We like ports of call, too, and shore excursions, but one the the best things about cruising is sailing along on the sunny open ocean, with nothing to do. Having two long, lazy days at sea to end this cruise – with beautiful sunsets – was just fine with us.

The final days of a cruise – especially days at sea – are an opportunity to do all the things that you planned to do when you boarded, but somehow never got around to it. Things on that list for me this time:

• play mini-golf
• do the ropes course
• have sushi
• have a burger at the popular poolside burger joint
• get a hot dog from the hot dog cart
• check out the “Serenity” adults-only lounge
• catch an after-dinner show
• listen to “Woodstock Generation”

“Woodstock Generation” was one of the bands that played daily on board.  We caught fragments of their repertoire when we passed their venue – most often the lounge area adjacent to the coffee bar, which we frequented.  They struck me as being a very talented cover band, with a front singer that could do a credible job of channeling Janis Joplin.  But, like the ropes course, the mini-golf the Serenity lounge and the hot dog cart, I never did check them off my list.  I don’t feel bad about that; it leaves something to do next time.

The hot dog cart is classified as a “good try” – I twice tried to get there, but never found it open.  I am not sure it was ever open on this cruise, so I will give myself partial credit for that one.  In any case, I did manage to get a very good hot dog – with sauerkraut, of course – at the deli.

The hot dog was good, but the burger was great. We had marveled at the long lines at this poolside stand throughout the cruise and had made some snarky comments to each other on how an American tourist just couldn’t survive without a burger, regardless of how many other international dining options were available. But, after tasting one, I withdraw all snarkiness. This burger was damn good. One of the best I ever had. Way better than the pricy one I had in Curacao, and totally free. Waiting in a long line would definitely be justified.

I also sampled the on-board sushi. I was not blown away by this fare. It was good, but not great. And it cost me $15 as the sushi joint, unlike the burger joint, was not free.

We also did not make it to an after-dinner show on the last two nights at sea. Frankly, the entertainment on this cruise was not great. We saw about 20 minutes of the “Divas” show – a tribute to female singers – and walked out. It just wasn’t very good. Other shows involved juggling. Not our cup of tea.

So how did we pass our days? Well, we did stop by the casino from time to time – long enough to make our cruise casino experience a net loss, which was expected – but we also spent quite a few very pleasant hours on the smoking side of the promenade deck playing canasta. I didn’t think I would ever say this, but I am beginning to enjoy canasta. Beating the Canasta Queen (aka Jett) once in those two days was a highlight of these final days of the cruise.

We also bought some more cigarettes on board and then spent way too much time trying to figure out how they were going to complicate our disembarkation. We heard conflicting stories – from other passengers and from an internet search – as to whether the 5 extra cartons (we are each allowed to bring one carton back into the states) would be taxed or confiscated. I even stood in a long line to ask Carnival staff that question. Their unsatisfying answer? It is up to the discretion of the customs inspector. I guess if he is having a bad day he can just take the cigarettes.

We were taking a shore excursion in Miami – an airboat ride in the Everglades – so we were prioritized for disembarkation (which was one reason why we booked the trip – the other being that we had lots of time to kill). So whether it was because we got off early, or that we looked like nice folks, or that the inspector got laid that morning, the result was that we were waved through customs, with our 5 extra cartons of Marlboros intact.

The airboat trip was interesting. We learned a lot about the Everglades and saw a few alligators in the wild. We also saw a show about alligators and tried to grab a bite at the ridiculously overcrowded cafe, but instead just hung out, enjoying the beautiful weather and speculating how the business could make a lot more money on busy days like this by putting a couple of food carts – and maybe an ice cream stand – outside. No charge for the advice, guys.

Our flight was not until 8:30pm and the bus dropped us off at the Ft Lauderdale airport at 1:30, so we had some time to kill. I read some and then got the laptop out to check emails. That is when I discovered that the seemingly harmless drop of the computer case when we were getting off the bus resulted in a cracked screen. Damn! It still worked, but I couldn’t look at the upper left quadrant of any maximized page. So I reduced the size and started researching how to replace the screen. Another story for another day.

We also tracked down a coffee place where we bought some not-very-good and outrageously expensive coffee and pastries. And we played some cards, napped a bit and watched lots of sunburned folks (like me) getting ready to go back to their real lives.

Our uneventful flight back to Providence deposited us – at midnight – into rainy 38-degree New England “welcome back, sucker” weather. Great to be back.

Yeah.

Jett and I are midway through a 9-day (8 night) Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Breeze, one of Carnival Cruise Line’s biggest and best ships. Our itinerary includes stops in Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos Islands), La Romana (Dominican Republic), Curacao and Aruba. After the winter we have had, we felt the need to get some Caribbean sun.

But, if the first two days are any indication, we will be disappointed. It has been cloudy and cool, with a few rain showers sprinkled in, so to speak.

We started the trip by getting up Friday morning at 3:30am and driving to Providence for a 7:30 flight. Why Providence? Because we could get a Southwest flight to Ft Lauderdale from there. Now, mind you, the Breeze docks in Miami.  But – travel tip alert – it is often much cheaper to fly to Ft Lauderdale which is just 35 miles from Miami.  There is even a train that connects the airports.  My original plan was to fly into Ft Lauderdale and take that train to Miami and then get a taxi to the cruise terminal.  But Carnival made it easy on us by offering a bus from Ft Lauderdale. So we flew into Ft Lauderdale Friday, stayed overnight at the airport Ramada Inn, then took the Carnival bus to the ship Saturday morning. Easy peasy.  And we saved over $600 in airfare by doing it that way.  Yes, we had the cost of the hotel, but that was because we always fly in a day early – we got stuck once with a 16-inch snowfall and missed some of our vacation, so we vowed then that we would always get to our destination a day early.  We figured that if there was ever a year where an early spring snowfall could delay us, it would be 2015.

It also turned out that Miami was having a huge music festival last weekend and hotel rooms for under $500 were non-existent.  Just another reason to pick Ft Lauderdale.

It was sunny and warm when we arrived at the Ramada and we had drinks and lunch at the poolside bar.  We were starting to unwind, getting our heads into vacation mode (which was somewhat difficult because were were anxiously awaiting word on an anticipated offer to purchase our house – but that’s another story).  Then it clouded up, the rains came and the temperature dropped 15 degrees.  It seems that the jetstream, which had been dipping south along the US east coast all winter, bringing all that snow to Massachusetts, had followed us down to Florida.  Everyone commented on how unusual it was to be that cold in March.  Well, we have heard THAT before.  It wasn’t the weather we wanted, but at least it wasn’t snowing.

It was cool – 70ish – when we boarded the ship.  There were occasional sunny breaks, but mostly it was cloudy, cool and breezy.  We wore our hoodies as we got familiar with the ship.

The Breeze is the largest cruise ship we have ever been on – about 1,000 feet long with a capacity for about 3,700 passengers, served by a crew of 1,400.  That is over 5,000 people living on this floating city.

It was built is 2012 and still has a fresh feel.  It is colorful and very tastefully decorated.  It has a 9-story atrium with glass elevators.  Lots of restaurants, bars, several pools. a spa, a mini-golf course, basketball courts, a jogging track, kids activity areas, two dining rooms, a shopping arcade, a mega-video screen above the main pool and, of course, a casino.  It also has a wonderful water slide and a ropes course.

We have a balcony cabin on Deck 11 – one level above the Lido deck (with the pools and the buffet).  It is a good location as we can get anywhere pretty quickly.  And we are just steps from the main smoking area – a critical space for Jett. It was one of the smaller balcony cabins we have had, but it meets out needs. Everything works.

Speaking of smoking, Marlboros on the ship have a price tag of $28 per carton.  Read that and weep, Massachusetts smokers.

Day 1 was basically a day to get familiar with the ship and our dinner companions.  We dine at 8:15 with four other couples: a career army couple now stationed in Virginia, a couple from northern Mississippi, a couple from Alabama and a couple from Texas.  Yes, we are the only Yankees in the bunch.  I don’t know if the South will rise again, but it will certainly go cruising.

Day 2 was a day at sea and it was very cool and cloudy.  Jett and I aren’t big pool people, but it probably would have been warmer in the pool than on the breezy deck.  The high was around 70.

Day 3 was our day on Grand Turk. Or was supposed to be.  It was so windy that morning that the captain declared that it was too dangerous to dock, so we just waved at the island and moved on.  That was disappointing as we had a snorkel excursion scheduled and were looking forward to seeing what is, by all reports, a beautiful (but small) island.  But snorkeling on a windy day is never fun, so it is probably best that we didn’t do it.  We have another snorkeling trip planned for Aruba.

We were pretty certain, when we boarded the ship, that there would be a coffee bar on board.  Jett needs her coffee in the morning and I need Jett to have her coffee in the morning.  Jett without coffee is not pretty.  The coffee in the dining rooms, though adequate, was not the high-quality brew that she loves.  And no cappuccino in the dining rooms.  But by the end of Day 2 we had not found it and I was getting seriously worried.  Fortunately, on Day 3 we discovered its location.  In retrospect, it should not have been such a mystery as it is in exactly the same place on the Breeze as it was on the Valor. This one was manned by “Martin,” a very cute barrista from the Philippines. By the end of the cruise he and Jett will be BFFs.

It turns out that Martin is very skilled at foam art – drawing pictures in the foam topping a cappuccino.

Days 4, 5 and 6 are all days in port: La Romana (D.R.), Curacao and Aruba. If it isn’t too windy.