Jewel of the Seas

Jan 12th - Jan 29th 2026

Monday January 12th 2026

Home to Heathrow

Woke up around 06:15 and went downstairs. Had a very leisurely breakfast and then did some half hearted jobs - mostly getting paperwork together for the trip. I managed to get the bins out just in time! Oh the glamour.

Had a shower and did some more packing. 2 cases done. One to be only opened when we’re in Puerto Rico and one for Heathrow and Orlando. Had lunch and a nap before finishing up the packing and getting the cases in the car. 

We left at 14:20. Very easy journey down to Heathrow. Got to the Courtyard Marriott on the Bath Road around 15:30. A very nice lady checked us in to room 622 and gave us breakfast for free. I got the cases in from the car and we went to the bar for a plane watch with a Pepsi Max and a glass of wine for the lady. 

Went back to the room after watching an Emirates A380 take off into the fading light. I got sorted and headed over to the airport to drop the car off. Very straightforward finding Short Stay 3 and got the car checked in. I went into the terminal and spotted a sign for the Central Bus Station. It took me down a ramp and on to a series of travelators. Then I got a bit lost and ended up in the tube station but asked someone who kindly pointed out the correct escalator. 

I needed the 105 or 111 bus to Harlington Stop E outside the Courtyard from Bay 19. The 111 came first and was rammed so I waited a whole minute until the 105 pulled up and I managed to get a seat. Back to hotel for a clinical hand wash. 

Watched a bit of TV and headed for tea around 18:40. Dinner was a rather nice tomato and pepper soup with some sourdough bread followed by a falafel wrap with chips for me and a very virtuous salad for Nikki. We declined desert and wandered downstairs to remind ourselves where the breakfast room was. 

Back in the room by 20:00. Watched a bit of TV but we were wiped out by 21:30. Sadly didn’t manage to sleep. Heart was going bonkers and I was either baking or freezing. 

Tuesday January 13th 2026

Heathrow to Orlando

Appalling nights sleep. I ended up waking Nikki in the middle of the night as my heart continued to go bonkers. We had a  serious discussion on whether to just go home or to plough on. It was touch and go for a while but we decided to plough on. 

Went down to breakfast where I managed half a banana! Back up to the room for showers and some gentle packing before heading downstairs for our 07:15 pickup. Chap pulled up as I went outside for a gander so we got loaded and headed off. 

Hardly any traffic and we arrived at the Upper Class Wing within minutes. Check in was very swift. Slight delay at security but not too bad at all. Went to get some Pepsi Max for the flight and headed to the lounge. Found some seats in what’s left of the glassed-in area as they’re upgrading it. Ordered a couple of veggie sausage baps. Nikki had a Cosmopolitan and I had my Pepsi Max. Went up to the roof garden for a quick look - quite windy but not raining or too cold. 

Before too long the SA chap appeared and took us down to Gate 20. Very simple. Waited around 10-15 mins before we were boarded first. We were in 8D and 8G. Very friendly cabin crew. Took off and had our meal served. Not great. Bit faffy. Very good soup to start - Butternut Squash and Ginger - followed by a Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini with Sage Butter Sauce, Grilled Artichoke, Courgette and Lemon Panko Crumb. Not impressed! The Sticky Toffee Pudding was good though.

I watched some movies and gently dozed after last night’s lack of sleep. Really nice afternoon tea about 90 mins before landing. Last half an hour really dragged - but luckily we were straight in at Orlando. 

Got off at Gate B98. There was a bit of a wait for SA but that was more than made up for by immigration and the arrival of the suitcases! The SA chap took us straight to the Hyatt Regency in the A/B Terminal and we got checked in very efficiently. We’re in room 8028 which is a lovely junior suite overlooking the terminal. Right next to our room is a Pepsi Max machine AND an ice machine!! 

The bell hop brought our bags up and arranged transport for us tomorrow to the C Terminal. Our original plan had been to use the air-train but his advice was to go by cab instead as it’s only a couple of minutes and easier with the wheelchair and the cases. 

We got unpacked and had a drink before I went off to the Urgent Care Centre just north of the airport. I’d booked an appointment while sat in the Virgin lounge earlier as it’s clear the antibiotics I’m on aren’t working any more. Cab driver was great and offered to wait for me. He said Orlando is very quiet at the moment - he’s been on shift since 14:00 and I was his first booking. 

The Urgent Care people were very efficient. The only hold up came after I was seen by a nurse. A patient in the next room needed an ambulance so I had to wait while he or she was dealt with - poor thing. Doctor was great and I got new antibiotics and I was back at the hotel by 18:20. 

Went up to the room to collect Nikki and went downstairs to McCoys in the lobby for one of their legendary veggie burgers. We’d had one when we used the hotel for a day-room last January and loved it. Had a wander around the terminal after dinner and a general mooch in the shops and we were back in the room by 20:15. Watched a brief bit of TV and in bed by 20:50!

Wednesday January 14th 2026

Orlando to Puerto Rico

Woke up at 04:35 - so 09:35 UK time. Both felt a lot more with it. I wandered down to Starbucks in the terminal for some coffee - and, after the comments from the doctor last night about my dehydration - some water! 

Went down to breakfast in McCoys at 06:30 but it didn’t open until 07:00 so we came back to the room. Watched a bit of Morning Joe. All about ICE and Minnesota. 

Down again for an excellent breakfast at 07:00. I had omelette with potato wedges and Nikki had an Eggs Benedict without bacon. After that we decided on a quick visit to the pool deck. It was quite cloudy out there but warm! 

Back to the room for a bit of downtime and ended up dozing on the bed for 45 mins. Nikki had a bit of a sore throat and some sniffles for we went down to the terminal again to get her some tissues. We then watched some more TV and generally fiddled with the packing. Reception rang at 10:30 to say our driver had arrived so the bag man came and got us at 10:45. 

Taxi took us around to the C Terminal - very quick and cost us $25. Checked in with Jet Blue without any hassles and made our way through security. 

C Terminal is very new and clean. Security was easy and we ended up near Gate 244 for a coffee. At one point an alarm was going off in the terminal telling us to stand by - we duly did but nothing happened and the alarm got switched off! Went up to the gate at 12:00 and after a short wait we were called forward with the 8 other SA’s for boarding - it was a completely full flight. They were asking for volunteers to check in their carry on bags. 40 needed. 

We were held in the air bridge for a while before being allowed on. We were sat in 2E and 2F and thankfully on JetBlue there’s lots of legroom. The front row contained a lady with her service dog who, to be fair, didn’t bat an eyelid when a woman came on with a cat in a basket!

We took off about 15 minutes late. Actually not a bad flight at all. We watched the inflight entertainment. Nikki’s personal headphones refused to work so she got a free pair from the crew. System was quite glitchy though and kept freezing and restarting. I watched Curb Your Enthusiasm.

When they came round with the cart we had a Pepsi Max for me and a rose for Nikki We also had a very nice cheese snack box each. 

We landed at San Juan just after 17:00. Great views on the approach - including the long bridge across the lagoon. Stayed put until everyone else had got off and then our wheelchair was brought up from the hold. Headed off to baggage claim - thankfully no customs or border formalities as it’s US territory.

At the bag claim I found a porter who sorted our two bags and took us over to the Avis garage. Thank good for Avis Preferred. The queue at the main desk was horrendous but thankfully we just had to go to the garage where my name was on a board telling us which bay the car was in. The keys already in it so we were just able to drive out with a quick licence check at the barrier. Superb! 

It took less than 10 minutes to get to the apartment. It has two towers - both with underground parking. We chose the left, or wrong one, but were able to drive around underground. Found our designated space and realised the lift was right next to us. Up to the 20th floor and got in to the apartment. Very nice place. Can hear the airport so it’s quite noisy but great view. Once we got the air conditioning on it was fab. 

We did a bit of unpacking and then headed out across the road. We ended up in a rather chaotic Burger King for tea. The chap behind the counter just couldn’t understand my order. One veggie burger without pickle and one veggie burger with everything. Not rocket science. At least they had Pepsi Max! 

Then to the little supermarket for milk, wine, coffee and Pepsi Max for the fridge. Back up to the apartment and watched a bit of TV on the HUGE telly before hitting the hay at 21:30. 

Thursday January 15th 2026

Puerto Rico

Not a bad night’s sleep. Woke up a few times but generally slept until about 05:30. Went out to the kitchen and made some coffee. Had an email from our cruise transfer people for Saturday warning of delays around San Juan because of a festival. 

Nikki got up just after 06:30 so we sat in the lounge for a bit and watched the sun come up over the beach and the airport. Very cloudy up over the mountains but sunny down on the coast. We could see rain in the far distance but it didn’t get to us thankfully. 

Amazed to discover that we were right next door to the hotel we’d stayed in back in 2009! Back then it was the Intercontinental - now it’s the Royal Sonesta. They’ve changed the pool but the building and staircases outside are exactly the same! Small world!

I went for a shower around 08:00. The water took ages to warm up and the pressure wasn’t great but it did the job - eventually. After Nikki’s shower we went down to Denny’s for breakfast. Took a while to figure out how to actually get in. It was in a sort of raised shopping area. We went down into the underground car park via the ramp and up in the lift. 

Lovely breakfast. Both had omelettes with juice and coffee. Most enjoyable. After that we decided to drop some laundry off. First place we went to was above a supermarket and they wanted my phone number so I left. Found another one on Google Maps but couldn’t find it when we got there. Decided to regroup back at the apartment for a drink. 

Second try was more successful and I dropped off a bag full to be washed and folded. After that we headed down to old San Juan. This was a bad idea. First of all it started chucking it down. Then we hit the festival. The San Se Festival takes place in San Juan every January and, research afterwards, showed me they expected a million people on the streets over the four days. It’s a cross between Notting Hill Carnival and Mardi Gras. So we got stuck in traffic all around the old town. 

My plan had been to find somewhere to park and go for lunch in the old town. Hell no! In one street we barely moved for 20 mins. After an illegal turn we did manage to get out and back on the road to Isla Verde. Dropped the car back at the apartment and walked across the road to get a Subway. Came back to the apartment and devoured those before it was nap time!! 

Around 16:00 we went for a wander down to the pool and the beach to see the lay of the land. Most nice. That’s tomorrow’s plan then! 

Had some jobs to do so went to check out where we were leaving the car while we’re on the cruise and also stopped off at the supermarket before parking at the apartment and going for tea. 

Fancied Pizza Hut but turns out it was delivery only. Ended up in Mi Casita opposite the apartment. Dreadful meal but Nikki had a really nice cocktail. 

Picked up some bits for breakfast and lunch tomorrow and back at the apartment by 20:45. Now listening to the sounds of jazz drifting up from the hotel next door. Watched a bit of TV and in bed just before 22:00

Friday January 16th 2026

Puerto Rico

Both had a great night’s sleep. Nikki got up around 06:30 while I dozed until 07:00. Had our shop-bought breakfast. Nice Frosties for me and Nikki had some muesli with coconut yoghurt. Success! 

Both had showers and then it was time to hit the beach. We worked out that if we put the rucksack with drinks, sunglasses etc on the back of the wheelchair, then Nikki could have the towels on her lap and hold the deckchairs in front of her on the wheelchair. Wide load but it worked. We went down in the service lift!

At the double gate for the beach I went first and set up Nikki’s chair and then helped her through before going back for the rest. Gorgeous beach. Found some shade but that soon disappeared so we moved into the shade of a palm tree. Most acceptable. 

I went for a paddle - and the sea was quite warm. After more relaxing I went fully in. Waves quite strong as was the current but I happily bobbed around for 20 mins. After I got out a chap selling fruit appeared. $10 for a container and it was amazing. One of the highlights of the day. Strawberry and seedless orange. Delicious. Both very happy with that. 

Around 12:30 we both needed the loo so came back up the room. Had our odd lunch of crackers and cheese, yoghurt and half a Kit Kat. Nikki had a doze while I iced my back. After Nikki got up we packed and sealed one case so that’s sorted. I then went off to pick up the laundry before coming back and nipping to the shop for a couple of drinks. 

Watched Matthew’s Iberia plane land at 16:13 from the window of the apartment so we both went off to pick him up. Took a wrong turn which added 5 mins to the 6 min journey. He was waiting at area 10 outside arrivals so a very quick pick up. Came back to the apartment for some drinkies and a cool down. Very warm. 

Went over the road for some supplies and came back to watch videos of where we were going on this cruise. Went over to Entrevino for our tea and - disaster. We should have booked! Place was packed out. They managed to get us a reservation for 20:30 so we came back to the apartment - again! Eventually we got our table and a pretty decent, if expensive meal. We were all flagging by this point so called it a day just after 22:00

Saturday January 17th 2026

Puerto Rico to Jewel of the Seas

Cruise day! Not the best night’s sleep. Got up around 06:30 and had breakfast in the lounge. Lots of cloud around this morning. Did the packing of the one opened case and watched the sun trying to come up. 

Had showers and then me and Matthew took the car around to its home while we’re on the cruise and walked back up to the apartment. We were ready for the off by 09:40 so went downstairs. Our shuttle came at 10:00 on the nose and he took us down to the port. 

Stopped at the Virgin drop off first before taking us to the right place. Dropped off the bags and went through the terminal. Couldn’t find Scootaround but we were assured Nikki’s scooter would be in the cabin. 

We were among the first to board at 11:00. We dropped off some bags with The Key people and went for an explore. Very quiet ship at this point so we stopped at the Schooner Bar for a drink. Nikki had a lemon and lime virgin daiquiri which is now her favourite drink!

Did a bit more exploring and then went for The Key lunch. Not bad but not great. Soup was nice but the Mac & Cheese was totally disgusting. Nice setting though in the main dining room. By about 13:20 we went up to our cabin - 7612. They hadn’t quite finished final checks but the scooter was there! 

After a bit of cabin exploring and rearranging Nikki had a nap. Met up with Matthew at 14:45 and did a full ship explore. Much smaller than Wonder or Symphony but doesn’t actually feel small and certainly not crowded. It was so hot up on the top decks. So glad to come back inside for some air conditioning. 

Back to the Schooner Bar for more beverages. Ended up doing a general knowledge quiz which we tied for the win but the quiz mistress didn’t see us raising our hands so we didn’t get a prize. Back to the cabin and our bags had arrived so some serious unpacking. One thing about this older ship is the amount of storage space. Places everywhere! Got ourselves sorted very easily. 

Met Matthew and went for pre-dinner drinks at the Schooner Bar before a very acceptable meal at Giovanni’s. I had a salad with buratta and Nikki had the eggplant to start and then we both had the mushroom risotto for mains. I had tiramisu and Nikki had a cannoli for desert. After dinner we went to the theatre to see a very daft, but good French juggler. Most enjoyable. And then bed at 22:30

Sunday January 18th 2026

Puerto Rico to St Thomas, USVI

Woke up just before 06:30. Very good night’s sleep for me - which was surprising as Nikki said the boat was rocking around a bit. Didn’t feel anything. 

I went down to Starbucks for our morning coffee and then we retired to the balcony to watch our arrival in Charlotte Amelie in St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. Quite a humid morning and there were some very occasional showers across the nearby hills. Very green and lush. Port area seems quite small. 

There are 3 other cruise ships in today but they are at the other port closer to town. Had our showers and met Matthew for breakfast at 08:45. We went to the Windjammer which was very busy. Sat outside which was most enjoyable - if a longer walk to and from the buffet. To be honest the food wasn’t brilliant so we’ll try the main dining room tomorrow. 

Nipped back to the room for a teeth clean and then headed off the ship to the windmill to meet our driver. He’d messaged already and was waiting for us. He took us up into the mountains for some great views over St Thomas. At the first stop he pointed out an Iguana in a tree! We had a stop at the viewpoint where they sell a world famous banana daiquiri. Nikki and Matthew partook while I supervised. As we were standing on the deck admiring the view, I happened to glance down and there was an Iguana sat right there. Very prehistoric. 

After that our guide took us for lunch. First place had steps so that wasn’t for us but he then went to a beach hotel which was perfect. A deck overlooking a stunning beach with amazing views out to sea. Got ourselves a drink and waited for the waiter who was definitely on Caribbean time! Had a really nice hummus while Nikki had a spinach and artichoke dip. My only issue was the strength of the sun! Wow it was hot. Had a leisurely lunch before summoning our driver and heading out. 

His wagon had overheated so he couldn’t take us the 9 minutes back to the ship!! He summoned a shared taxi where the man tied the wheelchair on to the back and we joined 6 other people. He was determined to get more people and, as these taxis only go when the driver reckons he’s crammed as many people in as possible, we had to wait. Nobody else turned up so we eventually left. Our tour driver had paid for us so that was fine. 

Back to the port where it had got VERY windy indeed. The sea around the ship was really choppy and it was hard to walk into the wind. Got back on board and went for an ice cream in the Windjammer. Sat outside which was a mistake!! 

Decided we’d have some downtime and retired to the cabin. Nikki was exhausted at this stage so flopped into bed. I got a Pepsi Max and sat on the balcony but I was fading fast. Went back in and had a very nice 40 winks on the bed. Met Matthew again at 16:05 and went down to the Schooner Bar where we ended up doing the quiz. 17 out of 21. Didn’t win. 

After that we sat in the Safari Club for a bit watching them prepare for our sailing. Played some pool as the ship departed. Went round to Matthew’s cabin with a drink to watch the sun set. Fascinating watching our departure and figuring out where we were heading. Lovely to watch St Thomas fading in to the distance as the sun set. 

Back to the room to change for dinner. Posh night tonight so Nikki went for the black sparkly jacket. 2 random people said how smart she looked! Dinner was just OK. Butternut Squash soup to start followed by a pea risotto. Both needed more flavour. I then had the no added sugar cappuccino cake and Nikki had profiteroles which were both nice. 

After dinner we went to check out if Matthew’s theory of a hidden door to the lower level of the theatre was correct - it was! The theatre doesn’t have much disabled seating but with this hidden door we can slip in right down the front! 

Went back to the Safari Club but by 21:20 we were beat. Back to the cabin and watched some SNL before lights out at 22:20.

Monday January 19th 2026

St Thomas, USVI to St Maarten

Not the best night’s sleep for me. I’d obviously drunk too much so was up and down like a yo-yo! Boat was moving around but it didn’t affect me. 

Got up at 06:20 and went down for coffee before sitting on the balcony and watching St Maarten appear in the distance. Lovely sunrise. Very suddenly land appeared as we turned and I realised I’d been looking at St Bart’s in the distance! We were alongside AIDAsol, a German cruise ship, with Odyssey of the Seas further over. So a busy day for St Maarten. 

Met Matthew for breakfast at 08:25 in the main dining room. Most civilised. Cheerios followed by eggs with hash brown plus nice OJ. After that we went back to clean teeth and got off the boat around 09:40. 

Very warm day in Philipsburg. Navigated our way around the dock and eventually found our driver Nerline. She got us loaded and off we went. Cracking tour of the island. First she took us into the mountains so we could see views of both sides of the island - Caribbean and Atlantic. Very hilly island with lots of rather nice houses. Nerline was very detailed - she pointed out everything - the desalination plant, the fire station, every shop! Seems all the supermarkets are run by Chinese families. 

We crossed over to the French side and got dropped at an amazing beach bar for drinks on Orient Beach. Funny to suddenly be speaking French and paying in Euros! Service is “island time” so no rush at all! Nikki had a virgin lime daiquiri. So tempting so go into the sea! 

Back in the car with Nerline who then took us back to the Dutch side and to the legendary Maho Beach to watch the planes landing over the beach. Very chaotic place! She dropped us outside Tortuga which is on the opposite side of the beach to the famous beach bar. It has a beautiful deck overlooking the sea and the planes landing. We nabbed ourselves a table right on the front. 

Thoughts turned to drinks and lunch but this was real “island time”. It took 40 mins just to order drinks and over an hour before our food came. We were being picked up at 14:00 so we only had 90 mins. Our food came 20 mins before pick up so I emailed the company and delayed Nerline until 14:20. Amazing views though. The planes swooping in over the beach were quite something. Saw a Delta, Jet Blue, American and Air France plus loads of tiddlers coming from nearby islands. 

At 14:20 we were exhausted and ready for Nerline. She managed to pull up outside and get us loaded. We were all weary and feeling sweaty by this point so looking forward to getting back on the ship for a shower. Nerline dropped us back and we headed on board. 

It was just as we were going through security on the ship that I realised I’d left my phone in her wagon. Panic! Couldn’t call my phone as there was no signal. Emailed the company via Nikki’s phone but no reply. It was 15:30 by this point and we were sailing at 16:30. Nikki suggested going down to guest services. I half-heartedly did and amazingly they got the company on the phone and the boss sent Nerline back with the wagon. I dashed back through the port and met her. So relieved. She got a massive tip. That was scary. All our travel details, boarding passes etc are on the phone. Plus all my pictures. Aaaarrggghhh. Glad it was sorted. 

A much needed air conditioned sit down was required followed by a long shower! Went to Matthew’s room to watch the sunset after sail-away. Very peaceful. Met again at 19:45 for a relaxed dinner in the Windjammer. All had salad to start. Then me and Nikki went for freshly made veggie burgers which were delicious. We had Churros which Nikki said had cinnamon on them - I couldn’t taste it. And then we had some rather nice cheese. 

Off to the theatre to see magician Hector Ruiz. We’ve definitely seen him before somewhere but I can’t remember where. Very entertaining but by 22:10 we were both flagging so called it a night and hit the much needed hay. 

Tuesday January 20th 2026

St Maarten to St Croix

Woke up after an OK night’s sleep and I went down to Starbucks to see Jecca for our coffees. Sat on the balcony and watched our arrival into St Croix. Much flatter than the previous 2 islands. 

Matthew had been booking restaurants on board his upcoming Panama Canal cruise which opened online at 01:00 local time so he didn’t bother with breakfast. We went down to the MDR on Deck 4. I had a lovely compote followed by omelette and hash browns. Very nice indeed. Back upstairs for showers. 

Met Matthew by the cash point on Deck 4 at 09:45. Grabbed some towels on the way out and left the ship. Quite a long pier at Frederiksted but very beautiful seas. In my research I’d found that there were turtles next to the pier. Saw a couple stick their heads up to breathe. 

At the end of the Ann E Abramson Pier was a little craft market. Mostly tat but I got a shirt for Caribbean Night on board plus a St Croix mug. We walked down the front which had great views back to the ship. 

Frederiksted is very run down and a lot quieter than our previous stops. I’d seen a dog shelter with a bar on the front so we stopped there for a beverage which goes to help the doggies. 

After that we jumped in a taxi which took us up to Rainbow Beach. All of one mile! We’d seen the Rhythms at Rainbow Beach Bar last night when we were planning our day at dinner - so we got dropped there. Beautiful setting on a deck overlooking the sea and the beach. Got settled on a table and then the best one in the house came free so I nabbed that. Right on the corner overlooking the sea. Beautiful. 

Had some drinks and a general linger admiring the views. Beach itself was very busy so I guess you have make a quick exit from the ship to nab a sun lounger. Ordered some lunch - we both had veggie burgers and as soon as they arrived the heavens opened. It was a biblical downpour. Luckily we were quite sheltered by the umbrellas and the direction of the wind. Lots of drips thought but the temperature was in the 80s so warm, tropical rain! Quite fun! Also had Key Lime Pie while watching another shower. Nobody really moved on the beach. I suppose if you’ve got your swimbles on then getting soaked doesn’t matter! 

Grabbed a shared taxi back down to Frederiksted and, after a loo break, walked around to the supermarket. That word might be doing a lot of heavy lifting! But I did get some Pepsi Max and some bite cream! Back to the ship and a needed lie down in the air conditioning. Put Young Sheldon on Netflix and dozed through at least 3 episodes. 

Met up with Matthew at 16:00 and went for a game of pool before grabbing a table for the 16:30 quiz. We did dreadfully but, to be fair, the questions were rubbish. 

More downtime and then met for dinner at 19:10. Same table as the other night. Soup was OK but the mains were awful. My Tagliatelle was cold so I sent it back and Nikki’s eggplant was just slimy. Not a good meal at all. Head Waiter had to come over and then the chef. Huge amounts of kerfuffle. Nikki had a Caesar Salad but was being talked at by the head waiter throughout while trying to eat it. Exhausting. Oh well. Worse things DO happen at sea! 

After all that Nikki had had enough so we retired to the cabin for some TV and bed by 21:50

Wednesday January 21st 2026

St Croix to Martinique

Quite a rocky night. Slept OK though. Woke up at one point to this howling sound from the wind outside. Soon went back to sleep though! 

Went down to see Jecca for our coffees - and her machine was broke. Nipped up to Windjammer and got some there and then went back down 15 mins later when the proper machine was fixed. 

Sat on the balcony and watched Martinique appear in the distance. Went down for breakfast around 08:45. Very nice too. It’s quickly become our go-to way to start the day. 

Around 10:00 we met again to get off the ship. We were told to bring our passports as it’s France. Walked through the port and, as we hadn’t got a tour booked, we grabbed one of the taxi chaps outside in what turned out to be one of the best flukes of the holiday. 

Ruben got us loaded into his taxi and we told him we wanted to see the less travelled parts of Martinique. He took us out of Fort de France and up the coast road towards the former capital St Pierre. It had been wiped out in 1902 by a huge volcanic eruption from Mt Pelee. 

Stopped off in a really nice beach bar. Nikki’s drink turned out to be a bucket! Had a tour around St Pierre. Couldn’t see the volcano as it was shrouded in mist. 

Went back to our beach bar and had lunch surrounded by chickens, kittens, crabs and roosters! Most enjoyable and a strong contender for beach deck of the holiday. 

Around 14:00 we headed back down to Fort de France. Matthew jumped out of the wagon for a wander around the city while me and Nikki stopped at a cashpoint to get €360 for Ruben. Back to the ship - no passports needed. Had a sit on the balcony before a doze on the bed. Very relaxed afternoon. 

Went to Matthew’s cabin with some drinks for sail away and watched Martinique fade to the dusk. 

Off to the Windjammer at 20:00 for tea. Most enjoyable. I had soup, a really nice mac & cheese and a hazelnut pudding with chocolate sauce. Nikki had a baked potato, eggplant and the aforementioned pudding. 

And so to bed by 22:00. 

Thursday January 22nd 2026

Martinique to Barbados

Very early start to the day. Both awake by 05:45. Due to meet for breakfast at 07:30 and off with our guide at 09:00. 

Watched Barbados come into view on the balcony with our traditional Starbucks. Much flatter island than the others we’ve been to. Big port. Two other ships already in. 

Met Matthew for our breakfast which was, as usually, very nice. After a teeth cleaning stop we got off the boat and walked around to the terminal. Quite a long walk as it turned out and it was warm. 

Found our tour guide, the wonderfully named Orlando Blades - after a short delay and he got us loaded into his wagon. He took us up to the north of the island. On the way we sadly saw an accident where we later found out a bus conductor had been killed. He’d been leaning out of the open door of the bus, which apparently they all do on Barbados, and hit a telegraph pole. 

Once out of Bridgetown it became quite rural. We first stopped at Speightstown where we had a walk on the pier. Very nice little town. After that we went further north to Church Hill where we had a great view out to sea. Nikki bought a bracelet made with lava and I bought a marble sea turtle! 

Back down the island to Stade’s Rum where they have a beach bar. Lovely setting on the raised deck over the quiet beach. The barman told us their fryers had packed up so there’d be no lunch. We ordered drinks and sat in the deck chatting to a Canadian girl before he came over to say the fryers were fixed. Veggie burger time - and a delicious one at that. Chips weren’t great. 

Left around 12:30 for the run back into Bridgetown. Reminded me of an old Australian town oddly. Stopped in Heroes Square so I could visit the monuments for The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers and The Right Excellent Robyn Rihanna Fenty, the only two living heroes out of the 10. 

Matthew jumped out at this point and went for a mooch around Bridgetown. Me and Nikki went back to the ship. Both exhausted! 

Had an afternoon nap but both woke up the worse for it. Seems we BOTH have infections. Time to start the antibiotics again. 

Spent the rest of the evening in the cabin - Nikki dozing and either baking or freezing. Luckily we were able to cope with that as, with the balcony door closed, the air con wallops on - and with it open it’s a tropical 30 degrees. Sadly we’re not in synch so lots of moving in and out! I went to the medical centre to see the doc and also up to the buffet for a small bit of food. Stayed in bed after that. 

Friday January 23rd 2026

Sea Day

Rough night. The infection means my heart is working overtime as usual so struggled to stay asleep for any length of time. Was up on the sofa from 03:50. Glad Nikki was sleeping though. 

This morning her temperature is down so hopefully heading in the right direction. I got back into bed around 06:00 and dozed until 06:40. Went for coffee at 06:45 and then sat on the balcony. We are off the coast of Dominica - can’t see it in the distance though. 

We’re back in the inner ring of Caribbean islands so the sea is much more benign. Spent most of the day between bed and the balcony. 

Did go to the Solarium for some pizza where we met Matthew at around 13:30 and again to the Windjammer around 20:00 but most of the day was spent in/on bed either sleeping, shivering or baking! Back to bed by 21:15.

Saturday January 24th 2026

Puerto Rico

A very quiet arrival into San Juan. By 05:00 we were pretty much docked where we started. I slept very well - surprisingly well considering how much I’d slept yesterday. 

Went for coffee at 05:50 and sat on the balcony and watched Valiant Lady glide by to her dock. Came out of nowhere! 

Got packed and met Matthew at 07:15 in the usual place before heading down for breakfast. We had The Key breakfast - not that that seemed to make a difference. Me and Nikki ended up choosing off the normal menu. Service was so slow. Took over 50 mins for our food to arrive. Not impressed with the Main Dining Room at all this cruise. 

After we’d finished we headed for the gangway. Getting off the old tub was very straightforward. Only delay was waiting for a lift on the gangway. Picked up our bag and straight through security. Absolute doddle. 

As we got outside our driver was there waiting and took us to our van and got us loaded. Let’s say it wasn’t executive travel - felt more like a van that was used for kidnapping with some seats in the back. Plus it had the ability to find every single pothole in San Juan - of which there are legion. Our driver was a character to say the least.

Only 15 mins to the apartments where we’d left the car. Had a massive downpour on the way which lasted less than 5 mins. Tropical. Matthew did the gate fob and we departed to the Condado Plaza for our day room. Parked in the basement and went to the lobby. 

Hotel had a faded grandeur about it but was perfectly fine. Check in for our day room took a while. We were in 315 but there was only one lift working! Went to the room to dump our bags before finding the pool lift. Found some sunbeds in the shade next to the pool. It had been raining so the sunbeds were wet but we got 6 towels and lay down anyway. 

As we sat there, a big Iguana strolled across the pool area! Then later and and even bigger one who went up the tree next to where we were sat. Amazing! Nipped back up stairs for swimbles and I went in the pool. Just gorgeous. Then I went down the slide. Much faster than I thought it would be!!! Water up the nose and got my hat wet! 

Waitress brought the drinks and we just chilled. Lovely setting but maybe the music was a tad loud. What the heck though! Had lunch at the pool restaurant- hummus and flatbread. Very nice. More lounging by the pool followed after we’d moved the sunbeds up some steps and into the shade. 

Went up to the room around 15:30 and got changed before going for a wander. Found a shop in reception that did ice cream and also a deck overlooking the sea. Messaged Matthew and he joined us there. After that we grabbed the bags and departed. 

Drove to the apartment and this time parked in the right space. Turns out 129 is so much bigger than 119 but slightly further from the lifts. I’ll take the bigger space to park in. Went up to the apartment and it felt like coming home! 

I nipped to the supermarket for some supplies and we relaxed for a while. 

I dropped Matthew around to the airport for his flight at around 19:00. Very easy. 

Came back and got Nikki and we went to Subway opposite to get our tea. Had tea watching TV and went to bed about 21:30. Both exhausted!

Sunday January 25th 2026

Puerto Rico

Amazing night’s sleep. Didn’t wake up once and then suddenly it was nearly 07:00! 

Sat in the lounge and had breakfast watching the sun coming up over San Juan. Had planned to go to the laundry to drop off all our cruise clothes but Nikki suggested we try the high tech washer/dryer in the apartment. Realised all the powders and smells were provided so went for it. Amazing. Samsung machine was so quick and quiet. Saved us a trip out. 

By 10:00 we’d done the lot so decided on a beach day. Got ourselves packed and off we went on the 2 minute walk to the beach. Really nice. Quite busy as it’s a Sunday but didn’t feel too crowded at all. Sat on our chairs and watched the world go by. Lots of jet skiers. 

Both of us went into the sea and promptly got knocked over by the waves! Great fun though. Back on the sunbeds and the fruit man turned up. Watermelon, pineapple and strawberry today. Very nice. 

Stayed on the beach til about 13:30 and then came upstairs for a de-sand! Had lunch in the apartment and then spent the afternoon dozing. Most relaxing. 

Went out around 17:00 to Best Buy to get a power-bank. Quite a stressful drive as it was sunny, then torrential rain, then sunny. Plus the sat-nav was not being our friend. Ended up the wrong way motorway slip road at one point! 

Had planned to go to a Middle Eastern place for tea but one look at it changed our minds. Plus I wasn’t feeling too good. 

Back to the apartment and ordered pizza via Uber Eats. Very nice too. Watched some SNL and the making of Stranger Things and went to bed at 21:50

Monday January 26th 2026

Puerto Rico

Been on our travels for 2 weeks now. In some ways I’m glad we’re on the final leg. In others I shall miss the warm! 

Woke up at 06:00 and sat in the lounge. Looks like it’s been raining quite a bit overnight. Had some Frosties and a very relaxed start to the day. After showers we went over the road and got a Subway for our lunch and some Pepsi Max from the little supermarket. Amazed by the variety at Subway. They were making omelettes! 

Got our beach things together and headed down. Beach was absolutely deserted. Found our spot under the shade of a palm tree. I went in for a dip. Realised I’d forgotten my money for the fruit man and also my drinks so nipped back up. 

Around 11:00 it started to get really dark and looking behind us we could see the rain approaching. Packed up and almost made it back inside before heavy drops started! Had a quick shower and then watched the rain. 

Had lunch and managed to get BBC iPlayer to show an episode of The Traitors. Nikki had a small nap before getting up so we went back down to the beach. Much busier now. Watched the world go by but sadly no fruit man. 

Came up around 16:00 and made a start on packing the big case for tomorrow. 

Around 17:30 thoughts turned to tea. Used Uber Eats again and had a really nice Italian meal from Romano’s Macaroni Grill. Chap delivering it was rubbish and we had to reheat it but very much worth the wait. Plus a lovely Tiramisu. 

Had some more Traitors and went to bed around 21.50

Tuesday January 27th 2026

Puerto Rico to Orlando

Not the best night’s sleep. Gave up and got up around 05:45. 

Last night we’d had an email saying our JetBlue flight up to Orlando would be delayed by 2’15” but another email turned up overnight saying we were back on schedule. 

Had breakfast. Finished most of the packing and then went for my shower. Afterwards sat down with a can of Pepsi Max to recover. Finished up the packing and took the cases down to the car. Came back up for Nikki and off we went. 

Absolutely chucking it down. First stop was a petrol station. Very confusing - you have to go in, queue up, hand over your credit card, go back out, fill up, go back in, queue up, reclaim your credit card and then pay! Took about 20 minutes. Only cost $21.27 for the whole trip. By this point the rain was torrential. 

Got around to the airport and dropped Nikki at the JetBlue terminal. I then went back round to the car hire return garage and dropped off the car. Nothing to sign and nobody to see - just leave the keys in the car and off I went. Got about halfway back to the terminal and then realised I’d left my phone in the car. Quick dash back! 

Luckily when I got outside it had stopped raining. Got back to Nikki and found a chap to help with the bags. He was so good. Got us inside, scanned by the USDA, checked in with the machine, printed our baggage tags and put them on our bags. He then took us to the desk and got us sorted with the wheelchair before taking us to the security check point. Decent tip for him! 

Security was a bit of a mare. They wanted my belt and my shorts started to fall down! Not happy. Nor was Nikki. Just don’t like TSA staff. Went through to departures via the duty free shop where an alarm was going off. Found our gate A3 and stayed put. Had to move though as the air conditioning was far too cold! 

Lined up with the other 16 wheelchairs and eventually got loaded. We’re in 2E and 2F so no great distance to cover. Weird thing with JetBlue - they have all the window blinds closed when boarding - and the vast majority leave them closed through the entire flight. Not me. I want to look! 

Took off about 4 mins late. Flight was fine. I watched 10 Things I Hate About You and a bit of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Got a Pepsi Max and some nibbles. Before we knew it we were over Florida. 

Landed and waited for the wheelchair and we were off. First thing I noticed was how cold it was. 14 degrees outside. Brrrrrr and not a day for shorts. Bad choice! Went to baggage claim 50 and got a coffee to warm me up while we waited for the bags. They came quickly so I ordered an Uber to take us around to the Hyatt. 

Got checked in and paid for an upgrade as we’re here for 24 hours. We’re in 9096 which is nicely tucked away. Room is L-shaped and has a sofa. Most acceptable. 

Got unpacked and I went down to the terminal for a Starbucks for us. Went for a wander then back to the room for a warm! On our wander we found a branch of Romano’s who’d provided our excellent tea last night down in Puerto Rico. Decided to go there later. Watched some TV and then back out for our tea. Sadly Romano’s was under-staffed so we gave up and went to McCoys in the hotel for one of their excellent burgers. 

Back to the room and in bed by 21:00 - decided to stay on Puerto Rico time where it was 22:00. 

Wednesday January 28th 2026

Orlando to Heathrow (Part 1)

Very good night’s sleep. Got up at 06:30 (07:30 PR) and went for a Starbucks. Deserted down there but quite a few people rushing for their flights already. 

Back to the room and watched a bit of TV with our coffees. After showers we went down for breakfast at around 08:00. Very nice food. I had an omelette, potatoes, juice and coffee and Nikki had a vegetable hash with two eggs, sunny-side up. 

After that we wandered down to reacquaint ourselves with the Virgin check-in desk before a quick mooch onto the pool deck on level 6. Beautiful in the sunshine but very, very cold. 

Went back to the room and cranked the heating up! Spent a lazy morning. Saw the new Archbishop of Canterbury on Sky News. 

Around 12:45 I nipped down to the food court and came back with a Sbarro pizza slice each for our lunch. 

By 14:00 we were ready to go so I called down for a man to help with the bags. He arrived very quickly and took us right to the Virgin check-in desk. Excellent service. 

Got sorted and issued with our boarding passes but only after a manager was called because their system was still showing Nikki’s old passport number. SA took us through security and to be fair the TSA weren’t too bad today! 

Went to the Delta Lounge near Gate 80 which was very full but we managed to find 2 seats. Wallowed there awhile with a few drinks and a gentle graze of the food offerings. 

Headed down to Gate 86 at 16:20 stopping for a couple of Pepsi Max on the way. Boarding was quite quick. We’re in 8D and 8G. 

Very friendly crew who took our meal orders, handed out pyjamas and gave us pre-departure drinks. We’re on an A350 so not the coffin seats. Flight time tonight is a ridiculous 6’55” so we’ll be hanging around in the air waiting for LHR to open! 

Had a meal which wasn’t too bad. It was a soup followed by a curry which Nikki liked but I found a bit too spicy. Then we had a bread and butter pudding which was lovely. 

Thursday January 29th 2026

Orlando to Heathrow (Part 2)

Managed to get some sleep. Put the flat bed down. The A350 is far more comfortable than the Virgin coffins on the A330s. Can actually get into a sleeping position. 

Cabin was reasonably quiet so got a few dozes in. Had started watching All The President’s Men so got up and watched the rest of that. Nikki was in her pyjamas and ensconced under her duvet but wasn’t sleeping. She was watching a Bond film. I moved on to Die Hard while still in the sort of bed position. 

Before too long they turned up with my breakfast. Very nice yoghurt and granola thing followed by a Hawaiian style French toast which was yummy and a croissant. All served with orange juice and a cup of tea. Highly acceptable. Overall better food on the return flight. 

Before long we were on final approach. Landed on 9R at LHR at 05:55 so came in over Windsor. Very foggy. Was watching the tail-cam and the ground lights only appeared just before we touched down. Very quick taxi to T3. Doors were opened within minutes but we had quite a wait for the wheelchair. Took about 30 mins but we chatted to the crew. 

Got off and went through security and our bags were there. An SA chap in the baggage hall helped us out and we went up to the Virgin Revivals lounge. Had a bathroom break then a much needed coffee and juice. I also had some toast. I took the bags up to the car and came back for Nikki and off we went. 

Still very foggy and stayed that way until we got the cutting on the M40 when it brightened up considerable. Stopped off at the services in Thame and ended up getting a Subway for lunch! Got home at 08:55. 

House was nice and warm. Unpacked the smaller of the cases for essentials and hit the hay at 09:30 for a 3 hour nap. Much needed. Great holiday - though I would probably not stay so long after the cruise in future.