Segment 1

It’s bright, clear and cold this morning, as usual. No rain in sight in spite of the predictions to the contrary. We had our usual breakfast of muffins and fruit purchased last night and called for a bellman for our nine pieces of luggage. When we told the bell captain that we had lots of luggage and he found out it was nine pieces, he said, “Oh, that’s nothing. We’ve had people with 25 pieces!” The poor bellman who came up with one cart had a time trying to cram everything on, but he did succeed. On the way past the concierge desks, they stopped their conversation to say, “Leaving already?” That’s only the second acknowledgement we have had from them in two weeks.

We waited briefly out front until our van arrived, followed by a sedan. The van driver had already loaded our luggage into his vehicle and we decided we liked him better than the car driver, so we decided to skip the car and travel with our luggage in the van. It was a good decision as the driver, Julio, was very friendly and informative and the van was probably a more comfortable ride. The drive from Walt Disney World to the Mandarin Oriental in Miami took about 3-½ hours with no traffic to speak of. Julio was fun to talk to and the time passed quickly.

We arrived at the hotel at 2:00 PM. The Mandarin Oriental is located on Brickell Key, a private island immediately offshore from downtown Miami. Everything in the area is fairly new, so it is very nice. The view is spectacular of the skyline, the causeway and Biscayne Bay.

Now this is a $500 a night hotel! Well, to be exact, it’s $725 a night, but it’s included in our cruise, so we don’t care. Unlike the Grand Floridian, this hotel comes with the type of service and luxuries one would expect in this price range. The bellman knew what to do with Crystal passengers’ luggage. Most of our luggage went directly to the ship, we only kept one overnight bag and one carry-on, so it was quite easy for us. We were escorted into the lobby, a towering avant-garde kind of place, and directed toward Crystal’s hospitality room to pick up our room key and instructions for our overnight stay. On the way we ran into Mel, of Mel and Barbara, who tried to recruit us again for his Trivia team. We declined, as we did last year.

At least year's pre-cruise hotel, there were probably 20 Crystal representatives all over the place, but this year there are five. That should tell you something about the passenger list or lack thereof. We only waited about five minutes for our key to be delivered and we were on our way to the eighth floor room. The room had a spectacular view of downtown Miami and the causeway to the island. Our room was furnished with very expensive McGuire furniture and white linens. The bathroom had dimmable lighting and a huge window overlooking the bedroom (with a shade, Thank God). We presume this opening was to allow one to take a bath and still see the view. No time for views now though, as we promptly crashed until the alarm went off at 5:00 PM to allow us enough time to get our act together for the gala party tonight.

Although unusual for us, we arrived at the party promptly at 7:00 PM, much to the delight of Josef Matt, Crystal Symphony’s Hotel Manager. There was sort of a receiving line he was supposed to be manning, but he ditched the other guests as soon as we arrived and began a lengthy discussion of Walt Disney World. He was appalled by the price of Disney's Grand Floridian, but who isn't? Next to greet us was one of the Ambassador Hosts, Lee, with whom we bonded during a shore excursion last year.

Next up was a required photo for the annual cruise yearbook. Apparently they learned from the awful pictures taken last year that they need to do this ahead of time and print the books on land. They are supposed to be sent to the ship in Rio de Janeiro. Ian, the head photographer, flew in for the event, but, nice as he is, we find it hard to believe there isn't a qualified local photographer or two.

We wandered through the reception lobby where oriental style hors d’oeuvres were being offered by waiters along with the cocktail of your choice. We skipped all of this and found a corner out of the way to see who we are traveling with this year. Jeff, the video guy, came over to chat. We also chatted with Luis, the meet and greet manager.

From what we observed, this year’s World Cruise has boiled down to Crystal’s diehards and nobody else. Lee came back to tell us the count for full World Cruise guests is 108. When we were talking to Louise, one of the diehards, she said that she heard the total count with segment guests for the first part of the cruise is only 500. Recall that the ship holds 940 guests. Unfortunately, 500 guests is too many for single seating dining, so we will probably have the regular two seatings for at least the first segment. We also saw Mel and Barbara with whom we were friendly last year. Josef brought over Thomas, the new Vice President of Hotel Operations. He had been with Crystal previously, but had left to become the General Manager at Epcot. So, we had a lot to talk about. He said they know Epcot is in dire need of an update, but he agrees with us that Disney only spends money on shops, restaurants and hotels that directly make money. He also told us that Tokyo DisneySea is heads above anything Disney has ever done and puts previous efforts to shame. Dave said, “It just proves what Disney can do when someone else will pay for it," to which he replied, “You got that right.”

The pre-dinner entertainment consisted of a guy in the corner playing an electronic keyboard. It did sound pleasant enough, but it was quite a come down from the full orchestra we had last year. Also in the lobby was an attractive ice sculpture of towering pillars and the Crystal logo along with some stuffed penguins.

Promptly at 8:00 PM, the doors to the ballroom opened and we were ushered in to our table. We were separated at our table, which we didn’t like, but we didn’t say anything. Thomas was the host for our table, which was nice. We were also seated with Maria, a very friendly woman from Belgium who lost her husband last year. We hope to see her on the ship as she was very coherent. We’d guess her age at 50 or so. Next to Bill was Jeanne, one of Crystal’s diehards, who is also pleasant. There were two other couples, one of whom hadn’t been on a World Cruise before. The other couple was on board last year. The woman is the one who was in so much pain on shore excursions that she would cry out in agony when trying to move. She looked no better now, although she didn’t make a scene. Even giving her the benefit of the doubt for being miserable, she did nothing but complain the entire meal. Since she had earplugs in most of the time, it wasn’t necessary to converse with her very often.

Regarding the earplugs, they really were relevant. The music was so loud our ears were still ringing long after we left the room. Nobody appeared to be enjoying the entertainers, although they were talented. It was sort of a salsa troupe with two pairs of dancers and a singer. It would have been fine had it not been ten times louder than necessary.

As last year, the dinner dragged on way too long with many lulls between courses to allow for dancing. Not many people were interested in this type of music, so the dancers were mostly the same ten who always dance. At least the Ambassador Hosts were around to be partners. The performers also dragged people up to dance. One of the girls tried to get Bill to go up, but he declined.

The tables were beautifully decorated with yellow butterfly orchids atop tall clear class columns. The party favors were large penguins in sombreros. What that has to do with South America, we’re not sure, but it was cute. The only problem is that these things are chocolate and are about 8” tall. Most guests didn’t take them because they didn’t want to haul them to the ship. In other words, not a wise choice. The table settings themselves were nicely done with napkin rings made of real orchids.

The food was very good to average. The dessert was spectacular and almost too beautiful to eat. It was tasty, too!

Lobster and Black Squid-Ink Enchiladas
Limestone Lettuce with Jicama Slaw, Roasted Pepper Vinaigrette

Argentinean Herb-Marinated Filet Mignon
Topped with Salsa Criolla and Served in a Pool of
Three-Herb Chimichurri, Manchego Cheese Grits, Roasted Tomato and Baby Corn

Del Rey Coconut Chocolate Cake,
Flan Dulce de Leche, and
Guava Raspberry Tartlet

Don’t be alarmed, the food wasn’t as weird as it sounds. The dessert also included a chocolate tube standing on end and filled with berries, chocolate mousse, and some other things we have forgotten.

By the time 11:00 PM rolled around, we were ready to get the heck away from the noise. Most people departed nanoseconds after dessert was served. Thomas told us he would be on board for a few days, so we can get together then. We doubt he’ll have the time, but he is interesting to talk to and we can probably find out some good Disney gossip if we play our cards right.

In the room we received two wrapped World Cruise gifts which are journals for keeping notes. This is the same gift as last year with a different design.

Back in the room, neither of us got much sleep, either coughing or sniffling or both throughout the night.

Ft. Lauderdale really did begin as a fort. Under command of Major William Lauderdale, the garrison was installed along the New River in l838 to help fend off nearly constant Seminole raids. It should be noted that the tribes were only trying to defend their land, and to anyone familiar with the modern golden coast it is no wonder. In Lauderdale’s time, however, the land was quite different. Only 150 years ago, Florida was a mosquito-infested mangrove swamp. Alligators and deadly snakes were abundant — people were scarce.

After 1900, the door finally opened for development when Henry Flagler, a shrewd entrepreneur, extended his Florida East Coast Railroad southward from Palm Beach. Ft. Lauderdale was suddenly connected to the rest of the country. The city was incorporated in 1911, after an ambitious land reclamation project was completed. The growing city was utterly transformed.

The Florida coast between Miami and Palm Beach is known as the "Gold Coast," and Ft. Lauderdale, practically at the center of the famous seaboard strip, is the seat of Broward County. There is no shortage of land in the region. Broward County covers 1,197 square miles — an area about the size of Rhode Island. The permanent population is almost 1.6 million, but that number usually doubles during the winter season — add an annual influx of shivering visitors from the frozen northern United States and Canada. There is also a sizable European contingent. Year-round residents playfully refer to the seasonal guests as "snowbirds" and the Floridians scratch their heads and wonder why the "birds" don’t move south once and for all. Why would anyone want to leave a tropical paradise? Some "natives," on the other hand, are secretly pleased when the "season" is over — until hurricane season arrives each year in the fall. Seasonal visitors and residents alike keep close watch as storms develop in the Atlantic. Violent hurricanes have often made landfall.

With more than 300 miles of inland waterways, greater Ft. Lauderdale is sometimes referred to as the "Venice of America." Some 10,000-yacht owners also flock south during the winter season, adding to the already 44,000 permanently registered marine craft. With all of the sleek yachts, there has to be a party, so the Hanukkah/ Christmas holiday is celebrated with an unusual fair. The Winterfest Boat Parade route follows the Intracoastal between Port Everglades and Pompano Beach. Hundreds of elaborate boats participate, and the adornments become more outlandish each year.

Florida is one of America’s premier holiday destinations and there is no better place to find a quiet (or not so quiet) spot on the beach, but don’t forget to explore some of the state’s other treasures. Orlando, home of the fascinating Disney World/Epcot Center complex, is just a few hours away to the north. Epcot’s ever-changing exhibits offer insight into new technological developments. Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys are some of the other nearby gems, and, even closer, Miami’s South Beach is an art deco showcase.

Our alarm was set for 9:00 AM to get us up in time for the complimentary breakfast provided in the same ballroom as the dinner last night. It is another beautiful, cool day. What happened to the rain?

We arrived at breakfast during the last half hour, but we found most guests just arriving or still there. We were directed to a clean table on the far side of the room. The buffet featured sliced fruit, very good pastries, scrambled eggs, etc. There was also a chef cooking made-to-order omelets. This offering was far superior to last year’s breakfast in Beverly Hills. Eventually, Pauline, Mel and Barbara joined us. Pauline did most of the talking much to Mel’s chagrin. We find Pauline, who made her 100-cruise milestone last year, to be rather interesting. She travels alone and does literally everything there is to do in each port. She has far more energy than both of us put together.

After breakfast we registered for the cruise and received our room key and boarding information. Our car is scheduled for 2:15 PM to 2:30 PM. Along with the key we got a letter telling us that in order to ensure that the Norwalk virus doesn’t reach the ship (Crystal ships have had no outbreaks at all) the dock area around the ship, the busses, cars, etc., have been disinfected. We will also be required to use a disinfectant wipe on our hands before boarding and again in each port. It goes on to explain that the captain will not shake hands with guests at receptions and that any crew member or guest who may contract the virus will be confined to their stateroom until they recover.

We lolled around in the room until 1:00 PM and then went down to sit in the lobby to await our transfer as instructed. At least the wait gave us time to get our diary entries updated! As it turned out, we had plenty of time because transfers were delayed by about 45 minutes from the stated time. We were told it was due to security issues at the port and that cars weren’t being admitted for a period of time. No matter, we eventually got a car with a very friendly driver. The trip to the port took about 45 minutes where we found the security line for cars very short. We had to show our ID and tell the guard where we were going.

Once at the terminal, we were accosted by a line of smiling Crystal representatives and whisked into the terminal where we were offered champagne several times. Norman saw us and ran over with another offer of champagne. Next was the obligatory boarding photo where Elizabeth greeted us warmly and seemed genuinely happy to see us again. Finally, we were handed the pre-moistened towelette to sanitize our hands. At the gangway, Remy, a headwaiter, greeted us. Last time we saw him he couldn’t talk due to growths in his throat, but all is well now. We were escorted to our penthouse by a waiter we don’t know.

On the way, we ran into Rainer, our butler from last year. We found our room piled high with our tons of luggage, plus two attractive bouquets of flowers on the desk, a bottle of champagne on ice, another bottle of champagne on the counter, and two bottles of wine. We also received a note that our gratuities are prepaid plus a credit to our account of $2,000. We counted the guests in the World Cruise listing and there are 109 of us. Since there was a notice that this segment will be single seating in the dining room from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, we know the total guest count is below 450, less than we were led to believe last night.

Our butler, Waldo, arrived to introduce himself and tell us he had been told that we are great guests. He already knew what kind of beverages to stock in our minibar and what snacks we like. The stewardess, Isabela, and her assistant, Hazel, came by to ask what special requests we have. That would be extra boxes of Kleenex, change the duvet to a blanket, remove the mohair throws and bring a couple of extra pillows. She seems quite cheerful and friendly.

Ural, our butler for the first part of last year’s cruise came running down the hall to see us. Waldo eventually arrived and said that Ural had informed him of everything we like and how wonderful we are. That remains to be seen, but at least we’re popular with the staff.

There was a notice about the all new, state of the art Computer University program, but no mention was made of Internet connections from the staterooms like we had last year. That is a heart-grabbing thought because there is no way to update the Website without that feature. So, we rushed down to the Computer University to inquire about the situation. A staff member there said that stateroom connections were not available, but would be coming soon. Dave insisted he contact someone in charge to find out exactly how long that would be and he said he would have someone call him. In the meantime, we set up our Crystal Symphony accounts. The new charges are less than before, but they now use an accounting method impossible to check. Guests are charged $20.00/MB, which is ridiculous for what we are doing. Emails are $2.75 coming and going which is a bit less than before, but nonetheless outrageous.

We strolled around on the upper decks to get some port photos. There are many ships in port. Two Princess ships, Holland America’s Maasdam, a Royal Caribbean ship, and two Costa ships, plus a couple of others. The Coast Guard has several boats patrolling the area. We went down to greet Billy at the Front Desk. Several other crewmembers greeted us along the way. After that we went up for some ice cream to get us by until dinnertime. Allan and Norman, plus some other deck stewards we don’t know, and the ice cream man, ran over to greet us. Allan said the next segment has 600 guests, but we find that a little hard to believe. We shall see.

Back to the room to unpack. There is a sort of meet and greet party for World Cruisers tonight at 6:30 PM, but we decided to skip it and unpack instead. The dean from the Computer University called and offered to come right up and configure our computer for connection from the stateroom, which he did. Cost was $25.00 for this set-up, plus 75-cents per minute internet charge. We’re just glad the part arrived to make this possible today. He said he was sweating bullets hoping it would come because he knew the World Cruisers would expect it. FYI, last year the cost was $1.50 per minute with a $12.50 minimum. He said the direct connection in the room is by far cheaper than using the computers in the lab. The amount of content uploaded doesn’t apply when done from the stateroom.

Even before we were finished unpacking, our stewardess came to collect our empty luggage. Bill took the bag of dirty clothes and went to the self-service laundry while all of this was going on, so maybe we will have something clean to wear tomorrow.

We wandered down to the Crystal Dining Room at 7:30 PM fully expecting it to be full. No worry about that! Augusto, our headwaiter from last year and now for the first half of this year, greeted us warmly at the door and escorted us to the table we always have along the inside divider. Also the same as last year is our waiter, Jerry, who said he found out we were coming from some of the waiters handling luggage. When he realized his new station was our regular table, he was overjoyed to find he will be our waiter again. He is leaving halfway through the cruise though, but he’s glad to have us again. It’s amusing to watch the reaction of other guests when all of these people fawn all over us. Our assistant waiter is Andrejus.

Paco ran over to greet us. He was our waiter years ago, but last time we were here he was a butler. He told us he prefers the action in the dining room and that being a butler was too confining for him. We would guess he also makes more money as a waiter.

The best thing about Augusto is that he tells us all of the gossip. He said that the ship has been on single seating dining almost half of the time this year, which means the ship has been less than half full. That does not bode well for a new ship coming out and expanding the fleet. There are only so many Crystal guests to go around. Everyone seems to agree that people just don’t want to fly anywhere these days. Jerry told us that he is leaving earlier than usual because they need to bring back waiters who have been on extended vacations.

Tonight was really déjà vu for us with the same table, waiter, and headwaiter. Tayfun, a headwaiter we had several years ago, came over to greet us, as well. Also, Maria, our wine steward, remembered us from three years ago, which is the last time we saw her.

Tonight’s dress code was casual with no assigned seating. However, everyone was asked for their table number and was seated at their regular table. We have no idea why they always announce no assigned seating because that never actually happens.

Augusto said that breakfast this morning was a nightmare because U.S. Customs made the guests report for inspections at 4:00 AM. That meant everyone showed up in the dining room early. After that, they had to find somewhere to store ten large tables from the center of the room because there are so few guests that most of the tables have been reduced to twos and fours.

Prosciutto with Apple and Watercress Salad
Forest Mushroom Terrine with Tomato Coulis
Sautéed Jumbo Prawns
Tropical Fruit Cocktail with Grand Marnier

Beef Consommé with Truffle Célestine
Alaskan Crab Soup
Chilled Lingonberry Soup with Sour Cream
Traditional Caesar Salad
Sliced Tomatoes and Mozzarella Cheese with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Broiled Fillet of Fresh Alaskan Black Sea Bass
Roasted Marinated Chicken Breast
Grilled Black Angus Fillet Steak
Roasted Rack of Wisconsin Veal

Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Soufflé with Fudge Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream
French Style Lemon Cheesecake
Banana Semifreddo
Sugar-Free Mocha Cream Puff
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Homemade Cookies

Food review: Everything was satisfactory, with only the Hazelnut Pudding standing out as special. The homemade cookies were ghastly as always. We’ll never understand why they keep serving them because they almost always go back to the kitchen uneaten.

We had to ask Jerry for copies of the menu because we didn’t receive them in the stateroom as in the past. Hopefully this is something that was overlooked because it is the first day. If not, we’ll have to ask for them to be delivered so we can be sure to provide a complete listing for your reading pleasure!

Nothing much out of the ordinary happened in the dining room, so we were out with enough time to view the sail away at 9:00 PM. Crystal Symphony was the a last ship to leave the port out of all of those here earlier.

For the first time in two weeks, we both got a full night’s sleep even with the early wake-up for the boat drill. We were ready early, so we went out to the Promenade Deck a few minutes before the alarm sounded. This captain doesn’t alter course to prevent wind on deck for this event, so we were quickly showered with salt spray even though we were standing behind some machinery. There are so few guests that there were just two rows of people when everyone was in their place. Usually, it is at least five rows deep and overflowing to the sides. They seem to take things more seriously than before. Previously, someone would just check you off as you arrived at your station. Now they wait until everyone is there and then they do a roll call to be sure everyone from the cabin shows up. They also had a demonstration of how to put on the lifejacket, which has never been done before. This entire exercise takes only about fifteen minutes, so it’s not a dreadful chore.

The weather today is overcast and about 65 degrees. It’s a little bit rocky, but only because of the wind. It’s not rough by any means.

We wandered by the Bistro for snacks, but it was too crowded. Paulo was there and remembered our name, as always. We decided to go back to the room and just wait for lunchtime. Menus are no longer delivered to Penthouse guests, so we will have a more difficult time providing complete menu listings for the diary, but we’ll see if we can work it out. When we returned to the room we found our World Cruise tote bags, jacket and hat. There was a party this morning where we would have received a shirt and pin with the “Four A’s” name on it, but we didn’t attend.

Even though we didn’t arrive for lunch in the Crystal Dining Room until 12:30 PM, there were plenty of tables available. Even so, they insisted we sit at Jerry’s station where they had to clean a table for us. Just to remind everyone, we never ask to sit there. Jerry seemed thrilled we were there again. He told us his wife is expecting another son in May, so he is quite excited. He has arranged to be home then, which also seemed to make him very happy.

Lunch was good, but not exciting. The chilled mango soup was outstanding and much better than we expected. The entrees of a chicken Caesar salad and a French dip sandwich were good, but not great. Augusto decided the French dip didn’t come with enough sauce and forced the assistant waiter to fetch more from the kitchen. Antonio, our wine steward last year, came over from the other side of the Dining Room to greet us and carry on in general.

After lunch we went back to the room to nap and/or put away our clothes. Nothing else happened until dinnertime.

On the way out of the room Waldo asked if he could have anything pressed for us, so Dave pointed out his jackets that need pressing. They were gone when we came back from dinner. We also asked if we could have the menus delivered daily as in the past. He said that was no problem and we would get them beginning tomorrow. They have cut out the automatic delivery as a cost saving measure, which seems reasonable.

Tonight’s dress code is Formal for the Captain’s Welcome Gala. The line to enter the Starlite Club stretched all the way down to the lobby area, but the line moved quickly. The side door express lane wasn’t open, so we had to wait in line for the photo with the Captain. We have no idea why the Captain can’t shake hands when every other staff member does, but we don’t mind. Once inside, Paul McFarland, the Cruise Director, greeted us as though he knew who we were. We skipped the rest of the receiving line and sat in the back corner. The room was completely full because there is only one seating.

We noticed the first obvious cutback, the bowls of nuts are only filled about a quarter of the way and the cashews have been replaced with peanuts. None of this bothers us, just an observation. We also noticed that the water pressure has been reduced by half. It is more like it is at home with water saving shower heads and such. This has been done to reduce the amount of water they have to buy in port.

There were the usual introductions of officers, all of whom we have met before. The Captain announced the pathetic official guest count for this segment: 109 full World Cruisers that are included in the total guest count of 380. There are currently 530 crew members, so they outnumber guests at this point. 380 is the lowest number we have ever experienced on this ship. JP, one of the deck stewards from last cruise, noticed us and came over to say hello. He had told us he wasn't coming back, but apparently he changed his mind.

Iced Malossol Caviar
Truffled Chicken Liver Parfait
Oysters Rockefeller
Exotic Fruit in a Pineapple Boat with Orange Curacao

Wild Forest Mushroom Soup “Cappuccino Style”
Clear Oxtail Soup
Captain’s Salad

Broiled Fresh Maine Lobster
Broiled Fresh Halibut Fillet
Chateaubriand
Stuffed Marinated Baked Quail

“Deuce au Café” White Chocolate Coffee Cake with Raspberry Sauce
Almond Lemon Tart with Whipped Cream and Forest Berries
Crunchy Vanilla Mousse with Fudge Sauce
Sugar-Free Yogurt Fruit Terrine
Sugar-Free Blueberry Turnover with Diet Ice Cream
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Truffles and Petit Fours

Food review: The soup and salad were very good. The salad in particular was fresh with a wonderful balsamic vinaigrette dressing. We both enjoyed the sherbet course which was quite refreshing. As usual the chateaubriand was outstanding. Augusto brought more sauce and then asked if we wanted more meat to go with it, so we took him up on it. The twice-baked potato that came with it was as dry as dust, as they always are. The dessert was a throw-away assuming it would be bad, but it was very good.

Our intention was to attend the production show, “Facinatin’ Rhythm”, tonight but we ended up chatting with Augusto and Jerry until well after the show had begun. Jerry is much more fun this time since he has already lightened up and considers us friends now. He was a tough nut to crack, but he’s a very nice guy. He doesn’t really have anyone to talk to about his family, so we listen to him and tell him what a good provider he is, which is true.

We wandered into the show with the intention of sitting in the back, but it was full and we didn’t want to barge in. Ruel wanted to seat us, but we didn’t want to do something we hate when others do it.

Making up for lost sleep during the last two weeks was easy with the gentle rolling of the ship overnight. We didn’t venture out of the cabin until 1:00 PM when we went up to the Lido for a lunch featuring Mexican specialties. We were fawned over in the extreme by the Deck Stewards, our Jade Garden waiter from last cruise, plus our Prego waiter from last cruise. There were no other guests in the buffet line, but there were quite a few still sitting at tables.

There was a good selection of Mexican items and most were very good, although somewhat strange concoctions. This has to be the first time that they have completely changed the Lido offerings. All of the salads were relevant to the theme. We had chicken that was very good, fried chicken nuggets with salsa that were boring, custom made tacos that were good except they were constructed backwards with the lettuce on the bottom and the meat on top, plus chicken burritos that were hand made upon ordering. The burritos were OK, but nothing exciting. Still, this was a vast improvement over the regular Lido and judging by the number of guests in attendance, we’d say it was a hit.

We were joined by Paul Covell who is one of the lecturers this segment. He’s here to talk about yacht racing, but he just wanted to chat about the cruise in general. He was very pleasant and we had an enjoyable talk with him. All the while we were fawned over by the Deck Stewards. This near-groveling continued as we wandered out to get some ice cream. It is obvious that the Deck Stewards who know us tell the new ones about us. They make a point to come up and introduce themselves and to be sure they know our name and who is who. These guys never forget a name no matter how long it is between cruises.

The ice cream man, Rodel, said he expects to see us every day and he will keep an attendance sheet to be sure. He said it makes his day when we show up. He must be starved for entertainment if we are his big thrill. We both had the cookies and cream frozen yogurt, which was excellent.

Today’s weather is cloudy with occasional rain showers, but it is quite warm. It is a bit rocky, but still nothing we would consider rough or out of the ordinary. There is just enough movement to put us to sleep the moment we sit down. We were back in the cabin by 3:00 PM where we stayed until dinnertime.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal. Informal attire for men no longer requires a tie, just a jacket. Dave had to page Waldo to return his jackets from being pressed, but he arrived within minutes. He followed us to the elevator and was impressed when we ran into Thomas, to whom he referred as “Mr. President”. Thomas said he will be back in Sydney and that he had told Nikki he sat with us at the party. She will also return in Sydney. When we told Thomas that all we did was sleep all day, he said that’s what everyone has told him so far. Must be the rocking motion that does it since every door along the corridor had a "Do Not Disturb" sign out all day.

Appetizers
Snow Crab Tower with Salmon and Malossol Caviar
Fresh Oven-Baked Lobster Strudel on Crayfish Sauce
Fresh Artichoke with Tomato-Herb Vinaigrette
Assorted Supreme of Fruit with Maraschino

Soup and Salad
Roman Soup with Pasta and Vegetables
Chicken Consommé with Butter Quenelles
Chilled Beet Root Soup with Sour Cream
Fresh Spinach Salad with Boiled Eggs, Sliced Mushrooms, and Crisp Bacon Bits
Heart of Crisp Lettuce Salad with Tomatoes and Potato Slices

Pasta Special
Tortiglione Calabrese with Capers, Anchovies, Olives, and Tomatoes

Salad Entrée
Grilled Chicken Breast Salad with Grilled Vegetables on Mixed Spring Greens

Main Fares
Broiled Fresh Pacific Salmon Fillet
Pink-Roasted Breast of Duck with Mint Hazelnut Pesto
Pan-Fried Veal Scaloppini Stuffed with Porcini-Mozzarella Herb Stuffing
Grilled Black Angus Filet Steak with Green Peppercorn Sauce

Vegetarian Selection
Risotto Milanese with Grilled Tofu, Mushrooms and Fresh Herbs

Dessert
White Chocolate Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream
Vanilla-Strawberry Mille Feuille
”Bombe au Praline” – Frozen Praline Cake
Sugar-Free Citrus Mousse
Sugar-Free Filo Cup with Diet Ice Cream and Fresh Fruit
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Freshly Frozen, Nonfat Peach Yogurt

Food review: Tonight’s selection of fruit in the appetizer was interesting and very good…a nice change from the basic melon it usually contains. The soup was also very good, but the salad dressing was a bit too salty. Both entrees were excellent. The white chocolate cheesecake was outstanding.

The dining room was very slow tonight. Many waiters only had one table to attend, but Jerry had a full station. He said this cruise is a breeze because all of his guests are pleasant. Last cruise was a nightmare because everyone was from Boca Raton and was a perfect stereotype. They asked for special orders every night and didn’t like anything even then. He’s glad that this cruise is the complete opposite. We didn’t talk at length with anyone tonight, so we were out of the dining room by 9:15 PM.

Tonight’s entertainment a Variety Showtime featuring dance team Curtis and Natalie, plus the comedy and songs of Richard Ianni. Both acts were entertaining and worth looking at, but the dance couple was outstanding. They usually are, but once you have seen them twenty times, it becomes repetitious. The comedian did more singing than talking, but he had a good voice and did a reasonably good job with his comedy act.

After the show we wandered through the casino to the Crystal Plaza to briefly listen to the Champagne Strings. Percy, the bass player, ran into us yesterday and was thrilled. He’s the one who remembered us last year from a cruise on the Rotterdam ten years ago.

We barely noticed the stop at St. John, which was solely to drop off guests on a shore excursion. Upon arrival at St. Thomas, the ship dropped anchor in the beautiful harbor. The bay is protected by an outer island where there are ruins of old forts and sunken ships, some looking fairly recent. Anytime we have been here before, we have docked, but two Holland America ships, the huge new Zuiderdam and the Zaandam, plus the enormous Golden Princess were hogging all of the dock space. One benefit of using tenders is that they drop guests off directly in the center of town. The ships that are docked are all the way across the harbor.

We had a breakfast snack in the Bistro and then took the tender ashore with just four other guests and some crewmembers. The harbor itself is beautiful and full of boats and yachts of all sizes. Upon arrival at the dock, which is basically just a concrete seawall fronting the main street, we disembarked into the frenzy that is St. Thomas. We were sort of hoping to find a place to buy a cheap scanner for the computer, but there was nothing but block after block of jewelry stores, t-shirt shops, trinket shops, and a few galleries and restaurants. Traffic was ridiculous, but laws were obeyed, so it was possible to cross at a light.

Our walk took us up the waterfront street where shopkeepers would constantly call out to us that they have the best prices in the world. On every corner was a taxi driver trying to solicit business, while the open-air taxis drove by shouting, “Going back to the ships!” Nobody grabs at the tourists, but it is annoying to constantly avoid eye contact.

We eventually detoured through a sort of mall to a back street that was even busier than the first one. This narrow, one-way street was wall to wall jewelry shops with the street itself bumper to bumper with taxis offering to take everyone back to their ship “right now.” That sounded pretty good to us, but we didn’t need a taxi to get back to our tender location. On the way, we passed a Rastafarian-type man selling photo opportunities with a donkey that was made up with giant sunglasses and lipstick. No thanks.

Back at the tender landing, we were offered maps of Rio de Janeiro and Fortaleza by representatives of shops there. They must follow the ship’s itinerary to intercept visitors before they even make it to that port. We can just imagine the hard sell we would get if we accepted the free transportation to their “Jewelry Museum.” Again, no thanks.

On the tender, we met the same guests who had gone ashore with us. This entire excursion took all of maybe thirty minutes. The weather is fairly nice, as a plus. It is sunny and about 80 degrees with a strong sea breeze. However, let’s just say that St. Thomas looks better from the ship than it does in close up. We would guess that anyone going to a beach or snorkeling would run into thousands of other cruise ship passengers doing the same thing. Our take on this port is to forget it next time and stay on board.

Time for a light lunch, so we went up to the Lido and chose the Asian selection, Sliced Beef with Brown Sauce, Onions and Mushrooms. We each got a bowl of fruit as our dessert and called it good for now. As usual, the Deck Stewards fawned over us, brought us iced tea, etc. One plus is that no one grabs your tray away without asking first. That was our pet peeve last year and they seem to have worked it out so it isn’t annoying anymore. We ran into Rosario and Leo who are the headwaiter and maitre 'd for the Lido. Rosario always wants to tell us all sorts of personal things, but we have never quite figured out why, although we don't mind listening. Leo is pleasant in general.

There was a sail away party on the Lido Deck from 5:30 PM until 6:30 PM. We chose to watch the sailing from the comfort of our verandah. The two Holland America ships sailed out first, plus a big Costa ship that had been anchored outside the bay. Then it was our turn as we slowly made our way out to sea.

In addition to the Crystal Dining Room, they are offering the option of casual dining at the Trident Grill tonight. However, tonight’s dress code is Casual anyway, so why not be served rather than sit out in the heat? Waldo stopped to talk as we were leaving for dinner. He was told by Ural and Jerry that we are easy to talk to, and he hasn’t wasted any time venting to us. He told us about two old men last cruise who came with a set of instructions for their care from a daughter. One of the rules was for the butler to call her every two days with a report, but the men wouldn’t pay for the calls. Apparently she thought the butler would pay the $15.00 per minute phone bill himself. Waldo told us we lost our first guest who was taken away today as an emergency. He said it has been quite a while since anyone has died on board, but by the looks of some of the guests here now we would guess there will be a few over the next couple of months.

Appetizers
Warm Sautéed Sea Scallops with Truffle-Vegetable Vinaigrette
Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Toasted Pistachios and Pesto Vinaigrette
Beef Carpaccio “Harry’s Bar”
Chilled Cup of Fresh Fruit with Fresh Berries and Grand Marnier

Soup and Salad
Potato Soup with Mushrooms and Truffle Oil
Roasted Garlic Consommé with Olive Croutons
Chilled Blackberry Yogurt Soup
Selection of Garden Spring Leaf Salad with Cucumbers, Plum Tomatoes, and Deep Fried Cheese Balls
Chopped Romaine Lettuce Salad with Potatoes, Red Bell Peppers, Onions, and Radicchio

Salad Entrée
Steak Salad – Grilled Sirloin Steak on a Bed of Summer Greens

Main Fares
Grilled Fresh Ahi Tuna with Red Onion Sesame Crust
Macadamia Nut and Wasabi Crusted Pink-Roasted Lamb Loin
Crisp Lemon-Herb Marinated Rotisserie Chicken
Grilled Rib Eye Steak

Dessert
Apple-Cinnamon Tartlet with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Fudge Sheba with Raspberry Sauce
Passion Fruit Mousse with Chocolate Sauce
Sugar-Free Mocha Cream Cake
Sugar-Free Baked Pear in Puff Pastry
Homemade Cookies
Pineapple-Mint Sherbet

Food review: Everything was very good. The tuna was close to outstanding, but the crust was a little odd. We wouldn’t have known that red onions were involved in it without reading the menu. Both of us were still hungry after the courses, so we each ordered two desserts. None of them were great, but all were edible. The coconut macaroons among the cookie selection were the best part.

When we first sat down, Jerry came right over, as usual, then Augusto started talking to us. All the while, Maria was standing behind them waiting to see if we had any drink orders for her. Later she came up and said, “I didn’t dare interrupt them. They are attracted to you like flies.” We thought that was rather amusing. She then proceeded to tell us a story about her mother wearing one of those t-shirts with a scantily clad woman printed on it. She was the hit of a hotel in Egypt.

After dinner, Jerry told us how much he loves the watch we gave him last year. He said his wife even approved of it. Augusto came up to try to find out when we want a special dessert or whatever, but we haven’t grown tired of the regular menus yet. We did tell him he can make a pasta dish for us whenever the Neptune Dinner menu comes around.

Tonight’s entertainment in the Galaxy Lounge is a concert by Edmondo Rahme, “A performer of diverse and eclectic skills showcases the talent that has made him famous throughout Europe.” There is also a Cabaret Showtime at 10:45 PM featuring the, “Music and Comedy of Award-Winning Australian Cabaret Entertainer,” Collin Salter in the Starlite Club. The first act is an opera singer, so we knew we weren’t interested in that. Bill waited around for the 10:45 PM show, but Dave gave up and stayed in the room. We can’t recall them ever having a show start that late, even a cabaret act. A few guests did show up after all. The act wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. We can't imagine what possessed Crystal to hire someone like this for a World Cruise crowd. We're sure that he is much funnier when he can say and do whatever he wants to without the "taste" constraints of a cruise ship full of 90-year-olds.

The day started off cloudy, rainy, hot and humid. Eventually, the cloudy, rainy part went away, but not before we made it ashore. Our first stop, as usual, was in the Bistro for breakfast snacks. By the look of the population in the Bistro, there must not be many guests ashore. We couldn’t remember whether or not we had been here before, but since it doesn’t look familiar, we’ll say that we haven’t.

Crystal Symphony is docked at a brand new pier that sticks out from the center of town. There is nothing but a small Welcome Center at the end of the pier. This leads to an unfinished shopping plaza that looks as though it has been unfinished for quite some time. Maybe things just move more slowly here? A couple of men offered us taxis, but this is quite a laid back place. People seem rather friendly and not pushy at all.

We didn’t really expect to spend much time in the town, but we thought we’d stop by the major sites, such as they are, and look for the computer store the concierge pointed out for us. The big thrill in town is The Circus where one will find the Memorial Drinking Fountain and a big clock. Supposedly, this circle was modeled after Piccadilly Circus in London, but whoever came up with that explanation must not have actually seen the real thing. We pulled out a map and were immediately offered help by a taxi driver/tour guide. He pointed us toward the Immaculate Conception Cathedral built in 1700-something. It is located off of Independence Square, a patch of green with a somewhat charming ramshackle look. The square is surrounded by old colonial buildings that house pubs and shops geared toward the locals.

Our next destination was St. Georges Church, but the skies opened up and the rain poured, so we ducked under an overhang along with the locals and some dogs. We waited until everyone started moving again and found that we were on the street where the computer store was located. It started raining again about the time we found the computer store. Well, a better name for it might be a computer closet, but we had found the right place. When we asked for a scanner, she asked if we were from the ship because someone had called to have them save it for us. She also offered us 10% off the already reasonable price. So, we bought the only HP scanner in the city and gave a small donation to some sort of walkathon for schoolchildren.

With a huge box to carry, we walked straight back to the ship where we had to juggle the package while sanitizing our hands with the required disinfectant wipes. By the way, we watched from our balcony as staff members came in and barely touched the wipes. There is no point to this whole thing except for show. We stopped by the desk where Billy made a claim on the scanner when we are finished with it. He offered to buy it from us, so we will probably take him up on it.

Next stop was lunch in the nearly empty Dining Room where we were immediately seated at Jerry’s station, as usual. We both had the Pork Quesadillas, which were very good.

After a brief stop at the room, we went up to get our usual port photos now that the weather has cleared and the sun is shining. There is a Windstar ship off in the distance to the right of the ship. The island is tidy with farmlands of some sort immediately behind the city. The hills are fairly dry, but in the few areas where they become mountains and trap the clouds, the vegetation is more lush. The center of town is basically just six blocks deep and consists of the older buildings and a couple of aforementioned churches. There are some large houses on the hillsides behind the town and on a point to the left of the ship. We can’t see any beaches from the ship, but there is one called the “Monkey Beach” where monkeys come and grab at visitors. Doesn’t sound very appealing to us.

A maintenance man pointed out a huge manta ray swimming near the shore, so we stood on the top deck watching it for awhile. By now, Bill needed a smoothie from the Trident Bar since he had skipped dessert at lunch. It’s very hot out on deck with the sun out, so he just collected his drink and we went back to the room to watch videos and catch up on computer stuff.

At 5:00 PM, the Captain made his usual departure announcement, then said there would be a delay because the guys who cast off the lines couldn’t find the key to their truck. They were hoping a neighbor would let them use his truck. About fifteen minutes later, they arrived, looking to be in no particular hurry, but they didn’t have a boat to reach the pylon where the aft of the ship was tied up. So, we had to wait until the pilot boat could ferry someone over to the rope to let it go. They meant well, that’s the important thing. After all that, we departed about twenty minutes behind schedule. We have 1,900 miles to cover to our next port, so the ship has to keep up a speed of 18 knots to make it on time.

Tonight’s dress code is Casual/50’s and features a 50’s menu, as usual. The crew wears various 50’s-style uniforms such as soda jerks or whatnot. Guests are invited to participate, but almost no one ever does.

Appetizers
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with Creole Rémoulade Sauce
Polenta con Funghi – Sautéed Forest Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta
Barbecued Quail on Kernel Corn Tomato Salad
Iced Apple, Grape, and Pear Cup with Yogurt Calvados Topping

Soups and Salads
Midwest Baby Corn Bisque
Chicken Broth with Matzo Balls
Chilled Banana Coconut Soup
Medley of Selected Crunchy Field Greens Salad with Celery Chips and Shredded Carrots
Tossed Iceberg Lettuce Salad with Lorenzo Dressing

Salad Entrée
Grilled Herb Marinated Salmon Fillet on Marinated Cucumbers, Fennel, Celery, and Boston Lettuce

Main Fares
Roasted American Prime Rib of Black Angus Beef
Fresh Lemon Sole Fillets
Medallions of Canadian Venison

Vegetarian Selection
Twice Baked Potatoes with Three Cheeses, Served on Vegetable Spaghetti

Sweet Finale
Creole Sour Cream Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream
Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pie a la Mode
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae
Sugar-Free Jell-O with Fresh Fruits
Sugar-Free Lemon Yogurt Timbale
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Nonfat Cappuccino Yogurt

Food review: The shrimp in the appetizer were huge and very good. As usual, the Corn Bisque is to die for. We’re not sure where the coconut was in the chilled soup because it tasted only of bananas. The prime rib was satisfactory, nothing more. The meatloaf was very good and well worth eating. Both desserts were very good, but we have no idea what made the cheesecake “Créole”.

Nothing exciting happened in the dining room tonight, so no gossip to report. Jerry acknowledged that we were right about St. Kitts, there was nothing to see. At least he can check another country off of his list.

Tonight’s entertainment is the production show "Rock Around the Clock." There was also an edition of "‘50’s Name That Tune" before dinner and a Sock Hop after the show in the Starlite Club. This was the first production show with the current cast that we have seen and they were excellent. This show is very tired and has been around at least as long as Crystal Symphony, probably longer. But, the cast did an admirable job of injecting some life into it. Both the male and female leads are very good, which really helps the productions. We didn’t attend either of the additional entertainment offerings.

Although we were awakened at 10:00 AM by several announcements and alarms for a crew fire drill, we didn’t venture out of the room until 12:30 PM. The weather today is beautiful, sunny, and warm. We received an invitation to a Norwegian Waffle Feast tomorrow morning for World Cruise guests, plus an RSVP form and invitation for the first World Cruise Event in Montevideo, Uruguay. This event lasts six hours and begins at 9:00 AM, so we will have to speak to someone at shore excursions about it before making our decision.

Our first stop was the Asia Café luncheon buffet at the Neptune Pool. Ordinarily, this is the best of the lavish afternoon buffets. While there was a very nice variety offered, much of it was boring or not very good. However, there were enough selections that were very good to make it worthwhile. It was windy, but pleasant enough to sit out by the pool while the band entertained. We stayed outside until just before 2:00 PM when it was time to go to the salon for haircuts.

Our haircuts took all of twenty minutes in a nearly empty salon. The stylists are always very pleasant and do a good job. We don't know what the prices for women are, but the men's cut is less expensive than we pay at home.

Next stop was to Shore Excursions where we spoke with Ross about the World Cruise Event. He thinks it will be worth our while to go, so we probably will. The people at Shore Excursions are usually very honest and will tell you right off if something isn’t very good. We asked about our next port, Fortaleza, Brazil. Ross said not to even leave the ship, the tours aren’t worth the effort, and it is so dangerous they are warning guests not to even take their cameras on shore. He said that under no circumstances should we walk around on our own. He told us that Rio de Janeiro and to a lesser extent, Buenos Aires, carry the same warnings. Basically, either go on a tour, or don’t go. He did say that Buenos Aires is a bit safer and it might be OK to walk around the city center without a tour. But, no way should we do that in Rio. Since both cities offer tours in the afternoon, we will probably just settle for a short city tour and call it good.

We had some time to kill before Lara’s desk hours, so we went up to browse the shops. Rosemary, the World Cruise Hostess, came over to apologize for running out of t-shirts in the size we need. We told her not to worry about it, but she told us they would be delivered later in the cruise. She’s sending the pins up to our room. Rudolf, who was working in the spa last year, now works in the shops, so we stopped to catch up with him. He said he much prefers working for Crystal than for Steiner, who runs the salons on most cruise ships. He’s a very pleasant person with a great personality, so being out in public suits him better.

A few shoppers arrived, so we wandered down to speak to Lara about our missing Crystal Society credits. As you may recall, we had the same issue last year. So far, we haven’t received any credits to our account, so we wanted to see what was up with that. Lara was appalled that we hadn’t received our 25^th Milestone credits of $3,800 each. $7,600 is a lot for them to overlook and since it has happened twice we do wonder if it is entirely unintentional. We also asked for credit for the cocktail party amenity we receive with the milestone. That will get us another $200 on our account.

Lara confirmed that we cannot use any Crystal Society credits on the Inaugural for Crystal Serenity, including the free first class airfare upgrade for our 30^th Milestone. That has solidified our decision to cancel that voyage. The cost is already outrageous and we have done the same itinerary three times, so why bother just to see the new ship?

Back in the cabin we watched the tour information channel regarding Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro. The Fortaleza information very firmly says not to venture out on your own, wear no jewelry, watches or fancy clothing, and leave your camera on the ship. His exact words regarding the latter were, “Take pictures with your mind, not with your camera.” We’ll probably take Ross’ advice and stay on board. The Rio warnings were about the same except he said it is probably OK to take a camera on an organized tour.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the cabin. Waldo chatted with us for a while in the hallway as we left for dinner. He was confused because our Do Not Disturb sign wasn’t out today and he didn’t know if he should bring snacks or not. We told him that if the sign isn’t out, he can knock. He told us about a woman on this cruise who hasn’t yet left the cabin and just sits in the room drinking and smoking all day. What a waste of money. Why not just stay home and do that?

Appetizers
Crab Cake on Marinated Tomato Salad with Basil Oil
Salad of Roasted Duck Breast with Artichokes and Green Beans
Grilled Portabella Mushroom, Marinated in Olive-Herb Vinaigrette with Spring Greens
Fresh Tropical Fruit with Kiwi Wedges and Aged Sherry

Soups and Salads
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sunflower Seeds
Beef Broth with Vermicelli Pasta
Chilled Green Pea Soup with Mint
Garden Mixed Greens with Crisp Eggplant Chips
Pear, Endive, and Blue Cheese Salad with Pear Dressing

Pasta Special
Linguine with Lemon Oil, Fresh Lobster, Garlic, Plum Tomatoes, and Basil

Main Fares
California Grilled Lamb Chops
Grilled Fresh Swordfish Steak with California Vinaigrette
Fricassee di Pollo alla Cacciatore
Maple Glazed, Slow-Roasted Rack of Pork

Vegetarian Selection
Crispy Polenta on Root Vegetables with Grilled Mushrooms

Sweet Finale
California Citrus Soufflé Cake with Vanilla Sauce and Pistachio Ice Cream
Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie a la Mode
Hazelnut Ice Parfait with Sour Cherries
Sugar-Free Mango Chocolate Tart
Sugar-Free Rhubarb Mousse with Fresh Strawberries
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Refreshing Grapefruit-Campari Sherbet

Food review: The soup was good, but would have been better without the addition of the sunflower seeds. The salad was boring, but satisfactory. We were very disappointed with the swordfish. It tasted like nothing and was tough. It was a huge cut of fish, but was prepared poorly. The dessert was very good.

The dining room was very busy tonight. Maria was thrilled because we ordered drinks from her after all the guys stopped hovering around us. We didn’t see much of Jerry and Andrejus except for the general service. Josef, the maitre ‘d, stopped by to chat. He also wonders where Crystal is going to get new customers since it appears they aren’t exactly forthcoming. Crystal has an outstanding return rate, but there aren’t many newcomers going on cruises these days.

We hadn’t planned on attending the flute concert, which is a good thing because we stood talking to Augusto until 10:00 PM about just general life issues. The headwaiters are working 4 ½ months on and then 4 ½ months vacation, so he’s spending more time at home than he ever has. They used to get just two months off.

Tonight’s entertainment is a concert by “Internationally Renowned Soloist” Bettine in “Flutasia”. This is a flute concert, in case you didn’t figure that out yourself.

saturday, february 18^th – travel to mandarin oriental hotel miami, florida – gala bon voyage party – 7:00 pm

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19^TH – FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, USA – TRANSFER FROM HOTEL TO CRYSTAL SYMPHONY – SAIL AT 9PM

MONDAY, JANUARY 20^TH – CRUISING THE OLD BAHAMAS CHANNEL

tuesday, january 21^st – cruising the atlantic ocean

Wednesday, january 22^nd – st. john (cruz bay), usvi, usa – 7:00 - 8:00 am – st. thomas (charlotte amalie), usvi – 9:30 am – 6:00 pm

thursday, january 23^rd – st. kitts (basse-terre), west indies – 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

friday, january 24^th – cruising the atlantic ocean

saturday, january 25^th – cruising the atlantic ocean

sunday, january 26^th – cruising the atlantic ocean

monday, january 27^th – crossing the equator

tuesday, january 28^th – fortaleza, brazil – 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

wednesday, january 29^th – cruising the south atlantic ocean

thursday, january 30^th – cruising the south atlantic ocean

friday, january 31^st – cruising the south atlantic ocean

saturday, february 1^st – rio de janeiro, brazil – arrive 8:00 am

sunday, february 2^nd – rio de janeiro, brazil – depart 9:00 am

monday, february 3^rd – porto belo, brazil – 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

tuesday, february 4^th – cruising the south atlantic ocean

wednesday, february 5^th – cruising the south atlantic ocean – dave’s birthday

thursday, february 6^th – buenos aires, argentina – arrive 8:00 am