First Time on a Monster Ship

Usually, Bruce and I sail on medium- to large-sized ships, such as Celebrity Beyond and Sky Princess. They are manageable with roughly 3,000 passengers. But for this short four-day cruise we decided on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas.

Walking on board we were greeted by a giant promenade. Guest Services were right in front of us, and to the right were shops and restaurants, and on the upper floors were balcony cabins.

We decided to drop our bags off in our room before attempting to find our muster station.

The skyline of Miami looked ominous, a prediction of cool and rainy weather ahead!

Our room is spacious with a lot of storage, a couch, a mini refrigerator, and a safe. The balcony is large.

The Boardwalk was interesting with Johnny Rockets, several bars, the Aqua Theater, and a carousel.

We had a great dinner in the main dining room with our female waiter and her assistant. I had escargot and prime rib.

We walked around the ship and there was a Christmas Tree Lighting.

On our deck – 12 – there’s an interesting restaurant called Wonderland. It’s a take on Alice in Wonderland. We didn’t eat there but heard it is an experience.

Many of the shows were sold out but Bruce and I wandered into the theater just minutes before showtime. The crew member said that many people book shows but don’t show up. Anyway, the show was great!

We went to the spa for a while before casino time!

In the morning we had coffee in our room and it was cold and dreary out on the balcony. We decided to stay in so we went to the spa.

Then we spent some time in the solarium, an adults-only area.

We had lunch in the Windjammer and then walked through Central Park.

Now we are taking a nap before dinner. At our table, we can see the rocky seas.

This ship has a lot to offer. It’s like being in a small city. The elevators have been a little easier today. At least the wait has not been as long and sometimes we don’t stop at every floor.

A metal cowboy hat is part of the ambiance of the promenade.

So our four day vacay on the Wonder of the Seas has been fun and not as chaotic as I thought. The ship is so big that the crowds have plenty of places to hang out!

#toyalcaribbean#wonderoftheseas#cruising#vacation#miami#florida#

My Take On Traveling To Egypt

If you like adventure, Egypt has a lot to offer. From the pyramids in Cairo, to the tombs in Luxor, and to the many temples throughout the region, there is so much to see.

For us in our 70s, it would have been a lot easier 10 years ago. Maybe even 5. We were on a river cruise with Avalon. However, only 4 nights were on the river. We stayed in hotels in Cairo for 6 nights.

I clocked my steps with my Apple watch and most days were about 11,000 steps. We also walked up quite a few stairs. Living in a one-story house made that a bit of a challenge at first.

If you don’t tolerate heat, it gets a bit warm and humid. Little flies took nips at bare legs. We traveled in October and the temperature in Aswan was in the 90s.

Now smoking. Cigarette smoke was everywhere. It seems that the majority of Egyptians smoke and you can smoke in restaurants, hotels, ships, just about anywhere. Our guide who smoked said, The only place you can’t smoke is in the operating room. I think he was being funny.

Security was very good. In fact, even getting into the hotel you had to go through a screening process. Sometimes though when they did the pat down, which was almost always, they were a little too personal.

If you like dogs, they are everywhere. Most looked pretty good, even though they live on the streets. This guy was posing for me.

So my final thoughts. If you really want to go to Egypt go sooner rather than later.

My favorite place

That’s not easy to say when I travel the world. Places are different.

I may love a city or a small town or the countryside.

I love primates so Uganda was amazing. I was up close and personal with a silverback.

I traveled to Borneo to see orangutans in the wild. I wasn’t able to get great photos but the experience was amazing. But I did get to see many other primates.

Now as far as cities, I’m originally from New York and I still love the city.

Next year I plan to visit Prague, which is supposed to be beautiful.

Bimini

A few months ago when we went to Bimini, we paid $38 for the shuttle, lounge chair and umbrella, and punch!

As we sat there I noticed a few people without the yellow wristbands we were wearing. One lady told me that you don’t have to pay. She just took the shuttle and came to the beach.

I thought we would do the same this time. However, when we got to the beach resort they told us it was $67 per person. Of course, we didn’t do that.

Instead, we strolled along as we headed back to the ship. The locals were offering golf carts for $80 per day. I think we might do that next time.

We went back to the ship and enjoyed spending time in the pool and hot tub.

In the afternoon we read our books, took a nap, and met some friends for coffee.

I enjoyed a cup of coconut gelato which I got for free as a Select member on Celebrity Cruises.

This has been a very relaxing cruise.

#celebrity#cruising#bimini#gelato#

Any and all insecurities

What is one thing you would change about yourself?

I watch my granddaughter, a well-balanced, polite, smart and pretty young lady appear very confident in herself. My daughter is the same way with a little more hesitation.

I still have insecurities into my 70s which can still hold me back. My mother was fraught with insecurities. She was talented, beautiful, and kind. Yet all her life her insecurities held her back.

So it appears every generation has matured in this area but I still wish at my age I had conquered my insecurities.

I’ve worked on positive affirmations, pushed through insecurities and done things anyway, and even spent time in therapy. But again, I’m still not where I want to be with this.

I own my insecurities. I don’t deny them, as I did when I was younger. This had little effect on my insecurities except to leave me in a state of rage.

I’m not angry anymore. I can be kind and also be happy for those who seem to go through life comfortably in their own skin.

But for today my insecurities are my nemesis that I will probably work on for the rest of my life.

On The Reflection Again

We are off on a four-night cruise on the Celebrity Reflection, which we’ve been on five times. Most recently two times on a back-to-back in August.

Our neighbor gave us a ride to the Port of Everglades and our embarkment went very easy. We were on the ship in a matter of minutes.

The Reflection is nicely decorated for the holidays with Christmas trees and garland.

We ate with a small group, and, of course, I ate escargot. Food on Celebrity Reflection is always good.

The show was Broadway Cabaret and they performed songs from our favorites, Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables.

Today was port day in Key West. Strolling the streets of Key West we saw houses decorated for Christmas.

Orchids were growing everywhere.

It was a mile walk to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. We paid a $5 admission for both of us. We visited the fort but you can also go to the beach at this state park.

There were cannons everywhere.

Bruce is always happy around cannons.

Construction on the fort began in 1845 and it served as a coastal fort from 1861 to 1947. In 1962 it was used during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

It was very hot so we decided to head back to the ship for lunch. We stopped once or twice for a drink of water. Staying hydrated is critical in this weather.

I had shrimp ceviche for lunch.

Now we are taking it easy sitting on our balcony!

It was very relaxing for our first day but we did get in a few miles of walking in my Oofos. I forgot my sneakers.

#celebrityreflection#cruising#fortzacharytaylorstatepark#vacation#keywest

Thanksgiving Dinner

Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays?

I always entertain at my house on Thanksgiving. My family loves all the traditional foods which were passed down from my mother and grandmother.

I make a sausage stuffing with apples that I put in the bird right before it goes in the oven.

I make creamed cauliflower and creamed onions. The cream sauce recipe is from my grandmother—mostly butter, flour, and milk with spices and white pepper.

Mashed potatoes are mashed potatoes. This year we are mashing red potatoes.

I make cranberry sauce from fresh cranberries.

I used to make the famous green bean casserole but decided a few years ago that fresh green beans lightly buttered with some pepper were fewer calories.

I bake sweet potatoes. Just plain. Not the sweet potato casserole I used to make with sugar and butter which was too many calories.

And a pumpkin and apple pie. I make a crumb crust apple pie.

My granddaughter did the leaves around the pie! She is so creative!

Easy peasy

Name your top three pet peeves.

I have difficulty dealing with people who are chronically late. To me the message is “my time is more important than yours.” but I’ve learned to deal with this by knowing who those people are. Now I just show up a little late.

I cruise a lot and it’s a petri dish for all kinds of illnesses. I use the stairs as much as possible or try to ride in an uncrowded elevator. I find people who apparently are still wearing masks, and not the ones that really work, push into the elevator even though it’s crowded. It’s almost silly, especially when the mask is below their noses.

I also find it trying to be around people who think they are the smartest kid on the block. If it’s a legal issue, they are now lawyers. If it’s a medical issue, they are doctors. I’ve learned to limit my time with these brilliant people and hang out with people who have some humility.

Family and Friends

Who are your current most favorite people?

My husband is my best friend. We do a lot together and he is always ready to follow me in our travels around the world.

My daughter is funny, charming but also has the practicalities that make her successful. My granddaughter is amazing, achieving goals like playing varsity football at age 17.

I have a kid sister who is high-energy and fun to be around. She’s on the left next to me and my sister who was my bff and died two years ago is on the right.

The sisters

I have good friends who I love dearly but when I think of the friend who knows me best, it’s my childhood friend. We’ve known each other for 70 years!

My life is enriched by the many people in my life who bring me joy.