Day 3 on Holland America’s Rotterdam was the first of two back-to-back sea days as we make our way toward our next port of call, St. Maarten, where we’ll arrive on Wednesday. Personally, I love a sea day — no rushing, no tender tickets, no “be back onboard by 2:30pm,”…
Day 2 on Holland America’s Rotterdam brought us to our first port of call: Half Moon Cay, HAL’s private island in the Bahamas. We arrived a little before 10am, and tender operations began shortly afterward. This visit was a bit unique because we weren’t the only ones there — two…
Fresh off seven days on Holland America Line's Zuiderdam, it's time to kick off another cruise adventure, and this time I’m settling in for the long stay. I’m back on Holland America Line’s Rotterdam, and not just for a quick getaway — this is the first of two back-to-back cruises…
Today we arrived in St. John’s, Antigua. With a typical all-ashore time of 8:00 a.m. and all-aboard at 6:00 p.m., we had ample time to explore the island, paired with another beautiful day of 76–84° temperatures. We were joined in port by the Caribbean Princess and the Celebrity Reflection, which…
After consecutive days in port, a well-timed sea day was exactly what we needed to catch up on some leisure time. Whether you want to stay on the go or simply find a lounge chair and chill, there’s plenty to do — and plenty of deck space to do nothing…
Day 7 is here and just like that, we’ve reached the end of this 7-day western Caribbean adventure aboard Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam. Over the past week we made our way from Miami to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, hopped over to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, almost didn't make our…
Day 6 already — and yes, I’m back in Cozumel, Mexico. If you’ve been following along, I was just here last week during my cruise on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, and before that… well, I’ve lost count. Let’s just say Cozumel and I see each other more often than most people…
When Celebration Key officially opened a few months ago, Carnival Cruise Line made a big deal about it being their new private playground on Grand Bahama. It was billed as an exclusive destination just for Carnival guests, complete with Instagrammable lagoons, food halls, and the world’s largest swim-up bar. But…
Day 5 onboard Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam and today we’re visiting Grand Cayman, our third stop on this 7-day western Caribbean cruise. So far we’ve had perfect beach day on Half Moon Cay, survived my least-favorite port of call — Ocho Rios, Jamaica — and on Thursday we’ll hit our…
Today we woke up pulling into Willemstad, Curaçao — and what a colorful welcome it was! Looking out over the port, the vibrant buildings and bold hues grab your attention from every direction. It’s the perfect way to spark excitement for the day of exploration ahead. Putting the C in…
