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World Cruise

December 2023 - May 2024
We are embarking on our long awaited World Cruise featuring the Northern Hemisphere. Read more
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  • 124footprints
  • 18countries
  • 131days
  • 776photos
  • 16videos
  • 69.7kkilometers
  • 4.5ksea miles
  • 7.0kkilometers
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  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    23
    Day 4

    Boarding Viking Neptune

    December 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    After taking a shuttle and driving past Princess and Disney docks with THOUSANDS of people, we drove up to the Viking dock...and again... absolutely zero lines and not a Viking passenger anywhere in sight.
    We walked right onboard, did a 5 minute safety brief, found Jenni at the puzzle, and now at lunch in the World Cafe.
    After lunch, we went to our room to begin the daunting task of unpacking. See photo ...and this is without 2 of our large suitcases. Our room steward laughed out loud at us!
    And then the long awaited sail away....
    The hotel in the distance is the hotel where we had 3 very relaxing days.    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    Day 5

    First Sea Day

    December 24, 2023 ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    We had a late breakfast and then we attended the Interdenominational Church service. After a lovely church service, we had lunch on the pool deck.
    At 1 PM, Jenni and I met at the main pool to familiarize her with our snorkeling equipment as Bob decided to forego snorkeling in Cozumel and Jenni decided to accompany me.
    After a quick shower, Bob and I headed to a Photography workshop.
    I then took picture of the ship's Christmas decorations before heading back to the stateroom to put my feet up and watch some lectures on the TV.
    I am so glad that we had three days to relax in Fort Lauderdale before we boarded the ship because we have been going non stop.
    We capped the day with dinner at the World Cafe to celebrate Dale's birthday.    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    1
    131
    Day 6

    Cozumel, Mexico

    December 25, 2023 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Merry Christmas!
    Jenni and I went on a snorkeling excursion. Sadly, the reef was in very poor condition but anytime I get to be in the water is a plus.
    After stopping at one snorkeling spot, we headed to another area where the currents were a lot less intense. Here I jumped back in the water until they called me back in for lunch.
    Bob and Dale spent the day walking through town.
    It is so odd to be spending Christmas away from family. I think this will be the last time that we plan a trip away from family for the holidays.
    Along with photos from the excursion, I am also posting photos of some of the decorations around the ship.    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    Day 7

    Second Sea Day

    December 26, 2023, Caribbean Sea ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After a quiet morning, we attended a lecture by Mick Dawson entitled "Rowing the Atlantic". Mick, who is a former Royal Marine Commando, describe how he developed a passion for ocean rowing. In this lecture, he described (with a lot of humor) how he and his brother rowed from the Canary Islands to Barbados.
    After the lecture, we headed to to gift shop and promptly purchased two of Mick's books. We are hoping that his writing is as entertaining as his lecture. We are looking forward to his next lecture.
    Next was lunch at the World Cafe and then on to Jive dance class. In hindsight, I do not think that dancing the jive was the best choice for Bob as he is just 5 weeks out from hip replacement surgery. But, none the less, we had a great time....Bob will just end up paying for it with increased pain.
    The afternoon also saw us attending a Photography Workshop which we thought was a bit pedestrian and did not care for the lecturer's sense of humor. We were wishing that Phyllis or Dale would have been doing the lecture.
    The next lecture was entitled, "Columbus: The Man & His Mission".
    The lectures are one of the reasons that we like Viking so much.
    Bob and I then headed back to our stateroom to make a quick change before meeting Dale and Jenni in the Restaurant for dinner. This evening's dining venue was chosen because the restaurant was offering foie gras as an appetizer. Dale and I may or may not have eaten 4 servings. My arteries are sure to be narrowing considerably.
    The evening entertainment was "Southern Sounds" by the Viking Neptune Vocalists. We were fortunate to find seats in the second row next to one of the vocalist's family. It was so fun to watch them watching their daughter perform. They were very proud parents and grandparents. It made for a very special evening for Bob and I.
    I am including photos of our stateroom. Our stateroom is a few staterooms from the aft of the boat on the starboard side.
    Even with all the luggage that we brought onboard, we ended up with one empty drawer and several that were not completely full. The reason for this is that we brought storage boxes to help organize our items. We have several of these stores under our bed. They contain items such as Covid testing kits, over the counter medicines, sunscreen and other items that we may need during our trip.    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    Day 8

    Third Sea Day

    December 27, 2023, Caribbean Sea ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    We are finding the routine of having coffee in the room and relaxing mornings quite delightful on sea days. So after making sure that Bob had medicine onboard to combat the lingering effects of the jive dance class, we headed to the 11 AM lecture entitled "Introduction to the Birds of Central America".
    Then onto lunch in the World Cafe where the foods of Mexico were featured. Tampico's it was not but was pretty good none the less.
    We then attended a French wine tasting/food pairing. This wine tasting was very informative as we know very little about French wine. Although we learned a lot, we still both agree that we like Washington and California wines much better than French wines.
    The wine tasting ran long so I missed Line Dance class. I have asked the cruise director if they could teach Wagon Wheel sometime during the cruise so I will be ready for Travis and Ashley's wedding in June if they choose to play the song by Darius Rucker as I know that Sarah is hoping for.
    I will end today by asking for you all to pray for my mother as her husband, Bruce Livingston, passed away peacefully last night after battling pancreatic cancer for almost two years. My mother was not only a loving wife but also an excellent caregiver. She is truly an example! I love her tremendously!    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    1
    Day 9

    Cartagena, Columbia

    December 28, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Bob and I both chose to do the Rosario Island Tour excursion.
    We departed the ship into a very industrial port. It reminded us of home with identical cranes and the so very soothing noise of backup warning signals on forklifts.
    That being said, the Port of Cartagena was very clean and well appointed. There was a charming historic building at the end of the pier which was also adorned with planters containing luscious tropical plants. At the entrance to the port, the Columbians developed a "Port Oasis" which hosts numerous tropical birds, reptiles and plants.
    Our excursion group was split into two groups. We boarded our boats and off we went.
    We sailed by a fort at the entrance to the bay where Cartagena is located. There are actually 2 forts, one in each side of the channel. This allowed canons to be fired from both sides providing a very effective defensive strategy.
    After an hour boat ride in which several people were turning green around the gills, we arrived at the Rosario Islands. We sailed by several small islands which only had one or two villas. Hermit that I am, I thought this would be an ideal place to live. I even found a fixer upper.
    Next we sailed by Pablo Escabar's abandoned villa (white building with large buoy in front pictured below) on our way to our snorkeling spot.
    Unfortunately, the reef was not very healthy and there were relatively few fish. We did see one huge school of fish 🐟🐟 with probably close to 100 fish. But, again, I was in the water so I was happy.
    The day continued with us stopping at a local bar like none other we have ever been to. This bar was located on a rocky outcropping. We had a glass of champagne but avoided any of the snacks and located a crab in the tide pool.
    The subsequent stop was at another island's beach resort where we had brunch and basked under a palapa.
    After about an hour, we boarded our boat for the hour boat ride back to the port. Bob and I decided to take one for the team and sit in the bow of the boat where the ride is a bit more intense than in the stern.
    When we got back to the port, we quickly walked through the Port Oasis and took some quick photos of some tropical birds.
    Back onboard the Neptune, we showered and headed to dinner at the Chef's table for Norwegian themed menu. This was one of the best dinners we have had anywhere onboard.    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    1
    Day 10

    Colon, Panama

    December 29, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We docked in Colon Panama at about 7 AM. I was up early because I had some work to get done.
    Our excursion for today, History Railway by Domed Train, was another long one clocking in at 8 hours in length. We were bused to the railway through the City of Colon. To say that the City of Colon is a bit rundown would be a major understatement. Our guide explained that the government was in the process of "refurbishing" the city. We saw a new baseball field under construction. But what we saw mostly were derielict buildings. We were informed that the government was in the process of relocating all the residents in the downtown area to the suburbs. The future plans for the city is to make it into a tourist zone by removing all the buildings and building shopping venues and hotels. I believe that the government is trying to reinvent Colon to resemble Panama City on the Pacific Coast.
    I have included photos of the Domed Train car along with photos taken through the bus window of Colon. It should be noted that the buildings that I was able to capture were not the most dilapidated.
    The train runs along the locks on both the Caribbean Ocean side and the Pacific Oceans side of the canal in addition to the shores of Gatun Lake. Due to the lack of rainfall, the lake's water level is low enough that measures are in place to conserve water in the lake. These measures include restricting the number of ships transiting the canal and also restricting the number of containers that a ship can carry. This necessitates ships to unload some of their containers on one side of the canal, the containers are transported via the railway, and finally the containers are reloaded once the ship has completed its journey through the canal.
    We were lectured at length about the canal as we passed by the locks and Gatun Lake.
    We disembarked the train on the Pacific Ocean side of the canal and boarded a bus for the rest of the tour.
    We had lunch at a restaurant which overlooked both Panama City and a causeway which was built to protect the canal's entrance. The causeway had meticulously manicured grounds.
    It occurred to us that not only were Colon and Panama City located on opposite ends of the canal but they also are on opposite ends of the cleanliness spectrum.
    It is with great pleasure that I can announce (Especially for my sister) that it rained in Panama City today.
    After lunch, we went to view an 3D IMAX movie on the Panama Canal.
    The theater is located directly next an extremely crowded observation area where one can get an up close view of the locks if one doesn't mind being a bit pushy. Since we knew that we were going to be getting a much better view of the locks when we sailed through them tomorrow, we didn't spend much time at the observation area.
    We then drove by bus back to our ship in the Port of Colon.
    When we got back to the ship, Bob went to dinner and I called our General Contractor, Chris Abbey, to discuss the final disbursements for Thymes2. Bob managed to join in on end of the call
    Since they were serving both Foie Gras and Lobster 🦞, We headed back to the World Cafe when we finished our call.    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    1
    Day 11

    Sailing The Panama Canal

    December 30, 2023 in Panama ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    The Panama Canal is 48 miles long and spans the narrowest portion of the Panamanian isthmus.
    We began our journey through the by having the Panamanian pilot board our ship at 7:15 AM. It is mandatory that a Panamanian pilot take complete control of all ships sailing through the Panama Canal. It is hard for me to falthum the knowledge base that these pilots must have in order to be able to pilot such a vast range of boats and ships which pass through the canal.
    We passed under the Atlantic Bridge. This bridge was completed in 2019 and spans the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. The bridge has a main span of 1,740 feet. Interestingly, and concerning at the same time, it was designed by China Communication Construction Company and built by Vinci Construction. It is undoubtedly one of many construction projects which we will see on our journey which is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
    At 8:30 AM, we arrived at the Gatun Locks which consist of 3 locks with an elevation change of 26 meters or 85 feet. We transited through the older, original side of the canal. We departed the locks at 10:15 AM.
    From here, we entered the Gatun Lake which is a lake created by damming the Chagres River. The Gatun Dam also generates hydroelectric power.
    The next major point of interest which we sailed passed was Gamboa. Gamboa is a small township built to house employees of the Panama Canal and their dependents. The name Gamboa comes from the name of a tree of the quince family.
    Next we sailed through the Gaillard Cut which is an artificial valley that cuts through the Contential Divid in Panama. The construction of the Gaillard Cut is one of the great engineering feats of its time. The banks of the cut feature terracing as a means of bank stabilization.
    We arrived at the San Pedro Locks at 1:35 PM and departed at 2:25 PM. These locks consist of one chamber with an elevation gain of 31 feet.
    At 3:05 PM, we arrived at the Miraflores. The Miraflores Locks consist of 2 chamber with a gain in elevation of 54 feet. We departed the Miraflores Locks at 4:15 PM.
    We then sailed under the Bridge of the Americas and entered the Pacific Ocean.
    Our reflection on the Panama Canal is that it is truly an engineering feat. One may ask: Why are the locks necessary when sea level is at sea level be it in the Pacific or Atlantic. The problem originates in the fact that the high tide levels are different between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean thereby necessitating the lock system.
    Secondly, our feeling is that it was a mistake for the US to give the canal back to Panama.
    *Please note, I have used Wikipedia for some of the information in this post.    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    Day 12

    Fourth Sea Day

    December 31, 2023, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Our sea day traditions continues. Since we had Internet service this morning, we loaded books on Bob's Kindle. We also watched Mick Dawson's lecture on "Rowing the North Pacific Alone". We are thoroughly enjoying Mr. Dawson's lecture.
    Bob ran upstairs to grab a bit of breakfast. Meanwhile, I tried to get some work done but internet was not playing nice so I worked briefly on the blog.
    We then headed to the lecture by Mr. Iain James Kennedy entitled, "Manuel Noriega & His Reign of Terror in Panama".
    We had our first unhosted Interdenominational Services which went very well. Dale and Jenni made announcement that we were planning on having Bible Study during the World Cruise.
    On our way to dinner, we passed by the atrium and saw that they were serving Champagne and Caviar. Brenda may or may not have RAN down the Grand Staircase to get in line for the Caviar.
    Next we headed up to the World Cafe for dinner. Someone is granting all my wishes as they were serving Prime Rib and Lobster. My skipping of breakfast has now become mandatory because Viking is tending to serve ALL my favorite foods.
    We did not stay up until midnight because I had an early morning bike ride.    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    1
    Day 13

    Puntarenas, Costa Rica

    January 1 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Costa Rica will forever be linked in my mind with The Bike ride.
    When we signed up for the biking excursion, we thought they were E-Bikes. We found out that they were not E-Bikes, Bob decided not to join what would end up being a torturous ride. I was not so intelligent.
    I donned my biking gear along with a cooling scarf and fan as the forecast was that the temperature would be low 90's with very high humidity and headed to the bus at 7:45 AM. We took a van ride for about an hour. We were assigned helmets and gulp...mountain bikes. My thought was...really??? I thought we would be riding beach cruisers on a flat, paved trail. Do they not know that we are a bunch of old people?
    We were given very brief introduction to the bikes and how to shift gears. They could have just skipped how to shift because the bikes had a mind of their own and would, or would not, shift totally randomly.
    Ultimately, off we went. Our journey began with a couple of gradual inclines. We then began a descent on roads with huge potholes and loose gravel. My thought at this point was: Well, I can handle this. They were brilliant in planning this ride. Having transported us to an elevated beginning with only a slight incline and then all we would have to do is ride down to the ocean.
    Hmmm...this was only wishful thinking. We then began climbing mountain after mountain after mountain on bikes that would not shift. At this point, my heart is beating at 170 BPM, I am sweating like a pig, and I am gasping for breath. I am wondering how others being me are fairing and trying to remember my CPR training because as much as I was suffering, I was sure someone in our group was going to have a heart attack. I finally called uncle and got off my bike before I came to a complete standstill, fell off my bike and end up rolling in the dirt. Upon looking behind me, there was not one person still on their bike.
    This process continued summit after summit.
    We were so thrilled for the guide to have spotted some monkey in trees so we could all have a chance to catch our breath. We all pretended to be enthralled with the monkeys until our breathing normalized and we were now melting because it was so hot that we jumped back on our bikes just to get some breeze and cool off a bit...at least until we hit the next mountain that we would have to summit.
    My thought was, where is Chris Abbey right now? I need to be in his slipstream before I die.
    We finally made it to the beach. I desperately wanted to jump into the water but there was so much trash on the beach that I feared for my health if I got into the water. We had some fruit and we all were lining up our bikes to have them loaded on the trailer only to be told that we had to get back in our bikes and ride back up the hill that we had just rode down. Come to find out, this was only so we could ride to a place where there were restrooms which were quite questionable. I passed on the restroom break.
    Finally, we all hauled our sweat, exhausted carcasses into the van. We were so thankful that the air conditioner was actually working.
    We made the journey back to the ship.
    I promptly jumped in the shower and collapsed in bed.
    Meanwhile, Bob went to a town square and watched children dance. His and Dale's impression of Costa Rica was a clean country with very little graffiti.
    My impression was that of a hot, filthy country with a lot of graffiti. I am surprised that a country that a country is dependent on Eco-tourism doesn't concentrate more on garbage removal.
    Bob came back to the room to find me passed out on the bed with exhaustion.
    He aroused me from my stupor to notify me that I had about 15 minutes to get ready for dinner. I flew out of bed, threw some makeup on, hair went up in a clip and I made it out the door in less than the 15 minutes he had granted me.
    This will not be the last time that we go from a dead stop to a full sprint. My time management is proving to be very faulty.
    We had our first dinner at Manfredi's.
    Unbeknownst to us because we were having such a lovely dinner and conversations with Dale and Jenni, the ship had turned around and headed back to Puntarenas. We stopped in the harbor. One.of the tenders was dispatched, went ashore, and returned to the ship an hour later.
    We discovered that there was a medical emergency. I later heard from one of the patient's friends that the person was to spend a week in the hospital. No further information was given.
    This is the explanation for the return sailing to Costa Rica.    Read more

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