Year 2 Day 362 – “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 4/26/2023. Day 12 (Cartegena, Colombia) of 21-night Radiance of the Seas Galveston TX to Los Angeles, CA cruise. We are up at the Windjammer 6am as we are pulling into Cartegena, Columbia.
Cartagena Cruise Port is predominantly industrial. Two of the port’s six piers are dedicated to cruise ships. It is going to be a beautiful day.
Here’s a video of what to expect on the Radiance of the Seas breakfast buffet.
After breakfast we went to our balcony. The busses are lined up to take people on excursions.
Colombia is very hot. At 7:45 am this morning Colombia time it was 99.1 degrees Fahrenheit on our balcony. It was 49 degrees Fahrenheit on our deck at home in Kentucky at 8:45 am. In the sun it is extremely hot here even in the early morning.
There is a lot of crew members getting off with their suitcases. They are going home.
We got off the ship and headed into Port Oasis Cruise ship terminal. There is a free shuttle service from the ship to the port terminal and back. It is very walkable though and we walked.
Walking through this port is a great experience. The small animal sanctuary is clean, free, and nice to walk around in. You can spend a good two hours enjoying this port. The animals are free roaming which is very cool.
The port duty free shop had lots and lots of cartons of cigarettes. I have never seen cartons of cigarettes with Smoking Kills labels on them before. I guess I never look at cigarettes. These warning labels you could not miss.
While in port we saw this dredge named DON RODO. I really wanted to learn about it, but all I could find was this link. The man working on the dredge did not speak English. A lot of people working in this port do not speak English. For us this is an issue. We think it is a dredge. Here’s a link to what I found. At some point I will work on translating it. https://m.eluniversal.com.co/…/relimpia-de-la-darsena…
If interested in Port days in Cartegena, Columbia here are two other days we were here. Cartagena, Colombia
1) https://deestimes.com/…/serenade-of-the-seas-day-6-of…/
2) https://deestimes.com/…/living-the-dream-day-293-day-5…/
We spent a few hours in port. Then we walked back to the ship for Lunch and a swim in the ship’s pool.
Captain Rumen is one of the best Captain’s for keeping people informed. His noon time announcements are wonderful. He speaks so highly of the people in his whole crew. We had lunch on the back of the ship. The view is beautiful as we eat lunch. There is a Statue of Virgin Mary in Cartagena Harbor, Cartagena, Colombia.
The captain and other officers were also eating lunch in the back. Remember our philosophy – “Follow the officers they know the best place and best food to eat on the ship”. Off the ship watch any of the crew members. They know where the best food is with the best prices. They also know where to shop.
Look at this video. The view is outrageously gorgeous from the back of the ship. Look how pretty the city is.
The last few cruises we have been so disappointed with the food. But this ship has the best food, best captain, and best employees. The problem is the ship is old and has shower curtains. This afternoon the ship is taking on fuel. We got fuel in Galveston and now here in Columbia. Midafternoon we found ourselves sitting in the Diamond Lounge having coffee contemplating the really intricate 12-foot-high cedar totem pole that sits on Deck twelve in front of the Sky Bar. It was carved for the ship by the Native American artist Nathan Jackson of Ketchikan, Alaska. It tells the story “How the Raven Gave the World the Stars, the Moon and the Sun,” from a book of Tlingit Indian traditions by Edward L. Keithahn. There are a few people in the pool, and it is getting cloudy.
Today’s product recommendations are for keeping your skin looking its best at sea and in the sun. My favorite skin care products are made by Elemis. Although I do sometimes try a new product here and there. I actually find myself going back to Elemis. 1) I start my morning in the shower with a face wash. Currently I am using ELEMIS Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash https://amzn.to/3qZkwqC 2) After showering I am currently using ELEMIS Superfood Facial Oil https://amzn.to/3XvfUVu 3) Then the Elemis Pro-Collagen Maine Cream with spf30 gets applied. It is the best. It costs a little more than the drug store creams but wow it works. Whenever I decide I want to buy another less expensive brand I am sorry and head right back to this cream. https://amzn.to/46sJZsH 4) Steve also uses an Elemis product. He tends to break out when he uses sunscreen often. He finds the ELEMIS Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads excellent to use. It cleans that sunscreen out of his pores. When he uses these pads to cleanse his face he does not break out. https://amzn.to/3px1oQn
To see more about Radiance of the Seas, click here: Radiance of the Seas – Deestimes – Make every step of the journey count
To view the complete daily diary, click here: Living the Dream – Deestimes – Make every step of the journey count