Malcolm and I sailed from Ft. Lauderdale on April 1st and are now into day thirteen of our fourteen-day voyage on the Silver Ray. With only three ports of call and eight sea days, we quickly settled into a good routine. We have sailed on the Silver Ray before and knew what to expect in terms of entertainment, daily activities, and dining options, so there was no lost time making those discoveries and finding our way around the ship.
Daily Routine
We have coffee and a light breakfast served in the room between 7:30 and 8:00, followed by an hour workout in the gym (me) and a two-mile walk on the track for Malcolm. Afterward, we shower and dress for the day.
Catching up on emails, posting to social media accounts, processing photos, playing board games, and cards spills over into early afternoon, and by 2:00, we are ready for something to eat.
Lunch is typically a sandwich at the Arts Cafe or salad at the buffet. Lectures, dance lessons, craft sessions, and deck games happen throughout the day. We choose according to interest and have a few standing engagements, specifically Bingo and Trivia, daily. We meet our friends for cocktails around 6:30 and have dinner with them between 7 and 8. Dinner finishes around 9 to 9:30. Sometimes we attend a show, but most evenings we just catch up on the news or watch a movie in our stateroom.
Sea days are highly flexible and not all look alike as we pick and choose from the activities schedule, but for the most part, this is how we spend time while floating to our final destination. If you can’t envision leisurely, semi-structured days, a repositioning cruise might not be for you. But for us, it is heavenly.
Conditions
The seas have been mostly calm, but of course, it is always windy on deck. I opt for the comfort of our balcony or a quiet deck chair in a sheltered space on the pool deck when I want fresh air. When we want to be inside but still enjoy the view, we sit in the observation deck lounge and gaze at endless horizons.
Port Days
As I mentioned, this is a repositioning cruise with few ports of call. Of the three ports we visited, only one was new to us. The other two were much like catching up with a dear friend. On day three, we docked overnight at Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda. It is a place Malcolm and I know well, so ‘what to do’ was obvious for us. We left the ship around 9:00 am, walked to the Visitor Center at the end of the pier, and purchased a transportation ticket for 19$ each. The daily ticket allowed us to ride all local transportation, including buses and the ferry.
Plans for the day included two iconic beaches (Elbow Beach and Horseshoe Bay Beach), the Crystal Caves, and the Unfinished church. One ferry ride, three buses, and 17,000 steps later, we accomplished all we set out to do.
On day eleven, we docked at Praia da Vitoria in the Azores. This island covers about 62 square miles and is inhabited by approximately 22,000 people. The economy focuses on agriculture, specifically dairy, and tourism. There is an airport, and ferries run among the islands during the busy summer months. The temperature is moderate, with a year-round average of approximately 65 degrees F.
A four-hour jeep tour of the island (arranged through the ship) hit the highlights. Unfortunately, the weather cannot be controlled, and our high elevation overlook of the most scenic view of the island was shrouded in mist. On a clear day, it is possible to view the volcanic landscape of this island from a complete perspective, but this was not that day. We used the platform to take a photo with our travel companions and pretend the blanket of mist was simply a good omen. Positive thinking and all that….
Even without the iconic view we had hoped for, we were left spellbound by the beauty of this island. The contrast of volcanic rock bathing pools of Terceira alongside terraced farmlands sculpted into the most pleasing patchwork quilt, cows roaming, and the occasional spring flower. ‘Wow’ is an adjective often used, but vastly understates what we saw. It makes a lasting impression, even on a cold, gray day.
On day twelve, we woke up in Ponta Delgada (Sao Miguel Island), which is the largest of the islands in the nine-island archipelago that is the Azores. Another jeep tour, scheduled earlier in the day than the one on the previous day, proved similar results in terms of weather. Our tour guide joked that it is possible to experience all four seasons in one day. We agree. Once again, we were astounded by the beauty and diversity of the landscapes on this island. Lush, green hills, cows grazing, vineyards spent for the season, sheltered by stone walls, hydrangeas waiting to light up the countryside with color, and endless blue seas spilling out from black rock beaches.
There is so much more to this place than a four-hour tour can convey. But, cruising is meant to whet the appetite for a richer experience. We will return.
The next leg of our journey begins tomorrow as we disembark the ship. We have enjoyed our time on the Silver Ray, making new acquaintances, overindulging (just a little), and witnessing the earth’s bounty in the most amazing destinations. You may recall that my WOTY for 2025 is Path. This one feels pretty good.
Picture Retirement 
I had not heard of a repositioning cruise. It sounds more peaceful than other types of cruises. Beautiful images!
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Hi Dawn, I intended to link a previous post explaining prepositioning cruises, but forgot. It is restful and today is especially beautiful because we finally have sunshine ☀️ Thanks for stopping by.
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I had not heard of this either.
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Sounds very nice. And you reminded me that I want to visit Bermuda some day. Enjoy the rest of your travels!
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Thanks Betty, Bermuda should be an easy flight from where you are?? Or, you could always sail out of New York. It’s a beautiful island and worth the effort.
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I had to google “repositioning cruise” Suzanne. It all looks and sounds like a lovely way to travel and relax at the same time – especially if you’re familiar with the ship and what it has to offer. Looking forward to your next update.
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Hi Leanne, it has been a pleasant ride and we are looking forward to the next bit. At least we will arrive with no jet lag.
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This sounds like the perfect way for you two to relax a bit and recharge the batteries after the stressful days leading up to getting away. And the Crystal Cave on Bermuda looks beautiful!
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Sometimes it’s good to hit the pause button.
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Suzanne, This looks and sounds relaxing. I remember the pink sand in Bermuda. Beautiful photos of the Crystal Cave. Enjoy the next leg of your journey!
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Hi Natalie, we are seeing reports of rain for the next four days in Lisbon. Keeping our fingers crossed.
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Repositioning cruises sound like a good mix of leisure time and a few activities. My parents spent six weeks in the Cape Verde Islands, two winters in a row, because they like it there so much. They focused their time on four islands in total so far. It sounds like a fascinating and beautiful destination.
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Liesbet, if Cape Verde is anything like the Azores I can certainly see why your parents loved it there. I could easily stay here for months. I want to see the hydrangeas in bloom and that doesn’t happen until July.
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Stunning photographs! Enjoy yourselves 🙂
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Thank you.
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Suzanne, you and your hubby make cruising look so easy and relaxed. I’ve heard repositioning cruises are a great alternative to the somewhat frenetic pace of a traditional cruise. I like the idea of having some leisurely mornings! Your ports also look lovely and inviting. Your PATH on this cruise was super! Have a great week!
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Terri, we did a port intensive cruise last July which was as exhausting. This cruise was nice, but one more port would have made it perfect. Balance…
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I’ve only taken a couple of cruises and never a repositioning cruise. I like the idea of extra days to relax at sea. That cave looks wonderful… what an experience!
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Janis, repositioning cruises are great transportation to or from Europe. April and October are optimal for booking these trips. We have enjoyed our leisurely journey.
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That sounds just wonderful! I might consider one of those cruises once my husband fully retires.
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Ann, it is a wonderful way to see a lot of the world without working too hard to make it happen. We like having it be an easy component of the bigger picture.
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Suzanne, I would love to do a repositioning cruise but my husband always says I would probably get seasick. Did you ever have rough seas? Your relaxing sea days sound perfect. When we went on our Panama Canal cruise we had several sea days and I loved them. Enjoy the rest of your adventure!
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Beth, we had one night when things were choppy. I didn’t have to take anything. My girlfriend took Bonine for three days starting on day 2. She suspended it after Bermuda and did great for the rest of the trip. We saw people with patches, but I think that is being overly cautious.
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That’s good to know. Thank you!
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I enjoyed reading this post, thank you Suzanne! Beautiful photos. 🙂
We are currently on our second season day on the Oceania Sirena. I think my favorite part of a season day is the slow mornings we can indulge in, sipping coffee in our room or out on our balcony. Yesterday, later in the morning, we walked 55 laps around the fairly petite walking track in order to hit five miles. It was not monotonous at all, as the wind changes and ever moving waves kept us enthralled.
I’m looking forward to your upcoming time in Portugal, one of our (many!) favorite countries. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!
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For some reason all my typed ‘sea’ days auto corrected to ‘season’ – hope you got the correct intentions regardless!
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Hi Tamara, I’m glad you are enjoying your cruise. 55 laps would be tedious for me, but I get it. We have been diligent, but still gained some pounds. The hills in Lisbon should remedy that.
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Hubs and I have done a couple of cruises, and a repositioning cruise has been on our cruise bucket list for quite some time. Yours looks and sounds like it was excellent!
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Terry, just go for it. Repositioning cruises have a lot to offe.
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A repositioning cruise sounds lovely. I like to be unstructured when I can. I enjoyed your photos of Bermuda. We visited once and it was beautiful and friendly and fun. Thanks for reminding me.
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Bermuda is a beautiful place to spend a few days and a cruise makes it easy. Thanks for stopping by.
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Suzanne, we have a friend who books repositioning cruises. They sound like my cup of tea. I have returned to Europe twice since we lived there and want to go back. I hate air travel, so a repositioning cruise might be the best option. Loved your narrative and your pictures are your usual best. Enjoy, and keep us posted. Joe
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Hi Joe, I highly recommend a repositioning cruise for transportation to Europe. It makes a lot of sense for us
folks who have few time constraints. If you go on Cruise Plum and search transatlantic cruises in April and May, you’ll find several going to Barcelona, Southampton, and Lisbon.
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It sounds just lovely, Suzanne. I’m glad to hear you are enjoying the experience.
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I’m very late commenting, but I enjoyed reading about your latest adventure. Traveling on the Silver Ray sounds sooo relaxing. And those colorful waters in Bermuda are mesmerizing! A repositioning cruise sounds like something we would love. We just need to find a trusted kitty sitter for Magnolia, who usually accompanies us everywhere. 😻 Hope the next part of your journey is as wonderful as the beginning!
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Hi Laurel, I understand the challenge. Friends who traveled with us on the cruise have a dog. They hired a sitter to come into their home twice daily and were still nervous about the situation. They are back home now and all is well.
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