I am leaving Saturday for a Holland America cruise on the Veendam to Bermuda. It was a crazy good deal, and departs from Boston so we couldn't turn it down. It will be my second time on HAL, so I am looking forward to comparing it to the first one. That one was on a sister ship, and shall we say, VERY sedate. I read 7 books if that tells you anything

The great thing about this cruise is it arrives in Bermuda at 1:00 PM on Monday and stays there until 1:00 PM on Thursday! It also docks right in Downtown Hamilton (because it's a small ship) as opposed to out at the Dockyard at the far end of the island. So, it will be like having a hotel room in Bermuda but for a fraction of the cost of air/hotel! Our only plans are to take a night time excursion to the Bermuda triangle which should be a hoot, and we have rented a Boston Whaler for a day to explore on our own. We will also spend time on the gorgeous beaches! And you know I will find time to sit in at least one Pub and quaff some ale!

I am not sure if the casino will be open in Bermuda. In the past that was never allowed, but there have been ongoing negotiations about it. I have read conflicting reports, so will see for myself. I am actually hoping it is closed as I have a Vegas trip coming up very soon and don't trust myself not to dip into that bankroll even though the casino on our last HAL cruise was a big dud - HHH!

Once we set sail, I will probably not post as onboard internet is pretty outrageous, but if I can find free WiFi on the island I will try to check in. Otherwise, I will report when we get back. I will take lots of pictures!