Caribbean Cruise - Day 1

We had never been on a cruise, but when we received a lovely invitation from Karen and Craig to join them on a ten day cruise in the Caribbean to the Panama Canal, we were immediately "on board" with the idea. We looked forward to spending quality time together, exploring new places, and trying out a new way (for us) to travel. So here we are, aboard the Holland America ship Zuiderdam.  We left Halifax on December 10 and flew to Philadephia and on to Ft. Lauderdale.  The next morning we took the shuttle to the cruise port where we met up with Karen and Craig and boarded our ship.  I thought the boarding process would be tedious, but the staff moved us efficiently through the terminal and we were soon on our way.  By chance our stateroom is not far from Karen and Craig's, making it very handy for coordinating our activities on board.  Our first dinner was delicIous.  We then took in a variety show in one of the theatres.  Wally and I dropped into a blues bar to listen to the band and dance a few steps.  The following are pictures from our first day.

Our stateroom

Checking out our veranda with Craig and Karen

Sitting area of stateroom

A beautiful day to set sail

Looking up the coastline near Fort Lauderdale

The coastline recedes as the sun sets.

Relaxing in one of the bars

Our first dinner on board

Our table mates

Delicious food!