Back at Sea on Royal Princess

I took off for a weekend last month just to try and recall the whole year

All of the faces and all of the places wonderin' where they all disappeared

I didn't ponder the question too long, I was hungry and went out for a bite

Ran into a chum with a bottle of rum and we wound up drinkin' all night

It's those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

With all of our running and all of our cunning

If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane

From "Changes in Latitudes" by Jimmy Buffett

I didn't think I would blog about our return to the Mexican Riviera aboard Royal Princess.  "Been there, done that," came to mind. We've been on Royal Class ships previously, and for some reason Julie and I thought that included Royal Princess.

It was actually Majestic Princess on which we had sailed in our first return to cruising post-Covid-19 pandemic.

In any case, we felt right at home, as we do on every Princess ship.  The fleet's ships vary in size and design, but they always feel comfortable to us.

This cruise had not been selected to explore new ports or report on a never-before tried class of ship.  It was to get a respite from winter weather in the northeast and enjoy the simple pleasures of cruising.

Missions accomplished!  What a wonderful cruise we enjoyed.  The crew was terrific. Being unconcerned about blogging was a treat in its own way.

We opted out of Princess Plus for this 7-night voyage.  Bringing one bottle of wine per adult as permitted put a big dent in optional beverage purchases for us.  Elite Wine Tasting and the Captain-hosted party for past-guests were much appreciated. 

Throughout the voyage, we enjoyed delicious dining, accommodating service and great entertainment.

Of those, entertainment is most noteworthy for me, unless something turns out notably bad...which it did not.  I like to highlight a few favorite performers on every cruise, because they help make each cruise unique.  There will never be that exact combination of talent together again.

Jumari, a skilled guitarist and singer, exuded an enthusiasm for music of a younger man.  He played all kinds of songs, including '60s surf guitar that is rather unique for someone on an acoustic guitar.  Our Redondo Beach buddy Randy, a big fan of the Ventures, would have loved that.

One night, Jumari did an impressive "Tribute to Neil Diamond" as a featured show in a packed Vista Lounge.

We also regularly enjoyed a string duo of Simon and Olga.  Interestingly, Simon is from Russia and Olga from Ukraine.

Among our favorite lounge venues is the beautiful Piazza, which on this cruise never felt crowded.

When either of those acts, or any other lounge acts performed --- including the Diamond Trio Mariachi Band --- ballroom dancers were gliding around the dance floor.  We particularly enjoyed watching one elderly couple, who always danced with panache that belied any physical limitations of age.

The best of the featured guest performers in the Princess Theater were the Latin Divos, who proved to be funny as well as talented singers.  They sang unique sets of songs on two different nights, and both shows were crowd-pleasers.

The cruise director Jodi assembled wonderful talent for the cruise.  Foremost among that talent was the Princess Orchestra, which backed several performers including the Neil Diamond Tribute, Latin Divos and terrific production shows.  They also played in various combos around the ship.

As to whether it was because of Jodi's direction or something more self-directed, the horn section was particularly animated, often adding choreography to their playing.

The trombonist --- who also played the piano, slide trumpet and other instruments at some gigs --- was an outstanding musician who brought an extra punch of pizzazz to every performance, much like our son Jay when he played and danced on stage in his ska band.

A major component of a cruise is the magic of being at sea.

You don't need to be a master yachtsman like my brother-in-law Brooks or his son of the same name to relish days on the ocean.

If you don't take time to appreciate that, you are missing a key part of the experience.

Summer of '25 Arrives and Flies By

Our summer started with a bang on a west coast vacation, as illustrated at the posts linked here:

L.A. Roamin'

Walking On Sunshine in San Diego

Sun Is Still Shining In Anchorage

Delightful Day Cruising Resurrection Bay and Hiking in Kenai Fjords National Park

On To Denali for the Grand Finale

Walking and Waiting On Denali Park Trails: Savage River and Mountain Vista

Just Desserts for Horseshoe Lake?

Last Morning at Holland America Denali Wilderness Lodge to Alaska Railroad Ride to the End of the Line

Home again in Ardmore, long walks continued on trails and sidewalks closer to home.

We occasionally saw deer on our hikes, including an unexpected sighting on the Nature Trail at Haverford College, a wooded campus in the heart of suburbia.

Diving into our usual homelife, on most afternoons I strummed my guitar on the back deck, where we also enjoyed happy hours almost every evening before dinner, often joined by Gina, Laszlo and Emma.

Gina treated me to another night of "Broadway" in Philadelphia when a co-worker couldn't attend Life of Pi.  It's very easy to get to Philadelphia's Kimmel Center Area on the Mainline by rail.

If you've read the book or seen the movie, Life of Pi, you probably wonder how this could possibly have been a stage play.

Because of the way scenes are staged, it felt like experimental theater to me.  Interesting special effects converted the stage into a virtual ocean for much of the play.  The plot is a strange one, but quite engaging. Acting was top notch.  It is definitely a thought-provoking tale.

I also spent time driving Emma to and from ice skating rinks, sometimes watching her lessons or practices.  Her regular rink was undergoing refurbishment this summer, so usually that meant Skatium.  Julie and I happen to live in between her two likeliest ice rinks.

Emma went to skating camp in Delaware for a couple of weeks, returning only for the weekend between.

I picked her up one Friday, routing on country roads instead of freeways in both directions, which made it a pleasant trip seeing a lot of new places for me.  She also did a skating camp in Wissahickon.

Gina went on a train trip through West Virginia with her friend Rachel.  They enjoyed a pleasant "girls trip," which lasted a few days.

Amy visited us in Ardmore while Gina was away.

Emma and Amy spent a full afternoon together, including a shopping trip to Suburban Square.  Amy was belatedly celebrating Emma's birthday.  This year's party in June was the first one Amy has ever missed, beginning on the day Emma was born, so we're happy they enjoyed this time together.

Julie, Amy and I took Septa rail to historic Philadelphia, stopping first at Penn's Landing, where Pennsylvania's founder William Penn arrived in 1682.

 Our primary destination was Elfreth's Alley, a narrow street lined by houses that have remained residences since the 1720s.

We ate delicious if somewhat overpriced bagels after leaving the alley.

Walking again, we soon found ourselves at the fire station where Benjamin Franklin served on the volunteer fire department that he championed into existence.  It was an unexpected treat, but then again, Philadelphia is a city steeped in history.

It being summer, we had a few days topping out around 90 degrees, motivating Julie and me to walk in the evening rather than midday.

Our safe neighborhood is full of lovely houses, making it a very pleasant stroll any time of day or night.

Amy's Gotham Roller Derby team skated at a tournament in York, Pennsylvania, about an hour and a half away from us in early August, so Julie and I took a road trip to watch the game.

Julie and I don't want to take all the credit, but Amy's team once again won with us in attendance.  Amy and company played a great game, routing the other team which was actually favored to win.  That makes their record with us in attendance 2-0. 

Believe it or not, Julie and I flew back to LAX In August to spend six days in Santa Monica.  It was another wonderful visit with family, which included lots of time at the parks near their home.

We went on several outings to parks, where he had fun playing with "park toys" brought by the kids.

Owen brings his own toys, but he became fascinated with airplanes one child brought, so Julie and I sought to find some at one of the stores close to our rental condo, which was incidentally quite conveniently located close to 3rd Street Promenade.

We couldn't find an airplane, but there was an aircraft carrier with five little fighter jets, which Owen loves and was also a hit with Sasha, whose mom and other family members have served in the Navy.

On a couple of occasions, we shared Sidecar Donuts with Owen.

On Friday morning, Julie and I went with Owen to visit his other grandmother "Mimi" (Sasha's mother Libby), which is a weekly routine for them. We ran a lot of laps chasing Owen around Libby's downstairs.

Some of my personal favorite times with Owen are sharing our love of music.

Owen's unblurred face in the original is much better than mine.

Owen took swimming lessons this summer, and Julie and I were pleased to attend one of his fun, splashy classes.

That same afternoon, we popped down to our old condo to visit Karen and Randy who still live in the complex, walking over to the Redondo Pier for drinks and snacks at Old Tony's.

Another foray to our old South Bay stomping grounds took us to Manhattan Beach Concerts in the Park for a fun afternoon of late-70s, early 80s dance music with Jay, Sasha, Owen and Jojo.

One special occasion was going out for Emmy's Pizza and craft beer with Sasha's sister Whitney, her husband Adam and their newborn Mina, plus Adam's brother Mike and his girlfriend, along with Libby, Jay, Sasha, Owen and JoJo. 

Julie, Jay and I went out for a delicious Japanese hibachi lunch on another day.

 

Kicked back feel, Hot Wheels and tasty meals throughout our stay made it a terrific week.

Back in Ardmore, we were soon back to our usual activities, including visiting Gina's house to help prepare for a dinner she and Laszlo hosted for Public Health deans and leaders in Pennsylvania. 

Gina made my mom's German Egg Noodles recipe, with a trial batch over the weekend while we were still in California.  As expected, it turned out delicious, so she made a fresh batch for dinner party.  The entree was a hit, and the gathering went very well.

Emma's high school tennis had been practicing a few weeks, and her first match soon arrived, a road trip to nearby Marple Newtown High School.

Not long thereafter, Laszlo flew to San Francisco to visit his UCLA buddy Michael, who was also Best Man for he and Gina's wedding.

He would soon meet up with Gina and Emma at LAX for a family vacation.

After a quick visit with Jay and Owen (Sasha had a prior commitment), they headed south, visiting Darlene, Brooks and BG3 in San Diego.

By the time they returned, Julie and I were off to Brooklyn to catch a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean and Bermuda, but that's a story that will have to begin in another post.