Gerry Barker's Blog Archives

Gerry Barker: Cabo San Lucas, Carnival Miracle’s Last Stop Before Cruise Ends in Long Beach

October 12, 2019 by Ava

CABO SAN LUCAS – Here we are — Carnival Miracle‘s last stop before we end our cruise in Long Beach in two days. From our balcony we can view the Cabo’s iconic rock formations, including the famous arch where the blue-green surf sprays into the air. While the weather is beautiful, the morning is off to a rocky start onboard the ship. Apparently we have arrived later than planned, which has delayed the shore excursions and all …

Gerry Barker: Carnival Miracle Visit to Guatemala (Antigua)

October 12, 2019October 12, 2019 by Ava

PUERTO QUETZAL, Guatemala – After two days at sea, including a driving overnight thunderstorm with unbelievable lightning, we arrive at this Central American country famous for its Mayan heritage, coffee, sugar cane and volcanoes. “Quetzal” refers to the famous, vibrantly-colored Central American bird of the same name, the national bird of Guatemala and also the name of its currency. This is our first time to experience Guatemala, which plays hosts to over 100 cruise ship visits yearly. …

Gerry Barker’s Experience on the Panama Canal

October 7, 2019October 7, 2019 by Gerry Barker

PANAMA CANAL_Here we are, floating quietly outside the entrance to the Panama Canal, along with dozens of cargo ships, all of us waiting our turn. Carnival Miracle is among the first cruise ships to make the transit as the 2019-2020 season starts; it was reported Island Princess was the first, a day or two before us, headed for Ft. Lauderdale. Ranked as one of the seven wonders of the modern world, it will take us the …

Gerry Barker’s Experience on the Brightline Inter-City Rail Line

October 6, 2019October 5, 2019 by Gerry Barker

In previous posts I’ve extolled the virtues of Brightline (soon to be Virgin Trains), the nation’s only private, iner-city rail line. If you live in South Florida, like Pam and I do, it’s the best way to get to the ports at Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, hands down. Recently, Brightline gave passengers more reasons to go by train with the launch of its new Train-to-Port packages. A typical package includes train tickets, parking at a Brightline …

Gerry Barker Visiting Cartagena, Columbia

October 4, 2019October 3, 2019 by Gerry Barker

CARTAGENA, Columbia_After over two days at sea and almost 1,300 nautical miles from Tampa, we have arrived at our first port — the historic Columbian city of Cartagena. Located on the Caribbean Sea, this is a city that is both steeped in history and a modern-day metropolis, which the locals call “Miami Two.” That’s in reference to the towering condominiums and office buildings that ring the harbor. But its most famous attraction is the 17th century …

Aboard Carnival Miracle- Day Three

October 4, 2019October 2, 2019 by Gerry Barker

On the third full day of our cruise, and over 1,200 miles from where we started, we are approaching our first port of call, Cartagena, Columbia. We are scheduled to dock at 6 pm, and we’ll be there overnight, giving us extra time to explore this Spanish Colonial port city that served as a military fortress in the 17th century. In the meantime, we’re taking advantage of the sea days to relax and take in some …

Aboard Carnival Miracle-Day Two

October 4, 2019October 1, 2019 by Gerry Barker

It’s Day Two, or actually, Day Three (if you count the sailaway), and we are currently navigating the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Central America en route to our first port of call, the walled city of Cartegena, Columbia. This is another day at sea, do Pam and I have had time to explore the ship and get to know our home away from home for the next two weeks. One thing we noted right …

Aboard Carnival Miracle-Day One

October 4, 2019September 30, 2019 by Gerry Barker

It’s Day One of our 13-day cruise. We are bound for the Panama Canal, then on to our final destination, Long Beach, California, where Miracle will reposition for cruises to the Mexican Riviera, among others. This was our first time to embark from Tampa, which means we have now cruised from all four major ports in Florida. It was a homecoming of sorts as well, since it was a job opportunity that brought us to Tampa, …

Carnival Studios Event

September 21, 2019September 21, 2019 by Gerry Barker

Two years ago, Carnival debuted Carnival Studios, a massive, 44,500-square-foot facility in Davie, Florida, where the cruise line has centralized planning, production, training and development for all the shows aboard their fleet. Its 21 studios accommodate everything from 3-piece string musicians to full-blown Broadway productions. This week, media was invited on an extended tour to see first-hand how it all comes together, including a preview of the new Playlist production that will debut on Carnival Panorama …

Gerry Barker’s Interview with Jackie Chase, North American Director of Public Relations for Cunard

September 1, 2019August 29, 2019 by Gerry Barker

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jackie Chase, Cunard’s North American Director of Public Relations, since I started writing about cruising. She is the consummate professional at what she does. Meet Jackie, and learn more her, her job and Cunard’s storied history in this Q&A. Q. How long have you been with Cunard and what attracted you to the opportunity? A. I began my career in Public Relations in 1999, when I joined a boutique …