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European Summer

June - October 2023
Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Scotland, England, Faroe Islands, Germany and more!
Prides, motorcycling, hiking, running, scuba, and more! Read more
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  • 130footprints
  • 17countries
  • 138days
  • 1.8kphotos
  • 89videos
  • 42.3kkilometers
  • 19.5kkilometers
  • 4.8ksea miles
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  • 296kilometers
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  • 104kilometers
  • 45sea miles
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  • European Summer
    Day 137

    Ft Lauderdale, Florida

    October 22, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Another early morning as we needed to disembark the M.S. Rotterdam at 8am. We met with D at the Dutch cafe, followed by a trip up to deck 9 for breakfast at the buffet. M&T joined us for a last quick visit as we waited to disembark. There seemed to be some regulation mis-coordination, and we weren’t able to leave the ship on time. We eventually found our luggage and the bus terminal for our local day excursion, followed by an airport drop off.

    We headed west of Ft Lauderdale to the Everglades Holiday Park for an air boat ride, and to see a crocodile show. Our hostess was a bit too engaging on the bus, and was excited to educate us with facts on Florida, mostly reading a Wikipedia page with intermittent microphone issues 🙄. I wasn’t sure what to expect upon our arrival, but wasn’t surprised at the reality. I guess I figured we’d be in a more natural setting, something similar to what you see in the movies with mossy trees and narrow waterways. The reality was drudged canals with lock systems through open grasslands. The boat engines were also ridiculously loud when the operator opened up the throttle on wide stretches of water. We did see a plethora of birds, inclusive of turkey vultures, and fauna that had grown since the days of the Army Engineers attempts to drain the region. Alas, their attempts to drain the swamps failed as it is actually a very slow moving river 🙃 We also saw a couple of large wild crocodiles. We were informed there is a State Law forbidding the feeding of the crocodiles, but the reptiles were pretty quick to head to the boats 🤔

    Once back at the dock we were whisked over to the Crocodile show. Unfortunately the facility wasn’t paying much attention to the number of seats available in the stands, so many had to stand or didn't stay. The show was educational, but the host definitely had limited material and used his Beyoncé "put a ring in it" punch line too much. We were then usher through the zoo area with various animals displayed, then into the gift shop. All in all, a unique experience, but disappointing too.

    As our hostess is a grade school teacher, we got to enjoy a pop quiz on the previous bus ride trivial facts, followed by endless jokes 😫 We were happy to get to the airport, only to have to wait 4 hours till we could drop off our luggage and have our passports verified for the flight to Victoria, BC.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Day 136

    Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

    October 21, 2023 on the Bahamas ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    After nine days across the Atlantic Ocean enjoying various activities, lectures, and shows, we finally arrived at Half Moon Cay! It used to be known as Little San Salvador and is a private island reserved for the exclusive use of Carnival, who owns Holland America. No one lives on the island, so staff from a nearby island and the ship are busy providing for the guests.

    Up fairly early we decided to enjoy a coffee at the Dutch Cafe onboard. This is a tender port, so the ship drops anchors and the tenders shuttle folks to land. The water is the stunning blues and greens listed on the travel brochures!

    Though the past week was impressively smooth on the ship, it felt great to be on land once again. We enjoyed a short walk before our excursion we booked due to the cancelled Azores port. It was a very warm morning (late 20s), and slightly overcast, with a few rain drops. The skies quickly cleared into sun and fluffy little clouds.

    We met up with our new friends, and M was lucky enough to be able to join our earlier 10am group. Jet Skis! Combining 30mph, with fresh air and perfect weather is a great recipe for fun! We darted through the lagoon and out along the beach. We guessed they were speed governed as they did go faster then 32 mph. We diligently followed the guide in single file formation around the various buoys and shallow waters in the lagoon. The jet skis were a hoot, but definitely not as responsive as a motorcycle though they float much better than one! The freedom of no helmet was liberating.

    We headed to the beach to enjoy a swim in the shallow clear water of the Caribbean: the sand was amazing, so fine and flour-like. D decided to head back to the ship with M&T, and we went to the BBQ pit for lunch. They setup a delicious spread, and not easy considering they had to pack most of it over from the vessel. The "all aboard" time was 2:30pm, so we headed back to the ferry after lunch to avoid the passenger rush.

    That evening our meal in the dining room was noticeably louder than previous nights. Located on deck 2, above the two propellers, this evening's 18knt speed to get to Fort Lauderdale wasn't the quiet hum of the transatlantic 16knts 🙃    Read more

  • European Summer
    Day 129

    Ponta Delgada, Azores

    October 14, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    After a couple days at sea, finally arrived in the Azores. The previous day at sea had excellent weather, and minimal wave height. We had been warned a low pressure depression was building in the mid-Atlantic region, and that the route would need to be adjusted to avoid the +8mpredicted swells the day after our Azores visit 🌊 😱

    Unfortunately, a weather front had settled in around the islands, preventing the ship from making the scheduled docking 😭. Wind gusts were over 40knts, so the harbour pilot was not going to proceed until it settled down. While we waited we decided to spend our time on the observation deck. A&D played a few rounds of cribbage, which A deftly beat D...

    Unfortunately, the sustained poor weather conditions prevented the ship from docking, and at 11am, the Captain made the call to move on to the next port of call. 😢 Apparently in general it's a 50/50 chance of getting into this port due to the wind&seas. Alas, two sea-days behind us and here's to the next six days at sea! 🥳🤡 The food is amazing, crew fantastic, lots of things to keep busy with... it will be great!

    To placate the masses the ship soon set up some free drink tables for an hour in the afternoon. For those of us with beverage packages, who cannot use our 15 per day, this offering was cute. Folks paying per glass loved the opportunity to indulge. J soon got roped into a conversation with a thoroughly imbibed American trio... 😅 🍸🍻 He was saved by A with an invitation to go for a walk 🏃💨

    The day's schedule was quickly updated with more activities since all of us who had been expecting to be on shore excursions weren't going anywhere.    Read more

  • European Summer
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    Day 126

    Brest, Brittany, France

    October 11, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    Crossing the English channel back to France, we gained the hour back on the clock 😅. Unfortunately A was up much earlier than he wanted to be, and decided to use the time in the gym, where he met D. J just decided to relax in the cabin. As it got brighter out, and approaching the harbour near Brest, France, we decided to enjoyed a coffee and watch the ship docking from the Crow's Nest observation area, forward deck 12.

    After an early breakfast, decided to disembark and enjoy the complimentary shuttle in to Brest. We were greeted with a live band playing local folk songs while we walked towards the waiting buses. We were some of the first off the boat, and the line quickly lengthened during that brief time. We enjoyed a walk around a few of the streets and down the main Boulevard towards downtown before looping back.

    It was a nice day out, so enjoyed the the afternoon at the outdoor pool. Who knows if the many sea days ahead will provide such luxury! We decided on an early dinner so A&J could attend the 7:30 performance in the World Stage. Tom Crosbie: Performing Nerd. His routine of memory tricks and slight of hand Rubik's Cube solving was entertaining! We then found a spot by the large screen of the indoor pool area to watch the movie La Vie en Rose, a movie about the life of famous French singer Edith Piaf. A may have nodded off near the end of it; tired from reading the subtitles and lulled by the sloshing of the pool waves 😴    Read more

  • European Summer
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    Day 125

    Weymouth, UK

    October 10, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Strangely enough, we lost an hour as we made our way to Portland island, the port near Weymouth. Upon emerging from our interior cabin, we found that it was a grey day. Feeling energetic workout clothing was donned, but first to the Crow's Nest on forward deck 12 for coffee. Fuelled with caffeine, down to the fitness for a workout. Decided to try the other type of elliptical this morning; the first ones we tried had additional articulations that felt uncomfortable.

    The three of us left the boat and took advantage of the complimentary bus to Weymouth for an exploration of the seaside town. The Causeway linking Portland to Weymouth was essentially a gravel dune with a short bridge. Chisel Beach is along this area. As the bus weaved its way to the town centre we began to realize Weymouth was much larger than we had expected.

    We were dropped off in an area called "Brewers Quay" and followed the narrow streets to the waterfront walk, and then eventually to High Street. We stopped in to a couple stores, before carrying on to loop back along the beach. We encountered a troupe of performers all dressed up to advertise thier evening's production at the near by Pavillion Theatre.

    We were back on the boat by 3pm, where A&D scooted off to an origami class followed by trivia. After dinner in the dining hall A&J went to see the late performance of Cantaré, a men's signing quartet. They performed a range of songs through the decades, including the Folgers coffee advertising song ☕😅    Read more

  • European Summer
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    Day 124

    Le Havre, France

    October 9, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Another fairly early morning port arrival. We took things easy and let the 🐢🐢turtle stampede follow its course; many shore excursion tours were offered. It was close to noon before our trio prepared to leave the ship. Picked up a couple of cold drinks on our way out to explore and enjoy the sunny day. As we were very close to the terminal building no shuttle bus was necessary. We walked along the port access road 'till we met up with the main walking promenade along the docks.

    We noticed a closed fish market across the road, and didn't think much of it until we could smell the dumpster where they tossed the scallop shells 🐚. The shells and flesh baked in the sun leaving an overwhelming odor 🤢

    We did not have a destination in mind, so meandered a few streets. Eventually, we popped out by the harbour and then along the boardwalk by the pebble beach. Starting our circular route back to the ship, passed through the centre of town. The park was still in full bloom, and the central water feature and Boulevard walk was very picturesque. We even passed near the war monument.

    Once back on the ship, had a late lunch, then A&D took off to attend the origami class to fold turkeys, J went to the aft outdoor pool. It was Canadian Thanksgiving, the ship thoughtfully put out a spread of turkey and tradional side dishes. It was very delicious.

    We ended a perfect day watching the sunset from the observation deck at the bow of the boat, and relaxing in the Crow's Nest lounge afterwords.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Day 123

    Zeebrugges, Belgium

    October 8, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Had a decent sleep the first night of the cruise. J woke up in the early morning to close the ensuite shower door that was swinging from the ship sway. Decided to join the early stretching class in the fitness centre. It was surprisingly full for such an early start on the first full day of the cruise; unfortunately the room was much too warm. After the stretching, went on the elliptical for a while since we were already there.

    We met D on the way back to the rooms. A&D proceeded to the dinning room, but J went back to the room to clean up and get breakfast elsewhere.

    A&J took the shuttle to the Zeebrugges terminal and walked into town to explore the beachside. We thought it was cool that a draw bridge opened in front of us. Then we realized it wasn't closing soon. We had to detour 500m or so to get into town 😂It was definitely late in the season as a majority of stores were shuttered. Lots of folks out and about enjoying the sunny weather. Some sunning themselves in loungers on the beach. By mid-afternoon we were back on board, poolside and basking in the warm October sun.

    Met up with D later up at the outdoor sports court to learn about pickle ball. Followed by a Pride group meet & greet. Dinner back at the main dining room.

    D retired early for the evening, and A&J went to a late show (930) to see Harry the Piano. He's an impressive performer. The World Stage venue is fully equipped with comfortable seating.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Day 122

    Feeling Cruisey

    October 7, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    The breakfast bar at the hostel wasn't very exciting 😌, but we had prepaid for it. After checkout and storing our luggage we went to explore Amsterdam. Surprisingly it was much warmer and sunnier out compared to our visit pervious in August! Thankfully the crowds were a fraction of those as well.

    We meandered along the various Canals and streets into the older part of the city center. We stopped and browsed the booths setup in Nieuwmarkt before reaching the Rokin. The tram ride back to the hostel was quick. With still some time before our cruise ship check-in at the terminal, we bought lunch from the nearby stores. A was instantly enamored and purchased some ribs, and J picked up a falafel wrap to share.

    By mid-afternoon we were taking an Uber to the Cruise Ship terminal. Check in was amazingly fast and we were aboard Holland America's MS Rotterdam! Our inside Stateroom is quite comfortable on this vessel which was only launched in November 2021. It was such a luxury to unpack our cloths and not be living out of a suitcase for the next 15 days. It's not as fast of a way to cross it Atlantic, but more adventure! Once the obligatory safety items were addressed, we met up with D to explore the ship, and find a place for dinner.    Read more

  • European Summer
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    Day 121

    Amsterdam Again 🎊

    October 6, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    For breakfast we enjoyed the nearby restaurant associated with the accommodations. Afterwards an exploration of the old Palace grounds since the crowds were sparse compared to the night before. A late checkout and Uber to the airport around 11am. The SPU airport is a decent size, but was very quiet; ghost town!

    Before long we were all loaded up on the plane bound for Amsterdam. The 2hr flight passed by quickly, and before we knew it we found ourselves on the train platform from the airport to a station near our evenings accommodation: Stayokay Hostel Oost. An economical way for us three to sleep in the most expensive European city 🇳🇱

    Onced checked in, and made our own beds 🤣, we headed to a local Middle East restaurant, Restaurant Nour, for dinner. It was quite an experience. The meal was delicious and fresh, and served faster than fast food! The flavours were incredible, especially after the good, but middle of the road fare in Croatia.    Read more

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