Late last night my husband and I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., in anticipation of a 14-day Caribbean cruise with Holland America Line. We left a very wet Portland, Ore. — almost 2 inches of rain fell on Thanksgiving Day — and temperatures in the low 50s and arrived to slightly humid mid-70s. Our United Airlines flights took us first to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and then on to Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Both flights were completely full and the airports were quite busy, but everything was on time. We always keep our fingers crossed when traveling at this time of year . . . between holiday crowds and dicey weather, you never know what manner and length of delays may crop up.

Our cruise departs Sunday afternoon from the Port Everglades Cruise Port, and arriving late Friday gave us a cushion in case we had to deal with delays or cancellations (or lost luggage). It also gives us a little extra time to explore Ft. Lauderdale a bit. There are many attractions here, from sternwheeler cruises and gondola rides on the Intracoastal Waterway to casinos, botanical gardens and shopping. We’ll spend the afternoon strolling the Riverwalk and Los Olas Boulevard and pick up tips from the locals for dining and sightseeing.

Tomorrow we’ll board the ms Nieuw Amsterdam for two weeks of sun, snorkeling, fine dining and lots of relaxation. Our cruise (actually two seven-day cruises linked in what Holland America calls a Collectors’ Voyage) will take us to ports in both the eastern and western Caribbean, my first experience in the area. You’ll be reading about my travels here over the next several weeks; I’m looking forward to sharing them with you!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor