San Diego, California...

Well, once again we are back in San Diego…I was up most of the night worried about our COVID test today in order to make it back to the east coast…so in the wee hours of the morning I decided to go out on the forward deck and take some take sail in photos. Caught some nice photos as the sun was coming up.  The anxiety level today was high for all of us as we were being COVID tested at 7 am, this test was so pivotal to our future cruises. If we failed or tested positive, we were going to be kicked off the ship for a 10-day quarantine stay at a hotel in San Diego followed by a journey whether flying or a road trip to meet up with the Rotterdam in Fort Lauderdale sometime down the road or possibly heading home. At 7:16 the weight was lifted and we all three (Ann, Cathy & I) tested Negative…it was a happy dance all the way to the Main Dining Room for Customs and Border Protection clearance. This new Holland America policy regarding putting guests off the ship if testing positive for COVID rather than using onboard quarantine facilities has been a major game changer in the future of cruising for me.  Gone are the days of sailing around the world, exploring other cultures and seeing wonderous sights.  I will be staying much closer to home with the threat of being put off the ship in some port far, far away from home if testing for COVID, even if asymptomatic…  This could potentially have a chilling effect on the cruise line’s ability to keep their base if they don’t feel comfortable with not being assured of being brought back to their intended port of debarkation.  I believe a World Cruise would be fraught with potential problems…  True to their word, some guests did test positive and are now in a quarantine facility in San Diego as we sailed away.   As far as our day in San Diego, the weather had a real chill in the air, but it was bright and sunny and just perfect for our day in the Retreat. It was downright cold but magnificent sail away from San Diego.  Ran into my friend Juville at the sail away, one of my all-time favorite beverage attendants, he took exceptional care of Ian & I during 2019 when I spent 8 1/2 months on the Zuiderdam...  Fort Lauderdale here we come…this is last of our Panama Canal transits for our Zuiderdam voyages. We will continue to be careful, and not let our guard down in order to make it through our next test for our transition to the Rotterdam in Fort Lauderdale….  On to the Panama Canal….