Another amazing day. I slept well last night for the first time in a few days. I woke to the sound of the tenders being lowered and the sun streaming into my cabin, quickly heating it up, even with the air conditioning. That was easily adjusted.
I've been here a few times before. Enjoyed sloths and poop-throwing monkeys in the nearby National Park. Since I prefer not to tender and all-aboard is 3:30, I will be relaxing onboard today. I enjoyed a solitary breakfast, with a view. Dwi, Toni, Gus and Dante each stopped by to chat for a bit. I swear if it was any better I'd just melt into a puddle of happiness.
You may wonder about the passengers. Who has the time and money to do a trip like this? Let's talk $.
HAL is considered a mid-priced line. A world cruise in an ocean-view cabin is about $70,000 for two. Sadly, solo travelers usually pay a 100% supplement, meaning it costs me about the same as a couple. Ships make a lot of their money on alcohol, shore excursions and spa services. One passenger per cabin means less profit. In my case, since I spend very little on the add-ons, they make even less. I paid for this trip by using the credit I got for the cancelled portion of the 2020 "covid" cruise. And opted to upgrade to a balcony and do half the trip instead of the whole cruise. So, two months of cruising instead of four. Another reason I don't always go on shore is to save money. Transportation, tips, shopping and food on shore add up. I just watched some folks zip by on jet skis. That would be a blast. But, not in the budget.
Most of the passengers are older and retired. I'm sure there are very wealthy people on board. I talked to one guy who owns a couple of vacation homes and gets his income from "my trust funds". But most folks I've met are like me. Not rich but they live simply at home so they can afford to travel. No big house, vacation homes, fancy cars, boats, clothes, jewelry, dining out, etc. A life-time of thrifty living.
Jolanda visited me in December before she got on the Holiday Cruise on this ship. We laughed because we both reuse teabags. And wash and reuse ziplock bags. Can we afford to use a fresh teabag each time? Yes. But, a lifetime of thrift and saving has paid off for us. Not having kids also makes a HUGE financial difference. While I've met doctors and executives onboard, I've met more teachers and nurses. People who budget and save for travel. We've worked hard and have been lucky.
I've also talked with several passengers who paid a pittance for their houses, decades ago. Now, they've downsized and use the huge profit to travel. Will the next generation be able to do that? Probably not. Is that fair? No. Get informed. Vote. That's as political as I'll get.
Enough blathering. I have a book to read. Photos!
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| I was still half-asleep when I took this. It was already 80/27 outside at 7 a.m. |
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| A Windstar ship is also anchored |
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| The first tender |
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| Muesli, my light breakfast with a view |
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| "Toni from Brooklyn" brings the pastries at every breakfast |
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| A couple of the "scooters" for elderly or handicapped passengers. HAL does a great job of making cruising accessible for all ages/abilities |
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| I enjoy the art on my daily walks |
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| There's a lot of jewelry shopping onboard. This room is for the folks buying the good stuff. I've never been inside that room |
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| I'm intrigued by the shadow boxes |
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| Less than a foot in diameter. The light color changes |
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| I love the message of this one. The "painter" is painting the sky blue. A good reminder that we each choose which colors of our sky. Yes, I realize that sounds awesomely entitled |
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| "Dushi" in Curacao can mean sweet, good, attractive or sexy |
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| Every once in awhile, I'm reminded that there is an army of people behind the scenes keeping things working |
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| Current view |
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| View after five minutes as the ships shift. I stay in the same spot and amazing views come to me |
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| I can imagine very few things that would make this better |
Both the ship and the tender are rocking. I've watched a woman take a misstep and have her leg crushed between the ship and the tender. Even though it is generally very safe, I'm not willing to risk another broken leg
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| The Lido was deserted when I went to get a hot dog from the Dive In for lunch |
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| HAL left a $50 off coupon in my cabin for port days. Alyne gave me an excellent pedicure with a nice view as the sun went down |
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| Not that I'm spoiled but now I want a massage chair on my balcony |
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| The giant shrimp cocktail is always on the dinner menu and always delicious |
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| So was the jerk spiced cobia with mango salsa. I'm making a list of dishes I want to include on my dinner rotation at home. Fish and mango salsa is on, for sure. Along with beet and grapefruit salad and watermelon caprese |
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| The opera cake was also delicious. I especially enjoy the mix of creamy and slightly crispy texture. I've eaten on a lot of cruise ships, conference centers and large hotels. This ship, this voyage is outdoing itself. Yes, I've given regular feedback on the great food and service |
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