2015 Cruise to Celebrate New Year’s and Cathi’s Birthday

Dave and Cathi started their end of year vacation on December 21st and spent the week before Christmas at Anna & Jon’s.  Our Christmas celebration was great including the traditional Christmas Eve Dinner at Red Lobster and attending Christmas Eve service at Northminster Presbyterian Church.

We then traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in Dave’s Fiat 500 Abarth to board the Holland America Niew Amsterdam.  Our cruise visited Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas; Grand Cayman (where we swam with the dolphins in deep water and fed the stingrays); Costa Maya, Mexico (where we sat in an open air bar by the pool and used their WiFi);  and then Key West, Florida (four new dresses for Cathi) before returning to Fort Lauderdale.

One of the highlights of this cruise was having another cruise with Greg Gallello, the piano bar entertainer.  The piano bar was packed every night but we had the same bar stools at the piano every night.  On New Year’s Eve, the piano bar was closed and Greg’s show was upgraded to the much larger Queen’s Lounge where we had a front row table for his show and the countdown with champagne to midnight.

After the cruise we spent three days on the beach in Hollywood, Florida where we watched Brenna Baker at Hollywood Hot Glass teach people during a walk-in workshop. Cathi’s birthday present from Dave was a private lesson from Brenna Baker.  We will return to Hollywood, Florida this spring for Cathi’s glass workshop lesson.

We then spent the last night of our vacation in Ormond Beach, Florida just north of Daytona Beach.

This was our first long journey in the Fiat 500 Abarth and at the end of just over 2,000 miles we had an average speed of 62 mph and a got 32.3 mpg.

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A Muckerman family Christmas Eve tradition, a family dinner at Red Lobster. This year we were able to celebrate Christmas Eve with Anna & Jon.
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Christmas Eve at Northminster Presbyterian Church - Cathi says she was "feeling like I'm home"
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The view from our verandah on the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam in Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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Farewell to Fort Lauderdale - let's get this cruise started!
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Sunset on Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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Sunset from our table in the Manhattan Dining room on the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam
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Sunset from our table in the Manhattan Dining room on the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam
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Sunset from our table in the Manhattan Dining room on the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam
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Arriving at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
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The tenders to take us to Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
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Holland America is so helpful - the carpets in the elevators have the days of the week, in case you forget.
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This is always our sentiment on Half Moon Cay.
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Cathi's foot selfie
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Dave relaxing on Half Moon Cay
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Cathi ready to go swimming ...
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Dave relaxing on Half Moon Cay
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Dave and Cathi relaxing on Half Moon Cay
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Dave and Cathi relaxing on Half Moon Cay
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Cathi returning from a swim on Half Moon Cay
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The Nieuw Amsterdam at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
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Cathi's shadow selfie
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Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
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Holland America is so helpful - the carpets in the elevators have the days of the week, in case you forget.
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Showing off a new dress before dinner
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A rainbow as seen from our verandah off Grand Cayman
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Dinner in the Manhattan Dining Room on the Nieuw Amsterdam
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Greg Gallello the piano bar entertainer.
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Dave holding Lucy the dolphin in deep water - good thing I have a life vest on.
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Cathi being pushed by Lucy the Dolphin in Grand Cayman
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Cathi getting a kiss from Lucy the Dolphin in Grand Cayman
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Holland America is so helpful - the carpets in the elevators have the days of the week, in case you forget.
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The Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam docked in Costa Maya, Mexico
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The bar in Costa Maya with WiFi that is surrounded by a swimming pool
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The view to the Gulf of Mexico from the bar in Costa Maya
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Dave ready for New Year's Eve
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Cathi ready for New Year's Eve.
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Dave and Cathi at dinner on New Year's Eve
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Cathi's lobster dinner on New Year's Eve.
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Sunset as seen from our dining room table
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Dave and Cathi in the piano bar with Greg Gallello (http://www.gregtheentertainer.com)
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Holland America is so helpful - the carpets in the elevators have the days of the week, in case you forget.
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The Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam docked in Key West, Florida
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The Key West Museum of Art & History - Cathi's view
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The Key West Museum of Art & History - Dave's view
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Sunset Key as seen from our 10th deck verandah on the Nieuw Amsterdam
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Sunset Key as seen from our 10th deck verandah on the Nieuw Amsterdam
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The view while docked in Key West from our 10th deck verandah on the Nieuw Amsterdam
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A jet ski passes us while we are docked in Key West
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A jet ski passes us while we are docked in Key West
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A few jet ski riders congregate while we are docked in Key West
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So sad, we are leaving Key West, Florida
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Sunset on our last night of the cruise from our dining room table
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Greg Gallelo the piano bar entertainer (http://www.gregtheentertainer.com)
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Sunrise as we pull into Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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Holland America is so helpful - the carpets in the elevators have the days of the week, in case you forget.
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From our table at lunch in Hollywood, Florida on the boardwalk
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Brenna Baker at Hollywood Hot Glass teaching someone how to make a glass flower
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Brenna Baker at Hollywood Hot Glass teaching someone how to make a glass flower
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Brenna Baker at Hollywood Hot Glass teaching someone how to make a glass flower
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It's food truck night at Young Circle Park, the home of Hollywood Hot Glass
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It's food truck night at Young Circle Park, the home of Hollywood Hot Glass
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Cathi's morning run on the Hollywood Boardwalk
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The view from our room in Ormond Beach, Florida - the last night of our vacation
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A rainbow on the way home
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