Day 4 - Aruba

We arrive in Aruba. The Holland America Rotterdam is already berthed in front of us.  My back has been bothering me for several weeks, and long before I left home I had determined that I would not get off the ship.

Even before breakfast, my first chore is to check on the cluster of trees on the sandbar. Last trip they looked pretty sad. Now they are just a bunch of dead branches. No hope for a come back.

The kids go ashore and head to the beach. Everyone had a good time, so good that they did not make it back to the ship for laser tag.

Elisa returns with a fever, most likely just too much sun. Scott takes dinner to her and her mom in the cabin.

I have a lazy day on the ship.

Entertainment tonight is adult comedy. The usual format, two comedians, 25 minutes each. Definitely above average.

The Rotterdam leaves about noon, and shortly after the Carnival Vista squeezes into the berth in front of us. A big exercise in parallel parking in limited space. It helps significantly that the ship can move sideways into the dock.

All aboard is 10:30 PM. I'm sound asleep before we leave at about 11.

Tomorrow we will be in Curacao.

2 Sea Days

We cruise along at a comfortable 15 knots. The first evening the Miami skyline is visible to our West. Much of the first sea day we cruise off the coast of Cuba. After that, it is just open seas.

The grand children, 4 and 6, have cruised before. When they were told about this cruise on Thanksgiving, Elisa just screamed "donuts"! Her favorite and maybe only memory from when she was on her first cruise. Her aunt would get a donut for her each morning. A few months later her first "use" of her parents credit card was to purchase donuts.

We were assigned a new table in the dining room. The staff from the previous night came over to greet us even though they had lost us as customers. 

The show tonight was "One Sky". I don't remember much as I slept for most of it. Maybe the same fate as the last time I saw it several years ago.

The kids really enjoy the childrens program, giving the adults a break. I had forgotten, but there is no charge for the program before 10 PM. $10 per hour after that. What a bargain.

We have the same waiter in Chops each morning for breakfast, a break from the crowds and noise. Usually cereal and juice, occasionally pancakes or french toast.

I'm really falling behind in my duties. On the fourth day I am still writing about day 2. Nothing has been posted to FB, and I haven't even started on the monthly train club financials. So be it.

The cruise industry is doing very well. Most ships are sailing at capacity. Very apparent this week. Every place is crowded, unlike my last cruise on this ship when we probably sailed at 60% capacity.

The weather remains excellent with temperatures in the upper 70's. Back home in Florida the daily highs are in the low 60's. The Midwest below freezing.

The headliner show was a singer from Vegas. He was good, but the theater was 25% full at most.

I finally set aside 3 hours and do all the monthly train club stuff plus send out the proposed budget for 2025 and a survey to get the head count for our Christmas party. Also a few minor changes were made to the bylaws and member handbook. This is almost like having to work for a living.

Our first port of call will be Aruba.