At sea enroute to Ft. Lauderdale: We spent the last two days in the ports of Curaçao and Aruba respectively. These are semi-independent Dutch colonies and very much the better for it.
Oranjestad and Willemstad are cities of considerable charm, particularly Willemstad on Curaçao. If I had to pick a Caribbean island on which to live, it could be Curaçao, or perhaps Trinidad.
I didn't go ashore at either port as I'm trying to get over a cold before making the long, tiring flight back to CA, which happens on Sunday. I've been ashore on both islands on prior cruises.
Political news is in a pre-Christmas lull, our next significant milestone will be the vote of the Electoral College. One thing this trip has provided is good media availability: Fox News, MSNBC, and BBC 24/7, and good internet too.
Gone are the days when a cruise was a vacation from reality. Now we know what happens when everyone else learns it. Staying up-to-date is a mixed blessing.
This has been a nice cruise, I can see why many Holland America aficionados love the Prinsendam, she's old but elegant and gets the job done just fine. All the things that matter are modernized: enclosed lifeboats, wifi, flat screen TV.
It is unlikely I'll post any more travel comments before Sunday's disembarkation.
