In 2003 I voyaged on Semester at Sea during the summer semester. Starting in Vancouver , we circled the Ring of Fire, stopping in Alaska, Russia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, a Fiji, and Hawaii before returning to Seattle.

The Steam Ship Universe Explorer was a small and old ship, and it was home. It seemed luxurious in its own way, and the shipboard community was knit from a cloth not found in other settings.

In 2011 we took a cruise deal that sailed straight out of Baltimore for a winter getaway. Embarking without having to fly somewhere first is great!

The ports of call weren’t the most enchanting I’ve seen, but the temperature was headed in the right direction. This cruise was my introduction to the ship as a destination in itself.

It’s been a while but we set to sail again in 2019 summer on the Empress of the Seas to Cuba tourist traps in Mexico. For some reason the trip itinerary had to change at the last minute, so we didn’t get to visit Cuba. Royal Caribbean did give us half off, and we had quite a good time at the water park they built at Costa Maya.

The Empress is a smaller ship again (though still double the tonnage of the MV Explorer) and we’re hoping that the ports in Cuba will prove enticing.

The Pride of Baltimore II is a Topsail Schooner in iconic  Baltimore Clipper  style launched in 1988 to replace the original Pride lost in a Caribbean squall. Both ships were modeled after the Baltimore Clipper  Chasseur , which earned fame as a privateer during the War of 1812.

I departed Duluth, MN onboard the Pride as part of the Guest Crew program, whereby up to 6 passengers assist the professional crew in delivering the ship to its next port of call. It was a very demanding and rewarding experience, not for the faint of heart or squeamish of stomach!