SOMEWHERE TO PUERTO RICO

CAPTAIN'S DECISION:  We were a little disappointed when the Captain decided to sail past the Canary Islands.  We had a tour booked in Santa Crus de Tenerife and had hoped to shop in Santa Crus de La Palmas.

News reports now indicate that the storm that hit the Canaries was the biggest in 40 years.  Forty-foot waves knocked balconies off beach-front hotels and washed cars out to sea.  That made our two days of roughish seas seem pretty mild.  After that we sailed on calm seas and the temperatures were perfect.

CURING A COLD:  Betty and I both developed mild colds.  However, the cure that seemed to work was spending a couple of days lying and sleeping in the sun on our extended balcony.  Most balconies on this ship are just big enough for two chairs and a small table.  However, there are 8 staterooms at the front of the ship with large balconies and lounge chairs, in addition to the table and regular chairs.  We only discovered these rooms last year and now try to book one of the 8 rooms.

PARTY:  On Tuesday the Captain hosted a cocktail party for Oceania clubs members (which includes most of the guests on the ship).  However, as we had just achieved "gold status" we were publicly honored with the presentation of our pins.

GUESTS:  As a general rule, the longer the cruise, the older the guests.  While we are only doing 14 days (Barcelona to Miami), most of the passengers embarked in Venice.  Thus, I am seeing lots of cane, walkers and even wheelchairs.  I think a good name for the ship would be the RK Riviera (Antigonish joke).

We always enjoy meeting new people and always ask to share a table at dinner.  On Friday night there were two women at our table who introduced themselves as farmers from Ontario.  One woman told us that her 9 farms had two combines and seven tractors so I guess it's not a small-time operation.  The farms are operated by just her and her husband, but most of the work (milking, for example) is done by robots.   Apparently the milking is done 24 hours per day and no human needs to be in the barn.   I asked what their husbands did for pleasure while the women were cruising.  "Oh", one lady said:  "they just buy more big toys."

Occasionally we dine with someone a little less pleasant.  A couple of nights ago a woman did not order anything for the soup course.  However, when the waiter brought the soups he mistakenly put one in front of her, although it was supposed to go to the man across the table.  She insisted, however, that she keep it (forcing the waiter to scurry away for another bowl).  She proceeded to eat the soup and then said she was allergic to shellfish (she hadn't asked what kind of soup it was or told anyone she supposedly had allergies).  Her husband raised a terrible fuss involving head waiters, supervisors, etc.  I did see her at the buffet the next day so I guess the shellfish soup didn't do her in.

SAN JUAN:  Our first stop on this side of the Atlantic was Puerto Rico.  After a long wait for U.S. customs we decided to take the free trolley/bus through the old part of the city.  After a long wait at the bus stop we lined up to enter the bus.  When we got to the head of the line the driver said there were three more places.  He didn't say that those places were standing.  A man gave Betty her seat but I lurched around in a non-air-conditioned bus.  I guess we got what we paid for.  Eventually we got back to the cruise port and there hired an air-conditioned taxi for a very nice tour of the city.

TRIP COMING TO AN END:  Tomorrow (Monday) is our last day of the cruise and then we fly back home from Miami.  For any of you who have followed these ramblings I hope to start-up again on our next trip scheduled for March.  You should think about joining us.