Our Most Memorable Moments of 2021

The COVID pandemic couldn’t keep us down. We kept traveling, and we had a ball. Here are some of our most memorable moments of 2021.

As you know, 2020 was a loss as far as vacation travel is concerned because of the coronavirus pandemic. I had several cruises booked for that year that were canceled, one by one. Ever the optimist, I kept booking new ones, hoping something would stick.

In the meantime, we were itching to travel somewhere, so in March of 2021, we flew to Vegas.

ANNUAL RECAPS

Las Vegas – March

Of course, everyone was wearing masks at that point, and we all were a bit nervous about getting too close to other people. Luckily, the Vegas crowds hadn’t returned yet, so it felt like we had the place to ourselves.

There we:

Stayed at the Plaza Downtown.

Ate the most ridiculously large breakfasts at Hash House A Go Go at the Plaza.

Had dinner at Oscar’s at the Plaza for the first time. It was delicious!

And, of course, we gambled. I had fun.

Las Vegas – June

In June, we went back to Vegas, ready to kick up our heels again. This time, we:

Got a gorgeous view of Mount Rainier from the plane.

Enjoyed American Express’s Centurion Lounge for the first time.

Had comped treatment at the Plaza, including this wonderful suite.

Explored downtown Vegas.

Had fun playing in the casino.

It was another fun trip to Vegas, but we were ready for a cruise! Luckily, we didn’t have long to wait.

Want to explore Fremont Street in Downtown Vegas? Check out this tour:

Eastern Caribbean – August

Finally, we were able to cruise again, and we had one booked for August of 2021. We’d been wanting to try Celebrity, and this was our chance. Cruising again gave us some of our most memorable moments of 2021.

The cruise we picked was to the Eastern Caribbean on Celebrity Edge. Starting and ending in Fort Lauderdale, the cruise stopped in Nassau, Bahamas; Charlotte Amalie, British Virgin Islands; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

Sadly, the pandemic was still raging and everyone was nervous, including us. Very few people got off the ship. Apparently, we didn’t miss much because nearly all of the shops and restaurants on land were still closed. But we made the best of it and made memories anyway.

There we:

Experienced Celebrity’s special embarkation lounge at the port of Fort Lauderdale for the first time. Myron gave it a thumbs-up.

Had a Sky Suite for the first time, and loved it. Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures. But I did get this one of waking up to see the sea, which was a nice memory.

Ate at Luminae, the Retreat restaurant, for the first time.

Enjoyed a nice tasting of the wines of Oregon.

Enjoyed the sight of Charlotte Amalie at night as we were leaving port.

Explored the ship, acting silly, and Myron made a new friend.

And had our first in-cabin room service delivered by our butler.

Overall, it was a relaxing and enjoyable trip with fun memories, even without setting foot in port.

Las Vegas – September

In September, it was back to Vegas for us. We:

Flew first class for the first time in decades.

Got the whale treatment and had a huge suite at the Plaza for the first time.

Relaxed at their pool for the first time.

Enjoyed downtown Vegas at night for the first time.

Checked off a bucket list item for me: eating at Hell’s Kitchen.

Western Caribbean – December

At the end of the year, we took our second cruise of 2021, this time for seven nights on Norwegian Breakaway. This cruise began and ended in New Orleans, and stopped in Cozumel, Roatan, Harvest Caye, and Costa Maya.

On this trip, we:

Stayed in the Haven for the first time and bid to be upgraded to a gorgeous two-bedroom suite. Amazingly, our bid was accepted. We were thrilled!

Enjoyed our embarkation-night dinner at Teppanyaki, which became a routine for us.

Wandered through the port of Cozumel, which was starting to open up again.

It was pouring down rain in Roatan, so I opted to skip the excursion we had planned. Myron, however, went without me and had a ball with the monkeys and macaws, even though he was soaking wet.

Explored the port of Costa Maya.

Final Thoughts on Memorable Moments of 2021

Finally, cruising was beginning to feel a little more normal with more port shops and activities being open. We were still wearing masks, but it had begun to feel natural at that point.

For 2022, we have seven cruises planned! Lots of memories to be made in the next year.

Happy cruising!