December 17, 2025 – Santo Domingo, DR – Mostly Cloudy – 85F

December 17, 2025 – Santo Domingo, DR – Mostly Cloudy – 85F

We are back in Santo Domingo, the only port we are visiting twice in this triple segment cruise.  Last time we were here, we took the port shuttle and checked out the shops in the Colonial Zone – Ellen bought some stuff and we sweated our way back.

I watched the approach and docking in Santo Domingo during breakfast up in the Marketplace. 

Today, we are planning to see more of the city and perhaps find a spa offering inexpensive massages. To avoid wandering around and finding nothing, we checked with Thomas, the Chief Concierge on where we should walk and how we could find an inexpensive spa.  He looked things us in Google and came up with a spa in what he said was a good area (good meaning safe, I hope).  He came up with Solencia Spa (I had also found this spa on Google but there was no information on line about the location and the prices). This spa was only about a 15 minute walk.

Thomas did the direct thing – he called the spa.  He doesn’t look like it (tall and very Canadian or US looking) but he speaks perfect non-accent Spanish.  He got hold of the spa and found out that there were openings around 11:30 AM. He found out that the one hour masaje relajantes (relaxation massage) at Solencia Spa was $25 per person.  He printed out a route to the spa (maybe a little over a mile).  I checked out the route and put together a more direct route (with helpful landmarks).  

We were off.

We took the port shuttle to the Atarazana Gate (about a 10 minute ride).  Along the way, we noticed a very obvious police presence (cars, officers).  Near the gate, there were several police cars and personnel.  The last visit – a couple of weeks ago – there was no police activity.  We hiked up the hill to the Plaza Espana – all decked out for the holidays.  

A block up from the street bordering the plaza (where the restaurants were) we found La Calle Isabel la Catolica. There was shade and Ellen was taking full advantage.

I picked that street because it was a shopping street (had good sidewalks and some interesting plants and trees like these ferns) 

and ended at a landmark that we could recognize – Plaza Colon.  It was maybe four or five blocks to the Plaza. There were lots of locals on the street which did have a lot of shops.  

The Plaza Colon was a pretty impressive site.  Bordering the plaza on the North were restaurants with Al Fresco dining (and they were full).  

The plaza itself is home to a statue of Cristobal Colon (outstretched arm pointing North) 

which is very similar to the statue in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Behind Chris is the famous Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor, 

which is the first cathedral in the New World (built in 1504 and finished in 1550).  Chris’s remains were buried there (his request) but moved during the annexation of Hispanola by the French – today, the bones are split between the Faro Colon in the Dominican Republic and the Cathedral of Seville, Spain.

Earlier in the walk, we had some across a bust of Bartolomeo Colon, who founded Santo Domingo as the first permanent settlement in the New World in 1496.

At the Plaza Colon we turned right (West if you use Columbus as a guide) onto La Calle El Conde, a pedestrian walkway and one of the main shopping areas of Santo Domingo. There were police on the intersections.  We found fast food 

and nice restaurants on this street as well as artists trying to sell their works.  The street we were looking for Calle Sanchez was about four or five blocks up the walkway.  The streets weren’t all marked but one of the cops told us where it was.  We turned right again looking for the spa.

The street was rustic with few shops open.  We turned into a mall on the right side of the street.  There were some shops open – I asked someone and was told that the spa was on the second floor.  Up the stairs and we found it among closed or empty stores (I forgot to take a picture so this is from the internet).  

The door was locked and we knocked.  Then one of the girls who worked in the spa showed up a let us in.  She didn’t say anything about our appointment but I guess since we were the only people around, we must be the 11:30 appointment.  The bano was across from the spa and very rustic. 

There were two rooms with a single massage table in each. In a few minutes, another girl showed up and we got settled in the rooms. The tables were really tall and I had quite a time getting up on them – Ellen must have really struggled.  The place did seem clean (and had no smell) and they asked us to sanitize our hands before starting, which I thoutht was strange.  The ladies were wearing logod uniforms.

The massages went the full hour and they were great.  They were indeed $25 dollars for each of us – we tipped each of our girls $3 and they looked like they didn’t expect to get a tip.  One more trip to the bano and we started back to the bus pick up location.

We retraced our route 

and stopped again at the Plaza Colon to get a picture of the enormous trees that line the plaza.

We got to the gate and the bus was there.  After a bit of a wait, we returned to the ship – there was essentially no traffic so the trip took maybe five minutes.

At the Sansouci Cruise Terminal, I got a couple of pictures of the signs

as well as a nice picture of Serenity docked.

We were able to get something to eat in the Trident Grill – I had the salmon sandwich along with the gazpacho.

While getting ready for dinner, I caught another sunset and some spectacular clous from the stateroom.

We had dinner in the Waterside Restaurant.  We had ordered special meals (through the Guest Services Desk) for tonight – duck for Ellen and a hamburger for me.  I had written down the orders but the email to the Maitre D’ had a burger, fries, and a baked potato but no duck.  The kitchen was able to find another burger so we both had hamburgers.  The burgers were small and a little over but I liked mine. 

On the way out we ordered lamb chops and two hot dogs for tomorrow.

We passed on “Icons in Concert”.

A nice day of exploration and relaxation in Santo Domingo.

December 16, 2025 – At Sea – Caribbean Sea – Warm – 87

December 16, 2025 – At Sea – Caribbean Sea – Warm – 87

My new go-to breakfast is two pancakes and two eggs over medium – the pancakes are elevated with some chocolate sauce and walnuts.  Wonderful and the eggs are cooked to order and good.  The egg cook is great.

The first talk on this third segment – “Forensic Detectives: The Search for Jack the Ripper” is scheduled for 11 AM in the Galaxy Lounge.  The photos below were taken from the TV replay of the talk (most people are probably watching these in their staterooms.)

I am following the destination speaker, Anita Gonzalez, who spoke on the dances of the Caribbean. The talk ran 49 minutes. I didn’t feel I really connected with the audience.  Some of the things that usually get a nice response in the talk didn’t this time around.

Ellen and I had lunch in the Trident Grill.   

We went to the Palm Court after lunch – Ellen didn’t stay for tea. I stayed awhile and took in Leandro and Ely Lee while drinking orange tea and eating scones.

We are having dinner with Rick and Katherine in Beefbar tonight.  We were talking about dinner last night with them and we asked them to join our reservation. Ellen and I both had the Robata (Salmon) with mashed potatoes – I also tried the parmesan French fries (OK but nothing special).  The Huttos had the run of the menu and tried the beef.  The meals were good but the Gelato Montecato again was the star of the show. We had coffee and chatted for quite a while before heading to the room. 

The dinner lasted so long that we decided to catch the late show in the theater – tonight’s headliner was comedian Darrel Joyce.  

We had seen him twice before and were not impressed.  It was clear that he had changed his show – he even told us that – and for the better.  He was very funny (especially a routine involve TSA and TSA precheck).  Hilarious.

The show ran until 10:30 PM – we were tired from the late hour.  So, it was off to the room. 

December 15, 2025 – Cartagena, Colombia – Warm – 87F

December 15, 2025 – Cartagena, Colombia – Warm – 87F

Day 2 in Cartagena

Additional passengers boarded at the Visitor's Center Immigration Area.

The ship is now sailing with 550 passenger, of which 298 are in transit.  On a percentage basis, that is the largest number of continuing passengers we have encountered in our travels.  Fortunately, I am giving a new presentation on this leg for those folks who are staying on.  The 550 count means that there are some vacant staterooms on the homeward leg.  

I had breakfast up in the Marketplace and then joined Ellen in the Bistro for her breakfast.  Not as crowded today.

Our plan today involve a trip into the city to find an inexpensive spa.  I did some pre-checking on line and our best bet was “Luxury Spa”.  The website (grain of salt) showed a clean and professional place (good reviews) so that would be our destination.  We would need a cab to get there.  We have taken cabs before in Cartagena and it’s a tricky process.

Because of the heat, we took the port shuttle to the Visitor's Center.  The cabs are located beyond the Visitor’s Center through a maze of paths.  We encountered lots of peacocks on the way as well as the Colombia Sign (this will have to do).

The first taxis are located right at the end of the path.  These taxis really want to take you on a multi-hour tour.  One particularly pushy woman even said she was a massage therapist (she showed her IDs and business cards) and she would combine the tour with a spa session.  The prices that these people quoted were from $20 to $50 for the ride to the old town only.  We passed and went out to the street where the bulk of the cabs are located.  I got some high quotes there, as well, but I told them (and it wa the truth) that the last time I took a cab into Cartagena it cost $5. Only one cab would take my latest offer of $11. That would be our transport.  

I gave him the address and we were off to Luxury Spa in Cartagena.  The ride was slow and in traffic the whole time (expected in Cartagena).  Lots of construction going on but the area around the cruise port was still very rustic and iffy.  When we got close to our destination, some directions from locals got us to Luxury Spa.  I should mention that nowhere on the storefront was “Luxury Spa” mentioned but that was the place.  It was a small place on the corner and I communicated with the woman who was there via Google Translate and minimal English. She told us that we would need to wait an hour (and since I got the impression she was the only one working, that we would have to get back to back appointments and that would not work).  

The taxi left after indicating that he would be back here at 12:30 PM (it was just about 10:30 AM now).  The woman at Luxury Spa told us that there was another spa nearby so we walked a couple of blocks to the Hom Spa. 

I had looked this place up earlier on line and it would have been our second choice.  The spa didn’t look like much in front but inside it was new and modern (black was the motif).  A neon sign on a black wall in the waiting area was representative of the vibe ("The Best Place to Relax in Cartagena"),

There were at least five therapists in the place and they said we would be able to get appointments with no problem.  The bathrooms were clean and one of the therapists made sure we washed our hands after the washroom stop (the bathrooms were on the second level). That was a first.

The therapists were all in black uniforms with the Hom Spa Logo.  They were young and clearly local – almost zero English except the person behind the desk who took payment.  The price for a relaxation and sensitive massages was $47 a person – the masaje sensitiv is a technique using fingertips to give a feather like feel (I get that sometimes at home and I do like it) – Both Ellen and I opted for a hybrid (relaxation plus sensitive);  I charged the massages because we were running out of cash and I wanted to have some cash for the rest of the cruise. There was a $2 charge for using a credit card.  The place was clean, the ladies were great, and the sessions ran a full hour.  They gave us water before and after the session.  We tipped each of our ladies $5 - they do not expect tips so this was a bonus.

While waiting for our taxi pickup, we checked out some of the neighborhood; there was a festival at a nearby park that we went to and looked around.  We were the only non-locals there.  The spa was one block away from a main ahopping area - we went into one of the stores to see what they had.  

We were still early and it was hot so we went back to the air-conditioned spa and they said we could hang there until our ride arrived.  Interestingly enough, no additional customers arrived while we waited.

Then, off to the rendezvous point – as might be expected, our cabbie did not show– after getting some advice from a local (a travel or tour agent, I think) who spoke perfect English, we flagged down a passing Yellow Taxi and negotiated a ride back for $20.  The ride back took a different route and avoided traffic and got us back to the port faster.  

Before we hopped on the Port Shuttle, we spent some time checking out the other animals in the Center.  I got a great picture of a parrot 

and a group of parrots perched on a log structure

and even got photos of turtles trying to get out of the sun.

After a little wait in our air fryer bus, we headed back to the ship.  We cooled off over lunch in the Trident Grill.  

We went to the Afternoon Tea in the Palm Court – and listened to Ely Lee (doing a great version of “Hallelujah”)

and drinking fruity teas.  Today, they offered Chanukah Cookies - the cookies were OK but the blue frosting - well.

We had ordered special meals in the Waterside Restaurant – our old standbys, Hot Dogs and Lamb Chops.  They were delicious – the lamb chops were a bit under so they were sent back to finish them off. The hot dogs were cooked perfectly and delicious.  I wonder where they got them.  \

After dinner, we got some tea in Crystal Cove and I got the best picture of the cruise so far.

At 8:30 PM we went to “Crystal Variety Show” in the Stardust Lounge – Daniel Allain did a nice job on “This is the Moment” and Natalie Fine belted out a song I did not know.  Ely Lee did an encore of “Hallelujah” and was joined by Rafael on the Flugel Horn.  

Stephani Parker did “You Make me Feel Like a Natural Woman” and “Bringing All My Love”.  

We left before the end of her set – she was riffing too much.

Passed on James Fox, “My Influences” at 9:45 PM.  We saw this show on the last segment.

Back to the Room.

Clocks move forward tonight to put us on Atlantic Standard Time.

An interesting day in Cartagena, Colombia.  

December 14, 2025 – Cartagena des Indies, Colombia – Sunny, Hazy – 87F

December 14, 2025 – Cartagena des Indies, Colombia – Sunny, Hazy – 87F

Leg #2 Completed.

We are back here in Cartagena (umpteenth time).  We were joined later by the Serenade of the Seas (a ship built in 2001 and refurbed in 2011).  So another 3,000 people will be flooding Cartagena today.

Here's the summary of the last cruise.  

Topical Comment.  The good thing is that Serenity was not blown out of the water by mistake during the wack-a-mole thing going on with motorboats off the coast of Venezuela. We are now on the Western Coast of Colombia and out of range.

Kind of an up and down night with the time change (I never do well with those).  Finally up for good at 6:30 AM, another shower (a new and possibly never to be broken record for most showers on a cruise) and up to the Marketplace at 6:45 PM.  I stepped out on Deck 7 to get some shots of the port and Cartagena. That's La Popa Monastery up on the hill - a great spot for vista shots of Cartagena - but not on this cruise.

I also went to the Guest Services Desk to ask about getting some cash in case we go into the city today.  They said that there no ATM machines on board (I figured that) and, as a guest entertainer, I could not get a cash advance on my credit card.

The Marketplace was crowded for the first time since we boarded.  Probably just a timing thing.  I shook things up this morning – two pancakes with chocolate syrup and walnuts plus two eggs over medium (cereal as a starter).  

There was no line for the egg station and the egg cook is a very cheery guy - exactly what you need in the morning,  The coffee didn’t come as often due to the number of people up there and I did not get my usual third cup because I was actually feeling the crowd as people filled the table next to me (for the first time).

Our plan today was to take a cab to one of the many spas in Cartagena and get a nice massage for a reasonable price.  That plan was a little more complicated than I thought (I would have to do some more intel gathering on the logistics).  That said, we stayed on board and avoided the heat and humidity.  We are staying overnight here and not leaving until 6 PM tomorrow so we will try to get off the ship again.

We spend the morning in the Palm Court area (cool and quiet) and had lunch in the Trident Grill – gazpacho plus salmon sandwich plus a Blue Moon Ale (my favorite brew on the ship). 

Back up in Palm Court after lunch – we met the "smart phone instructor" on this leg.  He took a picture of Ellen and showed me how to improve some of the pictures taken on my phone. 

Turnaround day is a good day to do a load of laundry  – all the washers were free when I went to the Deck 7 Launderette.  Forty-five minutes later, I went back to put the clothes in the dryer and found them sopping wet.  The last time I did clothes the final spin removed most of the water from the load.  I put the clothes through another spin cycle – this time the spin wasn’t very fast and the clothes were still wet.  It took two cycles in the dryer (90 minutes) to get them dry. There was something wrong with that first washer - will not use that one next time.

Tonight is the first candle of Chanukah - we have had great Chanukahs on cruises before (several times on Crystal).  We went to the Hollywood Theater for the candle lighting.  Long story short, the Rabbi on board simply did not impart the Holiday Spirit to us - the service was brief and disorganized.  We will most likely not return.

Dinner tonight was in the Waterside Restaurant.  Even though it was on the menu just a few days ago, the entrée was Angel Hair Pasta Aglio e Olio.  I had a double Cesar Salad with that (the lettuce was not all Romaine – there was some iceberg in there also.  Ellen had the seared salmon.  We didn’t have dessert but instead had tea on in Crystal Cove.

We didn’t go to the Welcome Aboard Show tonight ("Crystal in Motion").  

Overnight in Cartagena.

December 13, 2025 – At Sea – Caribbean Sea – Mostly Cloudy – 88F

December 13, 2025 – At Sea – Caribbean Sea – Mostly Cloudy – 88F

Got up way too early today – 5:30 AM – Certainly had enough time to use our wonderful shower again.

I hung out until 7:15 AM and then went up to the Marketplace for breakfast.  Breakfast is a little later on sea days and I wanted to have enough time before I had to get ready for my second and last lecture of this leg.  I had my usual breakfast and three cups of coffee. I also got to see the sun rise.

At 9:30 AM, I went to the Galaxy Lounge for my 10:00 AM talk on “Forensics and History: The Mystery of the Romanovs”.  Small but mighty crowd – maybe 40 guests (maybe the rest are watching me while having a Room Service Breakfast).  

Raphael introduced me once more.  The newly shortened talk (made some edits yesterday) ran 45 minutes which gave Rick plenty of time to set up.  I stayed for Rick’s talk on “The Great Gilded Age Costume Balls”. 

I changed quickly and met Ellen at the Waterside Restaurant for lunch.  She ordered the Fish and Chips and I had Deviled Eggs (good) and the Vegetarian Enchilada (not so good except for the guac).  We went up to the Marketplace for dessert; I went out on the back deck - the engines were moving Serenity at 12 kts to get us to Cartagena on time.

We spent some time Palm Court, where I had a Blue Curacao Sour (a waiter actually came into the area and took my order).  

I simply forgot the time and missed Steve’s talk.

We had dinner in the Waterside Restaurant.  I ordered the green salad with Ranch Dressing (good); the Cream of Asparagus (standard soup not the pour over – but good); and the Penne Pasta Pesto (a disappointment because there was another spice in the pasta that I did not like).  Ellen had the salmon.  Dessert included Devils Food Cake (very chocolatey) and a Trifle (good).  Coffee and tea and we were out in the Crystal Cove to listen to the Flair Duo host “Country Western Night”.  Lots of Electric Slide.

No indication that we would be changing rooms.  WIN.

Time change tonight – the clocks move back one hour to put us on EST – Florida Time.