Captain and Kid — Make A Wish

What does the captain of a cruise ship do on a sea day, when your vessel is more or less on auto pilot, in a body of water so large there is no land to be seen in any direction? If you’re Patrik Dahlgren, master of Navigator of the Seas, you walk a mile with… Continue reading Captain and Kid — Make A Wish

So You Wanna Be a Navigator

This will be our first time on the Navigator of the Seas. Many years ago, Nancy requested that I be “her driver.” I think she said something about being Miss Daisy. I agreed, on the condition that she be the navigator. So here we are, on a ship named after her kind of people, so… Continue reading So You Wanna Be a Navigator

Cruising Notes from the Ecstasy

The right price………………………………………………………$626 November 14, 2011: 6 days    Departure: Galveston, TX, round-trip to Mexico First U.S. cruise for Carnival’s new Magic Bonus: $75 on-board credit with Early Saver Rate Contact: Carnival Cruise Lines or 1-888-227-6482 * * * On the streets of Cozumel, we were approached this week by a cheery young entrepreneur pitching the… Continue reading Cruising Notes from the Ecstasy

Time, Tips Important in Cozumel

COZUMEL, Mexico — This might be the hottest cruising port in the Caribbean, and it has nothing to do with the temperature. Everybody comes to Cozumel. This week alone, 20 cruise ships stopped at this island off the Yucatan Peninsula. By Christmas, that number will be up to 29. When Carnival’s Ecstasy (above) arrived, with… Continue reading Time, Tips Important in Cozumel

Carnival Time to Golf — Any Time!

Aboard the Carnival Ecstasy… One of the things that’s always puzzled us about golf — and there are hundreds of such personal dilemmas about this infuriating game — is what seems to be an obsession with playing early. Like, let’s get it out of the way so we can get on with our day…and many… Continue reading Carnival Time to Golf — Any Time!