a major role as a departure point for the Normandy Landings in World War Two.
We found a geocache and went in the Holy Trinity Church, built in the 1830’s. The church was decorated with poppies from Rememberance Day.

We Found a Geocache Near the Royal Mail Truck

We crossed The Town Bridge.

Weymouth played a major role as a departure point for the Normandy Landings in World War II.
We went into a local supermarket to get some snacks for our long excursion in a couple days in France. I remembered loving the English shortbread cookies from previous trips to England so I had to pick up a box of those.
The shuttle buses ran efficiently and it was easy to take one quickly back to the port.

Next up: An excursion in France that is one reason we took this trip. Can you guess where? There is a hint in the blog above.

The Canary Islands NOV 8-10, 2025

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The Canary Islands are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. On November 8th we arrived at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the first of three ports we visited in the Canary Islands. This island is one of two capitals of the Canary Islands which are owned by Spain. It is located 130 miles off the northwest coast of Africa and 810 miles from mainland Spain. Tenerife is the largest, most visited and most populous of the Canary Islands with a population of 968,000.

Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín: Seafront arts complex & auditorium housed in a landmark building with futuristic, curving design.

We booked an excursion to Teide National Park, with Mt Teide being the highest point in Spain at 12,198 feet. The volcano activity that formed the island is evident throughout the park. In the park are volcanic formations, craters, previous lava flows and unique flora. The volcano here is the third largest volcano in the world.
We were amazed how people have built homes and communities up against the mountains of lava fields. It was a very interesting day but it is very hard for me to get up and down the stairs on these big buses with my back brace. The steps are usually steep and curve as they go up and they scare me. So often I would sit on the bus while Bill got off at different viewpoints to take the pictures.

The roads in the park were curvy and narrow.  When two buses passed each other they were so close the sides of the buses almost touched. At least one time the buses had to adjust forward and backward to miss a high jagged rock formation. In popular viewpoints people visiting the park would park their cars along the side of the roads making the roads even more narrow. Some local musicians and dancers entertained us on the ship.

The next day we visited the island of La Palma where the volcanic landscape was very similar to Tenerife. We walked into town but since it was Sunday, very few stores were open.José Francisco de Arce y Rojas was born in Santa Cruz de La Palma and savagely killed in Brazil by the Payaguás Indians of the Mato Grosso (Brazil) on December 15, 1715 (film The Mission 1986).

Mcdonalds had Beer and No Milkshakes

In the Cruise Terminal was this Mermaid and her Cat

Our last stop was the island of Arrecife, Lanzarote. No shuttle was provided and it was too far for me to walk into town. People who had walked into town earlier said there wasn’t much to see so we didn’t think it was worth the price of a taxi there and back. We did walk along the pier to Harbor Rock where we logged a geocache. The huge Harbor Rock is an example of the volcanic rock found in the Canary Islands.
Fun fact: The Canary Islands are for the Latin word for dog, “canaria,” meaning “of the dogs”. This name was first given by ancient Roman expeditions who found the islands inhabited by large, fierce dogs or possibly seals that the Romans called “sea dogs”. Canary birds, native to the islands, were named after the islands themselves, not the other way around.

Madeira, Portugal NOV 6, 2025

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We mentioned in an earlier blog that we skipped the first two ports due to bad weather which made for dangerous docking. The good news was the Captain announced we would now be staying overnight in the port of Funchal, Madeira. Madeira is an island off the coast of Portugal and a Portuguese territory. This gave us two full days to visit the beautiful island.

We traveled 1,486 miles with rough seas from Southampton, England where we boarded the ship to Madeira. The island of Madeira is approximately 400 miles off the coast of South Africa.

The two days we were there the weather was partly cloudy and hot. The first day we took the Hop on Hop Off bus around the island. It is such a beautiful, picturesque place. The kind of place we would perhaps think about spending an extended length of time except for the fact it is extremely hilly. Wherever you would walk would involve lots of hills. If only we were younger!

We wanted to visit the highest cliff in Europe and the second highest in the world, Cape Girao. At one point we had to get off the bus and take a smaller bus up the mountain over narrow, winding roads. I don’t know how even a small bus managed the steep, twisty roads. Along the way we saw many banana trees.

The Madeira Flag

At the top we paid three Euro each to walk out onto a skywalk or suspended glass platform where you could look down and see the cliffs and ocean 1,902 feet below. Several people could not get themselves to take that first step onto the platform. You have to convince your brain it is okay to take that step. I didn’t think the experience was nearly as scary as the glass platform at Willis Tower in Chicago where you look down and see all the skyscrapers beneath your feet. The bus driver gave us 25 minutes there which was enough time to enjoy the views. We then got back on the bus and made our way back down the twisty mountain.

Hanging Angel Street Art

We then re-boarded the larger bus as it continued around Funchal and eventually dropped us off at the cruise terminal.

The next day we took the ship’s shuttle bus to the cable car, a very popular tourist attraction in Funchal. When we arrived at the cable car station there appeared to be at least 200 people in line in front of us. Fortunately they have a separate handicap accessible entrance we were able to use that put us right at the entrance where you get on the next cable car. A man there with his wife in a wheelchair said he felt so guilty going in front of all those people. I told him I would gladly wait in line if I was physically able but I am not so I don’t feel bad about bypassing the line. My past experiences with cable cars is it is hard to get on a cable car because it never completely stops. I was really worried about possibly falling getting on or off. But when the operators saw us standing there they slowed the car down as much as possible and with Bill’s help I was able to get on and off safely. The ride up the mountain took about 15 minutes and had lovely views of Madeira.

At the top we walked to the 18th century “Sanctuary of the Lady of Monte”. There is 52 steps in front of the church and an additional 68 steep steps going up the hill to reach it. I wasn’t able to do the hill or the steps so I waited below while Bill went in.

Emperor Charles I of Austria died in exile and is buried there.

There are two ways to get back down to the city below. One was by cable car. The other choice was by the popular tobaggan wicker sleds. You sit in a tobaggan for two people. Two men climb on the back and push you down the mountain for a fast, curvy, exhilarating ride.

There was a very long line of people waiting to ride. I would have done that in a heartbeat if it hadn’t been for my back. I don’t think my spine surgeon would approve. Maybe we will return someday and we can do it.

We took the cable car down.

We had a great time in Madeira and would love to return again someday.

Next up: Santa Cruz, Tenerife in the Canary Islands part of Spain

Puerto Montt, Chile JAN 4 2025

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On January 4, we reached the port of Puerto Montt, Chile (population 246,000). We could tell we had reached a larger city because of the ship’s warnings about pickpockets and grabbing of purses and cameras. We booked an excursion here to see some of the beauty of the areas away from the city.

We had an excellent, enthusiastic guide who spoke perfect English. When booking excursions in these remote areas of Argentina and Chile we had been warned that due to the remoteness of the area, we should expect the guides’ English to not be fluent. All of our guides spoke great English and in many cases their English was self taught. Shows what determination can do. Impressive!

From the moment we left the port the views were magnificent. I kept thinking “who knew Chile was this beautiful!!”

This excersion drove to Puerto Varas and along the lake Llanquihue to Osorno Volcano. The road was steep and winding with many switchbacks. At the top we were above the clouds with a nice view of Calbuco Volcano in the distance.

Osorno Volcano is 8,701 feet high, making it visible throughout the entire region. We could enjoy its beauty throughout the day. The volcano is still considered active but last erupted in 1869.  The area we stopped had a ski lift, hiking trails and a small cafe where you could get coffee and hot chocolate. It was very chilly at that altitude.

This volcano is similar to Mount Fuji in Japan.

After testing the bus’ brakes on the steep drive back down, we went to Puerto Varas, also known as the City of Roses. We didn’t have as much time as hoped here, but we did manage to find Bill a nice shirt and log a geocache.

We went to the Petrohue River Rapids located in Vicente Perez Rosales National Park.

We finished the day with a late lunch at a quaint restaurant owned by our guide’s family along the lake. They took great care of us with empanadas for appetizers, huge portions of local salmon or chicken, cheesecake for dessert and unlimited fruit juices, wine and the famous pisco sour. A delicious meal!

Sadly,after a day at sea we arrived at our disembarkation port, San Antonio on the coast. It has been a fabulous cruise full of amazing scenery. We are so glad we went!

But the fun was not over yet!! Our great travel agency had arranged two days in Santiago filled with activities. The disembarkation process from the ship went very smoothly and before we knew it there were five buses of us headed for Santiago.

Next up: two days of fun in Santiago de Chile is the capital and largest city of Chile

Magellan Strait, Chilean Fjords & Coyhaique, Chile JAN 1 2025

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The next two days at sea we cruised the Strait of Magellan and Chilean fjords.

We cruised the Sarmiemto Channel, Summer Pass and Shoal Pass. Highlights definitely included seeing the Bruhall and Brujo glaciers. At each glacier the Captain slowed the ship down and very slowly turned the ship 360 degrees so that both the starboard and port sides of the ship had great views.

It was hard to stop for three meals during the day for fear of missing something. The beauty is indescribable.

On January 3rd we reached the port of Puerto Chacabuco (population 1,200) Chile.  Puerto Aysén (population 23,959) is nine miles away and was originally a large deep-draft vessels port city until erosion had an impact on the riverbead.

Prison

There is not a lot to do in this small towns so we booked an excursion of northern Patagonia and the town of Coyhaique. The main highlight of this excursion was the views.

Coyhaique, pop 54,000, was an unusual city. Our tour guide was from the city and she left to go to vet school. She has two semesters left and supplements her income by giving tours during the high tourist season. When she finishes school, she wants to come back to her hometown. She knows she could move to a larger city and make much more money, but that doesn’t interest her. What I found unusual was the town’s lackadaisical attitude toward tourists. Even though the town is known for many craft markets with handmade items native to the region, many of the stores were closed. Our guide said they show up when they feel like it, take a long lunch break from 12 to 3 and may show up again from 3 to 6.  She even went so far as to call the people lazy. In most tourist towns, especially during high season when most of the money is made, people open early and close late to take advantage of the tourists eager to spend money. Not here. This didn’t bother us since we are not souvenir hunters except for the occasional refrigerator magnet. But from the few markets open they did have some beautiful hand made items, including items made from sheepskin.

We Are Getting Closer

Coyhaique Is a Developed City

The Monumento al Ovejero is a commemorative structure that honors the rural traditions and ranching wealth of the Magallanes region.

House Made With a Container

We stopped by The Simpson River, listed as the fourth best river for fly fishing in the world. Their visitor center had a stuff fox.

We also stopped for a quick look at this waterfall and memorial.

By now everyone was starving and we stopped at a restaurant where they served us beef and cheese empanadas, skewers of beef and chicken and fruit. We were offered mango or strawberry juice, wine and their pisco sours. The pisco sour is a strong alcoholic cocktail popular in Peru and Chile. Our guide warned us they were very good and very strong. One was definitely enough.

An enjoyable day in Chile!

Next up: Puerto Montt, Chile

 

Ushuaia, Argentina & Punta Arenas, Chile DEC 30 2024

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After leaving Cape Horn we traveled in the Beagle Channel and passed Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse. With the lighting it is had to see the red paint.

Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse, Beagle Channel, Argentina

The Border of Argentina with Chile

We had one final port in Argentina, Ushuaia (population 83,000). Located below the 54th parallel south latitude, Ushuaia claims they are the world’s southernmost city. It is also referred to as the city at the end of the world. It is the only city in Argentina accessed by crossing the Andes Mountains (by road).

This white stone monument is a tribute to the Pioneer Settlers of Ushuaia. It appears different based on your position. Face on it looks like an eagle with its wings protecting the settlers. From the sides it looks like a giant wave with scenes of farming and industry.

In this port we had an excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park. We had views of Ensenada Bay and stopped at Roca Lake. Unfortunately the weather was cold and misting rain, not the best weather for sightseeing or taking pictures. The border with Chile divides the Roca Lake.

We saw wild horses along the road.

We also stopped at Lapataia Bay, the southernmost place in the world that can be reached by road. It is where the famous Pan-American Highway ends. From here Alaska is 11,100 miles north.

“The End of the World Post Office” in Ushuaia, Argentina is considered the southernmost post office in the Americas.

We saw glaciers and waterfalls as we cruised toward Punta Arenas, Chile.

The next day we reached Punta Arenas, Chile (population 146,000). It is Patagonia’s most important city. It is located in the Strait of Magellan a passage that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  The cruise director told us during his port talk the city is so windy they put ropes between buildings to help people walk during strong winds. Punta Arenas is considered the southernmost city in the world by Chile, in direct conflict with Argentina who gives Ushuaia that distinction. We found there are many things Argentina and Chile disagree on.

Chile is the world’s longest country at 2,647 miles. Mountains cover 80% of the country.

Punta Arenas was a tender port and we woke up to find three tender boats ready to take passengers ashore.

We did not have an excursion here but instead chose to walk around the town. In the town center is a nice park with a memorial to Ferdinand Magellan. It is said that if you kiss or rub his foot, you will have good luck and a future return to Punta Arenas.

Heritage Building built between 1894 and 1898 called “Palacio de la Gobernación”. This heritage building called the Government Palace, because the Governor lived there in the 19th century, when Magellan was a penal colony

Across the street was the Sacred Heart Cathedral which unfortunately was not open.

The wind had picked up considerably and the short tender boat ride back to the ship was very bumpy. It was tricky getting from the boat back on the ship but there are always many helpful hands waiting to help.

Police Station and the Chilean Flag

This evening was New Years Eve with Filet Mignon and Lobster served in the dining room. A New Year’s Eve party was held at the pool with music, dancing, Hors D’oeuvres and champagne at midnight.

Happy New Year!!

Next up: Cruising the Strait of Magellan, the Chilean Fjords and Coyhaique, Chile

 

Antarctica Pt 2 DEC 29 2024

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As we continued around the islands and fjords of Antarctica, we were blessed with great weather other than occasional fog and low visibility. Unlike anything we had ever seen, we continued to be in awe of the majestic beauty.

Gentoo Penguin Colony

For two days we had snow and we were visited by a snow penguin.

One day we stopped near Palmer Research Station operated by the United States Antarctic Program. They do marine and biology research focused on seabirds and plankton. We watched as two zodiacs brought research scientists over for presentations on their work. Can you see all the ice in the water?

They had lunch and dinner on the ship and they mentioned how they especially enjoyed the fresh fruits and vegetables. I believe they were gifted with several boxes of fruits and vegetables to take back to their station.

We had heard so much about Drake Passage and Cape Horn. They have a notorious history for rough water, fierce winds and dangerous waves. We had already crossed Drake Passage once on the cruise with no problem. Now we were about to be tested again as we cruise Drake Passage for a second time as we cruise to Cape Horn, located on the small Hornos Island.

We cruised completely around Hornos Island. The reputation of Cape Horn is notorious as it is known as “the graveyard of ships”. There have been many shipwrecks here with more than 10,000 lives lost, making it the largest underwater cemetery in the world. After the opening of the Panama Canal, the number of ships navigating around the Horn was significantly reduced.

The day dawned with beautiful clear skies, no wind and calm seas. Unbelievable! The Captain said it is very rare to see this kind of weather here. Normally this area has 278 days of rainfall a year. We saw a sailboat close to shore and the cruise director commented it was crazy for a sailboat to be in these waters.

This area is part of Chile’s Tierra del Fuego archipelago. We could see the lighthouse, also called the “Lighthouse at the End of the World” high on the hill. Operational since 1991, it is manned by Chilean navy personnel. Currently a family of four lives there with their cat. They came outside and waved at us and the captain sounded the ship’s horn in return. Impossible to get a picture of them that far away without a high powered lens. A meteorological station is also kept there. Next to the lighthouse is a small chapel.

On the hill was the Cape Horn Monument also called the Albatross Monument.

The name comes from the two metal halves which when viewed from a certain angle, looks like an albatross in flight. It was built to withstand the 120 mph winds which blow at times. The memorial was built in 1992 and is dedicated to the memory of the men from every nation who died around Cape Horn. One interesting tidbit, during the 1978 Beagle Conflict between Chile and Argentina, Chile covered the island with landmines. In 2006 a project was started to remove the mines but there are still many unaccounted for.

Only members of the Chilean navy can serve as the Cape Horn lighthouse keeper. The keeper must be married in order to have companionship which is considered necessary due to the extreme isolation. The assignment is for twelve months however the family can request an extension. The current family just completed their second rotation and has requested a third. Supplies are restocked every 60 days but this can be delayed due to weather. Attempts to grow food in a greenhouse failed due to harsh conditions.

Sadly, we have completed our exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Next up: on to one last port in Argentina then Chile