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Our ill-fated Trans-Atlantic voyage

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Having left Andorra, we hopped aboard the Royal Caribbean Ship the Explorer of the Seas for a Trans-Atlantic voyage from Barcelona (Spain) to Miami (USA) via Valencia, Malaga and the Azores (a Portuguese territory). Before we even really got going, we had a huge win. At the welcome party Jill and I were looking around to see if there were any staff or people that we recognised (having cruised a bit now it is not uncommon to run into people that you have met).

While scanning the crowd, I spotted someone I knew. Almost a year earlier we had shared a dinner table with a Swedish couple (Patrick and Anna) and had gotten on famously, choosing to spend our days together lazing on the beach in Aruba and kicking back in beach bars.

And sure enough, there was Patrick. After an excited greeting, he disappeared and returned with Anna within minutes. We had exchanged details the year before and I had attempted to reach out when we headed to Sweden, but technology failed us and the communications never landed. This was fixed this cruise and you can expect to see them featuring again in future episodes.

We had actually done this cruise the year before on the same ship, with no incident. The 2023 version took in stops in Cartagena while the 2024 version would stop at Valencia, Malaga and the Azores. Having not been to the Azores (a Portuguese territory consisting of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,400 km west of Lisbon) we figured, well why not.

In the leadup to departure, the news had been consistently reporting on major flooding in and around Valencia. So when the call came that Valencia would be pulled from the itinerary it came as no surprise to anyone.

Cartagena

The alternative was that we stopped at Cartagena in Spain instead. We had been here the year before and found it to be a lovely town with great and cheap coffee, amazing churros and enough old buildings and Roman ruins to amuse yourself for a day.

We found the coffee and churros shop again and kicked back with Patrick and Anna in some bars, sampling the sangria, beer, tapas and just the generally laid-back Spanish lifestyle.

Malaga

Malaga was next and the weather gods smiled upon us (eventually). The birthplace of Pablo Picasso (obviously there is a Picasso Museum here), but the first obvious tourist attraction is the Calle Marqués de Larios, or Calle Larios. This is a massive pedestrian and shopping street that was conceived back in 1880 and has been the main thoroughfare and shopping district since then.

At the end of the shopping area, you run into the Cathedral of Málaga or Santa Iglesia Catedral Basílica de la Encarnación. A massive church started in the 16th century and evetually finished in the 18th.

In addition there is a Roman Theatre, the French Pompidou Centre (art gallery), Collection of the Russian Museum, the Alcazaba Fortress and an
Art District (Soho Málaga).

Next stop was (meant to be) the Azores. But the weather conditions made the Azores a little treacherous and the decision was made to divert to the Canary Islands instead.

Tenerife

Tenerife is the largest and most populated of the Canary Islands. Any list of things to do in Tenerife and the Canary Islands more broadly will pop up with a long list of beaches. Our foray into Tenerife (officially Santa Cruz de Tenerife was brief and hampered early by some pretty ordinary weather. But the weather cleared and a lovely afternoon was able to be had exploring the town.

Given the weather, we started a bit late and found ourselves dashing about a bit. But while we didn’t get to see all the sights, we certainly got a really nice and comfortable feeling about the place. It was laid back, relaxed, and reasonably priced. There was the usual tourist fare on offer but not at silly or obscene prices.

So why was it an ill-fated journey?

The Issue

On the evening of 7 November 2024, the ship was hit with a sudden and powerful squall that caused the ship to tilt violently. The captain steered into the wind and righted the ship within a matter of minutes.

The full facts emerged over the coming days and revealed that the ship was hit with an unexpected squall (105km/h gust from the side) causing the ship to briefly (but dramatically) tilt to one side.

Subsequent reports from the Captain revealed that the ship had tilted 40.5 degrees before being righted.

The entire incident was over within 5 minutes.

The below video featured in many of the media articles. The guy in white holding the chair up was Patrick and Anna (seated) and on the right-hand side ( a few times towards the end) I can be seen in a blue shirt with galahs on it.

A lady had slid across the floor landing at my feet, having bashed her head. I gave her my seat as she was in shock and Jill kicked into nurse mode getting ice from our favourite waiter (Singh) and calming a clearly shaken woman down. I then tended (in a non-medical manner) to others around, some of which were shaken.

The effect

The effects of the gust and violent tilting were that:

  • Tables and chairs (sometimes including the people in them) slid across the ship
  • Drinks fell off flat surfaces (my beer landing in my lap)
  • Alcohol (and glassware) on bars hit the floor
  • loose items like plates and cutlery in the dining venues went flying
  • Food and plates on tables hit the floor
  • Shop merchandise hit the floor
  • pokie machines in the casino fell over
  • the piano on stage (supporting a Celine Dion tribute act) slid off the stage and
  • One person was injured

Bottles of alcohol had shattered across the floor, mixing with spilled drinks and broken glass. While the stores weren’t completely destroyed, everything from T-shirts to postcards, magnets, and jewelry was scattered across the floors. Witnesses’ videos show furniture sliding across the deck, a man holding onto a counter, a sign hitting a man, glass breaking, and people screaming and running.

Afterwards, we were all ordered to our cabins so that a 100% headcount could take place to ensure that everyone was on board. We were thrown about pretty violently on level 5 indoors, the effect of anyone on higher decks or the smokers outside had the potential to be catastrophic.

While sitting in the cabin, several announcements were made seeking individual guests, sparking concerns of people slipping overboard. The next was for a 100% staff count. In the meantime, there was the odd medical announcement being made for injured or stressed out passengers.

Due to an injury the ship made a U-Turn and headed back to Las Palmas, Spain to complete a medical disembarkation. This caused a three day delay in arriving in Miami. Importantly it was a nightmare of logistics as people would now be 3 days late missing flights, other cruises, work commitments etc.

Media Reporting

The media reporting of the incident was absolutely rubbish. As two people who lived through the experience, the things that were reported as fact online and in the mainstream media was nothing but lies and speculation. This started the very next day as media outlets and online reporters were reporting us being hit with a massive wave.

We watched with interest and a level of incredulity at what was being reported as the majority of it was total and utter rubbish. People were literally making crap up and reporting it as ‘facts’.

This then evolved, over time, with some of our fellow cruisers making up stories in their own little heads about what had actually transpired. The day we got off the ship, it had evolved to the point where passengers were claiming that the Celine Dion tribute act was singing the Titanic theme song at the time of the incident (total Bullshit).

The desperation for notoriety, fame or even attention has fuelled a constant barrage of bullshit being jammed down our throats constantly. Media reports are published with zero fact checking, and are then republished. Then, over time the stories grew, anything for other people to grab their 15 minutes of fame. Jill and I played the ‘guess what crap they’re saying today’ game as this story continued to unfold.

Las Palmas – Gran Canaria

The cruise ship diverted to Las Palmas (a Spanish territory) so that one injured passenger could get medical treatment. 

We had been here the year before and did not really like it. We found groups of underemployed African youths wandering menacingly around the streets creating an uncomfortable environment.

Our opinion, a year on, was much more positive. The underemployment issue seemed to be resolved (or at least moved elsewhere) and the wander through the streets was highly enjoyable and not in the least bit threatening.

And being with Patrick and Anna we wandered along the beach, found some establishments willing to quench a thirst, and all of a sudden all was right with the world.

Unlimited Dining Package

As a side note to the cruise, each cruise ship has the normal dining options (a main dining room, a buffet, and some snack options) in addition there are usually some specialty restaurants that offer a different experience (at an additional cost). This cost can vary dramatically, from cruise to cruise, depending on the popularity and deals on offer.

The restaurants can be booked as one-off ala-carte style eating, as a package (set menu) or as an unlimited package. Jill found the unlimited package on special for this particular cruise and for the first time ever we indulged. The unlimited package meant that every dinner (15 nights) could be at one of these. In addition, every day when we were at sea the lunches were also included (another 11 meals).

The restaurants on board (for our trip) were:

  • Chops Grille – a high end steakhouse
  • Giovanni’s Table – a high end Italian joint
  • Izumi – a high end Japanese joint
  • Johnny Rockets – a franchised burger joint

We had eaten at each of these restaurants before (with the exception of Johnny Rockets) but usually as a one-off so we always tended to gravitate to the things that we like. By way of example, my choice at the steakhouse always tended to be:

  • GRILLED BLACK PEPPER BACON – Slow-cooked Berkshire pork, with a sweet and spicy glaze
  • WILD MUSHROOM SOUP – with white truffle oil, chives
  • PRIME BONE-IN RIBEYE – USDA Prime 16 oz. bone-in cut, well marbled for peak flavor, deliciously juicy

A choice of sauces for my steak that includes:

Chops steak sauce, Béarnaise, au Poivre (Peppercorn) or Bordelaise (red wine), mustard, and just plain gravy.

  • A choice of sides that include

Gruyere cheese tater tots, Creamed Spinach, Grilled Jumbo Asparagus, Mac & Cheese, Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Mushrooms, Truffled French Fries and Salted Baked Potato.

The unlimited package meant that we could try everything on the menu and be better informed for future cruises. This meant that my choices (at Chops at least) went from GRILLED BLACK PEPPER BACON to:

  • COLOSSAL SHRIMP COCKTAIL – Horseradish cocktail sauce, lemon
  • TUNA TARTARE* – Avocado, ginger, wasabi caviar
  • JUMBO LUMP CRAB CAKE – Chipotle aïoli
  • CHARRED BEEF CARPACCIO* – Rare charred beef, Parmesan cheese,
    arugula, truffle-mustard dressing
  • and of course my GRILLED BLACK PEPPER BACON

My Mushroom soup was added to by:

  • LOBSTER BISQUE – Brandy, tarragon cream,
  • CAESAR SALAD – Romaine, shaved Parmesan, tossed in Caesar dressing, fresh baked crôutons
  • CRISPY GOAT CHEESE SALAD – Green apples, candied walnuts, cranberries, balsamic dressing
  • THE WEDGE – Iceberg lettuce, blue cheese crumbles, smoked bacon

And my 16 oz Prime rib on the bone had to now compete with:

  • FILET* – 9 ounces of our most tender cut of lean, midwestern beef
  • PETITE FILET* – A smaller 6-ounce cut, but equally tender and delicious
  • PRIME NY STRIP* – A 12-oz. full-flavored USDA Prime cut, with a slightly firmer texture than a ribeye
  • RACK OF LAMB* – Tender oven-roasted rack of lamb, seasoned with thyme and rosemary
  • ORGANIC ROASTED CHICKEN – Half chicken slowly roasted, perfectly seasoned with thyme, served with au jus
  • And some seafood options that include:
  • GRILLED BRANZINO – Sautéed spinach, olive oil, lemon, sea salt
  • SPICY JUMBO SHRIMP – Red pepper flakes, creamy garlic butter
  • GRILLED ATLANTIC SALMON* – Whole grain mustard sauce
  • BROILED 1 ½ LB. MAINE LOBSTER – with drawn butter and fresh lemon

And these sorts of choices were replicated across the 3 restaurants.

The sheer volume of food meant that we ate the majority of our meals at Izumi Japanese. Their meals were the lightest and (arguably) the healthiest of them all. Starting off with some edamame beans and miso soup is much lighter than the charcuterie board and breads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar at Giovanni’s. Don’t get me wrong, the charcuterie board was good, but maybe not every day.

The sushi and sashimi were also considerably lighter than steaks and pastas. Jill virtually inhaled raw fish and steak the whole time that we were on the ship. We have had the Izumi’s on several ships now and they are quite hit and miss. Not in a food sense, but certainly in an ambience sense. This one was high-end and lovely, but others that we have been to have left you feeling more like you were in a noisy cafeteria.

Oh, and Johnny Rockets even got tried out as we had the full list of places available. Believe it or not, the Johnny Rockets grilled cheese sandwich became a favourite, their milkshakes are absolutely amazing and the sundaes are pretty good too.

The pick of all of the meals though was probably the Osso Bucco from Giovannis. Slow-cooked Osso Bucco in a rich gravy that came with a spoon in the middle of the bone so that you could feast on the marrow.

This was closely followed by the lamb rack on offer from Chops Grille. And of course the Japanese was where we spent most of our time.

After all of this food there were elaborate dessert menus on offer to cap off the meals. The Italian (obviously) had a tiramisu and cannoli, while the Japanese had mochis, red bean sesame balls and the steakhouse had key lime pie, red velvet cake and chocolate self-saucing pudding.

To say that this experience was amazing is an understatement, but it was also too much. We ended up skipping every breakfast on the entire 15 day cruise (settling for just coffee) and swapped out many of the lunches for more simple options (with Patrick and Anna) in the main dining room.

In addition to this we got in the habit of playing pickleball (a mini tennis type game) every day and followed it up with some mini golf.


I’m not sure that the exercise offset the food on offer, but we had to do something other than just eat. So the daily (weather permitting) exercise was our attempt. For those who caught up with Jill when we were in Brisbane, will remember the terrible pneumonia cough that she had, needless to say this made playing a tennis derivative a little on the interesting side.

Andorra

Andorra

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Andorra is a tiny nation set high in the Pyrenees mountains on the border of Spain and France.

Andorra is the world’s 16th-smallest country by land and 11th-smallest by population.

Most importantly, coming to Andorra ticked up Country #94 for me and Country and Territory # 131. Jill still sits two behind me on the tally.

The whole place is under 500 sq/km and there are less than 80,000 Andorrans, but it sits at an average elevation of about 2km, a little under Australia’s highest point (Mount Kosciuszko).

Interestingly, 10% of the country has been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. But the real claim to fame of Andorra is that it is a tax haven. There is no sales tax, no inheritance, estate or transfer tax and no tax is paid on Andorran investment income. There is a 10% tax on income (both private and corporate) and a 4.5% VAT. But that is it.

It has signed onto various money laundering, transparency and international cooperation treaties etc taking away the official haven status. But it has remained a shopper’s paradise. The shops are open 361 days a year, they open earlier and close later than almost everywhere else in Europe, and the tax rate is much lower.

Alcohol, tobacco, electronics, perfumes, cosmetics, and designer clothes are often significantly cheaper than elsewhere.

What this means in real terms is that the place is one giant shopping mall (in fact over a thousand of them). The borders are lined with massive duty-free stores by the dozen (imagine row after row of Bunnings or Costco stores) all hunting the tourist trade.

Andorra la Vella

Andorra la Vella is the capital city and sits on the Valira River near the confluence of the Valira del Norte and Valira de Oriente rivers. The country is a marvel of engineering as it is virtually all perched on either side of a mountain with a fast-running river splitting the place in two. The roads and highways hug the river bends, cross regular bridges and bore through long tunnels under the mountains.

Our accommodation was in the heart of town in the shopping mile on Meritxell Avenue. But having had a monster transit (Brisbane to Doha 14hrs, two hour layover, Doha to Barcelona 7hrs, two hour layover, 5 hr bus ride to Andorra) we arrived and crashed.

But we awoke to one of the most amazing breakfasts that we had ever encountered. It started with the view as we looked out on the mountains with the villages precariously perched on the sides. Then the buffet came, it was magnificent, the usual continental fare, cereals, some hot mixes, great coffee and the crowning glory was the fresh honeycomb delivering your honey.

Having had our fill we headed towards old town (neither of us really being big shoppers). The first thing we came across was the 16th- century fortified house known as Casa de la Vall (house of the valley) that currently serves as the Consell General (Andorran parliament) and has done so since 1702.

The next thing to pop up was the Church of San Esteban (Saint Stephen), a church that preserves the atrium and circular bell tower from the 11th century. Originally Romanesque, it has been modified and expanded several times.

To say that the old town is small is an understatement, but that which was there, was nice. As the town was set high in the valley, there was a walkway that ran along the top overlooking the whole place. We stupidly decided to do the walk. For those of you reading along from Brisbane, you will know that Jill had a debilitating cough and mine was better than hers but not great.

With that in mind, we climbed the side of the mountain, going up numerous stairs to reach this walkway. The views once up there were great, but we nearly killed ourselves getting up there. Jill’s pneumonia had her wheezing terribly and my general distaste for stairs was enough to leave me unimpressed.

Having negotiated the steep descent we were back in the heart of the shopping district, with no interest in shopping. So we took some happy snaps (not of shopping malls) and wandered the streets and decided that Jill being able to breathe was important, so retired to our room to recover.

On our way out (after yet another magnificent breakfast) we ended up down by the river where we could take in the Margineda Bridge. A Romanesque bridge that crosses the Valira River in the old village. This is the largest medieval bridge preserved in Andorra.

Andorra was lovely, even though it was basically just one big duty-free shop. The scenery was nice, the engineering was impressive and if it wasn’t for the need to hike up and down the side of a mountain everywhere you go I may have liked it a bit more.

Atlantic Islands

Bermuda

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Bermuda is another of those self-governing British overseas territories. This one lies in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is an archipelago of 7 main islands and about 170 islets and rocks.

Bermuda was first discovered by Juan de Bermúdez in the early 16th century but was not settled until the following century when in 1609, a shipwreck of the vessel Sea Venture stranded Bermuda’s first settlers. In 1612 sixty more English settlers were sent to colonise the island. Slavery continued in Bermuda until it was outlawed across the British Empire in 1833. 

Like most people, the Bermuda Triangle and beaches were about all I knew about the area before getting here. Let’s start with size, it is very small (30km long and 3 km wide at its widest) and the whole place only has about 65,000 people.

The Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil’s Triangle, is a geographic region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where many planes and ships are believed to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

While the Bermuda Triangle is not an officially recognized area, it is possible to display the Bermuda Triangle on a map since its boundaries are generally considered to be between Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico (each location being one of the three points of the triangle).

Despite the claims of ships and planes mysteriously going missing within this triangular region, the scientific evidence suggests that the Triangle is no more dangerous than any other part of the ocean.

The idea of the Bermuda Triangle arose in the mid-20th century after some media reporting that detailed the loss of several planes and ships since World War II. Triangle writers have used a number of supernatural concepts to explain the events. Some hypothesise that a parallel universe exists in the Bermuda Triangle region, causing a time/space warp that sucks the objects around it into a parallel universe. Others attribute the events to UFOs. One explanation pins the blame on leftover technology from the mythical lost continent of Atlantis.

Made up of a string of islands in the Sargasso Sea, Bermuda is famous for its picturesque beaches and the reefs that ring the islands, making it one of the world’s top diving destinations. It is famous for pink sand beaches (that get their colour from pulverized coral and shells).

Our first foray into Bermuda was a bit of a fizzer as it was a short day (about 5 hrs available). We were booked to do a snorkelling tour of two shipwrecks (the Constellation and the Montana).

The day we arrived was at the tail of a hurricane, meaning that windspeeds and wave heights were too strong for us to snorkel safely in the open water, so the trip got cancelled. As it was the middle of the time available we had kind of, cut ourselves out of time to poke about the town.

They offered either our money back or a glass bottom boat booze cruise with all the rum punch you can drink. The booze cruise did not appeal so we had a cursory glance around the port area, and that was about all we got to see or do. Thankfully we were due to return 10 days later.

Both times we arrived at the Royal Naval Dockyard, a former British Royal Navy base turned into a cruise ship terminal and tourist hotspot. The Navy established the Dockyard after their defeat in the American war of independence which left Britain without a secure mid-Atlantic anchorage.

Our second foray was again at the tail of a weather event meaning that the snorkelling trip would still not be on. The obvious thing to do was to hop on the ferry and head over to the main town of Hamilton. But in the leadup, we had a conversation with a regular visitor to the island who told us of the all-day (24-hour) ferry ticket.

As we were in port for about 40 hours this time around, we had more time and could explore more broadly. When we had an overnight in Cartagena, Colombia we got off and stayed on shore amongst the locals and had a great time. So we looked into the same thing here in Bermuda. A single night’s accommodation in Bermuda ran to about $1000 AUD. So we did not do that.

Instead, we were up early and on the first ferry away from the port and up to the town of St Georges. The entry to the port was past some historic forts and through a couple of narrow groins (that took us two attempts to line up right). And it was a good thing that we were up and out as the wind whipped up and the St Georges port was closed shortly after our arrival.

St Georges (and its fortifications) was Bermuda’s first capital, founded in 1612, and is the oldest continually inhabited English settlement in the New World. The town overflows with cobblestone alleys and 17th and 18th century architecture.

The town was nice, but with a population of around 1500, as you would imagine, it didn’t take us long to see the place. From here our all-day ticket gave us access to the round island bus. So we hopped the number 1 bus and explored and lapped the whole island.

Through the golf courses, along the narrow lanes, past the crystal caves and some stunning beaches and on to the capital, Hamilton. If St Georges was small at 1500, then Hamilton only had 900. It was set up as the business and shopping district but virtually nobody lived here.

From here it was back on a ferry and a return to the port (getting drenched in the process) for a nap before heading out again. We had booked in that evening to have dinner at the Frog and Onion Pub, an allegedly iconic venue. So after a warming shower, we were out again, for what was a very short visit.

The area around the port was really pretty, but our arrival at the Frog and Onion saw an extortionate menu of both food and beverages. Jill checked it out and found that food in Bermuda was on average 65% more expensive than in New York City. We ordered a beer each (over $50) after tax and tip, glanced at the menu and decided to get back on the ship and eat our meal on the boat.

The next morning it was up to explore the dockyards more fully (the day before had been cut short due to weather and everything closing at 6pm). What looked like a second large fort on top of the hill was our target. We figured that we could get a fair exercise wandering about that. But no.

It was in such a state of disrepair that it was closed to the public and some sketchy photos through the fence were the best we could do. The only other thing left on the docks was the clocktower shopping centre, the expected collection of t-shirts and trinkets for the old people not willing to explore further than the immediate dock area (there are more of these than you would imagine).

The Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo houses a collection of marine life, including sharks, turtles and colorful coral reefs. You can also explore the zoo, which is home to a diverse range of animals.

Snorkel Park Beach sits almost directly behind the dockyards and offers white sand, bars and restaurants. It is the closest and easiest snorkelling and swimming spot that you can simply walk to.

But it will cost you $15 each to get in, $40 (each) if you want a lounger and another $20 if you want an umbrella.

Bermuda was nice enough, but the weather hampered our snorkeling aspirations. We are glad that we came but the exorbitant pricing probably leaves it in the ‘been there done that’ category rather than the ‘must come back to’ one.

America

More of Florida

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Florida’s Space Coast

Florida’s Space Coast is a stretch of land that runs almost 120 km (72 miles) taking in a range of beach communities. All American space launches carrying NASA astronauts have departed from here.

For us, it felt almost exactly like a carbon copy of what the Gold Coast of Queensland looked like back in the 1970’s and 80’s (before the wall of high rises took over.

We stayed at a place called Cocoa Beach, about 24 km south of the space centre. It had been a small town since the 1920’s but had its major population growth during the 1950s-60s when it spiked 1000% as a result of the US space program. Cocoa Beach was the setting for the 1960s sitcom ‘I Dream of Jeannie’, although no episodes were actually filmed there.

There is a main highway running along the middle with a couple of blocks of 1-4 storey buildings fronting the beach. The larger buildings are the start of major tourist developments, but thus far have been staved off, meaning the place has kept an old-world charm.

On one of our cruises, we met a couple of sisters (Iris and Lee) from Florida, who we stayed in touch with over Facebook. When I posted that we were headed that way, Iris reached out and the next day they came and picked us up from our hotel and amused us thoroughly over the afternoon.

The first stop was to the infamous Walmart, for a shopping experience of a lifetime. Jill bought a huge (50oz) sippy cup and I got a couple of stupid logo shirts.

From here we were off on a local’s tour of the area. This saw us having lunch on the docks, cruising the beaches, sipping beers at some local beachside bars and getting key lime pie from a famous venue. Apparently, the key lime pie place has a 5 foot 11 inch, blind alligator (Sweetie) out front on the weekends (we were there midweek). Sweetie was sworn in on August 22nd, 2020 by Brevard County Sheriff Sheriff as a Deputy Sheriff.

Port Canaveral

Port Canaveral is a deep water port in central Florida that tries to serve as the Central Florida maritime gateway for the import and export of consumer goods. Despite this, 80% of the Port’s revenue is generated from the cruise business. This ensures that it has state-of-the-art facilities to service even the largest and most sophisticated cruise ships. that now homeport or make a port call for the day.

Entry to the port is past the Exploration Tower. This is a 7 storey structure with educational setups on each floor. These are both marine life and space-related (go figure).

The top storeys are viewing decks for both the port facilities and also the space launches when they are on.

Five different cruise lines use this area as either a base or a port.

Port Canaveral also has fishing charters and one-of-a-kind, waterfront dining that serves some of the freshest seafood in Florida.

Space launches

The earth rotates west to east and is at its fastest at the equator. To launch a vessel into space takes a lot of energy, so if you launch in an easterly direction from near the equator, you can use this rotation to gain speed, thereby increasing the fuel efficiency of the rocket. Add to this that not all launches are successful, launching from an empty area and into the ocean minimises the danger to people. For all of these reasons, this area was chosen and has served as the primary launching site for NASA since 1961.

Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral is a beachside community on Florida’s ‘Space Coast‘. The city lies between family vacationers and cutting-edge space travel technology. It has warm weather (hot and humid) almost all year round, beautiful scenery, outdoor amenities, and one of the largest deepwater ports in the world.

The main attraction for the area is obviously the Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex. The complex is organised chronologically using mission names for the various zones – Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and beyond. The centre started in 1963 when NASA allowed self-guided tours and later funding was approved for a full-scale visitor centre.

Today the Complex sits on 42 acres and is America’s front-row view of space travel and its evolution. The centre offers historic artifacts, tours, astronaut encounters, rocket launches, models and simulations of future space travel.

Needless to say, the experience does not come cheaply ($75 USD per person admission), especially if you want to tack on any of the additional goodies. The add-ons are on top of the entry and may include:

  • $70 for a launch ticket viewing
  • $50 (plus tax) to chat with an astronaut
  • $30 Walk on Mars through VR
  • $30 weightlessness spacewalk in the Microgravity Simulator
  • $150 live and work on Mars (simulator)

Being so close to Cape Canaveral, the first thing we did was to google a launch schedule, only to find that the official NASA site listed no launches in the time we were there. Enter our saviours, Lee and Iris. They pulled up the Space Monkey site which lists all launches and not just the NASA ones. Lee pulled it up on her phone and found a launch taking place at 4:52am the following morning. We would have missed this all together.

Just as importantly as finding the launch, she talked us through what to expect. This proved critical as we would have left after the initial launch and would have missed the best bits.

For anyone reading along, this was a truly amazing experience, and both Jill and I want to come back to see more.

We wandered out of our hotel and walked down to the beach, before the scheduled launch time. From a totally free ($$$) spot on the shoreline, we stared at some flashing lights that we guessed would be the launch site.

All of a sudden the entire sky lit up as a ball of flames slowly rose from the earth.

It disappeared behind some clouds, reappeared and then disappeared out of the atmosphere.

At this point I would have thought that it was all over, but Lee and Iris told us to wait.

About 3 minutes after the light show ended, this low rumbling noise started to grow until your entire chest was rattling at the noise of the rocket (physics in action – light moving faster than sound etc).

After this you would think it was done, but no, keep waiting.

After about 7 minutes the booster rocket detaches from the rocket and reenters the atmosphere as a flaming, plummeting fireball.

Once again, it was time to go, but no. About a minute later the sonic boom from the booster rocket shook you to your very core.

Oh my, what an experience.

Having done all of this, the show was finally over and it was safe to go.

I cannot express just how good an experience this was.

I want to come back and do it again, and again.

From June to October, the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and Indian River Lagoon come alive with bioluminescence – light produced by chemical reactions in the bodies of living things.

Glittering dinoflagellates and pulsing Comb Jellies, create mystical light shows that you can see for yourself via kayak excursion. Structures within these algae ignite with light when disturbed. This acts as both a shield against predators and a lure for prey. But as kayakers slice through the night water, their movements spur the dinoflagellates to burst into light.

Orlando

Only 45 minutes away is the major city of Orlando. Cited in the heart of central Florida it is mostly known as the home of the theme parks (there are over a dozen here). There are four theme park resorts in Orlando over a dozen different theme parks and sub variations.

  • Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks is the largest theme park resort in America. It has four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom), includes 22 hotels, and two water parks.
  • Universal Studios features four theme parks (Universal Studios, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay) along with a Water Park and eight hotels.
  • SeaWorld has the usual marine attractions, rollercoasters and other theme park rides.
  • Aquatica – another water based zoo
  • Fun Spot America – all rides
  • Icon Park (including the SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium)
  • Magical Midway Thrill Park – rides
  • Gatorland – 3 guesses
  • Dinosaur World – 3 guesses
  • Safari Wilderness – and about 4 other zoo style parks as well
  • Legoland
  • Peppa Pig Theme Park
  • Tank America – drive in a tank and run over cars.

We looked at attending one of the theme parks but on closer examination, it would have cost us the better part of $1000 Australian for a one day pass to one of the major theme parks. Neither of us really being that much into rides, and having seen so much of the world already, we chose to keep our cash and pass on the parks.

I am certain that they would have been entertaining, but in your 50’s the idea of seeing Mickey Mouse is not as interesting as it may have once been.

America

New York

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I cannot state clearly enough how much I did not want to come to New York. This has never been something that I wanted to see or go to, but figured as part of this global exploration that I would have to go some day.

Well this was my day (two as it happened) an we only came because it was part of the ship’s itinerary.

I don’t know whether it is possible to be racist against an entire city, but if it is, then I am. I have never been here before and my only knowledge of New York has come from the television and movies. And from these depictions alone I have developed a deep hatred of the city, its people and all it stands for (at least by portrayal). The ‘we are the best’ attitude (in my opinion) is arrogant, misplaced and unwarranted and this rubs me up the wrong way and has done for decades now.

But I have friends who have been and loved the place and speak highly of it. So here we are, in New York City with me trying to take it how I see it and remove the preconceived chip off my shoulder.

Before even arriving we had a win. The original plan was to arrive and land in New Jersey cruise ship port, this would have left us 35 kilometers from NYC and would necessitate a (minimum) 45 minute commute each way. Instead we came right up the Hudson River and ported at Pier 88, a mere 15 minute walk (through Hells Kitchen) to Times Square and the heart of the city.

Arriving by water our entry saw us floating past the Statue of Liberty (at 4:30 in the morning) and Ellis Island (the original US immigration entry point and now museum).

Despite my innate hatred of the place, I must admit to having a level of excitement at the thought of coming in this way and seeing the ‘Chick with a Stick’.

On July 4, 1884 France presented the United States with the Statue of Liberty. It stands 15-storeys tall (without its pedestal). It was shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in crates, and rebuilt in the U.S. as France’s gift to the American people. A couple of days later, on our exit from New York, we would again pass the Statue of Liberty. But this time it would be 4pm and would allow for much better photographs than our grainy nighttime efforts.

Our captain had checked with the port authorities and discovered that the river (Hudson) would be relatively quiet, so he asked for and was granted permission to do some 360’s in front of the statue. On arrival we stopped, put the thrusters on and the ship slowly rotated 3-4 times allowing everyone ample opportunity to get as many photos as they wanted.

Well almost everyone. I had hoped to get a selfie with the statue in the background. As Jill’s phone camera has a better zoom function she went first while I held the table and our seats in the lounge. And for the next 45 minutes I kept holding the table until the ship straightened up and sailed out of the Hudson River, and then Jill returned. I raced out to try and get my selfie but by this stage you could not even tell there was an island there, let alone a statue.

The night time entry and afternoon departure also allowed for some pretty nice photos of the city as we came in and out.

Our ship ported at Pier 88 which was as central a location as we could have hoped for. Our tourist run started with the walk to Times Square. This is one of those things that is highly publicised as a must see, but in reality is just a tourist hellhole. The square itself is much smaller than you imagined and the official writeups have been forced to include most of the surrounding business district (including the theatre district) making it (according to wiki) a bowtie-shaped plaza five blocks long between 42nd and 47th Streets.

It is lit up 24 hours a day and according to the tourist blurb the brash advertisements add to the ambience. It is the site of the annual New Year’s Eve ball drop (which began in 1907) but from my perspective it was an incredibly overrated and underwhelming mess of lights, electronic billboards, touts and rip off merchants.

Our arrival in Times Square was done mainly as it was the launching point for the HOHO bus that we had organised. New York City is large, there is much to see, and our time was limited, so the HOHO was our choice for getting around. It was not cheap, but logistically it was the best option. There are at least 3 and up to 5 companies offering almost identical HOHO experiences, we chose the Big Bus.

It operates 2 routes, the Downtown (red loop) takes in M&M’s World, Bryant Park, Empire State Building / KoreaTown, Flatiron District, Soho, Chinatown / Little Italy, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street / Charging Bull, Statue of Liberty / Battery Park, World Trade Center, Chelsea / Pier 57, Hudson Yards, and the Circle Line Sightseeing (the ferry to the statue of liberty).

Bryant Park is Midtown Manhattan’s town square, with seasonal gardens, eateries, bars. Apart from being insanely busy at all times it looked really nice.

The Empire State Building is the next stop and has consistently been rated as number one on the list of Top Attractions in the World.

There is an observatory deck on levels 86 ($44) and 102 ($79) both of which attract an additional $5 booking fee.

The Flatiron District is named after the famous triangular Flatiron building.

This was (of course) covered in scaffolding when we came past.

Soho was next which is the obscenely expensive shopping district (we stayed on the bus).

Chinatown and little Italy were next and this was our lunch stop (on the second loop around). Grotty streets full of African immigrants selling stolen and knock off gear from sheets on the ground (very reminiscent of Europe).

Brooklyn Bridge was next, closely followed by the financial district and the famous Wall Street Bull (great photos to be had here).

Statue of Liberty / Battery Park we skipped and hopped off at the World Trade Center and the 911 memorial. Being a Tuesday the museum was closed but the area is nice and was well worth the visit. The memorial has been done in a simple and understated manner and was very good.

The last stops were the Chelsea / Pier 57, Hudson Yards (old rail yards and residential development), and the Circle Line Sightseeing (ferry to the Statue of Liberty). We skipped these but did take note of the extensive pier redevelopment that was taking place along the Hudson River. The river was dotted with Piers (we were parked in Pier 88) many of which were long past their use by date. Being a big city with limited green space, the authorities have been redeveloping old piers to add recreational areas to the city.

The Uptown (blue loop) crosses path with the red loop at Bryant Park and takes in Hope Sculpture, Midtown East, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park Zoo, Columbus Circle and Carnegie Hall (covered in scaffolding). Our main purpose of the uptown loop was that we had booked tickets to the American Museum of Natural History.

Central Park is an 840 acre park in the middle of Manhattan that extends about 4km long (between 59th and 110th streets) and 800 meters wide (between Fifth and Eighth avenues).

It is divided for convenience into four “quadrants” (from south to north). The southern end is dominated by the zoo, the second section is named the great lawn, for pretty obvious reasons. The third section is around mid way with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum on each side of the park then the Reservoir (a 106 acre pond).

According to wiki the park was fully landscaped when built in the 1850s and 1860s. It has eight lakes and ponds that were created artificially by damming natural seeps and flows. There are several wooded sections, lawns, meadows, and minor grassy areas. There are 21 children’s playgrounds and almost 10 km) of drives. It is also one of the most filmed locations in the world.

Day one over, we got changed and headed back out for night one. It has been written up everywhere that you cant go to New York without seeing a show on Broadway. This to me was one of those arrogant things where they think that everything here is the best. But we were here overnight, so why not. On recommendation from my mate Jimmy we bought tickets to the Book of Mormon.

It is a musical comedy from the creators of South Park. The story follows two Mormon missionaries as they attempt to preach to the inhabitants of a remote village in Uganda.

Needless to say the locals are more interested in dealing with HIV/AIDS, famine, female genital mutilation, child molestation, and oppression by the local warlord.

The show itself was hilarious, poking fun at (almost all) organised religion in a highly inappropriate manner. There were times when I has tears running down my cheeks from laughter. The experience on Broadway itself was not as pleasant. Our night started with being inundated with passive cannabis smoke, smelling uncollected rubbish and urine, while watching two homeless men fighting (full on punches and stick style weapons) 10 meters from the theatre door. Thankfully there was no guns but all of this unfolded directly in front of us.

Right next door to our pier (88) at Pier 86 is the Intrepid Museum, this is a WWII aircraft carrier (the Intrepid) that is stacked with a bunch of military stuff, right in the heart of the city. The Intrepid was launched in 1943 and survived five kamikaze attacks, and one torpedo strike during WWII. The ship later served in the Cold War, the Vietnam War and as a NASA recovery vessel.

The flight deck of the carrier has dozens of military aircraft including fighter jets, a supersonic spy plane, the Concorde and many helicopters, while its halls host much more. Some of the things you can see are the Enterprise (first space shuttle), Growler (the only nuclear-weapons-carrying submarine open to the public). For my mate Mike who is a plane and military nut I have included the link to the full aircraft guide of what is there and the various specifications of each of the planes ( https://live-intrepid-museum.pantheonsite.io/media/aircraft-guide.pdf ). Being right next door, and a taller ship, we got a fantastic view of the aircraft on deck and many people made the trek inside.

The next morning it was up and on the road again. There were a few domestic things that we needed to sort and then it was off exploring again. Thankfully the HOHO bus saved our legs (we had done over 20,000 steps the day before even with the bus).

Given the tight timeline of the day before we hopped back on the red loop (Downtown) for another run (there was just too much to see on a single day). We were not up and out quite as early as the day before so we got hit with considerably worse traffic. But we did get to do all of the New York City iconic sights.

A bit like the pier redevelopment, New York is now home to the High Line. The High Line operated between 1934 and 1980 as a freight railway where it carried meat to the Meatpacking District, agricultural goods to the factories and warehouses and mail to the Post Office. After falling into disrepair it was salvaged by residents and in 2009 sections of the elevated freight rail line above the streets of Manhattan were taken over and turned into a public park.

It was saved from demolition by neighborhood residents and the City of New York. It now serves as a hybrid public space where visitors can experience nature, art, and design.

Our trip out of town was as described earlier, with the 360 degree turns in front of the statue of liberty. I had dreaded the trip to New York, but actually quite enjoyed it (for the most part). Decades of movie and TV watching has made the place weirdly familiar. It was not as horrible as I had dreaded, neither was it as big or as tall as I expected, the sights I had imagined as huge were actually just normal.

  • So do I still hate New York City? Probably not.
  • Did it live up to the hype? Definitely not.
  • Is it as big as I expected? No
  • Are the skyscrapers overwhelming? No
  • Was I disappointed? A little.
  • Will I come back? Probably not.

But my overwhelming memories of New York will be the smell. The entire place reeks of weed, piss and garbage.

Canada

Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Halifax is the capital and most populous city (about half a million) of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The native name Kjipuktuk (che-book-took) means “Great Harbour” in the native Mi’kmaq language. It owes its existence to its location as it sits on one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural harbours in the world.

Our ship pulled into the docks with the town on the right and Georges Island on the left. Georges Island is the home of Fort Charlotte, an old fortification with a maze of brick tunnels that once housed the ammunition for the fort’s powerful guns in bomb-proof security.

The right hand side featured one of the best developed port and dock facilities that we have experienced so far. This place has truly developed to maximise its harbourside and centralise the tourism. The wide boardwalk and infrastructure that has been built on the harbourfront really makes it a tourist friendly environment.

The waterfront is several kilometers long, with cafe’s, shops, restaurants, breweries and bars lining almost every step of the way. The boardwalk has statues, parks, swings, historical markers, and educational signposts all the way along. Some places do their ports well, but this place was a step above.

The city itself is dominated by the hilltop Citadel, a star-shaped fort completed in the 1850’s. Four fortifications have been constructed on Citadel Hill since the city was founded by the English in 1749

All but the third iteration have been called the Halifax Citadel. The last part built is a concrete star fort. While never attacked, the Citadel has long been the keystone to defence of Halifax Harbour.

At the approach to the Citadel you find the Town Clock (sometimes called the Citadel Clock Tower). It is a three-tiered octagonal tower built in 1803 on a box, originally facing the barracks. It is four-sided so that soldiers had no excuse for tardiness.

With over 13,000 kilometers of coastline, Nova Scotia offers an abundance of seaside entertainment options. Most notably it is known for its lobster and seafood.

Nova Scotia has some of the most fertile lobster fishing grounds on the planet. It has become the lifeblood of many working fishing communities in Nova Scotia as they hunt for the Atlantic Lobster. The tourism board has developed the Lobster Trail which is a collection of lobster restaurants and diners around Nova Scotia. On offer along the trail include traditional lobster dinners, chowders and rolls. Then there are some rather odd offerings like lobster poutine, lobster tacos, and lobster mac & cheese.

Along with the Lobster trail, Nova Scotia also has a Good Cheer Trail. This trail celebrates the abundance of wineries, breweries, cideries, distilleries and meaderies that are throughout the province. The Good Cheer Trail celebrates all five of these craft beverages.

Along with the waterfront, the rest of the town has a nice collection of Street Art. Interesting murals abound and almost every corner reveals something new or surprising.

The Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia, was founded in 1817 but did not have its permanent home in Halifax until it took over the old Methodist church and established the Church of Saint David.

Originally built in 1868-69 the Church overlooks and is surrounded by the old Methodist burial ground.

Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica is a Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in downtown Halifax.

Pope John II visited the cathedral back in 1984 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Cathedral.

With thousands of kilometers of coastline, it’s no surprise Nova Scotia has the largest number of lighthouses of all of the Canadian provinces. There are more than 150 dotting the coastline. Lighthouses are a common sight along the coasts and remain an important symbol of the past, and highlight the coastal landscapes. Some lighthouses are open to the public with guided tours, while others can be accessed from short trails and hikes.

The town is small with not that much going on, but everything that there is is on full display and is easily accessible. I am not entirely sure that I have ever been in a city or town with as many pubs, restaurants and bars. It seems like every block has at least 5 bars on it. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but as you walk block after block the numbers really add up.

Canada

Newfoundland

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Newfoundland and Labrador is a province on the far east of Canada. The island, was named by late 15th-century explorers as the New Found Land.

It has an area of 405,000 sq/km and a population just over half a million and is often called the “seabird capital of North America”. Being on the ocean, Newfoundland has extensive access to marine wildlife with whale watching (from boats or the shore) all year round. The peak of this is July and August (when we were there).

The water off Newfoundland is the perfect place to spot humpback whales, which can grow to almost 16 meters long. Along with the humpbacks there are 22 species of whales that visit Newfoundland at some point during the year. Travel websites consistently rate it as one of the world’s friendliest places.

St. John’s

Our entry was into the capital, largest city of the region and one of the oldest cities in North America St Johns. It sits on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland and is most easterly city in North America.

The city is located on a man made harbour protected on one side by Signal Hill and on the other side of the narrows Fort Amherst (a lighthouse with the remains of gun emplacements built during World War II to defend against German U-boats).

The town/city has been inhabited since 1497 with a permanent settlement for most of the 16th century. A city of São João in this location was placed on a Portuguese map from 1519.

Our entry saw us wandering along the esplanade to the Newman Wine Vaults the region’s only publicly accessible historic wine cellar. A really great historical tour through the cellars for very little money.