After our wonderful visit to Lisbon, the Regent Seven Seas Mariner began crossing the Atlantic for 10 days: eight at sea along with two stops at ports of call along the way to eventually get to the point where we started from 154 days ago: Miami.
Our Atlantic Crossing was launched with a musical Portuguese Tea complete with Lisbon’s famous cream tarts (pasteles de crema) and other delicious Portuguese treats in the ship’s Horizon Lounge – yum!
The first stop was in Horta, the capital of Faial Island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. We took an included highlights tour to see the island’s stunning landscapes, which are a result of volcanic eruptions. At the Espalamaca overlook we enjoyed views of Horta and three other Azorean islands: Pico (with its Mount Pico rising to 17,713 feet with its head above the clouds), São Jorge and Graciosa. Driving past picturesque windmills (the Azores were populated by Flemish immigrants in the 15th century) we got to Caldeira, a massive crater left by the now-extinct volcano that created the island of Faial. The crater’s mile-wide depression was blanketed with mists and clouds during our visit but it cleared enough for a photo of its lake. Other highlights of our tour included Capelinhos, with barren, rocky, lunar-like terrain and a lighthouse, the only building to survive the devastation of a volcanic eruption in the mid-20th century. We also drove through verdant Capelo Forest Park and Praia do Norte, a seaside parish shaped by a volcanic eruption in 1672 that is now a surfing mecca.
The second stop of our Atlantic crossing was in Hamilton, Bermuda, and we had been looking forward to it as no matter how many times you visit it, Bermuda is enchanting. We took a half-day included tour that traveled the North Shore Road to view the Governor’s Mansion and crossed the quaint Flatts Village Bridge. Here a narrow channel, where the waters of Harrington Sound and the Atlantic Ocean merge, makes for a quite a sight as the tides rush in and create swirling riptides.
Also of interest in the Town Square area is St. Peter's Church, the oldest Anglican church of the Western Hemisphere. A picture-postcard-perfect town, St. George is lined with cobblestone streets filled with pastel-colored buildings and shops. Other points of interest included the inland lake, Harrington Sound; John Smith’s Bay, and Horseshoe Bay Beach to take in the sweeping view of Bermuda’s legendary pink hued idylls.
In between these stops we, sad to say, had to do some packing and it was quite a job, so we were glad that we had several days at sea to do it comfortably in stages. Special events included a World Cruise Luncheon in the Compass Rose Restaurant – Captain Abhi Singh and General Manager Lui Toro dropped by and greeted every guest! – and a World Cruise “What A Swell Party” in the ship’s Constellation Theater with cocktails, canapés, full show by the 12-member production shows cast, commemorative video and presentation of officers. We received impressive certificates attesting to our having done a circle around the planet (we are going to frame ours!) and we admired the world cruise itinerary cake outside the Compass Rose showing whimsically where the Mariner had taken us (dolphins in Miami, elephants and monkeys in South Africa, and so on).
Our voyage was a magnificent experience, a dream come true. And then we woke up in Miami again. The popular saying that goes, “All good things come to an end” is only partly true in the case of a world cruise: while the journey itself has concluded, the memories of this epic voyage to six continents will, without a doubt, refresh our minds until the end of our lives.
Some quick superlatives of our 154-day world cruise:
· Most memorable: the three world cruise exclusive events: a luau in Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii; a dinner and Maori show in the Auckland Museum in New Zealand, and a dinner with entertainment by an African choir and other artists in Cape Town, South Africa.
· Best adventures: Feeding watermelon slices to pachyderms at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary during our visit to Thailand; seeing lemurs in Madagascar, petting kangaroos in Australia and feeding white cedar branches to giant Aldabra turtles in the Seychelles.
· Most scenic: Our visits to Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti.
· Best meal: Fresh prawns and Balinese specialties at the Four Seasons Bali Jimbaran Bay during our call to this lovely Indonesian island.
· Best tour: the visit and high tea at the iconic Mount Nelson Hotel with its Table Mountain backdrop in Cape Town and with a table overlooking the garden where John Lennon used to meditate. To the soft sounds of piano music, we enjoyed three courses including savories, sweets, and scones along with bubbly and hibiscus tea (one of 60 teas to choose from).
· Best onboard shows and activities: Folkloric shows at ports including Bali, Honolulu and Tahiti; two performances by virtuoso pianist Naki Ataman, and the “Broadway Unplugged” and “Tuxedo” production shows, as well as fun Team Trivia sessions and Guess That Tune contests.
· Most touching and nostalgic: Our visit to Santa Cruz de la Palma in the Canaries where we have roots and the concert there by Cuban violinist Raul Bermúdez featuring songs we had not heard since our teen years.
Follow along with Georgina and Humberto:
Preparing for a World Cruise | The Adventure Begins | Amazing Americas | Crossing the Pacific | Hawaiian Islands | French Polynesia | Venturing to New Zealand | Australia | Bali | Vietnam | Singapore | Seychelles | Madagascar | Thailand | Richards Bay | Cape Town | Europe | Conclusion
By Cruise Specialists client, Georgina Cruz
Georgina Cruz is a freelance travel writer specializing in cruises. Her work has appeared in national magazines and regional publications as well as on travel websites. She has been on more than 200 voyages including seven circumnavigations, all booked through Cruise Specialists.
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