We chose this excursion as it would accomplish two of our outstanding goals:

1. We would experience small ship cruising with one of our favorite tour companies;
2. We would finally tour Taormina, Italy, one of Tom’s favorite cities he encountered while serving in the US Navy.    

The tour also included ports that would be able to accommodate smaller ships, giving us an opportunity to explore several islands in the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian and Ligurian Seas.

This will be our third cruise in a 6-month period, however we remain energized to explore new regions and experience all they may offer. As always, we are full steam ahead in our prerogative to “Postpone Nothing”!

We spent two sea days before reaching our final destination. These were filled with card playing, Mah Jong, delicious meals, massages, facials and entertainment. Our group continued with a daily happy hour either at the Crow’s Nest or Mix, depending on seating availability. Overall, our group seemed to have had a wonderful time together and apart, exploring and relaxing. The only hitch throughout the cruise was the inability for Paula and Sally to obtain Diet Coke. It is Paula’s preferred morning drink so finding a source was an all out effort. She managed to find Aja, a dining room attendant, who somehow was able to randomly procure a few cans of Diet Coke. Otherwise the precious beverage was fountain produced and just not the same, according to both Paula and Sally. The Piña Coladas and Mango daiquiris made up for the lack of their favorite beverage!

We left our guests behind, disembarking independently at 7:30am as our flight was scheduled for late morning. Our former Maine neighbors had contacted us while in port letting us know that they were on another Holland America ship and that they were also heading to the San Diego Airport. It was wonderful seeing John and Rich, summer neighbors from the past. They are also world travelers and will be heading to Puerto Vallarta, our last cruise stop.

We are heading back to Wilmington, NC, catching our breath and getting ready for another adventure. This time, it is back to Europe, flying out on April 29 to join a Tauck Tour and small ship cruise. Postpone Nothing!

March 19, 2025: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

After a relaxing sea day, the Zaandam arrived in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, our last onshore adventure before disembarking in San Diego on 3/22. We were able to spot a whale, breaching in the bay, just after the ship tied up to the pier. What a sight! This happens to be the very end of the whale watching season and we are hoping for more sightings as the ship heads further north.

Our last excursion was, perhaps, the group’s favorite: The Best of Puerto Vallarta! We traveled by bus a short distance to downtown where we were treated to the famous waterfront Malecón or boardwalk. A wide, concrete and decorative stone designed walkway led us to statues, each with a story. We were also treated to native dancers dressed as the Mayans would for ceremonies.

A couple blocks from the waterfront is Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral with its beautifully decorated interior. Many of the statues were covered with a black cloth as it continues to be the Lenten season. 

Vicho, our exuberant guide, brought us back to the waterfront to learn more about Mexican opals. It did help that we were given “complimentary” margaritas to sip on while walking around the “opal cave”. The jewelry was outstanding and, fortunately available for purchase. Earrings bought and worn out to act as advertising for these special gems!

We were led back to the bus for a longer ride, taking us into the countryside where we were eventually dropped off at Hacienda Doña Engracia to enjoy learning about Tequila production. 

Doña Engracia Tequilas is located in a verdant, oasis-like setting, seemingly specifically built for tourists. We were led to the old factory and given a history lesson and tour of tequila production.

The enterprise is named for the great granddaughter of Mayor Grimaldo (Jesus Ramirez) who had been supplying tequila to rebels during a 1927 armed conflict. Since then, the recipe for his tequila had been passed down through 3 generations, guarding the recipe by selling only to the locals. His great granddaughter, Doña Engracia, married Carlos Gerard, the grandson of a French wine maker, and the rest is history. The demand created by this quality product allowed for a production certification. Today, tradition has been preserved by hand made tequila production of Blanco, Repesado and Añejo, all from 100% Blue Agave.

Several samples were distributed throughout the group then it was off to the delicious buffet. We were treated to exuberant young dancers, and a dancing horse, before heading back to the bus and port.

March 17, 2025: St. Patrick’s Day in Huatulco!

Our overnight cruise was the roughest we’ve had so far. The captain had warned us the  evening before that high winds were expected so no one was to walk the Promenade Deck after 10pm. Our veranda door was locked as well to prevent us from venturing out into the occasional 70-knot winds. As predicted, the winds came and were completely gone by the time the Zaandam tied up to the wharf in beautiful Huatulco, Mexico at 12:30pm the following day. 

Huatulco is a beautiful resort, much smaller than we’ve seen on our travels. Just beyond the beach area is the small city of La Crucecita where Patty, our guide, took us after a delicious seaside lunch, complete with a chef-demonstrated cooking lesson.

It was a short ride from the beach area to the center of La Crucecita where our first stop was a family-owned Mezcal company. As we sat and listed to the presentation, we were given small samples of Mezcal, Tequila’s cousin, made from the green agave plant instead of blue agave. A strong, smokey flavor at first but managed to mellow out with sipping the 2nd sample. We were also treated to Huatulco bread and chocolate. 

After this treat, we were lead down a street where we heard the rhythmic percussion of the looms before we saw them. We were given instruction on the workings of looms as well as the dyeing of wool using nature-made dyes. Mary Margaret purchased a Kelly green blouse as she forgot to pack something green for St. Patrick’s Day.

Patty led our group to the center of La Crucecita, to a small park surrounded by stores, restaurants and the Church of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The church is remarkable for “the largest painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the world”. Decked out for lent, we entered the church and admired the enormous painting located on the ceiling, covering the entire length of the church. Returning to the park, meeting Patty and our fellow travelers, we wandered back to the bus and to the port. This excursion was one of our favorites of the trip as it did not require a lengthy bus ride and allowed for a fair amount of free time.

March 16, 2025: Antigua, Guatemala

We joined one of the few onshore excursions offered from Puerto Quetzal to Antigua, the colonial capitol of Guatemala. Antigua is situated at an altitude of 5,000 feet in close proximity to the volcanic chain containing several active volcanos. Our 90-minute bus ride took us through the scenic countryside, climbing from relatively flat ground to steep, rugged mountains.

Antigua was the colonial capital of Guatemala from 1543-1773 when a massive earthquake caused significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. Some people chose to stay and try to rebuild while others took their belongings and built a new capital, Guatemala City. Antigua is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site complete with cobblestone streets and colonial buildings as well as preserved ruins. Guatemala experiences frequent earthquakes due to its location on 2 tectonic plates.

Once our bus reached the city, we had to divide our group in half and transfer to smaller shuttle buses. Today is the second Sunday of Lent in this very Catholic country so most of the city streets are closed.


Our shuttle dropped us off at the Jade Museum for a brief presentation from Mary Lou Ridinger. We caught the end of her presentation but discovered more information while touring the small museum. Mary Lou is recognized as the first archeologist to discover pre-Colombian Maya jadeite jade quarry areas. She and her husband, Jay, used information from the Smithsonian Institute’s Department of Geology gathered in 1955. They then traveled to several areas in Guatemala in 1974, rediscovering these quarries. The museum had a “gift shop” with copious amounts of jade-inspired jewelry, keychains, Mayan symbols, all using various jadite. 

A quick swirl though the mandatory jade store with an earring purchase, then out on the street, hoping to see the famed “carpets” created for Lent. Unfortunately, we did not see them but learned that they are made from dyed sawdust and used to create intricate patterns near churches and on the streets where float processions will occur.

Karla guided us to the public square across from the former Royal Palace, now a museum, and past the Mermaid Fountain. We were given a 15 minute break to shop or snack so we headed to the El Portal Café where we saw Dave and Paula indulging in a light lunch. They had decided to explore Antigua independently as Paula had spent a week or so several years ago, in this area through her local church. Cerveza and sandwich consumed, it was time to board the bus and return to the port. A rather arduous bus ride for such a brief stay.

Guatemala is a colorful country with warm, wonderful people. It is definitely worth a return.

March 14, 2025: Puntarenas, Costa Rica

One sea day later, the Zaandam snugged into the “Port of Puntarenas” or rather a long pier built to accommodate no more than one cruise ship at a time. Lush greenery and, in the distance, a series of volcanoes gave us our first view of Costa Rica. We joined a tour taking a 90-minute bus ride through the countryside, bringing us to the highlands of Naranjo to learn more about a key ingredient in Costa Rica’s economy: the Golden Bean, better known as coffee. Our guide gave us historic and current information on the development of Costa Rica as an independent country and the importance of agriculture, the importance of “big box” stores (Walmart) and their partnerships with local businesses.

Our first stop was the Eloy Alfaro Oxcart Factory in Sarchi. These oxcarts were developed to transport the bags of coffee beans from the fields to the processing areas. The carts are works of art, each painted in brilliant colors depicting animals, farm scenes, plants, flowers or whatever the artist desires. The wheels are solid (no spokes), made from 16 individual pieces around a hub. This is to prevent mud from clogging up the wheels during rainy season. Each wheel weighs nearly 700 pounds! We were given a tour through the factory that utilizes a waterwheel to power the cutting and boring machines.

In a separate area, artisans were busy painting trays, cups and other items for sale in the local craft store. After a refreshing drink and piece of fruit, it was back on the bus to explore a coffee plantation.

The Espiritu Santo Cooperative Coffee Plantation consists of 640 acres of prime agricultural land. This is a small plantation as Starbucks and Juan Valdez own huge swaths of land to grow arabica coffee beans. The origin of Costa Rica’s coffee is Ethiopia and it’s rich, volcanic soil and high altitude creates the perfect environment for the Golden Bean.

Our tour was about an hour long and very informative, taking us through the process from picking beans from the coffee bush, processing the fruit to separate the bean, drying the creamy white beans in the sun (10 days), removing the membrane and roasting the beans for consumption. Costa Rica’s coffee is mostly exported unroasted. Well known coffee purveyors like Dunkin’, Green Mountain and Tim Horton’s, serve 100% Costa Rican coffee. 

Lastly, we were introduced to another special bean: the cacao bean responsible for our chocolate addiction. These also go through a process before being shipped off to become delicious chocolate treats, baking supplies and drinks.

Before we returned to the bus, we were treated to small cups of traditionally brewed coffee using a chorreador. Delicious!

Upon our return to the Zaandam, Mary Margaret headed to the Medical Office as her deep, unrelenting cough had not improved. Dr. Steffi took her temperature (100.7), swapped her nasal passages and diagnosed her with the flu. She prescribed Tamiflu and ExtraStrength Tylenol as well as 24-hr isolation in her stateroom. Tom was given Tamiflu as a precaution, however he did not have to isolate in his room and could wander about unchaperoned to cavort unfettered with his brother and cousin. Fortunately, the next day was a sea day so a full and nearly complete recovery was in the cards!

March 15, 2025: Sea Day and Views from the Stateroom

March 12, 2025: From the Atlantic to the Pacific

Our first Panama Canal transit occurred in 2022 on our cruise down the west coast of South America. This year, we shared the experience with family, making it even more enjoyable. While sailing away from Cartagena, we made plans to make the most of the transit. Much of what is written here has been taken from the 2022 experience.

In the predawn light, the Zaandam slowly sailed from the Caribbean Sea, towards the Atlantic Bridge, the beginning of the Panama Canal. Ships were lined up on the starboard side, navigation lights on, awaiting their turn through the locks. It took the Zaandam over an hour to reach the bridge and head to the Gatún Locks, a set of 4 locks and the “original” locks of the Panama Canal. Parallel to these locks are the Agua Clara Locks, created by the Panama Canal expansion in 2016, which doubled the canal’s capacity. While waiting for the Zaandam to make its way to the first set of locks, the crew distributed Panama Rolls and coffee. Delicious!

Once in the Gatún Locks, the Zaandam was raised 85 feet to the level of Gatún Lake. This is a man made lake, formed in 1912 by damming the Chagres River. We rose through the last of the 3 locks and sailed onto Gatún Lake along with container ships and other cruise ships. The “islands” in the lake are actually the tops of hills. The largest of these islands is Barro Colorado Island, with a distinct red color. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is located here as the entire island is a nature reserve.

During the transit, the Zaandam provided ongoing narration on Panama Canal highlights. The ship’s speed was about 6 knots for the entire transit which made viewing and photography ideal. We finally reached the 8-mile long Culebra Cut, located at the Continental Divide. During the canal’s creation, this narrow, short waterway was the most treacherous section to excavate due to the unstable clay-like soil. It is also where most of the digging occurred. The engineers had to contend with multiple landslides causing injuries, deaths and delays. We noted several areas along the shore where there is evidence of landslides, terraced shorelines and abandoned equipment.

Through the Centennial Bridge and toward the Pedro Miguel Locks that lowered the Zaandam 30.5 feet on our way to the Pacific. This is the first of 3 locks separated from the 2 Miraflores Locks by Miraflores Lake, about a distance of a half mile. The reason for this is that a tectonic fault lies beneath the lake, necessitating the lock separation.

Onward through the Pedro Miguel Locks and the Miraflores Lake, the Zaandam headed to the Miraflores Locks that dropped us down another 54 feet, reaching sea level on the Pacific side. We left the Panama Canal after cruising under the Bridge of the Americas, a key section of the Pan-American highway.

The cruise through the Panama Canal, from the time we entered the Gatun Locks to sailing under the Bridge of the Americas, lasted over 12 hours. There was plenty of sun and scenery. The cruising experience was made even more meaningful after reading, “The Great Divide: A Historical Novel of the Panama Canal” by Cristina Henriquez, and it just happened to be in the ship’s library. It was an incredible experience being able to cruise from the Atlantic’s Caribbean Sea to the Pacific’s Gulf of Panama on one of the greatest engineering feats in history!

March 11, 2025: Cartagena, Columbia

We joined an early morning excursion, taking us through the city of Cartagena by bus. It is one of South America’s oldest colonial cities, founded in 1533. Edgar, our guide, gave us a bit of historical information before dropping us off at the massive Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, built by the Spanish in the 17th century.

The UNESCO designated fort was built in 1657 on top of the hill of San Lazaro. It is not a typical square/rectangular shape as it was built to the contour of the hill. Its strategic location provided exceptional defensive protection to the city. A statue of Blas de Lezo, the hero of the 1741 conflict, greeted us before we climbed to the top of the fort. His statue is notable for the missing right hand, left leg and eye reminding us of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” cult classic (“it’s just a flesh wound”).

The incline to the top of San Felipe de Barajas was quite steep but offered a panoramic view of Cartagena once we arrived in the main square. We noticed that old city is surrounded by thick defensive walls and were told these were built to fend off pirate attacks as well as attacks from France and England.

Cartagena was a crucial port for the exportation of Bolivian silver and later, the importation of slaves. It is the oldest colonial city in the Americas. Intent on discovering more history, Edgar took us back to the bus and onward to Las Bovedas, the historic center of Cartagena. We walked through Simon Bolivar Square where Edgar pointed out the Palace of the Inquisition. The Inquisition occurred here from 1580 to 1640 with an estimated 800 people were executed for being non-believers, Jews, magic and blasphemy. Today, it is a museum with historical exhibits including torture equipment used during the Inquisition.

We were led to the Church of San Pedro Claver, the patron saint of slaves. St. Claver’s relics (or at least some of them) are on view below the altar making this a pilgrimage site for the faithful. Bronze sculptures of San Pedro Claver and an African slave are located within the San Pedro Claver plaza and symbolize his compassion for these people.

Despite the remarkable history, the high humidity and temperature made this excursion nearly unbearable. Mary Margaret had contracted a chest cold at some point during embarkation and did not partake in ice cream during our “free time”. That is when we knew she must have been ill! Purchasing a pair of emerald earrings, the national stone, momentarily lifted her spirits. 

The high point after our return to the port was walking through a small zoo to catch a shuttle bus to the ship. The jungle-like environment with shade and colorful birds boosted our reserves, just in time to prepare for happy hour!

March 8, 2025: Half Moon Cay

Our first stop of the cruise was one we had made in 2023 when returning from the Baltic. We had the benefit of knowing what was expected once reaching the small island. It is still as beautiful as we remembered: white, powdery sands and turquoise water that shimmered, dazzling us. Disembarking the large island tender, we walked directly to the Beach Shop then down the beach to check in with the worker setting up the clamshells. Once settled in, Dave and Paula made their way to the 45-minute trolley excursion while the rest of us luxuriated in the warmth of the beach, nicely protected by the sun’s rays. Heaven! We shared lunch with Randy and Sally before their glass bottom boat tour and dessert when Dave and Paula returned from their island tour.

It was an overall, relaxing refreshing day, soaking in the sun and floating lazily in the beautiful clear water. It washed away the travel stress and prepared us for the rest of the cruise. We have two sea days before reaching Cartagena, Columbia.

March 6-7, 2025

We arrived in Miami the previous evening, checking in to the Embassy Suites, then heading to dinner at Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant. We met up with our travel companions: Dave and Paula Potter along with cousins Randy and Sally Lovell. Joining us for dinner was Paula’s brother Brian Porter and wife, Diane, who have relocated to Florida’s warmer climate. 

Embarkation day is here! We are finally boarding a HAL cruise as 5-star Mariners, ready for pomp and circumstance and some bowing and scraping. Well, not quite but it was a fairly rapid process with our stateroom ready as we boarded. The Zaandam is a smaller ship with about 1,400 passengers. There are only 9 decks to explore as opposed to other ships we’ve sailed. We sailed away on schedule, excited for our Panama Canal passage.