Day 5…Cruise to South America, Part 2..Fabulous Day in Grand Cayman with new friends…Transiting the Panama Canal with live cam…

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On Saturday, we had lunch at Morgan’s Seafood Restaurant in Cayman Island with new friends Susan and Blair.

“Sightings from the Veranda while Cruising”

Not entirely from our veranda, but this photo of our ship, Celebrity Infinity, was taken from the shore when we disembarked the tender in Cayman Island.

We’re quickly breezing through today’s post since we’re heading through the Panama Canal within the next few hours. Tomorrow, we’ll share our photos and videos of the transit through the canal.

This is an intelligent item…these little wine glass protectors that absorb moisture in humid climates.

Right now, it’s raining in buckets, and visibility at the locks is limited. Hopefully, by the time we soon enter the locks, we’ll have better visibility and, hopefully, be able to take some videos and photos of our transit through the canal.

A bird on the railing at the restaurant.

In the interim, here’s a live webcam which we’ll post again tomorrow for those who may be interested in seeing our transit through the locks and dam:

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html

My lunch, mussels, and clams in a butter wine sauce.  Delicious.

In January 2013, we transited through the Panama Canal on our first cruise, one of Tom’s lifelong dreams. I had no idea how much this experience would mean to me, and I loved every moment. 

Susan’s stir-fry.

We accept today’s overcast sky and fog as one more reality of traveling the world. We have no control over the weather, and we aren’t going to let us disappoint. We’re both still excited to be here.

Tom’s club sandwich was a real treat for him.

This morning at 3:30 am, Tom got up to shower and head to the windows at the bow of the ship, to the Constellation Lounge, to secure our seats for the crossing, the same thing we’d done on the Celebrity Century in January 2013, the last time we were here.

Here are a few of our links from that crossing in 2013:

Part 1:  https://www.worldwidewaftage.com/2013/01/wach-us-live-via-webcam-as-we-go.html

Part 2:  https://www.worldwidewaftage.com/2013/01/our-transit-through-panama-canalwatch.html

Part 3:  https://www.worldwidewaftage.com/2013/01/photos-from-panama-canal-transit.html

We had intended to focus on Part 2 of our visit to the Cayman Islands, but somehow, we were sidetracked (in the flurry of fun activities) that we’d be going through the canal today. 

Blair’s quesadillas.

Thus, we’re sharing our final photos from Cayman Island and thank Susan and Blair for picking us up at the port after a bit of commotion when the ship decided to dock in a different location where the sea wasn’t quite as rough first intended location.

Long driveway to a massive mansion on Cayman Island.

We figured it all out and could connect at the correct landing to enjoy several hours together taking photos, having lunch, and sharing stories of mutual world travels. Without a doubt, we’ll stay in touch with Susan and Blair, hoping our paths will cross again sometime in the future.

As for the moment, we’re still in the Caribbean Sea, and we just sailed under the newly being built Atlantic Bridge at the Atlantic Canal entrance to cross into the channel to the locks and then on to Gatun Lake.

We’ll be back with more information, perhaps yet today and in the worse case, tomorrow.

Have a fabulous day! We sure will!

Photo from one year ago today, November 27, 2016:

Boats in the harbor in Tauranga, New Zealand. We have such fond memories of the three months we spent in this beautiful country. For more photos, please click here.

Day 4…Cruise to South America…Part 1, Fabulous day in Grand Cayman with new friends…

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Susan and Blair, originally from Canada, have lived in Grand Cayman for the past 15 years and are about to spread their wings further, by beginning a world journey in many ways similar to ours without a home, without “stuff,” and with no end in mind. 

“Sightings from the Veranda while Cruising”

A yacht in the harbor at Grand Cayman.
Yesterday, Grand Cayman was our first port of call since leaving Fort Lauderdale on Thursday. Here’s a little information about Grand Cayman:
“Grand Cayman
Island in the Cayman Islands
Grand Cayman is the largest of the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. George Town, its capital, is home to the Cayman Islands National Museum, dedicated to Caymanian heritage. The city is also a major cruise-ship port and site of the ruins of colonial-era Fort George. Beaches and vibrant coral reefs are the island’s hallmarks.
Area: 75.68 mi²
Population: 52,601 (2010)
Largest settlement: George Town (pop. 27,704)
Pop. density: 224.6 /km2 (581.7 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups: mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20%.”
The indoor seating at Morgan’s Seafood Restaurant.
On a previous cruise, we’d visited Cayman Island, but this time we had an entirely different perspective, both from having had more experience traveling, with a  resulting keener eye. Also, meeting new friends and upcoming world travelers Susan and Blair added considerably to our second visit.
Check out this fish chandelier!

About ten years my junior, five years for Tom, this lovely couple are blessed with the opportunity to begin traveling at a younger age, already possessing considerable travel experience instead of our being relative neophytes when we started in October 2012.

A tour boat under tarps at the marina

As avid and expert scuba divers, they’ve visited some of the finest waters in the world as well as spending the past 15 years living in the Cayman Islands, a scuba divers paradise. Originally from Canada, years ago, they made the difficult decision to move to this tropical island which we found to be exquisite and enticing.

A social event was conducted on the beach.

Again, this year they made yet another life-changing decision…to sell everything they own and travel the world.  Humm…sounds familiar. Although their travel goals may differ from ours with their passion for underwater scenery and wildlife, we found we have many similar interests in common as we’re inclined toward water scenery.

Recently, with the help of a competent local real estate agent, their home in Grand Cayman sold, and they’re expected to leave at the end of December to begin, which may prove for them, to be a year’s long journey as well.

A sprawling lawn at a luxury estate.

Sharing dreams, hopes, and logistics with them at lunch at the excellent Morgan’s Seafood Restaurant at the Cayman Islands Yacht Club was both refreshing and exciting.


As it turns out, Susan and Blair found us online when searching for world travelers. Over the past few years, as the decision was rolling out, they’ve discovered other world travelers researching for valued information about how to embark on such an adventure.

View of a small portion of Cayman Island from the ship.


As the baby boomer population ages, many decide to do something similar to us, each to their personal preferences, to fulfill their dreams of world travel.  

It’s interesting to see how world traveler’s goals may vary. Some may prefer to spend considerable time in Europe when they begin, as is the case for Susan and Blair, while others may choose an entirely different path, as in our case.

A pretty house on the shore as our tender approached the dock.

Whichever path they choose, challenges and obstacles line the way that savvy people can handle dignity and grace. The ability to navigate online, along with good problem-solving skills and a high degree of patience and tolerance, can make this life possible for some.

Susan and Blair seem to possess these skills, and we look forward to following their adventures at their site found here. We wish them the very best in safety, good health, and extraordinary experiences.

Tom just returned from a morning seminar, joining me at a comfy table in Cafe al Bacio where we’ll stay until we’re ready for the next activity, another meeting this afternoon.

Tomorrow, we’ll back with more photos of our time in the Cayman Islands with Susan and Blair.

Have an enjoyable day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 26, 2016:
I love the look on Tom’s face in this shot. It was one year ago today that we did the seminar on the ship. A few days later, we were asked to conduct a second seminar. For more details, please click here.