George's Journal: a Collection of Articles A Wonderful Way to Finish off Winter and Welcome Spring I remember when we first considered it. The Farmer's Almanac wrote that it would be a cold winter for us this year and it certainly has started off that way. Imagine, snow on the ground for a week in mid-November. Well never mind, we'll soon be flying to Fort Lauderdale to board the Holland America cruise ship, Ms. Ryndam, for a leisurely 16 day cruise through the Caribbean to the Panama Canal and then up the coast to Vancouver and home. A wonderful way to finish off winter and welcome spring. We are both anticipating the perfect cruise made even more so by the pleasures of the luxurious Ryndam, launched only two short seasons ago. Experience has shown us that this ship has quickly become a favourite with Holland America alumni. With a maximum of only 1,266 guests on this floating resort, we have come to expect the Holland America difference. A friendly, white-gloved (not from snow!) steward will greet us. A string quartet will be playing in the background. We'll be escorted to our spacious stateroom and invited to call for anything we need. Our luggage will arrive shortly after so we can unpack our clothes and begin to travel and eat, eat and travel. For years H.A. has trained Indonesian and Filipino service staff in their own school and these talented people pride themselves in exceeding our expectations. Attentive. Ever-smiling. Proud. Now it is our turn to be spoiled again. We love it! On this delightful cruise and in between art auctions, afternoon teas, or, better yet, sundaes at the ice cream bar, we'll visit Curaçao, famous for its duty-free shopping and orange-flavoured liqueur. The Panama Canal is next and is a full day visual experience. In Guatemala, the touring choices are many: Exciting Spanish colonial Antigua, breathtaking Lake Atitlan, the Mayan ruins of Copán or Tikal. In Cabo San Lucas, the sea is the thing; while the wild thing to do in San Diego is the zoo. What I like are the 6 days at sea with nothing to do unless I choose otherwise. Perhaps the best feature on this cruise is disembarking in Vancouver so we don't have to put up with the airport shuffle. It's off the ship and directly home. So much easier. It's tough being a traveller rather than a tourist but someone has to do it! George Bell, |
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