our route
For years I'd heard about "repositioning cruises," when a ship is relocated from one part of the world to another. A lot of full-time travelers use them to avoid long flights and jet lag, to enjoy a variety of ports, and to save money. Repo cruises tend to cost about the same as a long-haul flight, with two or more weeks of food, accommodation, and entertainment thrown in.
Chris Englert and Steve Goodfriend, who found the Nomad Life group, told us they planned to travel from Europe to S. America this way in December 2024. This couple has embraced being nomadic and minimalistic for four years, traveling the world full-time with mere carry-ons. They share resources and strategies in their website, You Tube channel, and books.
Dave and I were enticed, as were 15 others, to join them on the Norwegian Star. I'd yet to meet Chris in person, but we had a history of giving each other feedback on our manuscripts. Her blurb appears on the cover of Wanderland.
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| Tavira Castle was built in the 10th c. by the Moors |
Dave and I picked up Chris and Steve in our rental car in the Algarve for the drive to Lisbon, the port of embarkation. When we finally came together in real life, it felt like hugging old friends.
Dave and I had circled back to Portugal after a month in Spain. I adored the seaside village of Tavira, with the idyllic River Gilao running through the town. With its gorgeous architecture, it has the aesthetic of a mini Paris. There, and in the the nearby adorable town of Cabanas, we took ferries to the barrier islands, peaceful places with long beaches and little eateries.
This enjoyment was hard earned after the drama we'd been dealing with, First, I'd had to go to the doctor who administered a shot of cortisone to relieve my ghoulishly swollen eyes due to some kind of allergic reaction. Next, we'd had to change accommodations because of loud and maybe drugged-out neighbors.
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| monk skulls |
And then...our rental car was keyed. We'd parked in a public lot in Faro so we could gawk at the eerie site of over a thousand monk skeletons in the Capel dos Ossos (Bone Chapel). When we returned, we discovered scratches all the way down the driver's side. Soon we learned that the insurance would not cover such damage. I was sure we were screwed out of $1,000 but then thought to call Capital One Visa who assured us such coverage was a card benefit. We sent in a tidal wave of paperwork and are hoping we'll be reimbursed.
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| Cabanas Island ferry |
What a relief when we got the car out of our hands and checked into a Lisbon hotel in the Alfama district where we spent one night, close enough to walk to the cruise port in the next morning. The streets were lively with musicians, vendors, and art. The next morning at sunrise, the Norwegian Star loomed large and lovely from the overlook.
Look closely and you can see the ship.
Walking down those steep cobblestone streets with our luggage was tricky, but check-in was easy. In fact, the "cattle call" aspects of cruising were absent our full 17 days. Rarely did we have to wait in a line. The ship docked at each of the seven ports, so we never had to take a tender. And, incredibly, it was smooth sailing the entire time--although my body always felt a bit asway.
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| Women nomads representing! |
Being aboard with a group of friends was super fun. (To see a few of them, including us, check out this video.) It was a vibrant social scene with deliberate and spontaneous gatherings. We ate meals together, watched shows and enjoyed live music, danced, played group trivia and cards and Scrabble, swam in the pool and soaked in the jacuzzis, and walked the decks in the sea air. Every morning Dave and I led yoga sessions. It was like adult summer camp!
At any moment, I could hear various languages being spoken. At least 60 nationalities were represented by guests and staff. At one point, a Japanese man and I struck up a conversation. When I mentioned I was originally from California, he said 45 years ago he'd attended San Jose State University to learn English...the very place I used to teach!
There were several restaurants, but I preferred the choices at the buffet. Dave liked it, too, but as a non-lactose guy he struggled with milk being an ingredient in unlikely dishes, such as Asian and Indian food. When he told a server that he was disappointed at the lack of dairy-free desserts, a manager arranged to have one made for him every day.
Seasoned cruisers seemed to think the ship was "just okay"--but I liked its design and our room, too, with its comfy bed and window looking out to the passing sea. My only complaints: the jacuzzis could have been hotter and the library bigger. I felt like an excited kid the morning we woke up to the ship trimmed in holiday decor.
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| Christmassy atrium |
I enjoyed each port as well. We didn't use the cruise's excursions, which are convenient but expensive and often crowded. Instead, we either hired our own drivers in town or arranged tours with Airbnb Experiences or Get Your Guide. Other times we took self-guided walks using the GPS My City app.
1. In Funchal, Madeira, a Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic, I did a walk with Chris and Steve through the picturesque town and seaside.
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| Chris & Steve at a pandemic "we will hug again" installation. |
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| the market |
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| cathedral |
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| swimmers |
2. At Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands, Dave and I strolled around downtown Santa Cruz then hired a driver to take us to Mount Teide. This volcano is the highest point above sea level in the island of the Atlantic. We drove up the spine of the mountain range with spectacular views around every bend and emerged above the clouds.
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| Tenerife market |
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| above the clouds |
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| Dave on the volcano |
3. Porto Grande, Cabo Verde, an African island country, sits off Dakar, Senegal. At the port-of-call, Mindelo, we walked around downtown, feeling we could have been in the Caribbean. A guide drove us around the island, which was stark outside the city. At Salamansa Beach, we watched kite boarders against a backdrop of volcanic mountains.
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| dog and fish |
4. After we steamed across the Atlantic in three days, crossing the equator, we pulled up to Recife, Brazil. Near a vast beach swarming with families, Dave, Chris, Steve, and I met up with our guide and hopped on bikes. He led us through various communities, from expensive condo high-rises to poor barrios. We saw the Parque de Esculturas, an impressive and surreal sculpture garden created by Brazilian artis Francisco Brennan as a gift to the city in the year 2000. The main piece among the 100 sculptures is the 105-foot tall Crystal Tower made of clay and bronze.
Next we loaded the bikes onto a ponga to cross the channel to the city center. There, at a bustling street fair, we ran into friends from the boat and had lunch together.
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| approaching Recife |
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| Parque de Esculturas |
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| Love seeing a city by bike. |
5. At Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a driver took the four of us to the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. As in Recife, I was amazed by the art everywhere, especially Escadaria Selaron, a landmark public stairway adorned with colorful hand-painted tiled by artist Jorge Selaron. It was a crowded, happy scene.
Next we ventured into Real Gabinete Portuguese de Leitura, aka Portuguese Reading Room, established in 1837 by immigrants. When Chris and I, two writers and book lovers, walked into this magnificent gothic style building with the largest collection of Portuguese books outside of Europe, we were so affected we hugged each other, teary eyed.
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| Olympic-era mural |
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Chris & me at Copacabana with Clarice Lispector (1920-1977),
Jewish Ukrainian novelist who escaped the pogams in Brazil. |
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| Escadera Selaron |
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| One wall of the amazing reading room |
6. Montevideo, Uruguay, was a sweet surprise. This city of 1.4 million has a hippy, Art Deco charm. We saw a plaza dedicated to LGBTQ people, tarot card readers, and street markets selling exquisite vintage items. We wandered into an incredible bookstore, Libreria Puro Verso, in a stunning building erected in 1917. I left wanted to see more of Uruguay one day.
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| a gem of a bookstore |
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| so welcoming to see Pride flags |
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| vintage |
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| tarot |
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| gorgeous architecture |
7. Buenos Aires, Argentina, our last stop. We spent a month there, so my next entry will be all things BA.
I wasn't sure how I'd feel about cruising for so long. At about day 14, I felt ready to sleep on a non-swaying bed. But would I do it again? Yes! And I plan to.
