**Hawaii!

HAWAII




Another beautiful sunrise as I have my morning coffee before docking in Hawaii ....

World Cruise 2016 Where?

Drum Roll, please.  Let the World Cruise begin!!   Since we are already on board and unpacked we get to watch the World Cruisers all board.  With a glass of champaign in hand, we feel their pain.  All those suitcases have to be unpacked.  This isn't a 'real' world cruise as it does not go around the world... Hello.... but I won't complain.

This is the Plan.......

BUT..... Let's take it in baby steps starting in San Francisco, the first leg.

Jan 25- Feb 17     22 days
7 sea days
 2 overnights  Honolulu and Sydney

**Where are we Going?

World Cruise : First Leg

There is always a lot of excitement when you book a world cruise. There is a lot of research that goes into the cruise. I spend days looking up each port. I like to know where we are going, reviews, restaurants, things to do. Often we do a private tour and find guides on line. Private tours often are much better then ships tours. Often less expensive, more personal, and you can do what you want when you want as quick or as slow as you want and get to get a local's personal view. Always better. 

*Good 'Ol USA! So nice to be back home! *

As our first leg comes to a close we head to Los Angeles and San Francisco. I can't begin to explain how great it is to be back in the USA. Why do I even leave? It's not just that it is so familiar. It is more then that. No there is not a place in this world that I would rather be, rather live. I think you need to travel to really appreciate all that we have and all we take for granted. It's great to be away. It's great to see the world, experience other cultures and customs, see how people live. But, being home is the best.... Here we have it all. Wait, BEING HOME and being able to travel to see the world is the absolute best.

Los Angeles:

We bounded off the ship with energy in LA. Our mission, Ports of Call. After walking endlessly trying to find it, to our dismay it was closed. I was not about to walk all the way back to the ship so a quick alternate plan was needed...... We called a taxi and went to see 13 hours and had lunch at  Johnny Rockets


 

 Yes, that is David....always a mile ahead of me on his scooter !

**MEXICO!!! Hualtuco

Haultuco

**San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur

**Panama Canal! 9.5 hours

AMAZING PANAMA CANAL

**Colorful Cartagena

Cartagena, Colombia

**Santa Marta Jan 9, 2016

Simon Bolivar The Caribbean on the Colombian Coast….. So they say.

**Sea Days

Jan 6

Sea Day

Morning came too quickly as we lost an hour due to forwarding the clock an hour. I find this unnecessarily cruel for the first night at sea. The ship bounced around quite a bit at night which I LOVE, but only at night. It rocked enough that I wondered if I would stay in bed or end up on the floor. When we hit high winds and waves I find it best to just stay in bed and deal with (pray it will be over soon), enjoy the ride. Our capable Captain changed course to avoid the worst of it. The navigational channel showed our ship veering quite a bit off course to accommodate Mother Nature’s wrath …… Sometimes even the best of plans must be changed.… like life I guess. 

**And Again,

Why? Why? Why?

Jan 5 People always ask...Why do you cruise? Do you get BORED? What do you do all day? You are going to be on the ship, how LONG ????? I thought long and hard about how to answer this question..... Well, I can stay home....... craft, go to movies, go to Walgreens, watch tv.......

 Or, I can get on a ship, see the world, a new port almost every day, a new adventure, see the world, meet people, learn..... It's not why.... It's why not? The deep secret that I will deny if asked .... is the real reason behind my love of cruising...

 
This is the real reason I cruise ....... I crave these salt sticks on Crystal. 1 a day.... at dinner.... 60 days..... or more.... That's a lot of salt sticks. And at dinner you can have more then one! Just ask your waiter.. :) And at breakfast they have them! I just can't describe how good they really are. You just have to come on board with me to fully appreciate that salty crispy little wonder. Yes, it's all about a roll..a salt roll, crispy, crunchy, soft, chewy ... Pure heaven. It's a secret, OK?