Author Archives: Sparky
MSC1 Day 9: At sea
This was a lazy day. It can be described easily: sleep, eat, read, gamble, sleep some more, eat some more, gamble again, eat again. The casino was not kind; we lost $100. But we got new dinner companions. Harvey and Shirley, a newly retired lawyer couple, new residents of south Florida. We all love dogs … Continue reading
MSC1 Day 8: Miami, Florida
Normally this would be “disembarkation day” – the end of our week at sea. But this time it was “back-to-back” day, the day when we transitioned from Cruise 1 to Cruise 2. It was a more complex transaction than we expected. We had received a letter outlining the process. It contained two “back-to-back” vouchers, the … Continue reading
MSC1 Day 7: Ocean Cay, Bahamas
Ocean Cay is MSC’s private Bahamian island. It is brand spanking new, just opening for use in December 2019, about 2 months ago. It is still a work in progress as there are at least three major construction areas on the island. But what is there is quite nice. Pristine beaches, crystal clear water, brightly … Continue reading
MSC1 Day 6: At sea
This was a card day. A windy card day – the ship was rocking enough for me to wear my wrist bands for the first time. But I never felt seasick. After a late breakfast, we started playing Hand, Knee and Foot at 11am and didn’t stop until it was time for trivia (4pm). Again, … Continue reading
MSC1 Day 5: Roatan Island, Honduras
We have been to Roatan Island before and we like it. The people are laid-back and friendly and the island, though not exotic, has some beautiful beaches and fine houses. It also has a distressing number of shacks. But it still ranks higher, in our eyes, than either Costa Maya or Belize City. And it … Continue reading
MSC1 Day 4: Belize City, Belize
Another day, another port that we don’t like all that much. Belize has some wonderful places to visit, but Belize City is not one of them. It is like Detroit which, as a friend once put it: “You have to get out of the city to find something to do.” We didn’t really want to … Continue reading
MSC1 Day 3: Costa Maya, Mexico
Our first port of call was Costa Maya, Mexico. We have visited Costa Maya twice before and we still don’t like it. It is fine as a place to embark on an excursion, to a Mayan site or a snorkeling adventure, but it useless as a destination. There is nothing there but souvenir shops and … Continue reading
MSC1 Day 2: At sea
The first day was spent entirely at sea, cruising along the north coast of Cuba. The weather was considerably warmer – in the high 70s – and mostly sunny, so it was a lovely, smooth day to cruise the Caribbean Sea. We slept in until after 8, then I embarked on a search for cappuccino. … Continue reading
MSC1 Day 1: Embarkation
The day began with final chores: finishing the packing, loading the bags into the truck, shutting windows, turning on the air conditioning, turning off the water and hot water heater, locking up. Then a short drive to the hotel to fetch Jett’s sisters and their luggage. It all fit. Barely. A stop at Starbucks then … Continue reading
Pre-cruise prep
As I write this we are sailing away to Mexico. I will write about the boarding process shortly. But this post is about the final pre-cruise preparations. Most important among those preparations was arranging care for Rusty. Most honored stepson Joshua once more rose to the occasion, driving all the way from VA in 2 … Continue reading