Author: Dan

Day 1: Sail Off Day

DanTravel

The Silver Waves made it to Port Canaveral and were boarded by about 11:30. Had a nice sit down lunch and were in our staterooms in time for shoving off.

Hi, Neighbors

Either we missed it on the last cruise or they didn’t do it, but you know how most ships blow their horn as they pull away from the dock? Yeah, Princess does that a bit differently. You’ve never really experienced the first couple measures of The Love Boat theme until you’ve heard it blasted out by a ship’s horns, echoing across the port.

Just Read the Instructions

Passed this interesting bit of machinery while heading to sea: SpaceX’s autonomous drone ship and a spent (and extra crispy) Falcon rocket first stage.

Had a nice dinner with the Waves, a bit of dancing with one of the house bands, Moonshine and Mud, then turned in for the night.

Day 0: Silver Waves

DanTravel

The doing life together group from The Vine church has been taking annual getaways for oh, at least 10 years. In 2025 we tried cruising together and loved it.

Almost immediately after that cruise we booked another a year later, to start on January 11th. Nine days with four port days in the Virgin Islands. We all met at Dan & Diane’s place on the 10th since it’s only 2 hours from Port Canaveral.

Why Silver Waves? Well, Eric has been playing with an app called Suno, an AI-powered tool that can write, arrange, and play a song based on a couple prompts describing what you’re looking for.

The evening before we shoved off, Eric gave Suno our first names, a couple of our hobbies and life circumstances, and it produced a rather clever sea shanty with the title “Silver Waves.”

So, that’s now the name of our band of mostly silver haired explorers.

Day 7: Last Sea Day

DanTravel

Nothing much to note, photowise, today. Thermal spa after breakfast, then our last dance class of the cruise. Focused on proper alignment of head, shoulders, hips and feet, and review of recently taught steps.

Restful afternoon, dinner, dancing in the gym that our teacher commandeered, more junk food, then our last several dances and goodbyes with classmates at the farewell party with the band Asian Soul. A band I would love to have on every cruise, along with the best classmates ever.

Lights from the Florida Keys, maybe Marathon or Big Pine Key. Which means the end is near. One more sleep then we’ll be home.

Final note: woke at 1:30am to a bright light streaming in from this humorous… jellyfish… passing by in the dark off the shores of Miami. Clearly an apex predator.

That is all. 🤗

Day 6: Cozumel

DanTravel

We ventured out mid-morning after breakfast, and were both thinking “this doesn’t look anything like the Cozumel we saw last January, or one two other times. Oh, okay. There’s three cruise ports in Cozumel. Can see five ships docked here at the moment.

Large, open and colorful shopping and eatery area. Clearly catering to the mostly American market.

Got some by-request shopping done and back on ship around noon.

Naps, lunch, and spa this afternoon, in no particular order.

No more updates expected today before we set sail at 4:30 and lose cell service until we’re at home port on Saturday.

Day 5: Sea Day Two

DanTravel

Late breakfast, dance technical / musicality lesson, lunch then a dance class. Afternoon bums at the spa and a nap before dinner.

The evening started with Pop Princess Night, with dance alongside the ship’s dance team. Fun except when all guests had to clear the piazza every time the pros did one of their choreographed routines.

Saw a rather funny and entertaining show about the ship’s cruise director’s musical and life journey from producer of many London West End shows, to financial ruin by bad business partners, to being head of all entertainment on this new, billion dollar ship.

The group then checked out the late night DJ-led party on the top deck. Decided nah, too much work to make smooth or ballroom dances work with that beat, at that hour, so we grabbed snacks, drinks, and kicked back at the deserted Eatery.

Early lights out for most of us at 11:00.