October 17, 2026 — From Venice to Ravenna: All Aboard Explorer of the Seas

An exceptionally smooth departure from Venice, a reunion with old friends, a little pampering, and one suitcase that apparently had travel plans of its own.

Goodbye, Venice. The Adventure Continues.

I woke up at 7:00 this morning feeling good after a decent night’s sleep. Today was the day to finish packing, say goodbye to Venice, and make my way to Ravenna to board Explorer of the Seas.

By 8:15 a.m., I was downstairs checking out. At 8:30 sharp, my little boat arrived, and off I went across the Grand Canal toward the pickup point for my limousine.

I have to give credit where credit is due: the coordination was excellent. As soon as we pulled up to the dock, my driver was already there, ready to help with the suitcases. Before long, everything was loaded, and we were on our way through the Italian countryside.

After a military career spent appreciating the importance of getting people and equipment to the right place at the right time, I still enjoy watching a well-organized operation come together.

And this one came together beautifully.

The drive was comfortable and relaxing, and I have to admit that private transportation is everything it is cracked up to be. There is something very pleasant about settling into a comfortable car and letting someone else handle the details.

We arrived at the cruise ship at 11:00 a.m., right where I needed to be.

Familiar Faces and a New Beginning

The cruise terminal had the usual boarding-day mixture of crowds, luggage, excitement, and people trying to figure out where they were supposed to go.

A porter collected my luggage, and I headed inside. Despite all the activity, the process moved along smoothly. By 11:30 a.m., I was aboard Explorer of the Seas.

Naturally, one of my first stops was the spa. I wanted to make sure my appointments and arrangements for the week were in order.

A man has to establish his priorities.

Then came one of the best parts of the day: catching up with old traveling companions. Patty, Judy, Carl, and family were there, and we had a chance to talk about how happy we were to be together again for this reunion cruise.

There is something special about seeing familiar faces at the beginning of another voyage. You already have shared memories, and now you have the opportunity to make a few more.

At 1:00 p.m., the announcement came that our cabins were ready.

I headed to mine, excited to get settled, and found two of my suitcases already waiting.

Well, now I was impressed.

I brought them inside, gathered up my things, and realized that the third suitcase was missing. I found a crew member and asked if he could help track it down.

“No problem,” he said.

That sounded encouraging. I left the search in their hands and headed to my 1:45 p.m. spa appointment.

A Little Maintenance for a Well-Traveled Gentleman

The afternoon began with a wonderful shave and facial, followed by a salt scrub that left me thoroughly scrubbed, clean, and a nice shade of pink.

By the time they finished, I felt polished enough to pass inspection.

I have spent plenty of years rushing from one obligation to the next. These days, I am quite comfortable making time for something that leaves me feeling good.

As one of the spa’s frequent visitors, I was also offered a manager’s special on a massage for two days from now. A good massage at a discounted price sounded like an excellent arrangement.

I signed up and left very happy.

So far, the cruise was off to a fine start.

Except, of course, for that suitcase.

Two Suitcases Present. One Still Exploring.

Back in my cabin, I began unpacking the bags that had arrived. The crew was still looking for the missing one and told me not to worry.

I appreciated their efforts, but as the afternoon turned into evening, I would have appreciated the suitcase even more.

By 7:00 p.m., it still had not appeared.

The crew was apologetic and assured me they would keep searching. I reminded myself to stay positive. I was aboard the ship, I had already enjoyed a good afternoon, and getting worked up was unlikely to make a suitcase move any faster.

Apparently, two of my bags had understood the itinerary. The third needed additional instructions.

I decided to head to a lounge, sit back with a glass of water, and rest before my specialty dinner at 8:00.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is give yourself a quiet moment and let people work on the problem.

Japanese Dinner, Green Tea, and a Welcome Surprise

Dinner was at Izumi, where I enjoyed a Japanese meal, relaxed, and looked out at the ocean with a cup of green tea.

After the morning’s transfers, the excitement of boarding, the reunion with friends, and the continuing luggage mystery, it felt good simply to sit still.

Good food. Green tea. An ocean view.

I was beginning to settle into life aboard the ship.

When I returned to my cabin around 9:30 p.m., there it was.

Voilà! My missing suitcase had finally arrived.

I was very happy to see it. Then I took a closer look.

The TSA locks had been broken off, my green luggage straps were a mess, and the contents looked as though they had been taken out and hurriedly put back inside.

It appeared that the suitcase had been opened for an inspection somewhere along the way, although I cannot say who opened it or exactly what happened. There was also no cabin number on the suitcase, which may have made getting it to me more difficult.

Whatever its adventures had been, the bag had finally found its way home.

I was frustrated by the condition it arrived in, and I am still wondering what to do about those locks in the future. Buying replacement TSA locks is not exactly my favorite way to collect souvenirs.

But I had my clothes. The suitcase was back. The crew had kept looking.

I was ready to put the first little problem of the trip behind me.

I finished putting everything away and went to bed around 11:30 p.m. It had been a full day, and I was ready for a good night’s sleep.

Next Stop: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Tomorrow, I am looking forward to Dubrovnik, Croatia.

I can already hear the Game of Thrones music playing in my head.

And yes, I would love to take that famous walk of shame.

Shame, shame, shame!

Although I intend to keep my clothes on.

After all the trouble it took to get them back, I plan to wear them.