We’re back! I’ve taken the liberty to upload most of our honeymoon photos (leaving some duplicates out). I have a few favorites, largely involving tropical landscapes. There are some great ones of Ponzi peppered in the mix as well. I’d probably have a few hundred more snapshots if we weren’t sick for four days – which would have included more trips to Mayan ruins. Check out the turtles from Honduras, the Belize sunset, and the warm farewell from Guatemalans. Of course, please ignore the fact that I completely misspelled the word “Caribbean!” Nevertheless, we had a fantastic time – and would certainly recommend Regent cruises for anybody. I think we were the youngest couple aboard (by a complete generation, easily).

Honeymoon Photos

What’s this? A day on our honeymoon when both Ponzi and I were not respectively sick?! Sounds too good to be true. We celebrated this glorious cough-free day in true honeymooner fashion – by staying indoors and watching television. Nah, that was only until we were ready to dive into the waters of Great Stirrup Cey in the Bahamas. No sooner had I finished applying my fifteenth layer of sunblock (to keep the daylight from burning me to a crisp) than Ponzi was alone on the tender jetting ashore. This was a private island, recently opened exclusively for cruise ship usage. Only Regent’s Seven Seas Voyager passengers were cleared to play on Great Stirrup Cey today, allowing us to wander about the entire area worry-free. Neither of us had to fight for a great spot on the beach, nor did we have to wait to relax in any one of the large hammocks. This “exclusive” island was one of the greatest outdoor luxuries I have ever known.

I’m not much of a swimmer, so I didn’t bother putting on my swim trunks before leaving our cabin. Ponzi encouraged me to come knee-deep, long enough for us to stumble upon a small group of fish. I stood there and watched as small fishes swam around (and through) my legs! Before I knew it, Ponzi was securing snorkel gear for the two of us – despite my earlier failures with snorkeling in Maui. I was coaxed to don the mask and continue into the waters with nothing but my shorts and underwear. Nervously, I slipped the mouthpiece under my lips and pushed my face underwater – and succeeded in not drowning myself. Woo hoo! Yes, we snorkeled for a good hour before heading back to the ship – convinced that today, the last day of our Carribean honeymoon, was the best one yet. We had fun, but I think a large part of our elation was due to not feeling under the weather – and knowing that we’d be returning home very soon.

Snorkeling in Great Stirrup Cey

We had a flightseeing tour over Guatemala scheduled for the day – but early this morning, Ponzi’s body forced us to change our plans. She slept her way through most of the morning hours while I watched Pirates of the Carribean (Dead Man’s Chest) for the first time. No pirates in these Carribean waters now (that I can find)! Today’s excursion would have taken us to Tikal:

Although this region was home to Maya communities as early as 600 BC, Tikal wasn’t established until around 200 BC. By 500 AD, it’s estimated that the city covered more than 18 square miles and had a population of close to 100,000. The great temples that still tower above the jungle were at that time covered with stucco and painted with bright reds and greens. By the 6th century, Tikal governed a large part of the Mayan world, thanks to a leader called Caan Chac (Stormy Sky).

I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to view more of Guatemala’s amazing landscape. After lunch on the Regent Seven seas Voyager, we ventured down into the port’s shopping pavilion. Ponzi and I walked up and down the aisles, seeing thousands of trinkets and unique crafts alike. My dad would be proud of my vastly improved bargaining and negociation skills; as a child, I couldn’t bid a merchant lower to save my wallet. Price on the coffee grounds was set in stone (so to speak), but I found $6.00 more than fair for a pound of pure Guatemalan coffee.

I think the biggest gift we received today was from the population of Santo Tomas de Castillo. As we were preparing to set sail, dozens of local taxis and shopkeeps lined themselves parallel to our ship – to the tune of hundreds of vehicles and random Guatemalans. The cars started to flash their lights and sirens, dancing ensued, and everybody was waving us good-bye. It was an awesome sight – very heartwarming, and quite memorable. I can’t wait to share the video!

Guatemala Coffee and Shopping

Initially, we planned on kayaking in Honduras this afternoon. Tour tickets for this port of call were secured earlier this week, but this morning we found ourselves wanting to take a leisurely approach to the day. We lay by the top deck pool for an hour in between breakfast and lunch (without actually swimming). I sucked down an icy, rum-based beverage – par for the course. “Chris P” started to get crispy, so we knew it was time to head indoors. From there, we decided to take a tender ashore for a short while – if only to take a few photographs and make a few memories. Maybe I’ve become fully Seattlized, but I’m already sunned out for the week!

During the Maya reign in Central America (between the 4th and 10th centuries), the Paya Indians populated the Bay Islands. The Payas were a smaller and less advanced group than the Mayans. Their civilization was characterized by simpler housing and tools. Payan artifacts (pottery, jade, and shells) are often found in Island burial and ceremonial sites and are referred to by the locals as “yaba ding dings.”

According to reports, in the village of Punta Gorda (on Rotan), the locals still make their own homes. I’m guessing there’s not a single Home Depot within a hundred-mile radius of our current location. No matter, we didn’t really get to explore the Island; Ponzi and I hit a single gift shop, strolled along the edge of the beach, circumnavigated the pier, and loitered around a couple of turtle pools before heading back to the cruise ship (less than an hour after leaving it). I think I’m sunburnt.

Rotan Island in Honduras

There’s quite an ecclectic mix of couples aboard the Regent Seven Seas voyager this week. Few of them have discovered the blogosphere, judging from the size of today’s word processing class. I gotta know what other bloggers have done – or plan on doing – for their honeymoon? I probably should have asked this before booking (and then taking) our own Carribean cruise, but I can’t help but wonder just how many options are out there? I’m sure we’re not the only newlyweds going to the Carribean this week. It’d be cool to meet another newlywed blogger on this cruise! Bloggymooners? Honeybloggers? Moonboogers?

Blogger Honeymoons

If you’re going to take a cruise, make sure you book a room with at least one full window and a balcony for two – otherwise, it’s simply not worth the cost. I’m not one for the great outdoors, but you simply can’t beat the views from any private cabin – no matter which direction you happen to be facing.

For our first cruise, Ponzi booked us in a closet with a small porthole – and it was quite uncomfortable. Our other two cruises (including this one, our honeymoon) have been in upgraded suites. 350 square feet may not sound like much, but it’s a perfect size when you’re looking for a home away from home.

I think what surprised us most about our Regent Seven Seas Voyager room was that it came complete with iPod speakers (a full dock from Logitech). We were offered an iPod to use, too – but Ponzi had already brought her own. How’s that for an extreme level of personalization? It’ll likely be twenty years before cruise ships come with Zune ports, I’d imagine. This ship’s a rockin’ – and if you come a knockin’, maybe you should use our doorbell instead? On second thought, this is our honeymoon – and we probably shouldn’t be bothered at all. What am I doing online again?!

Carribean Cruise Surprises

We have our own butler! I’m not sure what this means, though. I think we can ask him to bring us odd things at seemingly random times? “It’s three in the morning – where’s my freshly-pressed cranberry juice?” He asked us a zillion questions up front, but that’s only to make for a seamless experience on the open seas. Regent is spoiling us. I’m gonna call our butler again and ask him if he’ll come back and change the channel for us.

The one thing we’re missing: dress clothes. Thank goodness the ship has its own clothing store, which will most certainly have attire proper for dinner dress. “Informal” isn’t my kind of informal, by the way. Ponzi is using this as an excuse to buy an entirely new wardrobe. Guess it’s never too early to start planning for our next Seattle summer, eh? We’ll likely find a few cheap threads on shore, too. What I really need right now is a keychain (mine broke).

We’re at sea all day – which is fine by me. We’ve scheduled couples massages for each day we’re not docked, which we’re totally going to need after returning from our planned excursions. Ponzi’s got us going kayaking, hiking, flying, drinking, dining, and walking a million miles in comfortable shoes. I’ll do my best to take as many photos as possible. So far, this trip isn’t turning into a “Maui” – and that’s a good thing. And in other news…

Carribean Honeymoon Fun

Well, so much for free WiFi. Our travel agent from Vacations to Go told us that there would be free access available from the ship’s library, but it’s apparently closer to 35 cents a minute (ouch). I’ll just give Pluggd another plug for having kept us plugged in on our Alaskan adventure a few months back. The climate is certainly warmer in southern Florida!

Our experience with Regent has been superior to this point – far exceeding our expectations. The security line was non-existent, and despite not having our cruise passes with us, we were checked in swiftly (manually, as the computer system was down). We were welcomed aboard, guided to the theatre for admission, and promptly handed our suite keys. Five minutes later, we were having a casual lunch on the top deck – where Ponzi asked about the WiFi. The waiter noted that someone would be along in a moment to help with that. Imagine our mutual confusion when someone came along to pour some white wine – which we didn’t want or need. “WiFi” sounds a lot like “white wine” in context, eh?

While the Internet access certainly is not free, I’m able to get online from the comfort of my own bed in the Penthouse. Awesome! We haven’t even left port and already I can tell this is going to be a spectacular experience – as every moneymoon honeymoon should be.

Our Honeymoon Cruise Begins

We made it! The honeymoon has begun! Break out the champagne! Where’s the Tylenol!?

We flew from Seattle to Atlanta, and then from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale – leaving home at 9 AM (PST) and hitting the hotel pillow somewhere around Midnight (EST). It was a long day, but in retrospect – it “flew” (so to speak). The first, and substantially longer, flight was on one of Delta’s newer 757s – with LCD monitors sewn into the back of each seat’s head rest. I watched “Little Miss Sunshine” on demand, a few minutes before Ponzi started to watch the same movie. I laughed, I cried.

After that, I went back to the main menu, flipped through a couple of Dish satellite-powered television stations, then opted to try my hand at a touch-screen clone of Galaga. A few minutes later, my screen had completely locked up – and I didn’t know how to reboot. I fiddled with it for a few minutes and ultimately gave up. Thirty minutes later, it seemed to reset itself – and I saw Linux booting! Yes, I just so happened to capture a few seconds worth of video just for posterity. No telling what distro they’re using, though.

The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant – so it’s pizza delivery for dinner. Our room is cozy, and doesn’t smell like fart. I hate it when hotel rooms smell like fart.

Fart Lauderdale

Ponzi couldn’t take another week of cold, wintery weather – so we’re blasting off to the Carribean for the next couple of weeks for our honeymoon. If you email me between now and then, I likely will not respond. Internet access will be quite limited (as you can very well imagine), but we’re cruising on a six-star Regent ship:

Following closely in the wake of the Seven Seas Mariner, the new 700-guest Seven Seas Voyager is the world’s second all-suite, all-balcony ship and the second to feature a restaurant operated by Le Cordon Bleu of Paris. There are four main dining venues, surprising for a ship of her size. The Voyager also features some of the highest space and service ratios at sea, and her suites are the largest “lead-in” suites in the industry.

We’re flying across the country in a few hours, as our port of departure is somewhere in the great state of Florida. This will be quite a journey! Allegedly, the ship has free WiFi in the library – so I should be able to blog daily updates. If you’d like to track our adventure, here’s where we’ll be (and when):

• Thu Dec 28 – Flight to Florida
• Fri Dec 29 – Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Sat Dec 30 – At Sea
• Sun Dec 31 – Progreso / Merida, Mexico
• Mon Jan 1 – At Sea
• Tue Jan 2 – Roatan, Honduras
• Wed Jan 3 – Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala
• Thu Jan 4 – Belize City, Belize
• Fri Jan 5 – Costa Maya, Mexico
• Sat Jan 6 – Cozumel, Mexico
• Sun Jan 7 – At Sea
• Mon Jan 8 – Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas
• Tue Jan 9 – Return to Seattle

This will be our third cruise – and the first time we’ll be celebrating New Year’s at sea? I never imagined our honeymoon in the Carribean, but I’m looking forward to seeing a few ancient ruins throughout. Gotta find some sunscreen / bug repellent lotion!

Carribean Honeymoon

I’m not sure I can write about Ponzi anymore, because there’s a slight chance she might misinterpret my intentions or any ensuing comments of yours. However, I’m still free to talk about my own life! At least, for now? I’m happy to report that I officially ordered our honeymoon this afternoon. We’re going to be spending New Year’s in the Carribean, on a Regent (Radisson) cruise ship, the Seven Seas Voyager:

• Fri Dec 29 – Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Sat Dec 30 – At Sea
• Sun Dec 31 – Progreso / Merida, Mexico
• Mon Jan 1 – At Sea
• Tue Jan 2 – Roatan, Honduras
• Wed Jan 3 – Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala
• Thu Jan 4 – Belize City, Belize
• Fri Jan 5 – Costa Maya, Mexico
• Sat Jan 6 – Cozumel, Mexico
• Sun Jan 7 – At Sea
• Mon Jan 8 – Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas
• Tue Jan 9 – Fort Lauderdale, FL

I’m sure she’s going to love doing [blank] and [blank], and we most certainly will be doing a lot of [blank]ing during this time. You’ll have to fill in the blanks. I can tell you what I probably won’t be doing (personally), though: scuba diving, laying out in the sun, and/or snorkeling. Just about everything else is possible and/or probable. And yes, I’m fully aware that our honeymoon coincides with CES (for which our show will certainly have a presence).

Our Carribean Honeymoon

Day 1 – Depart USA / Overnight flight to Rome.

Day 2 – Arrive Rome / On arrival at Rome Fiumicino airport we are met and transferred to our hotel. After check-in the remainder of the day is at leisure, perhaps to relax or explore. This afternoon, we enjoy a welcome drink with our Tour Director and fellow travelling companions.

Day 3 – Rome sightseeing & at leisure / This morning after breakfast, the first highlight of our day, with our local guide is a visit to the Sistinew Chapel where the works of Michelangelo are brought to life by the guide’s clear and exciting commentary thanks to the use of an excellent audio system. Then we head into St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, to see this amazing building. From here we cross the Tiber into ancient Rome stopping in the Forum to admire the mighty Colosseum, before heading to the Circus Maximus where at one time ‘Ben Hur’ style chariot races took place. The rest of your day is at leisure perhaps to sightsee further or relax with a cappuccino at a pavement café on the Via Veneto. This evening, why not discover the city’s culinary delights and vibrant nightlife? (Buffet Breakfast)

Day 4 – Rome – Pompeii – Sorrento / Today our journey takes us past the Abbey of Monte Cassino en route to the Bay of Naples. Next we will enjoy a guided tour of Pompeii, the town frozen in time when it was engulfed by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. Later, we continue our journey along the coastline to Sorrento where we spend the next two nights. Dinner is included at our hotel this evening. (Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Day 5 – Isle of Capri Excursion / After breakfast, we witness the art of inlaid wood-working, one of the crafts of the Sorrento peninsula. After we will embark on an excursion by ferry to the Isle of Capri. There’s plenty of time to explore this lovely island. Why not visit the villa of the Swedish doctor Axel Munthe with its magnificent views over the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius? Tonight, we enjoy dinner in a picturesque restaurant. (Buffet Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)

Day 6 – Sorrento – Assisi / This morning’s drive will take us to the province of Umbria and mystical Assisi, perched on Mount Subasio and overlooking a peaceful Umbrian landscape. This city under the protection of St. Francis is still enclosed by medieval ramparts. On our arrival a sightseeing tour includes the Basilica of St. Francis, famous for its fresco paintings depicting the life of this much-loved saint. Later time is your own to do as you please. Why not shop for local handicrafts? This evening we will dine at our hotel. (Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Day 7 – Assisi – Ravenna – Venice / We enjoy a morning drive along the Adriatic Coast to the Roman town of Ravenna with its ancient mosaics and Byzantine architecture. Here we will visit the Church of St. Apollinaris in Classe before seeing the Romanesque Basilica of Pomposa. Next we drive to the floating city of Venice for our two-night stay. (Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Day 8 – Venice sightseeing & at leisure / This morning after breakfast we will absorb this city’s unique atmosphere on our included canal cruise by private motor launch to St. Mark’s Square. We view the Bridge of Sighs, Doges’ Palace and Basilica. After, we will stop to visit a traditional glass-blowing factory to witness a demonstration of this ancient Art. Then with time on your own you may wish to discover the island of Burano and enjoy a delicious seafood lunch. This evening a gondola serenade would be hard to resist! (Buffet Breakfast)

Day 9 – Venice – Verona – Milan – Lake Maggiore (Baveno) / Our day will start with a drive to the home of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Verona. We stop to admire the Roman Arena and Juliet’s balcony. From here we cross the plains of Lombardy to the fashionable city of Milan. Here we see the gothic ‘Duomo’, ‘La Scala’ Opera house and the famous Galleria. Finally, we make our way to our hotel in the Italian Lake District for dinner and our overnight stay. (Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Day 10 – Lugano Excursion / This morning we will enjoy an excursion into the Ticino, the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, where we stop to visit the beautiful resort of Lugano. On our arrival there’s time to shop or simply relax with a cappuccino in the main square. Later, we return to our hotel for dinner and the night. (Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Day 11 – Lake Maggiore (Baveno) – Pisa – Florence / Our morning drive takes us via the Plains of Lombardy and cross the Apennine Mountains to Genoa, Columbus’ birthplace. Next off to Pisa to see the extraordinary Leaning Tower, before arriving at Florence, cradle of the Renaissance. Tonight, why not venture out into the hills surrounding the city for a meal of excellent Tuscan cuisine accompanied by some delicious Chianti wine? (Buffet Breakfast)

Day 12 – Florence sightseeing & at leisure / The Cathedral, Signoria Square and a visit to Santa Croce Basilica feature on our guided sightseeing tour on foot, and enhanced by the use of an audio system. Later, enjoy a panoramic view from Piazzale Michelangelo before free time. Perhaps discover the artistic wonders in the museums or shop for leather and gold. (Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Day 13 – Florence – Siena – Serre di Rapolano – Rome / We enjoy a scenic drive through the Chianti wine-producing region to medieval Siena, famous for its exciting Palio horse-race. Here there’s time to explore the wonders of this city before we stop to visit the grounds of the ancient castle of Serre di Rapolano. We arrive in Rome late in the afternoon. This evening, why not discover the city’s culinary delights in a local trattoria? (Buffet Breakfast)

Day 14 – Rome – USA / ‘Buon viaggio’ to new-found friends.

A Honeymoon in Italy?