JOHNNY'S JOURNEYS: PUERTO RICO and CARIBBEAN CRUISE 2020

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JOHNNY'S JOURNEYS: PUERTO RICO and CARIBBEAN CRUISE 2020



January 14, 2020 (Tuesday)

The 5:20 alarm rings and our big adventure awaits us. I was essentially finished

packing last night, before getting into bed around midnight. The 7:00 taxi driver was

promptly on time. I came to the airport last night and picked up our boarding passes.

We just had to check in the two suitcases.

There is a 36 minute delay, so we should leave Mobile at 9:30 a.m. That does not

bother us, for there will now be a four hour layover in Charlotte, NC. Mobile is very

foggy this morning. I'm able to enjoy a good power nap on the flight to North Carolina.

As we land and change to Eastern Tine, I recall that it was 75 years ago, today, that my

uncle died while in Belgium. He was a World War II casualty of the Battle of the Bulge.

We decided upon Bojangles for our airport restaurant. Chicken tenders was on our

menu. And then we wait some more. I'm wearing an Auburn shirt on the trip. Must have

heard 6 – 8 people call out a friendly “War Eagle” greeting to me. The flight to Miami

leaves at 4:35. I don't know the reason... but we left 40 minutes late. I'm quite concerned

because we only had a 49 minute layover scheduled for Miami. We're very pleased when

the captain said he would fly a little faster. And we landed at the precise time of 6:51.

Concourse D had 60 gates. There was a very long walk to reach Gate 15. We arrived

with about 3 minutes to spare. Thank you, Lord. There was another time change, as P.R.

is in the Atlantic Time Zone. The plane landed in San Juan at 11:15 and we're pleased

that both suitcases arrived with us.

A taxi ride to our hotel cost $25. And we're the last guests to check in this evening.

The Hosteria del Mar is right on the beach! From the lobby, we see whitecaps on the

waves and hear the roar of churning water... the beautiful sound of the sea!!

We enter our room just before midnight, as a gentle rain comes down. This is now

our third trip to Puerto Rico. There's three free days to relax and do whatever. Saturday

is when we board the cruise ship. It has been a long day. In bed about 12:30.



January 15, 2020 (Wednesday)

With no alarm clock needed, I awoke at 7:30 and walked along an almost empty

beach. Looking in both directions, I only saw ten people. Two ladies were doing yoga

and a man was practicing headstands. The others were walking the beach, like me. I

got a cup of coffee for Janet, before going for breakfast. There is french toast, orange

juice and water. What a view!

I walked several blocks to the closet Walgreens. There were a few items we needed.

Returning to the room, I saw a weather report on the television. 16 below zero in North

Dakota. 84 degrees today in San Juan. At the front desk, I arranged a private tour to the

El Yunque Rain Forest for Friday.

For lunch we shall eat at the hotel restaurant. There is one order of Conch carrucho

salad. It was served with green plantains and citrus vinaigrette. I had the crab alcapurria.

It is a yucca fritter with a P.R. style crab stew with ajilimojili. With no glass windows,

there are steady ocean breezes. Nice!

We were able to nap / rest / snooze for about 4 hours. So very relaxing. When we got

up around 7:00, it was time for supper. At the hotel restaurant we both decided upon the

spaghetti with chicken and creole sauce. And we chose flan for dessert.

Back in our room, I was flipping channels on the television set. And I watched some

of the Auburn vs. Alabama basketball game. In bed at 11:15.



January 16, 2020 (Thursday)

I heard church bells chiming at 6 a.m. And by 7:00 I was walking along the beach.

I was surprised to see so many large dog paw prints in the sand, as their owners were

getting their exercise, too. I picked up six pieces of glass and thought I was being a good

citizen. I saw 4 guys playing beach volleyball. A group of 10 folks were stretching and

preparing to exercise. I did not see police here today, as I did yesterday. I picked up a

small and large coconut, then returned to the hotel. Standing in front of the restaurant, I

threw them into the Atlantic Ocean. It was a very short distance.

Janet and I went for breakfast at 9:30. We were seated at a table with large Bahamian

windows. An excellent view again. I ordered french toast this morning, while Janet went

with an omelette.

I made another trip to Walgreens to purchase a cap. I had left mine at home. When I

returned to the room, I had alternating hot and cold water for my shower. This was the

same scenario as yesterday.

I went to the front desk and spoke to Christopher. He called his wife and she agreed

to be our “taxi” driver to Old San Juan. She dropped us off at the United Nations World

Heritage Site of Castillo de San Felipe del Morro. Construction began in 1539 on this

impressive fortress. Made up by six staggered levels that integrate barracks, dungeons

and storerooms, “El Morro” was designed to protect the city from attacks made by sea

and it still has some of the original cannons facing the ocean. In its history, El Morro

was never defeated by the enemy.

We had toured this place five years ago, after our first cruise. There are several

people out upon the massive green lawn, flying their kites. There are 5 or 6 iguanas

sunning themselves. We made a quick tour of the fortress. A lighthouse was constructed

in 1846 and automated in 1962. Outside of the walls is a cemetery with hundreds of

graves.

Slowly walking down the sidewalk, we reached the Old San Juan Cinema Bar. It was

first opened in 1950. There were magnificent views of the fortress and beautiful blue

waters of the Atlantic Ocean! We could have stayed here for hours. I ordered a huge

breaded whitefish, and flan, plus a mojito. Janet chose chicken with pineapple / mango

salsa. We are totally relaxed, and that was our plan for the day.

We called Brenda and she was our “taxi” ride back to the hotel. Old San Juan is

preparing for a 4-day San Sebastian Festival. There's a large stage for musicians and

tons of street vendors. Streets will be blocked off tomorrow, as 100,000 people are

expected for this weekends FUN times.

Back at our room, Janet needed a nap. We had walked more than she is used to...

after her foot surgery 11 months ago. I'm proud of her. I had a desire to walk along the

beach again. It drizzled rain for maybe 5 minutes, before it stopped. It was a pleasant 45

minute stroll before I arrived back at our room. It's nap time for me, now.

I get up about 8:30 and I walked to the local post office. I cut through the Walgreens

parking lot, thinking that McDonalds is close by. I greeted their security guard with an

“hola”. “Tourista” I said, pointing to myself. He told me that he spoke English. That was

helpful, to get directions to McDonalds. Yep, hamburgers for supper. I'm in bed about

10:30.



January 17, 2020 (Friday)

The 7:30 alarm goes off and we have an excellent adventure scheduled for today. We

will visit the El Yunque Rain Forest with Brenda as our guide. She will be picking us up

at 9:00. Uh-oh... Janet has a horrible headache. Well, it's just going to be me today as my

wife will remain in our room and try to recover from this unexpected headache. We are

so disappointed.

It turns out that Chris is off today; so I will be with Chris and Brenda. There are two

quick stops as we leave San Juan and drive east along the beach route. We first come

upon the town of Loiza. Kiosks on the side of the road resemble farmers' produce

stands, where local food is sold.

Brenda stops at a 3-legged metal sculpture at a park near the waters edge. Palm trees

made this a gorgeous site for some pictures. San Juan is beautiful at a distance, across

azure blue water. Next was a stop at a small market. They thought we needed coconut

water, cocos frio, fresh out of the refrigerator. And a straw came with it.

We drove through a few small towns and communities until arriving at the entrance

to El Yunque National Forest. And we kept climbing higher and higher in elevation. We

made several scenic overlook stops to look through green forest down to blue waters off

the coast. We stopped for a visit at the 85-foot La Coca Waterfall. At the 1575 foot

elevation, Yokahu Observation Tower is 69 feet tall. I counted 98 cylindrical steps to the

top! It's a clear day and we could see Luquillo Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

This is one of the oldest forest reserves in the Western Hemisphere. While El Yunque

is one of the smallest forests in the National Forest System, it has more biodiversity than

any other forest. Actually, there are about as many tree species, about 250 different types

of trees (on less than 30,000 acres), as on all the 192 million acres of other national

forests combined. There are 150 species of ferns. Some are huge. There is a nice mix of

fragrances, as we walked and hiked at various locations. There's more orchids. And I

always enjoy viewing bamboo forests.

Our next trek is a hike on the Mount Britton Trail. It was about a 1.5 mile round trip.

The trail was narrow, but paved. It was quite steep, but we reached the tower. It stands at

2493 feet. The stone tower was built by the CCC in 1938. From the top of the tower, the

panoramic views were outstanding. On this clear day, we saw San Juan, which was

about 30 miles away. Awesome!

After returning to the Jeep, we stopped at Juan Diego Falls. The adjoining pool was

full of slippery rocks. Now that was cool. This has been a very enjoyable trip. Plenty of

fun today!

Brenda has to stop at the school to pick up her son. Then she drops me off at our

hotel. I see couples yoga on the beach. They are very graceful. I rest a little while and

am glad Janet has pretty much gotten over her headache.

At 6:00 we go to our hotel restaurant for dinner. It is called the UVVA and the views

of the Atlantic are terrific. We got an order of tostones. These are plantains, fried in olive

oil with salt. And we got the ceviche with rice and coca-cola. Yum! Back in our room

and I get caught up on the diary. In bed by 9:30.



January 18, 2020 (Saturday)

I awoke a few times this morning to gentle rainfalls. I got up around 8:00 and Janet

and I had our first walk along the beach together. It's just a primal instinct of mine to go

walking along the beach. Guess it is one of my “happy places”.

For breakfast we had eggs, toast, bacon, coffee, juice and french toast. Yes, we were

seated at our special table. I've mentioned it before about this small hotel restaurant. We

think this is the best view in the place.

I had to make another 7 block trip to Walgreens to purchase two small items. I was

surprised when I could not receive “cash back” while using my debit card. We check

out of our room at 11:00... then proceed to our favorite restaurant table. We see 18 men

out there wind-surfing with their colorful kites. Wind speeds are at least 30 mph today. It

seems like the perfect time. Then, a boat goes and retrieves them. I think that's a great

idea. I can see myself doing this in the future. But I don't want to be blown ten miles out

to sea.

I received a text message from Brenda that her red Jeep arrived at our hotel at exactly

12:30. Just as scheduled, she drove us to the Pan American cruise terminal. Janet and I

got good-bye hugs from the nicest Puerto Rican lady we've ever met.

Checking in for the Vision of the Seas cruise was so much smoother than our two

previous Royal Caribbean cruises. At 1:17, we are onboard and walking under a sign:

“The Adventure Begins Here”.

The Windjammer Cafe on Deck 9 offered a wonderful buffet... before our room was

ready. We saw a dozen Alabama pharmacy friends. Around 3:00 we got our room

key/card and entered our room: # 3550.This will be home sweet home until next

Saturday.

At 4:00, Janet and I went to a shopping seminar. There were 12 prizes to be given

away. Our room # was chosen! I won a pretty pair of blue sapphire earrings. Janet was

thrilled.

Next, all passengers had to go outside to a Muster Station. All passengers were re-

quired to attend a safety drill... explaining life jackets, life boats, etc. This seems to be a

must for every cruise ship.

The Schooner Bar lounge was the site of a television trivia game. Well, it has been a

very long time since we regularly watched t.v. Hey, we got 7 out of 15 shows correct.

The point was to guess the theme song of a popular show. It was fun, though.

We rested a little before making another trip to the Windjammer for supper. Tonight's

theme was “American food”. Fried chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs were some of the

favorites. And I certainly enjoy a variety of desserts.

With some spare time, we strolled for a little while, then back to our room to rest.

And then we watched some television. Before 10 p.m. we went down for music trivia.

At the beginning of a song, we would shout out the name. Hundreds of folks were down

there. I guessed first and won a Royal Caribbean Cruise Line key chain. Whoop whoop!!

Later, I won a 2^nd key chain; then a 3^rd. I am pretty good at this music trivia. I wound up

giving away six key chains. Yes, I won a total of seven of these RCCL key chains. FUN!

I danced the “twist” to a few of our favorite songs: Twist and Shout and The Twist by

Chubby Checker. We had a very enjoyable evening. The ship is really rocking. So we

have to hold on to the hand rail as we walk down the hallway. It has been a very good

first day onboard. In bed around 11:30.



January 19, 2020 (Sunday)

I awoke around 6:00 and could see the island with a few lights shining. The captain

alerted us at 8:00 that we could go ashore. Our excursion is scheduled from 1:00 – 4:00.

We will just relax this morning.

A delicious breakfast started our morning, before going to the spa area. I bought some

shampoo and looked at services that were offered. I think we will get a tooth whitening

session later this week. Now, the room has been cleaned and we will soon be on BVI.

Hello Tortola! This is the largest and most populated island, of the 60, which makes

up the British Virgin Islands. It measures 12 miles x 3 miles. This is known as the sailing

capital of the Caribbean. The excursion we booked last night was called Tortola Highlights.

Leaving at 1:00, there are 22 of us on an open air safari-style bus. Our driver

and guide, David, has been working this for 19 years.

The tour begins in the capital city of Road Town. It has a population around 15,000.

And we start climbing in elevation. David is quick with a joke. And we continue to

climb. The farther up the mountain we go, the more small islands that can be viewed.

Since this is British territory, driving is done on the left side of the roads.

There were five stops at scenic overviews... to look out on the amazing blue colored

waters. The tour started on the Atlantic Ocean or north side of the island. We make a

stop at Cane Bay for about 30 minutes and enjoy a rum punch. There was a brief stroll

along the beach. However, with red flags up, we could not swim there as planned. There

were a few restaurants and shops, plus several kiosks for souvenirs. I found postcards

and a magnet. Later on I will look for a tee-shirt. The tour took us around the small

island. At the west side, Saint John's Island was pointed out to us. That one is part of the

U.S. Virgin Islands.

I had inquired about a ferry boat ride over to Saint Johns. A winter storm which had

swept across the U.S.A. was causing very high waves and rough seas. It is just too

rough for ferry boats out there today. I had really wanted to see the U.S. Virgin Islands

National Park. It did not work out for this trip. Maybe I can do it on another visit.

We were dropped off several blocks away from the cruise pier. It is planned that way

for us to “conveniently” walk through a few dozen souvenir shops. I found just the right

tee-shirt before coming aboard.

We are back on the ship at 4:15 and return to our room to rest. Later, I looked at the

Compass and saw there is a 5:00 evening Stretch class. Tonight, there are only three

students. Our instructor is from Serbia. After a good 30 minute session, I realize that I'm

in pretty good shape.

After supper at the Windjammer, I follow Janet to a free diamond jewelry cleaning.

Then, we make 5:45 reservations for tomorrow in the Vitality Spa and Salon. Janet and I

will have a couples tooth whitening session.

Now for a trip to the Masquerade Theater Show. And we find seats on the 2^nd row.

Rhythm and Rhyme features 12 dancers. We hear Broadway and off-Broadway songs.

Such a HIGH ENERGY performance! It was very enjoyable. We're back to the room for

an early 10:45 bedtime.



January 20, 2020 (Monday)

I had set a wake-up call for us for 7:20 a.m. And right on time... the phone woke us

up at 7:20. However, my cell phone was showing 6:20. Now that was confusing. I will

need to figure out a time zone change.

After breakfast we are leaving the ship, then the pier for our excursion. We decided

upon the Antigua Island Highlights excursion. We meet our guide from “Best of Antigua

Tours by Emelda” right in front of the Exotic Antigua store. Our driver, Hector, waits for

another couple. We find out they have canceled. So, Janet and I will have a private tour

for two.

While waiting a few minutes, I give a hearty “War Eagle” greeting to a lady wearing an

Auburn shirt. Trina's husband David, was a pharmacy fraternity brother of mine. At

the beginning of our tour, we had to take a 5-10 minute stop to change a tire on his van.

This is our second visit to this island. We first cruised here in 2017.

Our first destination was the St. Barnabas Anglican Church, built in 1671. It is one of

the oldest Protestant church buildings in the Western Hemisphere. The architecture was

unusual with green stone slabs; then three receding layers of red bricks. The beautiful

stained-glass windows were quite old and probably needed some repair work. And there

were lovely yellow and red flowers around the church.

Next for us was a trip to Nelson's Dockyard, which is designated as a United Nations

World Heritage Site. Stretching across more than 15 square miles, this national park is

the island's center for heritage, environment and yachting. Twelve miles of hiking trails

feature historic ruins, diverse ecosystems and stunning beaches.

At the Dockyard Bakery we buy some guava pastries and a Coke. And then sat

underneath a shade tree. The 200+ year old stone Sail Loft Pillars have been restored

and look wonderful. I was intrigued by a large banner: “Atlantic Challenge.. The World's

Toughest Row”. Yes, there is a rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean. The 3,000 mile

race to Antigua normally takes 55 days. The record for this Atlantic crossing is a little

over 29 days.

Next for us was a drive up to Shirley Heights. We had amazing views of gorgeous

blue waters and a few white sailboats in the distance. I saw five different varieties of

cactus. There are plenty of home-made souvenirs to choose from. The nearby ruins are

where the English served in the late 1700s.

The winds were too rough for a trip to a beach, with heavy swells. In fact, the tourism

department proclaims 365 beaches on this island of 95,000 people. Hector then drove us

to the rain forest area. That was a treat.

We return to the capital city of St. John's. Our tour ended on schedule at 1:00. We

want to find Diamonds International to pick up a pineapple charm. By design, there are

dozens of souvenir shops to travel through on the way back to our ship.

Lunch aboard the cruise ship was quite leisurely. I got a photo of a two-spired church

and also a lighthouse. St. John's Cathedral is also known as the Cathedral Church of the

Diocese of North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba. Due to an earthquake, this was rebuilt in

1845. We returned to our room and Janet wanted to nap.

I made my way to the pool where a dozen people were line dancing. When “the

Wobble” song started, I was out there. The director taught us the steps for another song.

Then, when we heard the music, we could dance to it.

I think I danced to eight songs. When it finally ended, a woman came up and wanted

my photo. She said that all of her group gave me a rating of 10!! They waved at me and

started cheering. FUN!

I go back to the room for a shower, before Janet joins me for our reservations at the

Vitality Spa. We have scheduled a couples tooth whitening appointment. My teeth are

now 5 shades whiter. Wow, what a difference.

A little later, we watched a “minute to win it” type contest from an overlook. We got

to see a magic show, with plenty of audience participation. Five beach balls were patted

around. He was very talented. Afterwards I got to talk to David Gentry. It has been close

to 39 years since I've seen my pharmacy buddy.

At 10:30 we listen to the Latin Vibes in the Some Enchanted Evening lounge. We had

a glass of champagne and watched a dozen couples out there on the dance floor. Janet

and I had two seats on the front row, next to 5 Brazilian ladies. They were all beautiful.

We especially enjoyed watching two of them while they were dancing. They were

extremely talented. We made it back to our room a little before midnight. A fun day.



January 21, 2020 (Tuesday)

There is no wake-up call set for today. We won't reach Barbados until 10 a.m. I went

down for breakfast after 8:00. I saw a few familiar faces. When I finished, I brought a

plate of pastries up for Janet. She still enjoys being served breakfast in bed.

I go up to the Service Desk to check on excursions for the Dominican Republic. And

I also make taxi reservations for a Saturday trip to the San Juan airport. There is not

much activity around the pool, as most all of the cruisers are entertaining themselves on

the island of Barbados.

I exited the ship for a nice long walk to find the Diamonds International store. The

complimentary charm for Barbados is a flying fish. I'll have to count up how many

charms she has now for her Caribbean bracelet.

Back aboard the ship and I return to the room about 12:30. Janet and I go see what is

on the buffet. And I saw 4 of my pharmacy friends. Today is my first time to try bamboo

shoots, in the salad section.

Now is the time for both of us to go ashore. And there is a shuttle / trolley that saved

us hundreds of steps. We decided upon a one hour taxi ride tour. Our first stop in the

capital city of Bridgetown is at the former home of singer: Rihanna. When the street

was renamed after her, Robyn Rihanna Fenty was there... with the Prime Minister. She

has been designated as an official Cultural Ambassador for Barbados.

Next for us was a stop at a gorgeous beach with amazing azure waters. I got to stick

my fingers in the warm water. This is a picture postcard perfect location! Barbados is the

easternmost island in the Caribbean Sea.

We learned more history as we kept driving. And we were able to stop at another

pretty beach. This country of 287,000 is truly a tropical paradise! As we return to the

city, we make one last beach stop. It's hard to leave this place.

He dropped us off at the cruise terminal shops. I found some extraordinary prices on

raspberry vodka and rum cream. That should ease all the stress of future 12-hour work

days back in Mobile. We then catch another trolley ride to our Vision of the Seas ship.

Janet wanted to relax in bed with a movie on the television. I headed out to the pool.

I chatted with a couple from Illinois, before getting into the swimming pool. And I did

swim a few laps. After a while I got into a hot tub with a few other folks. I had seen one

of the men dancing last night.

Over an hour later, I'm back in the room. Janet went to the Vitality Spa for a pedicure.

I then go up to the rock climbing wall. I replace my shoes with “climbers' shoes”. I'm

now strapped into a safety harness. There are three different routes to the top. I decide to

take what looks like the easiest route. Halfway up, my forearm muscles begin to tighten.

But I continue... I'm making this. I think I can do this. Yes! I get to ring the bell at the

TOP of the rock climbing wall. I push backwards and rappel down the wall. Wow, the

old (?) man made it!

I cheered on a married couple from Canada & Venezuela. Then I did it again... at the

far side. There are about 70 hand grips on each of the three paths. I took my time, trying

several different grips. What a thrill to ring that bell again! It looks like 40-50 feet up the

wall to the bell (but it's not). Not bad at all. I was quite pleased I could do it.

Close by was the exercise room and I worked with leg weights. Then I found an

elliptical machine that finished me off in 3 minutes. Lastly was the familiar treadmill.

After ten minutes, I had burned off 55 calories.

I caught up on the travel diary while I waited for Janet to return. Going to the buffet

for supper, Greek moussaka was my favorite. The chicken parmesan was also very good.

And what is not to like with 12+ desserts to choose from?

We make our way to the Masquerade Theater for a 10 p.m. Show. Tonight we get to

see Renaissance with the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers. We expected a high

energy performance and were not disappointed.

Next was a Love and Marriage show featuring three married couples. One of the three

couples were my pharmacist buddies: Derrell and Gay. They have been married for 34

years. There is a newlywed couple. The last pair had been together a very long time.

The ladies were asked 4 questions. They seemed to be personal, revealing and quite

embarrassing. During a break in the questions and answers, the Kiss cam videoed folks

in the crowd. Janet had already left for the room and I was sitting by a pharmacist friend.

No... the camera was on us. Not tonight, people. This is a friend, but not my wife. Back

to more questions and we certainly got some interesting answers. Tons of laughter!

Last on the list of activities was a trip to a lounge for some Latin Vibes. It was late

night dancing with DJ Alex. I just enjoyed the music until I returned to our room about

midnight.



January 22, 2020 (Wednesday)

A wake-up call comes in at 6:50. At breakfast, we look out our window to see lovely

St. Lucia. We chat about highlights from our visit here 3 years ago. A catamaran sailboat

took us past the Pitons. We walked up to a volcano. But the most memorable part was

stepping on two sea urchins... and collecting 59 pen quills in my feet.

Our Rainforest Adventures Aerial Tram tour group today meets at 8:50. Passengers

could start getting off the cruise ship at 8:30. There was a little confusion on the pier as

the driver for our tour was scheduled to arrive at 10:00. So, there was a little wait.

When we reached the ecological park, ponchos were handed out to all of us.

Surprise... it's raining in the rainforest. And it continued to rain for the next two hours.

Janet and I were perfectly fine with it. But there was a family of 6 from Utah on our

tram that complained to our guide for the next two hours about all this rain. Golly.

This elevated part of the island was declared a national forest reserve in 1916. It is

2000 feet above sea level. And 3+ years ago, it was gifted to Queen Elizabeth as part of

the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy. As our tram went higher, I saw a difference in the

types of trees.

As we crossed above a stream, I was thrilled to see a purple-throated hummingbird.

We were most impressed with the 33 foot tall Cyathea tree ferns! We passed cacao tree

pods and got a taste for chocolate. As we saw a few ficus trees, our guide pointed out

the strangler vines.

At the top of our tram ride, we could have seen the ocean, if it had not been raining.

This has been relaxing with beautiful, even though wet, scenery. Janet would like to do

this again, if we ever come back.

Part of our tour package includes a 20 minute Fern Nature Trail hike. I was the only

one in our group that wanted to. There is a 6-7 foot tall boulder on the edge of this trail.

The tree growing above it has 4 roots that “cradle” around the boulder. Cool. My guide

pointed the way for a 3-hour hike. That might be fun, on another day.

As we returned to the Hummingbird Cafe for a free rum punch, I kept snapping pix of

the tropical flowers. Such a diverse variety. Nearby is a wooden sign commemorating

the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy. And I got to see a few more hummingbirds.

30 minutes later we boarded our ship and enjoyed lunch. Then it was time for a nap.

I set the alarm so I could go to a 5:00 stretching class. It was too wet to climb the rock

wall or go line dancing by the pool. I made reservations for a dolphin tour before going

back to the room.

At 7:00 Janet and I had good seats in the Masquerade Theater. The performance

tonight is Boogietown. And it is their final show after 7+ months of singing and dancing

on this cruise ship.

At 8:00 we go and listen to 60s music. And got to dance a little. That was fun as we

go upstairs for supper.

There is karaoke at 10:00 and we listen to “Proud Mary, Tequila, I'm a Barbie Girl,

The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Beat It” and others. Finally at 10:30 I'm enjoying Disco music.

After three songs I'm coming to the room. Tomorrow is an early day so I'm crawling into

bed by 11:00.



January 23, 2020 (Thursday)

The wake-up call comes in at 6:45 and I go eat breakfast with friends. The Alabama

Pharmacy Association is sponsoring a 4-hour continuing education program. It is called

C.E.@SEA. The designated time is 8:00 – 12 noon.

There were four different segments today. The topics included: Vaping, CBD

products, current pharmacy events and personality traits. Speakers came from Auburn,

Samford and the AL State Board of Pharmacy and the APA. I think we are now better

equipped to counsel our patients, when the need arises. About 12:15 a traditional group

photo was taken. There were close to 3 dozen pharmacists in this photo.

Passing by the pool, I saw the conclusion of the World's Sexiest Man Competition. At

the room, Janet is ready for me to accompany her to lunch. The delicious food just tasted

better today. This was so nice and relaxing. For 15+ minutes I watched one seagull. This

was surprising since we were hundreds of miles from land.

After a little rest, I went out to the pool. When the popular line dance song, the

Wobble, started playing, I had to join the folks! Even had three friends compliment me

on my dancing skills. Hey, I was practicing this... a few weeks ago. I got a chance to

talk with a pharmacy fraternity brother, then picked up a towel for tomorrow's trip.

I checked the Compass schedule and the Rock Wall Climbing is now open for 90

minutes. I tried twice... and succeeded twice. This time, I brought Janet along to take

several pictures. I learned that it is 26 feet up to the bell.

After a refreshing shower, I went to one of the lounges early to get front row seats.

There is “Calypso Music with Vibes Nation Duo” from 5:00 – 6:45, with a 20 minute

break. They are from the small island of Dominica. We were able to chat with Vernon a

few minutes when they had finished.

At 7:00 Janet and I listened to “Dance Music with the Celebration Band”. There were

two musicians splaying soft, soothing music. The lady singer wore a beautiful, long pink

dress. It sounded like we were in a cocktail lounge. After several songs, we went up to

the Windjammer Cafe for supper. The theme this evening was Mexican food items.

Now it's time to go to the Masquerade Theater for a one hour comedy show. Derrick

Cameron was a laugh-a-minute entertainer. Very enjoyable. And I remembered him from

three years ago on another Caribbean cruise.

I spoke to a Utah Walmart pharmacist this afternoon. His three daughters now sport

the corn-row hair styles. We listened to a “70s Disco Song set with the Royal Caribbean

Singers”. I escorted Janet to the room, then went to a 10:00 “70s Disco Inferno Party”. I

danced and danced. Hey, the Conga line was a blast!

At 10:30 there was a “70s Disco After Party with DJ Alex”. I returned to my room at

11:00 and called Bethany. It has been 7 days since we last spoke. I got to tell her about

the highlights for the week. So good to talk to her. I then prepared my stuff for an

excursion tomorrow. In bed before midnight.



January 24, 2020 (Friday)

A 6:30 wake-up call starts our day. After breakfast, I brought back coffee and pastries

to Janet. She still enjoys being pampered with breakfast in bed. Hello Dominican

Republic... our first time to visit this island.

My carry-on / to-go bag has the towel, sunscreen and a few other items. For this on

shore excursion, we assemble at the Masquerade Theater at 8 a.m. Depending on which

excursion you take, we're given a colored sticker with a number on it. Blue colored 19

was about the last of 10 groups called. Over 400 cruisers had booked for this morning.

Our large cruise ship could not dock in the shallow waters, so we took a small boat

called a tender. These smaller boats carry 100 passengers. I'm so excited for this Dolphin

Swim Adventure.

Within 15 minutes we are on land. This is now my 31^st country I've been to. The

guide ushers us to a large bus and we're on the way to Dolphin Discovery! They have 22

total locations for amazing entertainment. We receive keys to lockers; plus there are

changing rooms. The important thing to remember is “no cameras allowed”. There are a

few photographers at the site. And they will be happy to give you a good price on 40+

photos.

There is a 45 minute wait before we walk up steps to two huge, 15-feet deep pools.

A nice sized swimming pool with lounge chairs is our next destination. Also, there's a

pirate themed water park (Isla Pirata). The water temperature is colder than the

swimming pool water. And it does drip lots of cold water as you get into the six different

water slides. This was unexpected, but fun.

Each group had 15 people in it. When our group was called, 13 folks were only doing

the Dolphin Encounter... not the Swim. Families and individuals were photographed

behind a colorful PUNTA CANA sign. Then we walked down some steps with our life

jackets on. There was a 3-foot wide ledge, next to a 15-foot drop-off.

After the 13 left, it was just me and Allysa ready for our Dolphin Swim. She's a

delightful young lady from Wisconsin. By chance, we met in a “stretching exercise”

class a few days ago.

As the dolphins were introduced to us, they swam by and we got to touch their fins.

We were then instructed how to lie down on our belly and wait for two dolphins. Right

on cue, they swam behind me and each one pushed a foot forward. That was a thrill, as

I glided on the water. The dolphins came up to the ledge. As we turned in circles, the

dolphins turned in circles. I got into the deep water again and grabbed his two fins. Yes...

swimming belly to belly with a dolphin!! Before leaving the large pool, one of the

dolphins swam over to me and Alyssa and we were each photographed “kissing” a

dolphin. That was memorable.

Lunch is scheduled next and we get in line for an a la carte meal. There were burgers,

hot dogs, fries, coleslaw, cookies and drinks. We appreciated umbrellas covering our

tables. I sat at a table with my new “dolphin buddy” and her grandmother.

Walking along a concourse, I had my picture taken next to a “I Swam with Dolphins

at Punta Cana” sign. Another sign showed “Dolphin Discovery... Home of the Most

Loved Dolphins”. And there were pictures and names of their 12 dolphins here in the

Dominican Republic. In the large souvenir shop, thousands of pictures were posted. I

purchased a complete photo package, which included a disc with 40+ pictures. Of

course, I had to get a few postcards before the bus arrived to return us to the port. FUN!!

After my nice, hot shower, Janet was ready for lunch. I saw 3 pharmacy friends and

showed them a few pix of me and the dolphins. At a table by a window, we relaxed and

enjoyed the beauty of this lovely place. We then went shopping for a beach bag and a

couple of smaller wet swimsuit bags.

We arrived a little early at the Masquerade Theater. The 7:00 show is titled “An

Evening with Adele”. Amy Jo Slater, from Pittsburgh, put on an excellent performance.

Before one of the many “sad” songs, Amy Jo came off the stage and into the audience.

She then handed out small packs of tissues, because there would be many tears shed

over these sad songs. Hey, she gave me a pack. (We were in the middle of the front row).

She's a very talented singer and I'm pleased we saw this.

At 8:00 we were delighted to see the International parade of workers. There are 792

staff members from 60 countries. Steve, the cruise director, called out each country and

the number of employees from there. India and the Philippines each had over 100.

Back in our room and we finish packing the suitcases. All luggage needs to be in the

hallways by 9:45. We walk up to the Some Enchanted Evening lounge for the much

anticipated adult show at 10:30. We will participate in the Quest scavenger hunt... It is

going to be fun!

There was a smaller than expected Quest crowd tonight. There were only six teams

participating. Different items, or articles, are called out and one of our 7 teammates had

to take it and our team card (number 3) out to the emcee. What did she ask for? There

was a piece of fruit; tie 3 belts together; show a tattoo; we needed a man to wear his

pants backwards; a man showing her a thong; a business card; a metal key chain; an

employee's name badge; a ball cap; 2 men holding hands & skipping; a man wearing

lipstick; 2 men dirty dancing; 2 ladies doing a can-can dance; 4 shoestrings tied together;

and a pair of false-teeth (but not in your hand0. Our team of 7 came so close to victory,

but finished in 2^nd place. I won a nice insulated metal bottle with the Royal Caribbean

Cruise Line anchor logo.

We listened to some more Caribbean music before returning to our room. This has

been a very enjoyable cruise and we discuss where our next cruise might take us to. And

we're in bed before midnight.





January 25, 2020 (Saturday)

The wake-up call is at 7:00 and I turn on the television. One channel is dedicated to

activities on the ship. I see where we have traveled 1365 nautical miles. We go for our

last breakfast and I see many familiar faces, including two Quest partners from last

night.

We are sent to the Masquerade Theater and are in Group # 22. We're scheduled to dis-

embark at 9:05. Surprise, they are 20 minutes ahead of time. Two crew members tried to

run us out of our room early. This has been another wonderful week aboard a Royal

Caribbean cruise ship. Janet said we could do this again. We said good-bye to many of

the crew; the last one being Janet from Florida. We'll think of her karaoke performance

whenever we hear the song “Barbie Girl”.

The taxi ride to the San Juan airport has been prepaid. Our luggage was loaded onto a

truck, then 50 of us got onto a big bus. Well, after it stopped a third time for engine

issues, we transferred onto another bus. We were only one mile from the airport.

Our two suitcases were retrieved and we checked them in at the American Airlines

desk. After picking up the two boarding passes, we were stopped at security. I had

purchased two bottles of alcohol in Barbados. I was super disappointed that I could not

put them in my carry-on. I wound up having to claim this like a suitcase and paying a

$40 bag fee. Golly... they had only cost me $28. Janet bought a souvenir hoodie for our

daughter. So, we used that to stuff inside the small box with the alcohol. Hope it doesn't

break!

Our 1:00 flight leaves about 15 minutes late. There is only a 52 minute layover in

Charlotte. Upon landing in NC, there is no time to waste as we scoot to our next gate.

Surprise, there are maintenance problems. It's okay, for it gives me time to get Janet an

Einstein Brothers bagel.

At 5:35 we are in the air and on the last leg of this vacation. We view a gorgeous

sunset. Now we change the watches to Central Time and land at 6:30. I'm pleased that

the luggage made it to Mobile, also. We took a taxi and got home at 7:00. We sure

packed a lot of new adventures into these past 12 days. But it's nice to be back home.

Life is good!

---

Photos

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Castillo de San Felipe del Morro.

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Sun rise in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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Brenda... from Roman's Tours.

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El Yunque National Forest.

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Vision of the Seas.

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British Virgin Islands.

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Antigua... Saint Barnabas Anglican Church.

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Sail Loft Pillars at Nelson's Dockyard.

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Former home of singer: Rihanna.

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View from an Aerial Tram.

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Dominican Republic.

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Swimming with Dolphins!!!

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Leaving Puerto Rico.