January 11, 2026

Jan 11

We docked in Bridgetown, Barbados, which gained independence from the UK in 1966 and is now an independent country, the 13^th smallest country in the world.  With a population of 285,000, it boasts 80 white sandy beaches and is home to the “Green Monkeys”.

We had visited Barbados before and selected a tour that was a bit different, but at the last minute, we were notified that it had been canceled, so we did a simple walking tour of Bridgetown town center.  A shuttle took us the 10-minute walk to the cruise terminal, and we decided to walk into town from there.  It was further than we thought, but 20 minutes later, we arrived, very hot.

The buildings are run down, and there are many vacant buildings and uneven walkways.  Being Sunday, almost all the shops were closed, so after about two hours in the stifling heat and about a two-mile walk, we took a taxi back to the port and cooled off before having a simple lunch.  

We watched my favorite English soccer team [Manchester United] in the cool stateroom and got ready for the evening.

This time, just the Around the World passengers were invited to a cocktail party, so we had to miss the trivia.  We met more old friends, and the ship's general manager apologized for the delays in boarding and promised it would not happen again.  All is forgiven.

We took a shared table in the grand dining room and had a long, leisurely dinner with more new friends.  Tonight was another time change.  One hour forward.

Jan 12

Today is a seaday, a welcome time to rest and recover after three port days in a row.  The seas have been kind so far, with mostly calm waters. We forgot about the time change and had to hustle to get back on schedule. The auto time change on the phone does not work well at sea as the ship changes time at a convenient night, not when we geographically enter the new time zone, which might be in the middle of the day.

We enjoyed the guest speakers, the art, and Merry's needlepoint, and Merry made a bracelet. For some reason, we had an extra pre-dinner show, and the incredibly talented musician and singer Oli Nez was very entertaining.  We had a reservation at the specialty restaurant Jacques, a French restaurant, and it was excellent. Finished the night with a nice show, singer Lisa-Marie Holms.

Jan 13

Today, our stop was Devil's Island, which is a small island at the end of the Caribbean Islands, but in Atlantic waters.  It is one of the most infamous prisons for all the wrong reasons, including extreme heat, humidity, and disease.  Prisoners were mostly taken there to die in appalling conditions.  When the prisoners died, they were thrown in the sea to be eaten by sharks, which made sure the sharks stayed around, making it impossible to escape.

On arrival, it was very overcast, rainy, and windy, and the sea conditions made it impossible to tender ashore, so the stop was aborted and reverted to a sea day with the usual activities.  Most passengers were not too disappointed.

[this is a stock photo]

I took the time to get our paperwork in order.  We must keep track of booked excursions, specially dinners, Digital Learning, and craft classes.

We had a less formal buffet dinner, which was quite extensive,

 

followed by the evening show in the theater, a wonderful pianist, Panos Karan.

Jan14

Because we failed to stop at Devils Island, this is the third seaday in a row, 300 miles off Venezuela.  The weather picked up, allowing sunbathing by the pool again.  But this is not just another day at sea, today was special, “Wog Day”.  At 10am, we crossed the equator, and by tradition, a ritual must take place.  Anyone who has never crossed the equator is called a Pollywog.  To celebrate crossing the equator, it is tradition for King Neptune and his wife perform the sacred ceremony by dousing the pollywog with chilly water and having them kiss a fish.  Once completed, they become an experienced “Shellback”.  Novice Pollywog passengers lined up on deck to become proud Shellbacks and receive their certification.  Merry and I are experienced Shellbacks, having crossed the equator several times before, so our job was to witness the sacred process.

The day also included several elective lectures and classes, as well as just relaxing before entering Brazil. The seas have been gradually getting bigger, currently with 5ft+ swells and the first signs of whitecaps. 

We cannot see land.  Because of the curvature of our world, you can only see three miles to the horizon at sea level, but as you get higher on the ship, you can see further, and if there is a large cruise ship in the distance, you can see it at 20 miles or more.

Our cruise includes free unlimited laundry, which is necessary for a six-month voyage.  The Internet is also provided via a satellite link, which works quite well unless everyone checks their email at the same time, especially first thing in the morning.  We also have some dead spots depending on the location.

The seas are gradually getting bigger, with about 5-6 ft swells and white caps starting.  The ship manages it very well with just a gentle rocking motion, front to back and side to side.  This is giving passengers their “sea legs” in preparation for the inevitable rough seas ahead.  We learn to stand and walk with a wide stance, and walking in a straight line is a challenge.

Jan 15

Today is a tender port at Belem, our first of several stops in Brazil.  Brazil is comparable in size to the contiguous US, with a population of 213 million.  Until recently, English was not taught in schools, so Portuguese is the main and only language spoken. We had an excursion to see the Highlights of Belém, at the mouth of the Amazon River, and the tropical rainforest. Temp 80 but overcast.

The ship was anchored in the river, and we took a tender to our tour bus, the biggest double-decker bus I have ever seen. 

We drove about 40 minutes to the city of Belem.  Clearly, this is not a very wealthy region.  It seems they do not sell paint, since the buildings are all very shabby and run-down.  Even the skyscrapers downtown need sprucing up.  We were warned to be extremely cautious while off the bus; two bodyguards accompanied the group, and there was a large police presence.

We visited the huge market selling fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, and fish.  Amazon [river] delivers here!!  Next, we visited the fortress that defended the area from the sea, then on through downtown to a nice botanical garden, ending up at the Basilica.  During the day, a few spots of rain hit us, but it was very welcome in the heat and humidity.

  

The bus had to hurry back to the ship for 40 minutes, and due to traffic, we were 15 minutes late. Because it was an organized tour, the ship had to wait.  As we waited for the tender, the heavens opened and out came my trusty umbrella.

Once back in our stateroom, we showered and went to trivia, then to the Polo Grill, a steakhouse specialty restaurant, to celebrate our 43^rd wedding anniversary today.  A lovely meal and a very nice day.

Jan 16

A well-earned day to rest up and resume ship activities.

Jan 17

Fortaleza, Brazil.  We took a tour of the city.  A giant downtown with more skyscrapers than Manhattan, it seems. 2.3 million population and just 4 degrees south of the equator.  A modern, thriving city known for cashew nuts, mangos, bananas, coffee, shoes, and cotton.  Because of its location, it has a milder, drier HEAT, averaging 86 degrees year-round, making it more tolerable for us and an extremely popular vacation destination for many Brazilians.

Our first stop was a theater with quite an unusual design, with lots of balconies and wrought iron.  Most interesting. 

The second stop was a craft market, reusing the space of an old prison.  Lots of homemade products.  Merry bought a turtle, and I bought a replacement hat for one that I lost a few days ago. 

After that, we visited the obligatory church, a large cathedral, which was preparing for a large wedding of a wealthy family. 

On the way back, we headed for the beach road. 

Most of it was closed for the evening carnival, but we did find a section that was open, but alas, this was only ‘a driveby’ before returning to the ship.

At night, we had a cocktail party, just for the Around the World guests.  New friends to meet before having a quiet dinner in the grand dining room.  The late show was a Freddie Mercury / Queen tribute.  Loud but interesting [with earplugs in].

Check back next weekend for the next episode.