Sailing Into 2026

 So I got the idea for a NYE cruise a few months back -- wanting to celebrate the new year bigly. Barry, Mike, Donna, and Loni were game, and we booked a San Juan back to Miami trip -- and then the Canes complicated things! Damn team is great this year, and there would be a playoff game on NYE! Worse --- since we'd be sailing back to San Juan harbor, we were an hour ahead -- would our grand trip be really a watch party? Well, it worked out -- the Canes won with minutes (before the ship's horn signaled the new year) and we celebrated in grand style.

Since I always think in song lyrics, Jimmy Buffet's applied here: "It's been a lovely cruise." On Sunday Wifey and I navigated the busiest  I had ever seen MIA (it was the Sunday post Xmas) and made our flight fine -- a bit over 2 hours to San Juan. We met at the Sonesta with our crew, who had flown in earlier, and I got an immediate feeling.

Whenever I visit a place for the first time, I either get a good vibe, neutral one, or negative one. And San Juan was the first -- I dug the place right away, even though we spent just a day there. For dinner, Donna picked a steakhouse in the Fairmont Hotel next door, and it turned out the place was historic -- rat pack era -- casino and banging nightclub in the lobby. After our first large meal (there were a couple -- 25 -- during the trip) we listened to Fania type salsa, which I love -- Tito Puente and Celia Cruz stuff.

The next am a van fetched us for the overpriced short trip to the ship. Wifey and I had taken an Explora before -- Barbados to Miami -- but Mike and Loni and Barry and Donna were rookies. We knew Mike and Loni would love it -- we feared a lot of eye rolling from Barry since the cost is easily 4 times his usual Royal or Celebrity.

Nope. He was hooked -- already wishing to go again -- maybe even a repositioning cruise! Mission accomplished -- a man who needed a great trip more than anyone of my dear friends got it and more.

The only negative, which ended up just being an unforgettable event, was the first excursion in Anguilla. It was a hike in a plantation to a cave, and the brochure said "uneven surfaces." Well -- Donna fell 5 times and Wifey twice. Barry got dragged down one time, and ended up with a badly skinned shin. The hike was truly meant for much more agile and young folks than we -- I lucked out because of my weekly balance and strength training -- I was able to support Wifey most of the trek -- except for twice, when she went down like a sack of potatoes.

But again -- no fractures -- and we decided to cancel the following day's  hike on St. John, and even though it was within the no cancel time, the ship happily refunded the money -- in cash! As the young agent counted off the bills to me, I told her I couldn't recall the last time a young attractive woman paid ME cash -- really any woman at all. She laughed -- I hope I managed to be only minimally creepy.

The rest of the week was a drink and food fest -- with a nice easy tour of Puerto Plata in a private van -- great beachside lunch on the way back to the ship.

After that, the only stop was Key West, and we just walked a bit and headed to Blue Heaven -- alas -- a 1.5 hour wait. I told the hostess our ship would be sailing by then -- we found a serviceable tiki bar type place and had some good fish sandwiches and buckets of vodka and grapefruit juice. Really.

We toasted our manifold blessings. A lot. Barry and I solved all the world's problems on the top deck, in lounge chairs, as the sun set beatifully. It was SO romantic -- until Wifey ruined it by showing up. Ha.

Last night was Sakura -- amazing sushi and pad thai. We said our farewells, and all agreed it was an a (pause) mazing trip.

Barry and Donna were to be fetched by Josh -- Mike. Loni, Wifey and I found Uber issues and so piled into a cab van -- we dropped Mike at his Downtown office -- marveling at the new "Signature bridge" being built. I used to say Miami was a new city every 10 years -- now it's every 5.

The driver then headed south, and dropped off Loni and Wifey and me at our house. For the final bit of hilarity, I noticed the driver, before leaving, walked across the street to our neighbor's wooded area -- and had himself a nice, long piss. I told Loni to turn around, and got the predicted "Oh Lord, Dave!" It seemed appropriate to end with a belly laugh -- as we ended 2025 with some, and began 2026 with others.