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10/22/2026

Someone reminded me that I forgot to post about Colón! That’s probably because we didn’t go very far🤣. Almost all the excursions required a motorcoach ride back to Panama City.
We got off the ship and it has a nice little touristy mall- Cute gift shops, pharmacy, ice cream shops and restaurants. It is not recommended to leave that area unless you have a booked excursion.
We bought a couple souvenirs to remember the Panama Canal crossing and some food. You get a little tired of cruise ship food by Day 23!
Our friends did the Panama City Tour and learned about the new locks and spent time in historic Panama City. They enjoyed it!
❓Do you have any excursion recommendations in Colón??

10/17/2026

Cartagena, Colombia 🇨🇴 was a cruise port day we’re glad we experienced… but there are a few things we wish we’d known before getting off the ship! 👀

We wanted to wander the famous Walled City, admire the colorful streets, and soak up the beautiful historic architecture. And yes, it really is beautiful! 😍

BUT… the vendors were VERY pushy. Some followed us around trying to sell us things and would not take no for an answer, and honestly, it wasn’t the relaxed vibe we were hoping for while exploring the city. We wanted to look at the architecture without feeling like we had to constantly say no.

A few tips if Cartagena is on your cruise itinerary:

🚗 Get an air-conditioned Uber. It’s a great way to get into the city without baking in the heat.

⏰ Allow PLENTY of time to get back to the port. Don’t cut it close! Traffic and getting back to the ship can take longer than you expect.

🏛️ Be prepared for persistent vendors in the Walled City. The architecture is gorgeous, but the sales approach may not be for everyone.

🦜 Don’t skip the port oasis! This ended up being our FAVORITE part of the day. We spent an entire hour watching macaws, peacocks, monkeys, and even a SLOTH! 🦥😍

🚌 And thankfully, there was a shuttle bus to take us between the ship and the port area, making that part of the day easy.

Would we go again? We’re glad we went and got to experience Cartagena for ourselves, but we’d definitely go with different expectations next time!

Because sometimes the best part of a cruise port day is the experience you never planned on loving. ❤️

👇 Tell us! Have you visited Cartagena on a cruise? Did you love exploring the Walled City, or was the port oasis your kind of adventure? We want to hear your experience!

Follow Michael & Tiffany Travels for more REAL cruise port experiences, DIY adventures, and tips to help you decide what’s worth your time! 🚢🌎

10/12/2026

🚢🌎 Cruising through the Panama Canal is a bucket-list experience, and we finally got to do it! Even with an earthquake the day before, our transit went ahead as planned. Did you know there was a debate over building the canal in Nicaragua vs. Panama and Panama won due to its seismic plates?! Seems like it was the right choice!

But is crossing the Panama Canal by cruise ship for everyone? 🤔

Follow along as we share our experience and who we think would LOVE this cruise… and who might want to skip it!

Would the Panama Canal be on your bucket list? ⬇️

10/11/2026

We docked in Punteranas, Costa Rica today. We had a wonderful (albeit hot) day exploring this town. We ate the special of the day at a local restaurant, visited the local supermarket and church, and then finished with a traditional dessert called a Churchill.
It’s a finely shaved ice layered with a bright red, sweet cola-flavored syrup, powdered milk, and heavy sweetened condensed milk. It was named after British Prime Minister Winston Churchill because a local shopkeeper named Joaquín Agüilar frequently ordered the quirky ice combination and locals thought he resembled the politician!

We are now headed to the Panama Canal! It seems to be in operating condition even after the earthquake.

We have put Costa Rica on our list to come back and visit. The land is beautiful and so much more to see than one port day allows. That’s why we love cruising-we can stop at different ports and get an idea of where we would like to go back and spend more time exploring! We want to experience both coasts of Costa Rica as well as the central region.
❓What cruise port has made you want to visit that country again?

Puerta Vallarta was not one of our original port stops (see previous posts!), but with so many days at sea we still want...
10/10/2026

Puerta Vallarta was not one of our original port stops (see previous posts!), but with so many days at sea we still wanted to get off the ship and look around.
❓Can you guess where we went by the photo of our haul?🤣🤣🤣

10/10/2026

🌀🌊Things have been a little crazy on this repositioning cruise! Trying to avoid 2 hurricanes and now there has been an earthquake in Panama and a tsunami warning has been issued. We are headed to Panama to do a full crossing of the Panama Canal😳.
Our captain on the has been awesome awesome and kept us apprised of everything. He even walks around the ship and asks if you have any questions. Communication really is key to keeping everyone happy.
We know we are not in control and will make the most of it!
We are also thinking of those in the path of Hurricane Isaias🩵🧡
🔥Follow along on this crazy adventure!!


10/08/2026

Cruise life isn’t always sunshine, calm seas, and picture-perfect ports!

Because of the hurricane, our itinerary changed, and we had some seriously CHOPPY waters along the way. 🌊 Let’s just say being in a cabin near the front of the ship gave us a front-row seat to the ocean’s mood swings! 😂

But safety comes first, and we’re grateful the cruise line made adjustments to keep everyone safe. We were very happy with MSC’s communication throughout everything.

And now? ☀️ BEAUTIFUL WEATHER! Blue skies, sunshine, and a reminder that sometimes you just have to roll with the waves… literally!

Travel teaches you to be flexible, embrace the unexpected, and remember that the adventure doesn’t always go according to plan.

❤️ We’re just happy to be safe and enjoying this incredible journey!

Tell us: Have you ever experienced rough seas or had a cruise itinerary changed because of weather? 🌊👇

Cruises

10/08/2026

🥵 SAN DIEGO: 1
☀️ US: 0

We came to San Diego expecting beautiful weather… not 25 DEGREES HOTTER THAN NORMAL! 😂

But we made the most of our hot port day! ⚓️🌴

We explored the USS Midway, stopped at the iconic Victory Kiss statue, wandered through Bob Hope Park, and then headed to the Kansas City BBQ restaurant made famous by Top Gun — YES, the place where Goose played “Great Balls of Fire.” 🎹🔥

We shared a combo plate, soaked up the Top Gun history, and then walked all the way back to the ship because… 🥵 IT WAS HOT!

25 degrees above normal will definitely change your sightseeing strategy! 😂

✈️ Save this for your next San Diego trip or cruise port day!
📍Tag your travel buddy who would explore every stop with you, even in 25°-above-normal heat!
🌎 Follow along for more cruise ports, travel adventures, hidden gems & places worth adding to your bucket list!

10/06/2026

We live in The Villages… so naturally, when we got to Catalina Island, we went on a GOLF CART TOUR. 😂🏌️‍♀️🏌️‍♂️

Because apparently you can take the people out of The Villages, but you can’t take the golf carts out of the people. 🤣

Los Angeles was our FIRST port stop on the repositioning leg of our cruise, and what a way to start!

We took the Catalina Express ferry over to the island, then spent the day exploring the island with our awesome guide, Dudley, who has lived on Catalina since 1959!

The views were absolutely beautiful, but the HISTORY was the real surprise. We got to see so much more of the island than we would have on our own, and Dudley had the stories to prove it.

Honestly… if you give us a golf cart, gorgeous scenery, and someone who knows all the local secrets, we’re probably going to have a GREAT day. 😆

Have you been to Catalina Island? What would YOU do with a day there? 👇🏼

10/06/2026

Tell me you’re on a 26-night cruise without telling me you’re on a 26-night cruise. 😂

At some point during a 26-night cruise, you stop asking, “Should I do this?” and start asking, “What the heck else do I have to do today?”

So naturally…

I made origami. 🐸📄

Not because I’m crafty.
Not because I had a lifelong dream of folding paper.
But because WE HAVE 26 NIGHTS TO FILL, PEOPLE. 😂

We have officially entered the “sign me up for literally anything” phase of this cruise.

Tomorrow I could be doing trivia.
The next day? Dance class. I’ve learned three new line dances and Bachata.
By next week, no telling!

And honestly… this is exactly why we love doing trips like this.

You never know what random little adventure is going to become the story you remember.

So be honest…

What random cruise activity did you drag yourself to just because you had nothing better to do? 😂👇

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