J-Canuck's Tropical Songs

TA-DA-IMA!

I am home after a week's cruise on the Caribbean with the family. Vacations are great for that respite away from home and work but for me, they are also a way to be grateful for home, and I'll be honest here and say that I've never been a huge fan of heat and humidity of which that part of the Earth is famous for. Therefore, it was very refreshing and welcome to be exposed to the coolness of 15-degree Toronto once again. As you can see from above, the platform for my vacation was the currently largest cruise ship on the planet, the Harmony of the Seas, a seaborne city/starship of sorts. That will soon be superseded by the even more humongous Symphony of the Seas next year.

In commemoration of my time on board the Harmony, I'm hereby showcasing some tropical-themed songs that I've already written about on the blog so you can check out their history through the links. However, you can also enjoy the songs here as I go through my story over the past week.

1. Seiko Matsuda -- Miami Gozen Go-ji

Well, it was more like Fort Lauderdale at 3pm but it's hard to find a bad spot along the Florida coastline. We had a few hours after boarding to enjoy the shore view before the Harmony launched for the 1-week cruise.

2. Kome Kome Club -- Roman Hiko

The launch of the Harmony didn't feel like it needed a John Williams/Michael Giacchino overture but a nice little pop song about traveling such as the one above sufficed quite nicely.

3. Akina Nakamori -- Caribbean

The stops along this cruise were Mexico, Jamaica and Haiti. I took a bit of time to take look around Falmouth, Jamaica and although I didn't quite make it to Ian Fleming's Goldeneye, the area around the port was pleasant if not surprisingly commercial.

4. Maki Ohguro -- El amor es ciego

(empty karaoke version)

The food aboard Harmony was decent but not spectacularly great. Most of the downside was due to the buffet options which followed the rule of the landlocked buffet: quantity over quality. The dinner options in the American Icon Grill were much better on the whole. Still, this peach pie at the buffet was one of the few highlights. I can even recommend this to Mariya Takeuchi!

5. Junko Yagami -- Mizuiro no Ame

Although I love the Yagami song, we were all quite relieved that there was no rain at all during our week on the ocean. My favourite area on the Harmony has got to be Deck 8, Central Park which is the ship's courtyard. Plus, it does have a nice little snack place called The Park Cafe which makes a delicious roast beef sandwich with dollops of mustard and horseradish.

Came home in the late afternoon and enjoyed the coolness of Toronto again. Still, it was a nice little jaunt down there and perhaps I will take another cruise in the future but most likely will keep it farther north.

Thought I should at least leave you with a video of what the Harmony is all about.