Ports of Call Part 1 of 2: taking our breath away

“Life isn’t just about breathing, it’s about taking your breath away.” (Alfred Hitchcock)

“The most beautiful moment in human life is a departure to unknown lands.” (Sir Richard Burton)

Yesterday we focused on the cruise ship itself (“The Rotterdam“). Today will be a look at the ports of call. When I started working on this post I intended to highlight a few images from each of our stops: Fort Lauderdale, Half Moon Cay, Aruba, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and then Jamaica.

It was a good plan… until I realized how many great photographs I have!

So, now, the amended post will be take us from Fort Lauderdale through Panama – the balance (Costa Rica and Jamaica) will likely be tomorrow.

Rebekah and I kicked off the trip by staying in a marvelous hotel in Fort Lauderdale. The experience got us off to a great start, essentially extending the cruise experience by another day. Hats off to the Marina Hilton.

At Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, standing in line for boarding looked to be worse even than the wait for a Universal Studios rollercoaster (although I did point out that – once we got on the ship – we could expect the ride to last a little more than two minutes!). But we were rescued after our new Canadian friends in line (they were “priority boarding” folk) said we were all traveling together, so we bypassed the additional hour of hanging around.

I have dropped the six Fort Lauderdale shots into the following slideshow. Give it a look then scroll down for Half Moon Cay.

Next, Half Moon Cay:

Half Moon Cay is a typical Bahamian beach island, owned by Holland America and set up to be a relaxing play day on and around the sand.

From the deck you can see the pristine waters and the lush colors. Just three slides, and then we will move on to Aruba:

Aruba: “One Happy Island”

The island’s motto – “One Happy Island” – may be a little ambitious! There really wasn’t much to “walking distance” Aruba other than the usual conglomeration of touristy stalls selling hats and t-shirts.

But we did enjoy our walk around, we had a good lunch at Iguana Joe’s, and we will probably venture farther afield the next time. At this point of the cruise, however, close to the beginning, we had no intention of anything other than practicing a deliberately slow pace.

Just seven photographs, then on to Colombia.

Colombia – Gartagena:

Next time we come this way Rebekah and I will absolutely schedule a walk around the old town. Friends, and especially those who know Colombia well, say the old town tour is a “must see.”

There is a lot more to see in the future, but we have time. For now it is enough to say that, yes, I have – for the first time – made my way to South America!

Panama Canal:

Finally, Here is the amazing and interesting journey into the Panama Canal. Definitely a bucket list moment for both of us.

I was especially taken with the “Bridge of the Americas.” Our huge vessel managed to slide underneath without any issues, but I have to admit I was watching very closely from the upper deck!

Enjoy these slides, just a sampling of what we saw during a really interesting journey to Lake Gatun and then back out again.

Just a comment on image #13: The lady holding up the sign found out that she had friends on the cruise ship following us through. We really hope her sign worked!