RTW 2024 Carefree Travel

  We're continuing to head just south of west into mainly choppy seas. Last night was probably the bounciest night so far - with 10ft (3m) swells and winds up to 45 mph. For all you nautical types, that translates into a Force 8 full gale. As we're in the front end of the boat and on a higher deck, the pitching and rolling are amplified. So far, it hasn't caused us any problems and is a nice way to be rocked to sleep. Rather like a hammock. The really good news is that stepping out onto the pool deck this morning in search of coffee, the air is noticeably warmer. One problem you never have on a cruise ship is starvation. Back on Day 15, I gave an overview of the breakfast options. Today we'll look at lunch. Lunch is served from 11:30 am until people stop getting hungry and they have to set up for dinner. In addition to in-room service, we have 3 options.  The first is the main dining room, Compass Rose. Even for lunch, they retain the white tablecloths and full waiter/w...

Yesterday we were back on the US mainland, visiting San Diego. We were told earlier in the week that *everyone* would have to get off the boat for a face-to-face inspection by the US Customs & Border Patrol. No big deal for us, and it turned out to be a 20-second meeting. However, it was incredibly difficult for a few of the mobility-restricted guests, as there were two steep ramps to traverse and apparently no wheelchairs. Not a great way to treat your citizens. We had an atypical San Diego day - with the weather being in the mid-50s and rainy/windy. I feel all that talk about the great climate of SD, and how it's always sunny is total BS. Maybe I'm a Rain God, but 90% of the times I've visited San Diego, it's rained. Hard. Before leaving the boat, we decided to download some Netflix and Prime movies and shows over cellular. You can't do that on the boat as the WiFi is really slow, and they firewall out streaming streaming services. It was a lesson in the power...

I woke up around 5 am this morning and decided to tour the ship when everyone else was asleep. Except, of course, there were about a dozen early birds just like me. Nothing opens on the boat until 6:30 am, although you can always get a hot drink and a cookie from one of the various machines scattered around the boat.  So today, we’ll look at the options for breakfast. It turns out there are FIVE, proving that no one ever starves on a cruise ship. 1. Room Service . Order what you want, and they’ll deliver it. You can complete a form, hang it on your door, and wham! Breakfast appears at whatever time you choose. 2. Compass Rose . The main dining room on Deck 5. The traditional white tablecloths. Order from a fairly standard menu with waiter service. About 80% of the menu is standard day-to-day, with 20% changing. The main drawback – is it’s slow. Like, really slow. 3. Coffee Connections . My favourite. Opening at 6:30 am, although usually a bit earlier, you can get a barista-ma...