The alarm goes off at 6am but we haven't slept well all night. The anticipation of going home is part of it but the ship was pitching and rolling throughout the night, just as the captain predicted. A windstorm pushing 70mph winds in Southern California affected the waters offshore. Looking out our window around 1am, waves were tossing the ship around, even with the stabilizers deployed and sea water was spraying down the side of the ship, even up to our lev...

It's early Friday morning, just before 7am, when, in my sleep, I subconsciously detect a change in motion of our ship. Gone is the ever so slow heaving and falling of the bow of the vessel as we had made our way down the California coast overnight. That motion had put me to sleep and its absence now awakens me in the early dawn. Looking out the window, I see we're entering the harbor and preparing to dock.San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of Cal...

While we have no excursions planned for today, we still have a lot of things to get done before we arrive in San Diego tomorrow. With two-thirds of the passengers booked on this cruise boarding tomorrow, this is the day to do anything without facing any crowds. Today, the pools and spas are almost empty, restaurants and lounges offer the best seating with views and no one is shopping. For one day only, we have the ship to ourselves. Well, almost. There's...

It's finally here. The first day of a vacation we've planned for over a year. We are going to the South Pacific. For 47 days. Warm, clear water and 80 F temperatures. White sandy beaches stretching for miles and clear ocean water with 150' visibility. Who hasn't read "Robinson Crusoe" or "Mutiny on the Bounty"? Visions of pirates and island natives come to mind, brought to life from my childhood imagination. Now it becomes reality. Of cours...

Today is a day of travel. That's it. I scheduled our limo driver from yesterday to meet as the hotel at 7:30am to take us to Schipol Airport. My original plan was an €8 trip for us on the train but not with this luggage. Up this morning at 6, we're down in the hotel lobby, luggage stacked, bill paid and ready to eat breakfast at 7. According to my paperwork, the breakfast is free here but the attendant says no. I'm not hungry anyway with such a...