The Traveling Widower

Tag: cruising

  • Please Let Me In Your Country

    AI generated image of a distressed man with gray hair and glasses is speaking to an immigration officer at an airport, while a line of passengers waits in the background. The officer appears to be gesturing to the man, who is showing visible emotion.
    Not real, AI generated

    March 19th, 2026

    I really did not think I would have much to write about on my travel day to Panama City. I definitely could have lived without this one incident – yet another major stress.

    The flight out of Houston was OK – about 4 ½ hours of boredom, although I spend some time on an introduction for a book I’ve been thinking of pulling together for the past year. And, I had a window seat, so I of course took a few photo’s, especially once we got to Panama and approached Panama City. You pass over the Pacific side of the canal, and can see all the ships waiting to enter. Pretty amazing. Panama City is also huge and very modern, with some incredible architecture. I hope to get a few pictures this week.

    Aerial view of a coastal city featuring a skyline of tall buildings and a small island in the foreground with waterfront properties.
    Aerial view of a coastal landscape featuring multiple waterways, boats in the water, and a town along the shore, with lush green hills and scattered clouds in the background.
    Aerial view of numerous cargo ships anchored in a calm sea, with an island in the background.
    Aerial view of Panama City with numerous high-rise buildings, surrounded by water and mountains under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

    At any rate, unlike most of the other airports I’ve been to, you exit from the plane right out to a very large concourse. I was expecting that a foreign flight would have a separate, cordoned off passage directly to immigration. Nope. I had no idea where I was going, and noticed a sign which point to Terminal 1 baggage and immigration. So, off I went on yet another airport hike. When I got to immigration, one of the guards asked me what airline I flew in on, and told me I had to go all the way back to Terminal 2. Another airport hike. I was already nervous about the exit flight thing that I experienced with the airline. And of course, it was a problem with the Panama immigration as well. The officer did not speak much English, and was confused when I told him I was boarding a cruise ship and going to Costa Rica. We went back and forth on this for a while, and he eventually found another officer who spoke some English. I pulled out my itinerary for the trip, which had National Geographic in big letters on it, and the guy looked through it – he started asking what we do on the trip. I told him about going to the National Parks, and then cruising through the islands and he seemed to think this was a research or educational ship. He looked at my camera bag and I told him I was a photographer. So, they both went off to the immigration office, and probably told them I was a National Geographic photographer, and they approved my entry, I was not going to disagree. I was really concerned that they were not going to let me in – I was close to getting down on my knees and pleading, but I would have to use Google Translate, and who knows how that would come out –  I could wind up in an El Salvador prison.

    I grabbed my passport after he stamped it, said Muchas gracias, and sped off to get my luggage. I was the only person coming in on this flight, so there was only one person waiting over by the doors with a NatGeo/Lindlbad sign. Fortunately, I noticed him and off we went to the Waldorf Astoria. Success. I made it here alive. Not too bad a hotel room either – it will be hard switching over to the small cabin on the ship after this level of luxury.

    Beautiful room at the Panama City Waldorf Astoria hotel.
    If only the ship cabin was like this…

    I’m going to chill for a while, then go to our group welcome dinner. Tomorrow we tour around the city and the Canal. I’ll be trying out that new lens tomorrow for sure. No more stress. I’ve had enough today.

    Peace

  • Living the Good Life in Antarctica

    November 20th, 2025

    A golden globe sculpture depicting the Americas, with a modern design and illuminated base against a blue background.

    This will in no way, be as weird as the last one. I promise.

    As I’ve mentioned previously, Jan and I avoided cruise vacations, with the exception of the one trip to the South Pacific Islands. The ship we were on, the Paul Gauguin, was relatively small (300 passengers), had all the usual features one would expect on a cruise liner (multiple restaurants, swimming pool, casino, etc.) but at the time, was fairly old and dated. We thought it was nice, but had nothing to compare it to. 

    The three ships I’ve cruised on this past year were even smaller, and were extremely comfortable and function for expedition activities, but not worthy of a separate write up. No complaints at all (other than the cavitation issue), but just not worth describing at any length.

    The ship I’m currently on, the National Geographic/Lindblad Resolution, is worth posting about. I’d seen pictures of it, and kind of glanced through the Web site, but was absolutely floored when I set foot on board. Wow would be an understatement.

    A large cruise ship docked at a port with passengers walking along the waterfront, under a cloudy sky.

    At first glance, as we walked up from the catamarin we had cruised around the Ushuaia harbor, the ship looked huge compared to the 3 other ships I had sailed on. It is an ice breaker, and has to have more bulk, but you don’t really get a feel for how “bulky” until you walk up to it. The ship is relatively new, and has the smell of a new place. It’s beautiful inside – very modern, and extremely high-tech. They have an IT officer who manages all the software (hmmm …. I’d go back to work to get that job).  Rather than go on endlessly like I always seem to do, I’ll just throw out a bunch of photo’s with descriptions.

    A crowd of people seated in a modern lounge during a presentation, with a speaker in front addressing the audience.
    Interior view of a modern lounge area with seating arrangements and screens, featuring a stylish design with columns and large windows.

    The photos above are of the ships lounge, name the Ice Lounge – this is the gathering place for presentations, mandatory training, and daily summaries. It also had the main bar, and the photography workshop. Very techy, with LCD screens all over the place, and a great view toward the aft. 

    Interior of a lounge with two modern chairs and a small table, featuring a glass of an iced drink. Background displays a large window overlooking the ocean with cloudy skies, and two screens showing 'National Geographic Expeditions' branding.

    The lounge is also a nice place to watch the sunset with a nightcap – this was at 10:15PM. It never really gets dark this time of year

    A modern lounge area with curved chairs, large windows, and a view of the ocean. A globe sculpture is displayed on a pedestal, and a telescope is set up nearby.
    A view of a navigational map displayed on a touchscreen table in a modern room with large windows, offering a scenic view of the ocean and distant hills.

    The eight level forward has another small restaurant (TheDen) and a library/observatory, the best viewing spot on the ship. There is also a huge “iPad” which has a map and current position. The view is incredible, and if you remember to bring your parka up there, the observation deck is the best place for viewing wildlife and scenery.

    Interior view of a cruise ship lounge with large windows overlooking the ocean. Comfortable seating is arranged in the space, with a person standing by the window.

    We were getting our first views of Antarctica after 4 days of travel. Woo Hoo! This level is also a great place to have breakfast – while watching whales spouting. Never done that before.

    Interior view of a modern cruise ship lounge with round tables and chairs, large windows overlooking the ocean, and ambient lighting.

    Right below the observation deck is the bridge – all the National Geographic/Lindblad ships have an open bridge policy. You can go in anytime of day, unless there is a crises, and as long as you do not touch anything. No steering wheel – it’s all electronic.

    View from the ship's bridge showing navigation equipment and a crew member at the controls overlooking the ocean.
    View of a ship's control room featuring a large touchscreen displaying navigational maps, with the ocean visible through windows in the background.
    The interior of a ship's bridge showing control panels, a large window with a view of the ocean, and a person standing by the controls.

    I was able to talk to Captain Picard for while the last time I was up there. Most of the staff are Klingon. If you touch anything, they will phaser you (on stun of course). The transporter room is right next to the bridge.

    View of a hallway with a striped carpet and wooden walls, featuring circular artwork on the walls. In the distance, there is a sign reading 'TWO SEVEN ZERO' and a window with an abstract view.
    Elegant restaurant interior featuring well-set tables with white tablecloths and blue napkins, bright lighting, and large windows offering views outside.

    The main dining room is on deck 5 (just down the hall from my cabin) – it’s all open seating, and buffet style for dinner. The food is excellent as expected. Lunch and breakfast are also served here, as well as the smaller kitchen on deck 8. Everyone gets an invitation to a special, multi-course tasting dinner at the smaller restaurant. It was a lot like being on the CNN Michelin Star show – the head chef puts out an incredible menu, and you can also do a special wine paring with the meal (it was worth it…of course I did that).

    Menu from Cook's Nook featuring a selection of dishes, including tuna, black cod, duck breast, and apple dessert, along with suggested wine pairings.
    An artistic dessert presented in a gray bowl, featuring a round greenish-gray item, a scoop of yellow sorbet, a slice of dried fruit, cocoa powder, edible shiny crystals, and a delicate pastry decoration resembling a butterfly.
    A beautifully plated dish featuring sliced meat with a glossy sauce, accompanied by asparagus and colorful garnishes on a white plate.
    A gourmet dish featuring a square piece of meat topped with a creamy sauce, accompanied by a slice of cooked carrot and a decorative crisp, presented on a white plate with artistic sauce drizzles.
    A gourmet dish featuring a vibrant green sauce, topped with asparagus, a pink spherical ingredient, and garnished with a dried flower.
    A refined dish served on a wooden tray, featuring various colorful gourmet bites including a jelly sphere, pickled vegetables, and garnishes, presented on newspaper-like paper.

    The ship also has a large spa with sauna’s, two hot tubs, and igloos if you want to sleep out in the freezing cold all night. No thanks.

    Three round artworks displayed on a wall, featuring abstract representations of the sun in various colors and patterns, against a wooden panel background.
    A detailed model of a cruise ship displayed in a glass case, with a background showing a view of the sea through large windows.
    Entrance to 'The Sanctuary' with illuminated signage, featuring a modern design and a hallway leading towards a calming atmosphere.

    And a few more random images above from inside the ship.

    View of the ocean from a cruise ship deck with a clear blue sky and snow-capped mountains in the distance.

    After four days of travel, we can finally see Antarctica. Penguin Day has arrived!!!!