Cartagena: A Quiet Day Aboard

2 November 2026 — Cartagena, Spain

Explorer of the Seas

I woke up at 7:00 this morning with a simple plan: stay on the ship and relax. I’ve been to Cartagena, Spain, before, so I decided to pass on another day of sightseeing and enjoy some time aboard Explorer of the Seas.

After several days of excursions and activities, this was a chance to slow things down. There was no excursion to get ready for and no meeting time ashore. My schedule was straightforward: breakfast, some reading, an afternoon shave, and dinner at Chops Grille. Everything in between could take care of itself.

At 8:00, I went to the Pinnacle breakfast. I ate by myself and read The New York Times, taking my time with both breakfast and the news.

It is so much fun to relax and read about the craziness of the modern world on a luxury cruise ship. There I was, enjoying a quiet breakfast while reading about everything going on elsewhere. The newspaper certainly provided enough material to keep me occupied.

One of the things I appreciate about these mornings is having time to sit without immediately needing to move on to the next activity. Today, I could finish reading and still have most of the day ahead of me.

A bird sculpture beside the windows, with the marina and city beyond.

The rest of the morning was restful. I lounged around, read, and relaxed. Cartagena was the port for the day, but I was content with my decision to stay aboard.

Sometimes you just need to hit the brakes, sit down, and think about life. That was what I wanted from today. I enjoy getting out with my camera and seeing places, but I also appreciate having a day when there is very little I need to accomplish.

There wasn’t a great deal to report from the morning, which suited me just fine. Reading and taking things easy were enough.

At 2:00, I went for my Express Shave. The treatment included a deep-cleansing exfoliation followed by a double close shave. It gave the afternoon a little structure while keeping everything at the same easy pace.

My 2:00 p.m. Express Shave—one of the few appointments on today’s schedule.

Afterward, I spent some time working on my computer and updating software. Even while traveling, those routine computer tasks still need attention. A quiet afternoon aboard gave me an opportunity to catch up on them.

I moved between computer work and relaxing for the rest of the afternoon. There was no need to rush through anything, and I was happy to let the day move along at its own pace.

That was essentially the afternoon’s program: get a few things done, take a break, and take life easy. It may not make for a dramatic travel report, but it made for a restful day.

Chops Grille, where I went for dinner at 7:45 p.m.

At 7:45, I went to Chops Grille for dinner. Royal Caribbean’s American steakhouse was my evening destination after a day spent mostly reading, relaxing, and working on the computer.

Dinner provided another change of pace and brought me into the evening. My day had started with a leisurely breakfast and the newspaper, and now I had reached dinner without trying to fit an excursion or a long list of activities in between.

After dinner, I had a lot of energy. Apparently, I had done enough sitting around for one day, so I decided to walk around the ship and see what was going on.

It was a fitting way to spend the rest of the evening. I had stayed aboard all day, but I still wanted to get up, move around, and have a look at things before calling it a night.

We’re now continuing our voyage toward the Atlantic crossing. There is more time aboard ahead, and today gave me a chance to settle into a slower pace.

Tomorrow will be another sea day. My plans are still fairly simple: take it easy and perhaps spend a little time in the spa. After today’s reading, shave, computer work, dinner, and evening walk, I’m quite comfortable with another day that leaves room to decide as I go.