ABOARD MS WESTERDAM – Even as a teenager, New Year’s Eve has always been difficult for me to deal with. When I was with Pan Am I always made sure that I was flying that night so that I wouldn’t feel the transition from one year to the next. Since then, I’ve made it a point of hunkering down and staying home to avoid the “event.” So, this year when I had the opportunity to sail on …
ABOARD MS WESTERDAM – Gliding into port in San Juan, Puerto Rico is like entering another world. On one hand, there’s the old fort – officially known as Castillo San Felipe del Morro – constructed in honor of Spain’s Phillip II to guard the entrance to San Juan Bay in the 16th century – and on the other, large modern buildings testifying to modern-day San Juan. I used to spend a lot of time here when I …
ABOARD MS WESTERDAM – There’s one sure way to stake a claim to beach umbrellas and securing a nice swath of soft sandy beach before some 2,000 passengers descend on the beach, and that’s to send a couple of scouts ahead. That’s exactly what we did when we woke up to our day in paradise in Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos. While a host of excursions were offered including snorkel trips, ATV adventures, kayaking tours and even …
ONBOARD MS WESTERDAM – There’s something about the sea that’s always called to me and has soothed whatever ails me throughout my life. As a child growing up in Rio, the ocean was part of our daily ritual and I guess it’s something I’ve carried with me always. Today is our first day at sea and I’m happy to leave the stress of December behind and indulge in some much needed TLC, courtesy of Holland America. I’m …
ABOARD MS WESTERDAM – After a thankfully uneventful flight from Hartford to Ft. Lauderdale, my blended family of 10 enjoyed a painless embarkation onto Holland America’s MS Westerdam. As we joined some 2,000 other passengers in the Port of Ft. Lauderdale terminal to show our documents etc, there was a fellow passenger who somehow had left his passport – needed for embarkation – in his suitcase. It was painful to watch the horror on his face as …
It’s not often that you get to bid farewell to an old year, and kick off the new on board a luxurious ship in the balmy Caribbean. I’m lucky enough to be doing that this year with my family so with such an auspicious start, I’m programming a wonderful year ahead. I’m counting my blessings as I pack for my upcoming voyage on Holland America’s Westerdam. We’ll be boarding in Ft. Lauderdale on December 26 for a …
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Heidi, Editor-In-Chief
