This was our 30th cruise, our seventh on HAL, and our third in a suite on a Vista class ship. As expected, we had a perfectly wonderful time. We were traveling with my Dear Aunt Ruth, shortly after her 93rd birthday. Besides my wife Renée and myself (Mike) we were joined by our friends Suzie and Pam. We all met in Fort Lauderdale, after an uneventful flight from Missouri for Aunt Ruth and Suzie and from D.C. by Pam. Our flight from Sacramento, however, turned into an adventure. Let us just say that the staff on HAL was very helpful to two poor waifs when we boarded very bedraggled after driving all night from Orlando Airport, not knowing where in Texas our luggage was! We were staying in suites (cat SA) 7057 and 7059 on the Rotterdam deck right across from the Neptune Lounge, our favorite location. We took the hotel shuttle to the port about 12:00 and were on board by 1:00 after a very easy embarkation thanks to the courteous and efficient ground staff in Fort Lauderdale. We soon made the acquaintance of the lovely concierges in the Neptune Lounge and enjoyed the light lunch there.

The very first day of the cruise is spent on Half Moon Cay, HAL's private island in the Bahamas. We began with breakfast on the balcony, overlooking the island. We could see the first tenders going ashore with the crew who would be serving on the island. It was a delightfully warm day with partly cloudy skies, just right for a day on the beach. This is a beautiful place to enjoy the beach and the many activities. On the right of this picture is the visitor center, then working to the left are the massage and food pavilions, and the first five private cabanas for rental. In front of the visitor center and massage pavilion are several of the "clamshell" shelters which can also be rented. The floats which mark the swimming area can also be seen. We got on the new, large tenders specially designed for this beach, and made the short trip in. On Half Moon Cay, we had booked the Taupe Cabana. The private cabanas are a wonderful way to enjoy the day at this beautiful beach. Here is more about cabanas. We settled in, enoyed the sodas and snacks, relaxed in the sun or the shade according to our individual tastes, and had a great time.

Half Moon Cay is a beautiful beach. We had delightful weather, very warm and sunny but with a few fluffy clouds in the sky. Many people were busy with the activities or baking in the sun, but we chose to just relax around the cabana. The Taupe Cabana is close to the food pavilion (and the restrooms!) so after enjoying the sodas, chips and fruit in the cabana we had a great BBQ lunch including ribs, burgers, slaw, potato salad and all the fixings.

Next day was a sea day. This is an excellent itinerary for enjoying the ship's facilities as there are three full days at sea. Sitting on the balcony watching the ocean go by is a great way to pass the time. We also tried out the team trivia but alas, we were second place today.

Lunch in the Lido cafe was always great. The buffets on the Vista class ships of HAL are some of the most wonderful afloat. This day most of us opted for the sandwich deli, or the salad bar, with a trip to the sweet line for the famous HAL bread pudding. It was delightful to sit by the big window and watch the stunning blue water as we ate.

Then we went up to the Thermal Suite. We had booked a week long couples pass to the Thermal Suite and Hydropool and enjoyed it daily. The heated couches are great to relax on, and there are beautiful sauna and steam rooms that you can enjoy with your sweetie. Then there is the wonderful tropical rainfall shower, and at the end of it you hit the button in the wall for the icy mist! It is delightfully refreshing and a great way to enjoy the afternoon.

We fought a terriffic head wind all night, so we arrived at Aruba about an hour late. Disembarking was easy, and it was only a short walk into the small terminal. Standing in front of the gift shop was Marco of Wixtours. He escorted us to the waiting minivan and took us on a great tour of Aruba. We began by driving past many fine white crushed coral beaches to the Butterfly Farm. This is a beautiful garden, filled with many species of butterflys. Renée admired this red and black beauty, and Aunt Ruth was favored by an Indian Leaf Butterfly which landed on her sleeve. Although the outside of its wings resemble a dead leaf, it has a beautiful pattern inside. The guide told her to make a wish when a butterfly landed on her.

Our destination was the "Natural Bridge." Actually, the famous rock formation jutting out into the ocean collapsed about a year and a half ago, but there is a smaller one which is sort of visible by peering down into a crack at the edge of the rocks. It is not exactly among the world's Top Ten Tourist Attractions, but provided a pleasant stop for drinks (and restrooms) during our tour.

The next morning we arrived in Curacao. It is a very beautiful place, Dutch in heritage. The green hills are covered with colorful little houses. From the Observation Deck there was a wonderful panoramic view of the island.
We had booked ahead on the Seaquarium website for the Sea Lion Encounter program. This was a very exciting experience. Accompanied by the trainer, we entered the sea lion enclosure and got to meet Coral, a female South American Sea Lion, up close and personal. Each one of us got to pet the smooth silky fur, slicked back for streamlined swimming. Then we had a chance to shake her flipper. Most of the animal's strength is concentrated in this strong tough flipper for quick swimming.
Every day on the cruise we took advantage of the relaxing Thermal Suite. Lying on those heated couches, listening to the fountain play and watching the waves induces a wonderful sense of relaxation. Then we enjoyed these beautiful sauna, steam and aroma rooms.

Renée needed that relaxation after spending too much time fighting with the ship's miserable wifi internet connection. Slow was only a part of it! At the price they charge one would expect better connections.
We returned to the Trivia game, and named our team The Phoenixes. True to that promise, we rose from the ashes to WIN today, getting HAL umbrellas for our efforts.

The service provided by the Indonesian crew is excellent. They are especially delighted to serve the passengers who attend the special Indonesian Tea. I had an excellent Jasmine Green Tea while my friend Pam stuck with the Spiced Black Tea.

Then we went to the Liar's Club show, which was hysterical! There was always something going on all through the sea days.

So our final day on the Westerdam arrived. We got up early for breakfast. All the breakfast venues were open by 6:00 AM. The ship was cleared exactly on schedule and disembarkation began at 8:15. We had early colors, and were off the ship by 8:30. Luggage was well organized, we got a porter easily and he swept us through customs and immigration very rapidly. Everything was moving quickly. Cabs were a bit chaotic with no cab rank or dispatchers, but our porter snagged two cabs and sent us off to FLL airport. We were at the airport by 9:15, checked in and through security by 9:45, in plenty of time for an 11:15 flight. BUT -- every single thing worked perfectly for us. Any tiny glitch anyplace along the way would have held us up and made it very chancy to catch a flight that early. It is much more comfortable to follow the ship's suggestions and book a flight after 12:30.

All in all we had an absolutely GREAT time on this cruise. The itinerary is very relaxing and the three sea days give us plenty of time to enjoy the ship. I would thoroughly recommend this trip for people who like to lie back and enjoy the Caribbean warmth!