Frosty mornings and chilly days won’t be worrying me next week – I’m flying to Florida today to spend a week cruising in the Caribbean. Virgin Atlantic will be whisking me to Miami, and after a night at the Sheraton Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale I’ll be boarding the biggest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.
I was on one of her short inaugural sailings in November 2010, but this is my first opportunity to see how the giant vessel copes with 6,000-plus passengers on board. The eastern Caribbean itinerary will take us to Royal’s private beach resort at Labadee, on the north coast of Haiti; the new terminal at Falmouth, Jamaica, and to Cozumel in Mexico – where we’ll be one of seven cruise ships in port. Hope I don’t get overwhelmed among the other 18,000 passengers converging on the place.
I’m looking forward to renewing acquaintance with Captain Hernan Zini, and chef Molly Brandt who has recently introduced a new menu to the 150 Central Park restaurant. Not sure whether I’ll be giving the FlowRider or the climbing wall a go during our three sea days; that depends on how energetic I’m feeling.
And I will be kept busy sending updates to this blog – you might think I’m on holiday, but it’s hard work being Captain Greybeard, as last night’s tragic events off the coast of Italy have demonstrated.
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