Miami, Florida, USA
It seems there always has to be a dose of travel drama on the journey home.
On the last day of any cruise, it’s always an early morning start to the day. It was still dark when we woke up and almost immediately stepped out onto our balcony to watch the Seven Seas Mariner glide the final miles of this long journey. We’ve traveled 3900 nautical miles since we left Lisbon, Portugal, 11 days ago.
Captain Abhi maneuvered the ship into her assigned berth at the Miami Cruise Port at 6 AM, right on time. (FYI, Port Miami is the largest cruise port in the world.)
Sunrise! 6:29 AM. Room service coffee and rolls arrived at 6:30 AM. We have enjoyed our daily coffee service — one of the true luxuries for both of us on our cruise. As we have talked to several crew members as they deliver our late-night decaf cappuccino and then bring us our early-morning coffee and muffins, we’ve gotten to know them a bit and heard their stories. (These night shifters work a 7 PM to 7 AM shift with a two-hour break in the middle, and so we often saw the same crew delivering both our night and morning coffee. And always with a smile!) These people are amongst the hardest workers we’ve ever met, dedicated to doing a good job and making their families back home proud of their efforts.
We vacated our room around 7:45 AM, had a quick breakfast at La Veranda, said our goodbyes to officers, crew, and new friends, and then went to the Observation Lounge to wait for our disembarkation call.
We shouldn’t have had to hang around long — we were scheduled to disembark at 8:45, with plenty of time to catch a cab to Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport. We weren’t in a hurry — we had a 12:35 PM flight to Chicago O’Hare.
To pass the time, we walked the upper deck and noticed that the Mariner was flying the flag of the USA. That’s the first time we’ve seen the Stars and Stripes since we departed San Francisco on April 5th. We’ve enjoyed seeing the flags of the countries of our ports of call hoisted on the ship as we traveled halfway around the world. (The starboard spreader, or the right side of the mast, is always reserved for a “Courtesy Flag,” which is flown when sailing in the territorial waters of a foreign country as a sign of respect.)
At 8:00 AM, the Cruise Director announced a delay. Customs and Immigration would not allow anyone to disembark until all luggage had been removed from the ship and processed through security. From our perch on the Sports Deck, we watched them move the luggage six decks below us. There was a lot of luggage! (World cruisers, of course, tend to travel with more than a couple of suitcases, and we had boarded the Mariner for the last half of the 2026 World Cruise.)
8:15 — same announcement about the delay. 8:30 — same announcement. 8:45 — same announcement. 9:00 — same announcement. Finally, at 9:10 AM, the first groups of passengers were called to disembark. We were not in that first group, but we were now checking our watches frequently.
Finally, at 9:30, even though our Luggage Color and Number hadn’t been called yet, we were concerned enough about the time crunch that we grabbed our carry-ons and went through the ship’s security for the last time. Time had been uncomfortably slipping away, and we no longer had the cushion we’d counted on for an anxiety-free trip to the airport. We identified our luggage, found a porter to assist us with our two large suitcases, two carry-ons, and two duffel bags, and quickly cleared immigration. “Welcome home,” the agent said with a smile as he handed us our passports, marked with a dozen countries’ stamps.
There was a long line at the taxi stand. Of course, there was! Lots of folks looked panicked as they waited. Sherpa and I were in that group. We finally got a cab, and by the time we’d loaded our luggage into the back, it was 10:15 AM. We were an hour and a half “behind schedule.” We had a 45-minute drive to FLL, and boarding for our flight began at 11:45 AM. Doing the math didn’t provide us with much confidence. Maybe there would be a flight delay? The airline’s app said our flight was on time.
Then we got lucky. Our taxi driver got us to the airport in good time, while still driving safely. Once we had hauled all of our luggage into the terminal, a United agent in the baggage check-in area approached us, offered her assistance, and helped us move through the process quickly. (Thank you, Subi!) Another agent helped us get to the gate after a TSA snafu with a water bottle. (Thank you, Vanessa!)
We arrived at the gate, not an hour and change early as we’d originally planned, but as the last passengers were filing down the gangway. We joined the end of the queue, and finally breathed with relief once we were in our seats! Whew!
Moral of the story? The kindness of strangers can make a difference when your original plans fall through the cracks of bureaucracy.
Our plane to Chicago took off two minutes ahead of schedule. (Of course, it did!) We flew over Miami’s coastline, where the city meets the Atlantic Ocean, and began our journey by air after two months of travel by sea. Almost three hours later, we flew over Chicago, where its shoreline met Lake Michigan.
Our second flight, from Chicago to Wisconsin, also departed on time. Wow! That doesn’t often happen. The closer we got to home, the more the land looked like a gigantic, multi-green quilt. Mid-June corn and soybean fields appeared as pale green blocks, while mature alfalfa and wheat fields showed as emerald green squares. This is how most people “see” Wisconsin — from 30,000 feet above the ground. That’s too bad, for the state is one of the nicest places in which to reside.
From a plane’s window, it seems as if the entire state is farmland, but technically, farms account for around 40% of Wisconsin’s total land area. Almost all the farms in the southern half of Wisconsin — about 95% — are family-owned, and not corporate entities. And although the state is famous for its cheeses, only 10% of the farms are dairy farms.
Our daughter picked us up from the airport, and as we drove across town, we commented on the change of scenery. When we’d left town in early April, there was still snow on the ground! A wave of clouds greeted us upon our return. We were home in time to order pizza for supper!
After our crazy scramble at Fort Lauderdale’s Airport, we were grateful that the rest of the trip went smoothly, and we arrived home right on time. We’d been gone 70 days, or exactly 10 weeks. We traveled a total of 16,342 nautical miles over three cruise segments, beginning in Singapore and ending here in Miami. We visited 32 ports of call in 21 countries and 4 continents, plus we took two land tours: a 4-day, 3-night DIY trip in Singapore and our 5-day, 4-night safari to Kruger National Park in South Africa. An amazing journey that we will remember forever!
Next up? A mashup of highlights from our days at sea.
Welcome back! I am eager to hear your highlights.
Welcome home, friend! Thank you for the ways you shared your latest adventure with us. It is a joy to see the world through your eyes and words.