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2026 World Cruise on the Oceania Vista!!!

Departing San Diego March 7, 2026

Hawaii

French Polynesia

Cook Islands

Samoa

Tonga

Fiji

New Caledonia

Australia

Indonesia

Singapore

Malaysia

Thailand

Sri Lanka

India cancelled due to war

Oman cancelled due to war

United Arab Emirate cancelled due to war

Saudi Arabia cancelled due to war

Egypt cancelled due to war

Added:

Madagascar, French Comoros

Mozambique

Durban South Africa

Cape Town South Africa

Namibia

Sao Tome

Ivory Coast

Cape Verde

Greece cancelled due to war

Italymcancelled due to war

Spain

Morocco cancelled due to war

Portugal

France cancelled due to war

United Kingdom

Ireland

Denmark

Iceland

Nova Scotia

NYC

Charleston

Miami July 6, 2026

March 7 Leaving San Diego at 6:30 PM

March 8 Dinner at Red Ginger- Seabass cooked in a hoba leaf. Hoba leaves

朴葉

) arelarge, dried leaves from the Japanese Magnolia tree (Magnolia obovata) used in Japanese cuisine, specifically in the Hida region, for grilling and wrapping food. They impart a smoky, earthy aroma and possess natural antibacterial properties.

Monday March 9, Day at sea. Cloudy and cool day so stayed inside the ship. I had helped a woman with her disabled special needs child get on and off the bus on day one and ran into them on the way to dinner so joined them at Toscano. The wait staff catered to this young woman and made her feel like the most special person in the restaurant. It was impressive to see how the staff acted. Then I went to the showroom where they had a pretty decent comedian. Dinner was a Caesar Salad, and Lobster Fry Diavlo followed by a medley of four desserts. Surprisingly I was able to exercise enough self control to only eat one bite of each dessert!

Thursday March 12, Fifth Day at Sea

I am having internet issues with my photos syncing with my laptop so hopefully when I arrive in Honolulu tomorrow I will be able to upload a few. Yesterday I attended a cooking demonstrations led by the Executive chef along with his head pastry and pasta chefs. Interesting and quite entertaining as the three chefs had a pretty funny routine to share. They made pasta dough , lobster bisque, veal medallions, tiramisu and pastry cream. I learned the flavor in lobster bisque comes from browning the lobster shells, not from the lobster meat. After adding and aromatics and caramelizing them, you flambe the mixture with cognac, add some white wine, water and tomato paste then blend and sieve the contents. Interesting.

Going to Honolulu tomorrow so I attended the Enrichment Center presentation this afternoon about Pearl Harbor and our entry into WWII. Recalled some of the information from years ago in high school, but learned some additional information as well, particularly as Japan used Pearl Harbor to greatly increase the size of the Japanese Empire across the South Pacific in their need to acquire crude oil to fuel their operations. I truly enjoyed the lecture.

I was reminded that the fleet on the morning to the Pearl Harbor attack was on low alert as they thought they were out of range for an air attack and that the ships of the Pacific Fleet all had inspections on Monday mornings so Sunday mornings were used to prepare the ships for inspection which included storing all their munitions. Thus when the USS Arizona took a direct bomb on their munitions locker the ship basically exploded!

Unfortunately we are heading into what is called a "Kona" storm in the Hawaiian Islands. The forecast for tomorrow in Honolulu is 2-3 inches of rain, flash flooding and 25-30 mph winds! We are scheduled to be in port from 6:00 AM until 8:00 PM. The next day will be in Kailua-Kona which is a scheduled tender stop which is dangerous in high seas and/or high winds so that stop is questionable at this time.

Having a wonderful time and for those who think I would be bored, I am not bored at all, Working some, reading a lot, going to the Martini piano bar before dinner and shows after that. The days actually seem too short at tines!!

For all my friends in Latitude Margaritavile and particularly my amazing wife Anita, I miss you all!!!! And I apologize to the bartenders at the Chill for their decreased earnings during my 10 day absence!

As our cruise director says several times each day, "Be kind to everyone today"!

Swag for those of us going around the world!

Last night's Rack of Lamb

Last night's show

Welcome to not so sunny Honolulu

March 15- the Ides of March

Due to rough seas and high winds we had to skip visiting Kona, Hawaii yesterday as it is a tender port and would have been too dangerous. The cruise director had to then quickly develop a back up plan which included a lecture on Operation Mincemeat, a British spy story from WW II. Very interesting. Google it if you are interested. The story was also made into a Broadway play that opened in March 2025. Last night's show was the violinist Irina Guskova after I dined on veal marsala at Toscano! Having issues synching pictures from my phone to my laptop so no pictures yet!

Culinary Center March 15!

Yesterday I took my first class of several in the beautiful Culinary Center- still cannot synch the pictures from my phone. Class was titled Rice is Life given we are in the South Pacific and rice is a staple in everyday life. We made spicy tuna Tamaki sushi rolls, a Sumo in a Sidecar cocktail, jeweled Persian pilaf and Singapore rice noodles. I have a French Technique class this morning!

Tonight Monday March 16 the production show is "Music Triangle", a documentary in concert: From the jazz of New Orleans to the country and rock music of Nashville and Memphis, this region boasts a rich musical heritage that has shaped American music history!!!

Sushi on the lunch buffet!

March 23 in Tahiti- Finally have enough bandwidth to slowly add a few photos from the past few days as we sailed in the French Polynesian Islands, stopping in Nuka Hiva, Rangiroa and Moorea before arriving last night in Tahiti. Those three islands were beautiful but very few people live on those islands so there was not a lot to do but I took a car tour on the only road in Moorea which went around the island. On sea days I read, did a little work and took another class in the Culinary Center making duck spring rolls, Tom Kha Gai soup and shrimp pad Thai.

These pictures were from the evening of March 21. The moon was a small white sliver, looked like an eclipse. An hour later it was orange before disappearing soon thereafter

March 23 in Tahiti. Beautiful scenery. I took a private car with a driver and guide around the island. Above is a grotto and an amazing waterfall.

This is a canoe club where they race outriggers

Below is a warrior guarding the burial gerunds of the King of Tahiti. Underneath him the wall in the back is the burial site and each rock in this park represents warriors who sacrificed themselves for the King

March 19 in Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia. Pretty to look at but very primitive with very few residents. The harbor is beautiful and attracts sailboats traveling in this area of the South Pacific. I am still having bandwidth issues uploading pictures but here are a few from today

March 24 in Bora Bora in Tahiti, French Polynesia

I have not had enough bandwidth to add pictures, but March 25 was a day at sea and March 26 we arrived in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands but the seas were too rough to board tenders so we sailed away toward Pago Pago in America Samoa. I had an interesting three hour tour in an old local bus that was fun for the first two hours, then it rained for the last hour.

On Saturday night March 28 we crossed the international date line, so when we woke up it was Monday morning March 30 and we were in Apia, Samoa. To help understand how that works, we were seven hours (time zones) behind EDT and when we crossed the international date line we became 17 hours ahead of EDT. Each time we cross another time zone we will get the lost day back one hour at a time.

In Apia I planned to walk around town for an hour or so. Actually found a barber who did a wonderful job cutting my hair for $10!!!. I had planned on taking a 3 hour taxi tour after that but the rains moved in so I went back to the ship.

Next stop tomorrow is Nuku'alofa, Tonga

April 3 in Suva Fiji. I walked around town for an hour or so but it was Good Friday so most shops were closed. Then I took a two hour private car tour. Government and some hotel sites were beautiful but many slums on Fiji.

Easter Sunday on Mystery Island. Beautiful! Uninhabited island where locals from nearby islands come when cruise ships arrive to sell souvenirs, give massages in straw huts and sell coconuts. Mystery Island is named that because the U.S. built a landing strip on this island for use in WWII, and ships from Japan and other enemies could not see the airstrip from the sea so it was a "mystery" for sometime where the Allies were resupplying their planes in this part of the world I walked around the entire island in one hour it is so small.

Tomorrow in Noumea, New Caledonia, then Sydney on Wednesday where hopefully I will be able to upload more pictures

Day 30- Easter Monday in Noumea New Caledonia. A large urban area I was looking forward to exploring but this large island is French and in France Easter Monday is a larger holiday than Good Friday. Everything is closed, including museums and even the Duty Free shop, the first one I have seen in 30 days. Next stop is Thursday in Sydney, the first of six stops in Australia!

April 9 in Beautiful Sydney where I took a harbor cruise

April 11 in Mooloolaba Australia

April 13 in Whitsunday Island at Airie Beach on the Coral Sea. Had a wonderful lunch at the Whitsunday Sailing Club and bought the leather Australian Bush hat pictured above

April 14 in Townsville, Australia, followed by April 15 in Cairns and then April 18 in Darwin. Pictures to follow when I have more bandwidth!

April 20 in West Timor Indonesia- very poor country! Today April 21 in Komoto where the dragons are.

Then an overnight stay in Bali tomorrow!

April 22 overnight in Bali. Beautiful island, but quite a bit of poverty as well. Although Indonesia is 87% Muslim, Bali is predominately Hindu. There are 20,000 Hindu temples in Bali. I bought a beautiful handmade Batek tablecloth and matching napkins for $90!!!

April 24 in Java. Not much to see there.

April 26 overnight in the amazing city of Singapore! Beautiful city. The ship hosted a party onshore with great local entertainment.

April 28 in Kuala Lampur. We were an hour away from downtown, and our shuttle was taking us to a shopping center which I was not interested in so after visiting the local shops in the port, I stayed on the ship.

April 29 was an overnight stop in Phuket, Thailand. Took a taxi tour with some friends. It was brutal hot and humid with a heat index over 105 degrees. The taxi driver promised us AC, but it only blew hot air! Highlight was visiting a Buddhist temple. I will upload the pictures when I can. Outside the temple was a free standing chimney and every few minutes hundreds of firecrackers exploded in the chimney. People were shooting the firecracker as a way to thank the monks for granting their prayers!

Next stop May 3 in Colombo, Sri Lanka!

May 3rd in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Known for its horrible traffic, we were there on Sunday so it was quite delightful as I went on a three hour taxi tour. Stopped at the Gangaramaya Buddhist temple that was one of the most amazing stop so far. I can't wait to upload the pictures when I have enough bandwidth. This was our last stop on the original itinerary as we are now heading to Africa. It will take four days to get to Seychelles, the smallest country in Africa and what is supposed to be a beautiful island!

Off to the gym then a steam!!!!

Sri Lanka was on our original itinerary but the revised itinerary is now taking us to Africa. After four days at sea we stopped in the island of the Seychelles on May 8., the smallest country in Africa with a population of 100,000 or so. Taxis were in short supply and were only interested in giving 3-4 hour tours so I walked 30 minutes or so to town. Not much there but a bunch of souvenir shops!

May 10 we arrived on the island of nosy Be, Madagascar. The ship arranged shuttles to take s into town. It was the poorest place I have ever seen with relentless street people trying to sell you various local items. The little three whek TukTuk's taxi drivers were relentless as well and did not take ":no" very readily. I took the first shuttle back to the ship!!

May 11 we arrived in the island of Mayotte in the French Comoros. I took a 48 foot catamaran tour of nearby islands that were beautiful!!

After two days at sea May 14 found us in Maputo in Mozambique, a country on the eastern side of Africa. Maputo is a large city with a population of around 3 million people in the area. Shuttle took me to a well organized outdoor market that sold some interesting local wares.

May 15 we arrived in Durban, South Africa- the third largest city in South Africa- at 5:L00 PM for an overnight stay and my first ever safari!!!!

May 16 Safari in Durban at the Tala Game Reserve. Finally able to upload one picture- many more to follow. If anyone wants them before I am able to upload them I can easily text them to you. At Tala I saw zebras, ostriches, monkeys, giraffe and hippos!

May 18 another Safari in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) in South Africa at the Addo Elephant Park. Amazing looks at two female lions and four cubs. We were able to get within 10 feet of them as they rested midday! Also saw Kudo antelopes, warthogs, zebras and more elephants than you can count. When the government began this national park there were only 11 elephants in 1926. By 1951 there were 51 and today over 750!!!

May 19 we were scheduled to have a tender stop in Mussel Bay but rough seas made the stop too dangerous so I missed out visiting another safari. But after the next two days in Capetown I have 7 stops in Western Africa with expeditions in each location!

Cape Town was absolutely amazing!!! Took a jeep tour around the Twelve Apostles as their mountains are named. Take a look here: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/points-of-interest/twelve-apostles/1508724#:~:text=The%20name%20of%20the%20Twelve,individually%20named%20after%20an%20apostle.

After the two hour jeep tour we ended us at Groot Constantia, the oldest producing vineyard in the Southern Hemisphere at 341 years old. Tasted their Rose, Savignin Blanc, Pinotage (a grape only grown in South Africa,, similar to Pinot Noir), Shiraz and Governor's Reserve. Each wine was accompanied by special formulated small chocolates. The idea was take a sip of wine then a bite of chocolate. After swallowing the chocolate, but while the taste is still in your mouth, sip more wine! It was interesting.

Stayed overnight in Cape Town and walked their waterfront the next day where they have over 450 shops and 100 restaurants.

Bought a suitcase as I need more room for when I come home!!!!

After a day at sea, we arrived in Wavis Bay, Namibia. Not much to se here but I scheduled a 4X4 tour of the lagoons and some of their sand dunes as the desert comes almost to the ocean. I was supposed to spend four 1/2 hour in the backseat of a Toyota regular size SUV, but they also scheduled two very large women to join me in the backseat!! I opted to return to the ship as there was no way I could have enjoyed four + hours in that vehicle!

On to Luanda, the capital of Angola on May 26 which will be day 80 of this amazing journey!

May 26 in Luanda, Angola, surprisingly a city of 10,000,000 plus residents. According to our tour guide, this town was safe during their civil war from 1975 until 2002, and the population increased dramatically during that time. Angola is a developing nation- we saw many high rise buildings under construction as well as some slums. Were not allowed to take pictures of the presidential palace which I found interesting

May 28 in São Tomé & Principe. If Angola is a developing country, São Tomé & Principe is a third world country. Dirty and poor but we visited a beautiful church built by the Portuguese beginning in the 1490's- The Cathedral of our Lady of Grace. Also saw a traditional dance by the locals.

May 31 in Abidjan, the only port in the Ivory Coast so it was a very large industrial port. I took our shuttle bus to the Cava Market, a large cafe market. We had a police escort on motorcycles that acted like a funeral procession escort as they blocked every intersection so we never had to stop. A courtesy? Or was it dangerous to stop and possibly get ambushed? Hard to say but the city was typical of the large African cities we have visited- Modern skyscrapers and incredible poverty as well. The Cava market was nice and I bought a carved elephant!

June 1 was a day at sea but that evening's show was a performance for the amazing singer Christine Allado- fresh off a tour with Andrea Bocelli, she was amazing. In addition to starring in operas she has also performed in the West End of London in productions such as Phantom of the Opera and Hamilton.

June 3 was in Banjul, Gambia, another poor and dirty third world country, but on June 5 we were in Sao Vicente on the island of Cape Verde off the coast of Africa. Although an African country it felt more like a small town in Europe. I took a taxi into this small town and waled around. It was very clean, plenty of small shops and cafes and some beautiful scenery.

June 8. Finally in Europe as we are in Funchal (Madiera) , Portugal- an Island off the coast of Africa. I went on a highlight tour of the island. Beautiful island and very popular with tourists.

June 10 in Lisbon, Portugal. Took a Tuk Tuk tour in the morning with friends then had a delightful paella lunch at an outdoor cafe. I highly recommend visiting Portugal.

June 13 in Le Havre, the port for Paris but Paris is a 3 hour drive by bus from the port so I took the shuttle into town and walked around. Not that exciting BUT tomorrow will be exciting as my grandaughter Avery will be joining me for the rest of this journey. Her parents and brother will be able to see the ship and eat lunch onboard.

Avery arrived in London with her parents and her brother Jackson. They were able to board the ship for a tour and lunch before they left.

June 15 we were in Falmouth, Cornwall in the UK. Avery went on the "Cornwall off the beaten track" excursion which involved a river steamer cruise and a stop for tea at the St. Mawes hotel. I simply walked around the city and found a nice barber shop.

June 16 we were in Dublin. Avery and I took a 30 minute taxi ride into the center city. We wanted to visit the Library at Trinity College but didn't realize you had to pay to visit and they were sold out, but we did enjoy walking the Camus with hundreds of other tourists. Would be a strange place to attend college with the tourists around every day.

We then had a nice lunch in a local pub where Avery was carded for the first time when she ordered a Guiness. Then we took a train back to the port.

June 17 we were in Cork, Ireland in the city of Cobh. Avery went on a scene sea safari visiting several islands in a small speedboat. We learned there are seals in Ireland! I went on a tour with the ship's culinary director to the Ballymaloe Cookery School. It is the most famous cooking school in Europe. It also has an amazing organic farm. Google it! Following a two hour walk through the gardens and the one acre greenhouse and the school we went to the restaurant and hotel on the property for a wonderful lunch. Everything served at the restaurant comes from their property .

June 18 was in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Avery and I went on the Titanic Trail tour which consisted of going to the pump house and dry dock where the Titanic was built and then to the magnificent Belfast Titanic museum.

June 19 we were in Greenock (Glasgow), Scotland where Avery went on a scenic tour and I walked the city with friends.

After a day at sea we arrived in the Faroe Islands which I eagerly anticipated. Google this location as it is beautiful, and a place I had never heard of. The islands are independent but part of the Dutch territories. Unfortunately we arrived in the midst of 40+ knot winds which made docking too dangerous so we had to skip this stop.

June 23 we arrived to a beautiful day in Akureri, Iceland, a small town of 16,000. Spectacular vistas as Avery went whale watching and I walked to town. Interesting given the fact we are north of the Arctic Circle how many ice cream shops were in town. Avery is worried about the cold weather when she goes to college in Pennsylvania in the fall so I found her a nice red Iceland jacket!

June 24 found us in the amazing island of Isafjordur, Iceland. Small place with only 3000 full time residents but the topography was simply stunning. I took the hop on hop off bus and Avery went kayaking in the fjord.

June 25 was in Reykjavik, Iceland a much larger and modern city than the other stops in Iceland. I walked the city center with friends as Avery went horseback riding. The next four days were at sea before my last stop June 30 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Hailfax, Nova Scotia ended up being an adventure. We entered the harbor at an unusually slow speed, and for the first time in 114 days tug boats pushed us into the pier. Something was obviously amiss. No announcements were made so we all went bout the day as scheduled. Avery went on a sightseeing tour and I walked around the harbor with friends. Quite a few interesting restaurants and bars. Crowded, as another ship was in port and it was the day before Canada Day, a holiday in Canada similar to our Fourth of July. When it became near our scheduled 6:00 PM departure time, it was announced we had a mechanical issue with the ship and our departure was delayed until midnight. As we went to bed that night, we anticipated being in New York July 2 as scheduled where Avery and I were scheduled to depart the ship as I needed to go home for a few days before having to be in San Francisco on July 5. When I got up at 4:00 AM to use the restroom, the ship was not moving so I realized we had issues. Turns out something in the propulsion system had failed, and parts were being sent in to fix the ship and we would leave late that evening so we had another day in Halifax. It was now Canada Day and everything was packed so we stayed on the ship. Given this delay, the original itinerary of going to New York and then Charleston before the cruise ended in Miami July 6 was changed so we went to Boston to refuel, then the ship was going to have to sail straight from Boston to Miami. Arriving in Boston at 4:00 PM Avery and I said our goodbyes and departed the ship. The evening before and most of that day was pretty emotional as I said goodbye to the many new friends I had aboard the beautiful Oceania Vista.

We arrived too late in Boston to fly home so Avery and I spent the night in Boston and went to the North End to Tesca restaurant which was fantastic! We woke up early on July 3 and flew home!

Many people have asked what my favorite stops were on this amazing journey. Really too many to mention but Sydney, Capetown, Madeira, Portugalal, Isafiordor, Iceland and Akureyri, Iceland come to mind. But what really sums up the trip in that the world is a wonderful beautiful incredibly diverse place.

My world journeys are almost complete, just needing to visit the Far East so I will be doing that in February and March 2027 with my friend Eric Ritter. We will start with a few days in Singapore, then have a two bedroom suite in the Haven on Norwegian Cruise line, going from Singapore to Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and ending in Hong Kong. After a few days in Hong Kong we will board the Oceania Nautica and go to Thailand, South Korea and five cities in Japan ending in Tokyo!

Finally back home and able to upload some more pictures

Noumea, New Caledonia

Coral Ses

Sydney Harbor at night!

April 13, two days after leaving Sydney, in the South Pacific Ocean

In Bali where women were hand weaving various items. I bought Anita a nice tablecloth with matching napkins similar to this one but in bright "Florida" colors

Singapore! Above is the Louis Vitton Store and the dome below is the Apple Store!

Above and below an incredible Temple in Phuket, Thailand

May 8 in the Indian Ocean

At most piers we were met by local performers. This one happens to be in Nosy Be, Madagascar. Madagascar was beautiful as I toured the island and some surrounding islands by catamaran, but Nosy Be is one of the poorest places in the world.

Sunset as we leave through the Madagascar Channel

Durban, South Africa

Indian Ocean leaving Durban for Cape Town

Cape Town. Above is a jeep tour around the mountains on a perfectly clear day. The following day you could not see the mountains at all due to deep fog so I was lucky going on an excursion this day. The tour ended with a wine tasting and tour at the Groot Constantia winery, the oldest continuously producing winery in the world dating back to 1685!.

Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Skyscrapers and slums!

Funchal, Portugal. Funicular ride to the top of the mountain and visited a gorgeous botanical garden.

Lisbon, Portugal. Took a Tuk Tuk tour with a few friends and ended with. delightful seafood lunch al fresco.

While I was gone I missed the birth of my 13th grandchild, Elliana (above) and my first great-grandchild Alexander! But I met them both July 14!!!!

Cork, Ireland where I had one of the most interesting excursions. The chef from the onboard Culinary Center escorted us to the Ballymaloe Cookery School, one of the most prestigious culinary schools in Europe. Most recently Gordon Ramsey sent his daughter there. The schools part of a family run 100 acre organic farm. They also have a 32 room inn and restaurant where we had a nice lunch after our tour! And the Shell House was made of over 20,000 shells!

Belfast, Northern Ireland at "Titanic Belfast", a wonderful museum. We also visited the pump house (which is now a distillery) and the dry dock where the Titanic was finished.

Isafjordour, one of the most amazing places on earth to see!

Above and below, Reykjavik, Iceland

My granddaughter Avery joined me in London for the last few weeks of the cruise!

Aboard the ship for one month or so, and with no end in sight for the Iran conflict that began the week we boarded in San Diego, Oceania made the obvious decision to change our itinerary, omitting the Middle East and adding a circumnavigation of Africa. I was disappointed in not seeing Abu Dhabi and Dubai but was excited to be able to add three safaris an Africa and to visit Cape Town, South Africa. Everyone I know who has traveled to Cape Town rants and raves about it and it didn't disappoint, from the hundreds of shops and restaurants adjacent to the pier to the beautiful city and surrounding mountains! Also added the island of Madeira off the coast of Portugal which I would return to vacation anytime! Above is the final map of my journey!

Future travel

November 2026 a six day Caribbean cruise hosted by Bobby Flay and some of the top chefs from the Food Network.

February and March 2027 my good friend Eric Ritter and I are touring the Far East. Following a few days in Singapore we will be on the Norwegian Jade traveling from Singapore to Ko Samui, Thailand; Bangkok; Ho Chi Minh City; Muahra, Brunei; Kora Kinabalu, Malaysia; Puerto Princesa, Philippines; Coron, Philippines and ending in Hong Kong where we plan to spend three days before boarding the Oceania Nautica and traveling to Taipei; Ishigaki, Japan; Okinawa; Jeju and Busan in South Korea; Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Kochi, Tokushima, and Kyoto before ending in Tokyo!

Where I have been before the World Cruise 2026

Prior Countries Visited in my Life’s Journeys

Argentina

Aruba

Azores

Bahamas

Bermuda

Bonaire

Canada

Chile

Curacao

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

England

France

Gibraltar

Grand Cayman

Italy

Mexico

Monte Carlo

Morocco

Panama

Peru

Portugal

Spain

This picture of me with my beautiful wife Anita on New Year's Eve 12/31/24 aboard the Celebrity Apex

My beautiful wife Anita with me on Celebrity Apex New Year's Eve 2024 aboard the Celebrity Apex in the Southern Caribbean.

Sunset New Year's Eve 2024

Silversea Silver Ray

January 19, 2025

The trip begins at the Brightline Station in Orlando. Took the train to Ft. Lauderdale. Boarding the Silver Ray tomorrow at 4:00 P.M.

First night January 20, 2025

It was dark and raining when I boarded so pictures of this beautiful ship will be shown January 22, 2025 when in a port. Tomorrow is a sea day

The ship is beautiful! Internet pictures do not do justice to the actual ship. It is as nice or nicer than a Four Season's Hotel

Cabin 9083

Pre dinner cocktails at the piano bar

A small charcuterie plate. I only tried one bruschetta

Second course homemade spaghetti with garlic and red pepper flakes

Main course was swordfish over a tapanata of grape tomatoes and green olives

Dinner at La Terrazza

Then the jazz trio!

Tuesday January 21- A Day at Sea

Some Pictures of the Silver Ray

Nothing quite like coffee in fine china

Breakfast at Atlantide- the Main Dining Room

Part of the Pool Deck with the Pool next to the rail

Glass elevators are on the side of the ship

S.A.L.T. Kitchen-Salt And Land Taste

A few Kitchen Classes I am taking

LIBRARY

Sushi and Sashimi light lunch at Kaiseki

Tiny Casino!!

Dinner at Silver Note- a small jazz club serving tapas

Tonight's entertainment was a husband-wife pianist and singer

As you can tell, this was the menu but I cannot figure out how to rotate the photos

First course Tuna in a Can

Ceviche, chili, lime, pickled cucumbers, grapefruit jelly

Second Course Roast Canon of Lamb

Bright herb blanket, pea puree

Final Course Beef Tournedos

Day Three Arrival in Cozumel

Arrived and anchored in Cozumel at 8:00 AM. Docks too crowded so planned to anchor this morning and take tenders to shore for my 9:00 excursion but they had to cancel the tenders as the seas are too rough. We will anchor overnight at 4:00 PM and spend all day here tomorrow before heading to the Panama Canal.

The Observation Deck

Docked at the Pier at the Island of Cozumel

January 23, 2025

Port of Cozumel

Where the Police were carrying submachine guns!

Unfortunately it was a cloudy windy day with light drizzle off and on

Dinner

Dinner was at S.A.L.T Kitchen where the menu changes every 2-3 days to reflect the current location of the ship

Met a couple from Atlanta while having pre-dinner cocktails. They are on his retirement trip as he just retired as a Delta pilot. So busy talking that I forgot to take a picture of the food (Sorry Roland has taught me better).

Dinner was Arroz con Patio a la Chiclayana- Roasted Duck Breast atop cilantro rice, green peas and criolla

Comedy Show- not too good!

January 25 Day at Sea heading toward the Panama Canal and my first day in the S.A.L.T Lab

Pargo Rojo al Escabeche

Ceviche de Corvina

White seabass, finely chopped onion, green bell pepper and celery. Chopped cilantro and lemon juice, S&P. Combine and chill for 1 1/2-2 hours.

Red snapper (or other white fish), deboned and lightly dusted with flour. Briefly sure in EVOO and remove from skillet. Add finely julienned red bell pepper and onion, add minced garlic, paprika, curry powder and a little vinegar (we used white). Saute vegetables and serve over the fish.

Cocktail Party for newcomers to Silver Sea

Bone China in Atlantide- the Main Dining Room

Perhaps the best Prime Rib I have ever tasted!

Great Show starring Roger Wright

January 26 Panama Canal Crossing

Begun by the French in the late 1800's, the plan was do dig through the mountains of Panama so ships could go between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, saving them considerable time as opposed to going around South America. The concept was eventually abandoned by the French as they could not successfully cut through the mountains given the tools and equipment available at the time. The United States military assumed control of the project in the early 1900's and developed a plan to raise, and then lower ships 85 feet from sea level, and using a system of three locks and traveling between two man made lakes, ships could travel from one ocean to the other in approximately ten hours.

From the Atlantic side you sail through the Gatun locks, then the Pedro Miguel locks and finally the Miraflores locks.

Dinner at La Terrazzo

Cotoletta alla Milanese di "Fassone"- Milanese style breaded veal chop with potato puree, cherry tomatoes and arugula, 26 month DOP Parmigiana Reggiano cheese

January 27 Day at Sea sailing to Manta, Ecuador

Today I attended a lecture on tomorrow's destination as well as a slide show from the Captain and Chief Engineer on how this ship was built!

I learned genuine Panama hats are made in Ecuador, not Panama. They are called Panama hats because the workers on the Panama Canal wore them to shield the from the sun.

Today's Cooking Class- Traditional Empanadas from Ecuador

I made a Morocho Empanada which was shrimp, onion, garlic, green bell pepper.milk and peanut butter baked in a corn dough AND two Empanadas de Viento which are melted cheese empanadas fried and then dusted with sugar of all things- Very popular Ecuadorian street food!

January 28 Manta Ecuador

Making Panama Hats in Montecristi, Ecuador

The Archeological Museum in Manta

January 29- First of two days at Sea on the way to Lima, Peru

Great Show Featuring the Music of Elton John, Billy Joel and Freddie Mercury

Thursday January 30 Day at Sea

Tomorrow we arrive at 7:00 A.M. in the city of Callao, Peru, an hour's drive from Lima, a bustling city of over 10,000,000 people. We will spend tomorrow and Saturday in Lima, departing at 7:00 P.M.

Another Day at the S.A.L.T. Kitchen

This stew has been a staple in Peru for centuries. Quite good!

The Sopa Seca came from African and Italian settlers in the early Inca days- 1300-1400's!. Very aromatic. We made ours with pasta- you can also use rice!

Special Seafood lunch- Crabs, Shrimp and Lobster

January 31 in Lima, Peru- the Capital of Peru

Statue of the founder of Peru Francisco Pizarro

One of the many Catholic churches I saw- the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Rosario- Beautiful!!!!!!

Local Entertainers brought on board for the evening show. Not very good!!!!

February 2 Pisco, Peru following a day at sea

Pisco is a small town of 100,000 decimated by an earthquake in 2007 at the edge of a desert, so not much to do except....

Dune Buggy Ride!

Fantastic Opera Singer from Italy

February 3 Day at Sea from Peru to Chile

S.A.L.T Lab

Quinoa is believed to have been used in this area of the world for over 3000 years!

Gourmet Evening at La Dame

Cocktails at the Shelter Bar. My friends there all loved the outfit, especially the shoes

The bread was a sourdough dread cooked with olive oil, rosemary and olives, then sprinkled with salt.

First course was a Petit Oignon Souffle. Small Onion stuffed with Provencal Vegetables, White Truffle Puree and Root Juice. When the dome was removed, smoke escaped from the dish.

Second course- Bisque de Homard- Lobster and Cognac with Black Squid Ink Crisps

Followed by a palate cleanser- Notre Sorbet- Champagne Sorbet, Lychee and Rose Water

Main Course- Surf and Turf

Filet de Boeuf du Limousin- Filet of Grassfed Limousin Beef, Green Bearnaise Sauce, Spring Onion and Baby Potato Roasted in Thyme, Gaufrette Potato and Balsamic Jus and Lobster Tail

Souffle au Caramel Beurre Sale

February 4 in Arica, Chile

Only 11 miles south of the Peru-Chile border, Arica is known as the "City of Eternal Spring". Seaside next to a desert, Arica's daytime temperatures are in the 70's year round. This small town exists as a port basically serving nearby Bolivia as Bolivia is land bound with no access to the sea.

Catedral San Marcos de Arica founded 1876

A view of Arica from the ship

I think I saw Eric going into the Karaoke bar

February 6- Day at Sea heading toward Coquimbo, Chile

S.A.L.T Lab- South American Sandwiches

The Buraco Quente was my favorite. When you have sautéed the meat and vegetables, you cut the end of a small baguette and use your finger to make a hole in it then fill with the hot dish. The baguette absorbs all the flavors!!!!

Dinner at my favorite- Silver Note for tapas

Sweet Onion Petals- Scallop medallions, hazelnut crumble, caviar and champagne foam

Free Range Chicken- Sweetfoam hummus, crispy pancetta and pan favors

Another wonderful Opera evening

February 6 Day At Sea- nothing to report

February 7 at the Sister Cities of Coquimbo and La Serena, Chile

Coquimbo is the port city and LaSerena is the resort city next to it- combined population of around 500,000

This is a "fake"lighthouse, built for the tourists and no practical reasons!

This was the National Cemetery for dignitaries and politicians- not the fresh flowers in the vaults!

Prix Fixe Dinner at Kaiseki- one of two special restaurants on the Silver Ray- Amazing!

The Omakase is the Prix Pixe dinner

February 8-9 in Valparaiso, known as "Little San Francisco" for its 42 Hills

Sunrise in the Pier

As the second largest city in Chile, Valparaiso is a major port where the port and related logistics industry support 70% of the population of 500,000 people.

In the 1800's Valparaiso was a major stopover for ships traveling between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. As such there is a diverse population with ancestors from England, France, Spain, The United states and others. Interesting bit of history is the original volunteer fire departments were staffed and named for their home countries. Although no longer a volunteer fire department, the fire trucks still carry the names of the original countries. I saw one name for America and another one named for Germany.

Many of the homes and businesses are brightly painted and quite a few have murals painted on them

A Ride on the Funicular built in 1902

This was a British Girl's Boarding School in the early 1900's- now an apartment building

Once the largest private home in the city, this is now their Art Museum

Fonck Museum of Natural History with artifacts dating back to 3000 B.C.

Vina de Mar, 7 kilometers from Valparaiso

Called a "Modern City" as it was not founded until 1874 when the builder of the Pacific Railway connecting Valparaiso with Santiago fell in love with a local young lady, married her and founded this city. Upscale apartments, homes and modern shopping centers

The beautiful Vina de Mar Hotel & Casino

February 10- Day at Sea

S.A.L.T. Lab

Pastel de Choclo is am everyday dish from southern Chile and Aji Pebble is a salsa served with the Pastel

Dinner at S.A.L.T Kitchen with dishes from southern Chile

First course was Crudo, steak tartare with toast, a famed bar snack created by German immigrants in central and southern Chile (I forgot to take a picture of it!). Enterr was Cordero Asado- Roasted lamb loin served with cornbread, roasted potatoes, and porotos granados Chilean beans followed by Panqueques Crepes filled with manjar (dulce de leche), toasted walnuts, hazelnuts, served with fresh berries

Entertainment by trumpet virtuoso Nathan Samuelson

February 11- Puerto Montt, Chile

An area with a population of 250,000 this area was originally settled by German immigrants in the 1840's

This area gets over 80 inches of rainfall annually so the countryside is very beautiful. This is the volcano Oserno- one of 95 volcanoes in Chile. As part of the Andes mountains, the peak of the mountains represent the border between Chile and Argentina. Lake Llanquihue in the foreground is huge- and at its deepest reaches 1040 feet deep. In the winter the water temperature is in the 40's, and in the summer reaches the mid 60's. And I saw people swimming in the lake without wetsuits!

Sunset followed by a full moon!

A surprisingly good magic show by illusionist Gaston Quieto. Notice the sparse attendance- Quite a few passengers seasick after the very rough seas the day before!

February 12- Day at Sea-another class at S.A.L.T. Lab

Dinner at Silver Note for more Tapas

Vegetable Dumpling- Braised in clear togarashi, miso-saki broth

Crispy Filo- Forest mushrooms, roasted onion puree, shaved truffles

Free range chicken with sweetcorn hummus, crispy pancetta, pan flavours

Like an opera- Soft almond sponge, coffee foam and coffee syrup with chocolate cream

February 13- Cruising the Chilean Fjords-Amazing Sights All Day before entering the Straits of Magellan at night

February 14- Happy Valentine's Day from Punta Arenas, Chile

The City at the End f the World- a wind-whipped, fractured land of islands, glacial fjords and mountains which drop away towards Antarctica- In fact many countries have their Antarctica expedition teams based in this city of 100,000

Founded in the 1840's the economy of Punta Arenas revolved around raising sheep and coal mining. Coal was mined in the hills past the city and sent by rail to the shipyard where it was sold to Steamships traversing the Straits of Magellan. When the Panama Canal opened in 1914, the number of ships going through the Straits declined dramatically, dragging the local economy down with it. The economy did not begin to recover until oil was discovered in the region in the early 1940's.

Today, sheep farming and oil production along with a large shipyard provide the basis for the local economy

The most unusual, but very interesting Recuerdo Museum, an outdoor museum designed to record the economic history of the region.

An early snow plow, steam powered crane and oil derrick built in California in 1945 and shipped to the area

The bakery, general store, local bank and tool shed

The Museum of Modern History. Above are oars used for canoes by the indigenous people of the region. Below are renditions of hunters and fishermen.

Catholic Missions were prevalent throughout Chile. These vestments were made by indigenous people in the late 1800's. The chair was made for Pope John Paul II for his visit in the area in Aril, 1987.

Animals from the region- Condors, Llamas, Pumas, Penguins and others including storks!

In the center of town they erected a statue of Ferdinand Magellan in 1920 commemorating the 400th anniversary of his discovery of the Straits of Magellan. On the statue he is facing the Straits, but what is most interesting is the mermaid with two intertwined tails, representing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans!

Valentine's Day Dinner- I had the Center Cut Tenderloin with truffle gratinated potatoes, roasted vegetables and natural jus

February 15- Cruising the Garibaldi Fjord and Glacier- some of the most beautiful natural landscapes I have ever seen!

February 16 in Ushuaia, Argentina

The "City at the End of the World" is the southernmost city in the world. Not much here as tourism is the primary economic driver- Ski resorts in the winter, backpacking in the summer and expedition ships to Antarctica

It is the middle of the summer her, but this snow is fresh from last night! My walking tour today was a brisk, damp 40 degrees!

From 1920 to 1944 this prison housed the worst criminals in Argentina along with some political prisoners. They were used to clear timberland, build roads and bridges and were subject to horrible conditions. Two wood burning stoves provided the only heat for 400 prisoners, and come shower time, there was no hot water!

Beautiful sunset as we leave for our three day sail to Buenos Aires

Show was an Italian guitarist- not too good!

February 17- Day at Sea- It will take four days non stop to reach my final destination- Buenos Aires

S.A.L.T. Lab

The southern part of South America encompassing Chile and Argentina is know as the Patagonia Region named after the indigenous people of the region, so today we made two old local recipes

Broadway's Christine Andreas put on a great show!

February 18- Day at Sea enroute to Buenos Aires

10-12 Foot Crossing Seas and drizzle most of today

My Last S.A.L.T. Lab Day

The Savory Blueberry Sauce was excellent over fish. The chef indicated if you make it with strawberries instead of blueberries it is excellent over steak.

What a view to end the day!!!!!!!

February 19- Day at Sea

Another amazing sunset

Anther magnificent show by Christine Andreas- this tie featuring music by Gershwin, Berlin, Bacharach, Bricusse, Lerner and others

February 20- Arrival in Buenos Aires and my last night aboard the amazing Silver Ray!

I find this astonishing. We are two hours from Buenos Aires, the ocean is quite shallow here, and silt from the Amazon River dirties the ocean!

The last sunset aboard the Silver Ray

February 21 Walking around the Recoleta area of Buenos Aires

Named by CNN as one of the 10 Most Beautiful Cemeteries in the World, the Cemetery of Recoleta was founded in 1822 and still has 1-2 Funerals each Week. It is huge, covering 14 acres with 4691 Vaults

Below is the vault holding the remains of Eva Peron, born into poverty in 1919 she became an actress and married a colonel who became President of Argentina in 1946. Eva performed great works supporting trade unions and various charitable organizations and became a hero to the Argentine people. Unfortunately she passed away in 1952 at the age of 33.

This is the Gomero de la Recoleta, at over 200 years old this Rubber Fig Tree is the oldest tree in Buenos Aires

My hotel until 9:00 PM tomorrow night

February 22- Hop On, Hop Off Double decker BusTour

Above is the Argentina Capitol Building. It took 40 years to build from 1907-1947

Random Buildings Both Old and New

Game Day- Argentinians Love their Futbol

Native Risotto with Chicken and Vegetables Bottled water and a Vodka Tonic for 21,000 Argentine Pesos- About $18 US!

Adventures with Gramps

Join me, Steve Scales, as I embark on exciting cruises and share unforgettable experiences with my grandchildren, friends, and family through my travel blog.