Should We Stay or Should We Go

  Our second stop in the Caribbean brought us to La Romana, on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic. There was something familiar about being back in this part of the world. For the past five winters, we’ve spent January through the end of March in Punta Cana, about two hours away, so the Dominican Republic has become a place we associate with sunshine, warm weather, and a welcome escape from Canadian winters. The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and is known for its beautiful beaches, lush tropical landscapes, lively music, and warm Caribbean climate. Tourism is a big part of life here, although the country has a much longer history and a culture that goes well beyond its resorts. La Romana itself grew largely around the sugar industry and its port. Today, it’s also a popular cruise destination, with nearby attractions such as Casa de Campo, the charming artists’ village of Altos de Chavón, and the beautiful islands of Catalina and Saona...

After six and a half days of seeing nothing but ocean, we were ready for a change of scenery. Our first taste of the Caribbean was St. Maarten, and we couldn't wait to get off the ship and enjoy a little time on land. St. Maarten is a small island in the northeastern Caribbean, but it has a rather interesting distinction. It is shared by two countries, with the Dutch side known as Sint Maarten and the French side called Saint-Martin. There is no formal border separating the two, so you can travel between them without even realizing you've crossed from one country into another. The island is known for its beautiful beaches, clear turquoise water, and its mix of Caribbean, French and Dutch influences.  Our ship arrived in port at 7 a.m., and by 8:30 John and I, along with our friends, were off the boat and heading to the beach. After days of looking out at an endless stretch of blue, the thought of spending the morning by the water was just what we needed. We found beach chai...

After leaving Funchal, Madeira, we had six and a half days at sea before reaching St. Maarten in the Caribbean. That’s a long time to be surrounded by nothing but water, and that’s pretty much what we saw. Every now and then, another ship would appear on the horizon, giving us something different to look at for a little while. Otherwise, it was ocean in every direction. Blue water, changing skies, and a horizon that seemed to go on forever. We took daily photos of the ship’s map to keep track of where we were. Looking at those maps, you could see us gradually making our way west across the Atlantic. It’s quite something to think about travelling roughly 2,800 nautical miles between Madeira and St. Maarten, even if most of the journey looks pretty much the same from the deck of a ship. Of course, there’s a whole lot more to the Atlantic than what we could see from above. Beneath us was an enormous underwater landscape, with deep ocean basins, valleys and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a vas...

Photo by Ibrahim Boran on Unsplash As we continue our trans Atlantic sea days, I’ve been thinking about all the things that happen behind the scenes to keep a cruise ship running smoothly. We’ve looked at where the fresh water comes from, what happens when we flush the toilet and where all the garbage goes. Today, I thought we’d take a look at something a little different. Who’s actually getting us from one port to the next? When we’re onboard a cruise ship, enjoying a meal, relaxing by the pool or watching the ocean go by from our balcony, it’s easy to forget that we’re on a ship travelling across the sea, often through the night while we’re sleeping. And someone has to make sure we get where we’re going safely! Welcome to the bridge. The bridge is the ship’s command centre. This is where the captain and navigation officers oversee the ship’s movements and make decisions about its course. They have a whole range of equipment to help them, including radar, electronic navigation...

Photo by noe fornells on Unsplash Today, while we are still making our way across the Atlantic from Spain to Texas, I’m tackling another question that never really crosses my mind while I’m enjoying a cruise. What happens to all the garbage? There are thousands of passengers and crew members are onboard this ship alone. There are restaurants and buffets serving meals all day, bars serving drinks, cabins being cleaned, and passengers unpacking, shopping and going about their daily routines. That adds up to a lot of garbage every single day! So, does it all end up in a giant garbage bin somewhere on the ship? Not quite.  First, everything has to be sorted. The crew collects garbage from cabins, restaurants, kitchens and public areas. It is then separated into different categories, including food waste, cardboard, paper, glass, metals, plastics and other general waste. Different types of waste need different methods of handling, so sorting is an important part of the process. What ha...

  Funchal, Madeira, was our last port of call on the European side of the Atlantic. We had never been to Madeira before, so we were looking forward to seeing a little of the island. Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean, known for its dramatic volcanic landscape, green mountains, mild climate and beautiful coastal scenery. Funchal, the island’s capital, is the main port and the centre of much of its activity. We decided we didn’t want a particularly busy day, so rather than book an excursion, we simply got off the ship and walked from the pier into town. We spent a little time wandering around Funchal, taking in the streets and getting a feel for the place. After a while, we decided to take an Uber to the nearby town of Câmara de Lobos. Câmara de Lobos is a traditional fishing town just west of Funchal. It is known for its sheltered harbour, colourful fishing boats and little streets that wind around the waterfront. It has a very different feel from a larger town...

In my last post, I talked about where all the fresh water comes from on a cruise ship. Today, I’m moving on to another one of those things we probably never think about while enjoying our time onboard. What happens when you flush the toilet? At home, we flush and never give it another thought. Everything disappears down the pipes and makes its way to a sewage treatment plant. But when you’re on a ship in the middle of the ocean, there isn’t a municipal sewer system to connect to! So how does it work? First, the toilet uses a vacuum system. Rather than relying on a large volume of water and gravity, as many toilets at home do, cruise ship toilets use a vacuum system to move the waste through the pipes. That familiar loud  whoosh  you hear when you flush is the vacuum doing its job. This system uses much less water than a conventional toilet, which is especially important when you’re looking after thousands of passengers and crew members. So where does everything go? The...