March 18 - Headed Home

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

This blog post is being written much later than what the date indicates (nearly two months later in fact.) I had been very disciplined and all of the other days of the cruise I had composed the posts at the end of each day so even though the daily entries didn't get published right away, the thoughts and memories contained in each were current. Now I am left to try and remember how this day played out so that I can finish up this chapter of My Souvenir Memories.

Setting an alarm probably wasn't necessary as I was awake much earlier and kept checking the time every couple of minutes. I did get out of bed before the alarm went off in hopes of letting Bob sleep a little longer...but he was also awake. A long travel day ranks just above having a root canal on my favorites list, so to say I was dreading the coming hours was an understatement.

The Ruby Princess was already docked at Pier 27 and when I pulled back the curtains, my view was exactly the same as it had been eleven days ago...just a little darker due to the early hour.

When we got to the buffet for breakfast we were surprised to see Jon and Michelle sitting at a table near the entrance. They were sharing a table with another gentleman and we were able to join them. The place was so crowded we wouldn't have been able to find another table even if we had wanted. J & M were just finishing up and with some quick good-byes and hugs, they were off. Their travel day was going to be just about as long as ours, but instead of waiting hours to get on a non-stop flight (as we were) they had multiple...and very short...connections that they needed to deal with. 

Before leaving, the man sharing our table got up and returned with a plate heaped high with all sorts of breakfast pastries and other foods. He commented that he didn't want to pay the high prices to get something to eat at the airport so he was going to pack a lunch! 

Back at our room, we checked all of the drawers, cabinets and safe one last time and then walked out and closed the door. It was 8:00 am and our luggage number wasn't scheduled to be called until approximately 9:20 so we had a lot of time to kill. The gangway to disembark was located on Deck 7, and we headed there to try and find some place to wait. The Explorer's Lounge was full, but I found a ledge to sit on and as group numbers were called, eventually a couple of seats opened up. I dozed a little as we were waiting and finally it was our turn to leave the ship.

Our luggage was at the far end of the terminal, but it WAS there which is the most important part. Once we had it in our possession, the process to leave went very quickly. Outside, the weather was absolutely beautiful. There was quite a large group waiting in the ride share area but knowing that our flight wasn't schedule to leave until 4 pm, we weren't in any hurry. As we were waiting on our Uber driver to arrive, I overheard a phone conversation from a couple standing nearby. They had their daughter on speaker phone and she was telling them she would be there in 10 minutes to pick them up. Oh how nice it would be to walk off the ship and immediately be at home!

At the airport, we used one of the self-tag kiosks and when we dropped off the checked bags, they weren't even weighed. I was anticipating being slightly over 50 pounds, but no worries! From that point, it was just a waiting game at Gate C6...a long wait. The time actually passed quicker than I anticipated. 

The flight home was uneventful. Bob spent every minute watching movies, but I took advantage of the free Wi-Fi and alternated between playing on my iPad and sleeping. I was able to take advantage of the offer for Delta credit card holders and got a free large bag of Dot's pretzels again (usually $5). Made a wonderful supper. 😏

Once we landed, it was quite a long walk to get to the baggage claim. I must have looked like I needed assistance, because right away a guy in an electric cart pulled over and asked if we needed a ride! Yes, please! Having the lift made our timing perfect. Our son texted that he had just gotten into the pick up lane at MSP as we were retrieving our luggage from the carousel. He was pulling up to the curb as we walked out the door!

Even though our bodies were still on the Pacific time zone, it was late enough that by the time we drove an hour to our son's house we didn't want to make another three hour trip to get home. We each made an egg sandwich (with freshly layed eggs!) and crashed in the guest room. The next morning we hit the road right after breakfast and were home by lunch time.

And so ends our longest cruise to date. Not sure exactly what our future travel plans will look like. This was the first time that I didn't leave a cruise wishing I could have stayed on the ship longer. After 27 days I was just ready to be home...partly because of so many sea days and also because we both had gotten sick. 

We do have a short...very short...cruise booked for 2027. With airfares so expensive right now, the cruise is actually cheaper than what I am expecting to pay for our flights. And a short cruise really doesn't help shorten the winter much so maybe we will be looking at some other type of get away! 

Thanks to all who have taken the time to read these blog posts! 

March 17 - Sea Day #17

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Bob took off to go walk as soon as he got out of bed and was gone before I had a chance to text Jon and Michelle. They were up and ready so the three of us went to breakfast without him. 

Bob and Jon wanted to go to one more of Dale Erhart's lectures on jet pilots and I wanted to get started on the packing so that worked out well. It's hard to pack when both of us are in the room. Bob came back to the cabin just long enough to tell me that he and Jon were going to another talk by the naturalist. Michelle stopped by to see if I wanted to go walk through the shops, but I was on a mission to get the packing DONE. 

Holland America lets you put out bags on the last night as late as midnight. That makes is so much easier to decide what you will and won't need on the last morning. The letter we received from Princess instructed us to put our bags out in the hallway by 9 pm. That means unless we want to go to bed REALLY early, the clothes we are wearing today must be able to fit in the carryon bags tomorrow morning. 

Everyone has to be out of their cabin by 8:00 am tomorrow morning but our disembarkation time isn't until 9:20. We will have to find some place to hang out on the ship during that gap in time. Our flight isn't until 4 pm so at least we won't be in any hurry. Jon and Michelle have an 11:30 am flight which is risky in my mind. They will carry off their own luggage and try and leave the ship ASAP when the ship is cleared. The TV news is filled with stories about how the government shutdown has been affecting TSA agents and the lines to get through airport security are taking hours. Just getting to SFO from Pier 27 once we dock is no short trip!

When checking the lunch menu online I noticed that they were serving a "pub lunch" in the MDR. I texted the others and everyone agreed it sounded like a good plan. Pretty (the hostess at the Botticelli Dining Room) was all decked out in her green glasses for St. Patrick's Day when we arrived. She is always so cheerful! We were seated at a table right next to our usual dinner table (#51) but the wait staff was different at lunch. Our waitress was an especially fun gal...I think she was from Hungary.

Dining room hostess, Pretty. She definitely lived up to her name!

Fish & chips.

The dining room lunch took much longer than eating in the buffet, but it was also so much more relaxed. (I think I have mentioned that more than once on this cruise! 😄) We were finished just in time to get to the theater for the Voice of the Ocean singing competition. After attending both of the auditions, we knew there was one gal that had an outstanding voice. When she performed on stage during the competition, it was clear that the audience also agreed. BUT...she didn't win. The winner was probably the weakest of all the singers and made us even more convinced that the contest was somehow rigged and the winner was determined in advance. 

At dinner, we decided to skip dessert so we could get seats for the evening show in the theater. Canadian, Donna Lajeunesse, was performing her "She-Ha" show that we thought was so outstanding on the previous cruise and we didn't want to miss it. Taking back to back cruises often means we have entertainment re-runs but in some cases (like this!) seeing a show twice is a treat. Donna is one of the regular Princess singers, but has developed her own show featuring music from some of country music's greatest females. I wouldn't be surprised to see her go much further in her career than just being a cruise ship entertainer.

Bob really wanted to see the Emotions Duo (cello and violin) perform one more time. They were scheduled for a couple of sets in the Wheelhouse Bar so Jon, Michelle and I went ahead to get seats while Bob ran back to the cabin to set our luggage out in the hallway. There were only a few others in the bar so seating wasn't an issue.

The last night. 😞

Our respiratory troubles (cruise ship crud!) meant none of us were feeling 100% so we called it a night relatively early. After getting into the habit of sleeping later and later, I knew it would be hard to wake up to an alarm tomorrow morning. And Jon and Michelle would need to be up even earlier than us!

March 16 - Sea Day #16

Monday, March 16, 2026

The morning began with texts...first from Michelle saying they were headed up to the buffet for breakfast...and then from our son giving us updates on the blizzard back home (still bad!)

Bob had already put in some laps around the promenade deck by the time I got up but I wasn't the only late sleeper...the buffet was packed when we arrived. The four of us lingered over breakfast for a long time. As the cruise continues, our pace has slowed...but mostly our extended times at meals is just a result of how much we enjoy each other's company!

Jon and Michelle took a little walk after breakfast and when they returned to the cabin they said they had noticed that the hot tub on Deck 17 was empty. We all changed into our swimsuits and for the first time on the cruise we went into the water! The water temp was warm...not hot...but comfortable enough that we stayed there until nearly 12:30! After changing, our suits were hung on the balcony to dry and then we went to the buffet lunch.

I put together a salad with lots of toppings and then walked out to the pool area to get a slice of pizza. I have really enjoyed the pizza and have eaten way more than I probably should have! To find a table, the other three had to go to the VERY back of Cafe Caribe and by the time I joined them with my salad and pizza I felt like I had walked a half mile!

Bob and I have gotten into the habit of napping after lunch and when that time hits, I just can't keep my eyes open. While we were indulging in the nap, Jon and Michelle went to family karaoke. Jon had been urging Michelle to sing all during the cruise and she finally did...and we missed it!

By the time I woke up, I found J & M sitting in the sun on the balcony...and then Bob showed up with an ice cream cone! The outdoor temps are only about 60 degrees but the sun makes it feel much warmer. Jon spent some time trying to teach Bob how to do some of the number tricks that were performed in last night's show.

Tonight was formal night and that meant steak and lobster for dinner. In addition to our dessert orders, Lokesh brought us a plate of small dessert bites. We showed our appreciation for the great service by tipping both Lokesh and Ian. 

Steak & Lobster!

Lokesh cutting away the lobster shell.

Ian (the assistant waiter) always remembered our coffee & tea orders with dessert.

Lokesh, our head waiter.

Chocolate - Pistachio Dome

New York Cheesecake

Crepes Suzette

We were late getting out of the dining room so instead of going to the production show "Magic To Do", we went back to the room to catch the sunset. (We had seen the show on the previous cruise.) Now that the ship is headed north, having a balcony on the port side means we have a great view of the sunset each night.

Jon got a deck of cards and for a change we went up to Skywalkers Nightclub...and were the only ones there. It seems like the space is under utilized. After nearly four weeks on the ship, that was the first time we had stepped foot into the place. After a full game of "Alaska"  (I have no idea why the card game has that name!) we called it a night and went back to the room. Our room steward, Del, was in the hallway so we took the opportunity to give him a little extra tip for the great service. 

Our room steward, Del.

Tomorrow is the last full day of the cruise and that means it will be the dreaded packing day. I had hoped to get a head start today, but it didn't happen. 

March 15 - Sea Day #15

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Jon texted us at 8 am to let us know they were going to the church service at 8:30. Bob and I got up and as I was getting dressed, Bob offered to get me a cup of coffee from the buffet which I greatly appreciated! We were ready in record time and were in the Explorer's Lounge by 8:20...even before Jon and Michelle arrived! 

The same handouts that we had used on the first Sunday were passed out to everyone attending. One gentleman seemed to be taking charge and led the service. He started with the hymn "Amazing Grace". No one volunteered to lead the singing and when we began singing it was by far the worst rendition ever. The guy leading was singing into the microphone and was totally off key. But even worse, he was not even singing the lyrics along with the melody. (A crew member was playing the piano.) After a few bars, a lady stopped him and offered to lead, but she wasn't much of a singer either. It was painful at best. Michelle has a beautiful voice and would have volunteered, but just like me, she was dealing with a cold. 

We did make it through the responsive readings and the prayers written in the handout but the service lacked any sort of personal meaning. One of the prayers even mentioned praying for the queen! We all came away with an appreciation for the worship time we have in our home churches. 

There was no where we needed or wanted to be following the service so the four of us had breakfast in the MDR. It does take a very long time to get served, but is a nice alternative to the hustle and bustle of the buffet at morning. 

Our son was texting us while we ate with news of the blizzard in Minnesota. He said they had at least a foot of snow on the ground with extreme wind and more snow falling. I saw warnings online that there was absolutely no travel advised for all of southern Minnesota. It was nice to be in a warm climate, but I felt like we were missing out on all of the fun!

Our grandsons enjoying the Minnesota blizzard!

The ship was still far enough south that we were enjoying nice warm temps!

After 25 days on the ship, the activities have become a little repetitive and we are finding that we don't need to participate in everything on the schedule. After breakfast I did a little hand laundry in the bathroom sink and hung it to dry on the balcony. Michelle did a full load of laundry. Bob went for a walk on the promenade deck and then attended an enrichment talk on air accident investigations. The presenter, Dale Erhart, had experience in so many different facets of air travel that he truly did make a great speaker. 

Jon opted for a nap. I think he too is coming down with the sniffles. At this point I was so happy that we spent the extra money to get a balcony. Being around 3000 other people day in and day out is hard and I love having our little outdoor space to escape to...even more so with the extended balcony. And that is what we did the rest of the morning!

Nice, calm seas.

No tables were available when we went to lunch at the buffet so we ate sitting in the sun by the aft pool. It felt so good to be in the sunshine!

Bob and I were both really sleepy and came back to the cabin for a nap. Jon and Michelle had gone up to Deck 16 to lay in the sun, but rather than join them when I woke up, I put on my swimsuit top, poured myself a Diet Coke and went back to the balcony. I could hear the music blaring from the upper decks, but I was happy in my little oasis.

I wasn't keeping track of the time and was surprised when I realized it was time to go to dinner. We had planned to see the hypnotist show in the theater, but as we were eating I could tell I was getting a tickle in my throat. I didn't feel bad, but knew I didn't want to have a coughing fit surrounded by hundreds of other people in the theater. I let the others go on without me and went back to the cabin by myself. I had been wanting to see the movie "Song, Song Blue" with Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson so I propped myself up in bed and turned on the TV. Bob returned before the movie was over and finished watching with me. And that was it for the night. 

March 14 - Cabo San Lucas (Day 2)

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Happy Pi Day! That was the text message from my son that woke me up this morning! As a former math teacher, it was a day that was always celebrated in my classroom!

Jon and Michelle were off on their adventure before we even crawled out of bed. Jon had found a tour company in town yesterday and had booked a combination tour that included three different activities. I knew my knee would not be up for what they had planned and when Bob heard the cost, he declined as well. 

 

If you haven't figured it out by now, our travel styles differ from Jon & Michelle's. I am now definitely limited by what I can do physically, but we also monitor our spending much more closely than they do. For the two days we were in Cabo, J & M ate all of their meals at restaurants in town. For us, eating out at a port is something we do occasionally. I'm not totally sure, but I would estimate that by the time J & M finished their Cabo tour it had cost close to $1000! (Tour cost, extra for private guide, insurance, photo package, taxi...) There have been times we have spent quite a lot on excursions (a penguin tour in the Falklands, flight over glaciers in Alaska, Iguazu Falls in Argentina, etc.) but we are not willing to spend that much on what Bob referred to as "cheap thrills". Having said that...J & M had a lot of fun so to them it was worth the cost! Here are a few photos from their tour:

For me it was a very low key day, but still enjoyable...and especially so since our home town was under a blizzard warning! We were able to check up on news at home while we ate breakfast outside overlooking the pool and according to our son, people were acting like the world was coming to an end based on the forecast. Minnesotans are used to blizzards so to have that kind of panic means it must be a pretty big storm!

Our son texted the current weather warning!

After breakfast, Bob tendered into town. He wasn't gone long before he returned with purchases he had made. He bought some maracas to use along with Native American flutes he has been making (Bob has more hobbies than anyone I know!) He had also bought some bird whistles for our grandsons. I reminded him that he had bought the same type of whistles a few years ago for the kids in Costa Rica and they never worked. (Note: These whistles broke before he even gave them to the boys!) 

Bob and I sat on the deck watching all of the boats, jet skis, and people parasailing. During the night the ship had turned completely around (by chance? or intentionally?) and now instead of facing the rock arch, we had a view of the town. This also meant our balcony was totally in the shade which made the temperature perfect. 

LOTS of jet skis.

When it was time for lunch, Bob suggested we get something at the buffet and come back and eat on the balcony. Our cabin location is so handy to just go straight up on the elevator to the buffet. 

After lunch, we both got so sleepy. Bob took a pillow outside and snoozed on the balcony and I napped on the bed. I woke up when he came inside to leave and go walk on the promenade deck. I went back outside with the binoculars and watched rays leaping out of the water...and the occasional whale spout off in the distance.

I was torn between watching sail away or going to dinner in the MDR. (I remembered how scenic it was to sail around the arch and along the coastline going north from our Panama Canal cruise in 2018.) Since we had missed dinner in the MDR for the last two nights, that was our choice. I tried beef wellington for the first time. The meat was more rare than I prefer, but otherwise it was delicious! I have been quite impressed with the quality of the beef dishes I have had on the cruise. Jon and Michelle filled us in on their day's activities while we ate.

The 7 pm show in the theater was comedy juggler, Michael Connell. All four of us "thought" we had seen his show previously so we decided to not go. In retrospect, I think we must have confused the description with Mark Nizer's show which we HAD seen. Both did comedy juggling routines.

But anyway...we went back to the cabin for awhile after dinner. We just barely missed sunset, but the orange glow in the sky was still beautiful!

The main plan for our evening was to watch the second tryout for the Voice of the Ocean at 9 pm. We knew it would be hard to get seats so we went around 7:30 and played cards in the Explorer's Lounge while we waited. We did participate in the 80's movie trivia but did horrible. Out of 21 questions, we got 6 correct. 😒

There were seven contestants that sang in the competition and there was one gal that easily topped the others. The votes were combined with the ones submitted at the first round and 6 finalists were chosen to compete at the end of the cruise. 

Tomorrow begins the last stretch of sea days before the cruise ends...