I have been a fan for years of RC and have made it our favorite cruise line.
As result of our level due to the numerous cruises, the wife and I are invited to a reception hosted by the cruise line where they provide food and free drinks, top shelf, along with meeting the captain and upper leadership of the crew.

I happened to approach the captain, introduced myself and asked if he could be kind enough to advise me when we would be closest to Cuba again (we had already passed it on the way down and got to see it) so I could see it again. I told him about us being Cuban and having first seen our homeland after over 40 years on the same cruise 12 months ago (this was our fifth cruise since then with RC).

After chatting for a short while, he asked for my stateroom number. The next day, I received a nautical chart, drawn out with key points representing the times we would be at those points and the nautical miles we would be from Cuba. Along with that, a hand written note explaining it all from the captain himself.

While thrilled and impressed with that, later that evening, someone knocks on my door. I open it and am handed an envelope. In it, an invitation from the captain to visit the bridge and do a tour. I was awed and amazed. Here are some photos. Talk about a gesture that was not only unexpected but will also yield great publicity for them as I sure as heck will never stop talking about it. I plan to frame some photos along with his invite, map and note and hang it in my home office.

With the captain himself on the bridge
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Captain's chair
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View from the bridge facing forward
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Over the northern, eastern part of Cuba at the time
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The new Oasis zipping by us
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Our ship, the Navigator of the Seas at port in Labadee
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BTW, the captain turns out to be a cigar smoker like us.
So, while I wish I could offer more to thank him, I told him all I could do was offer him a Juan Lopez #2, a San Cristobal de La Habana La Fuerza and a Cohiba Siglo VI, that was my last one of the many boxes I had once bought when I was able to. His crew was salivating. He made my day, I made his.
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Sweet pics. Thanks for sharing:-)
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I was so much like a kid in a candy store that I forgot to shoot photos to the side, of Cuba. Fortunately, I have enough from my prior trip and was glad to just use my eyes this time and take it all in.
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Cool pictures and story Carlos.

p.s. You look great in the Captains Chair! :-)
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One last thing I thought was funny.
If you look at the photo of my wife and I with the captain, to the right of the photo, to the right of the chair there, is the handle bar from a mini bike for the captain to ride from one side of the bridge to the other. All RC ships have that for them.
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Good stuff...thanks for sharing. :-)
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Nice pictures and story Carlos:-)
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Very cool Carlos. I imagine working in that environment would be quite enjoyable, but I bet they can't even enjoy a pipe or cigar on watch there. You would make a great captain besides that. :-)
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Thanks for sharing that, Carlos!

The Navigator was the first cruise ship that my wife and I sailed on. Nice ship. What is their cigar policy now? :-)
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Great story!

Thanks for sharing....
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The new Oasis is like 50% bigger than the next biggest ship apparantly.
I think it just made its maiden voyage.

I remember sailing on Soverign of The Seas when it was considered the new "super ship" and now it's retired.
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They have a great cigar lounge and you can also smoke on the port side of the pool deck.
I enjoyed my smokes on the balcony a couple of times. No one was around. Had no problems. They allow cigarettes on the balcony but no cigars. Didn't stop me.
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Great story! Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing!
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Cap'n Carlos!.....Nice pics, but better memories I'm sure... (and all this time I thought that your avatar was a pic of you!....:-))
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:-):-):-)

That is some funny stuff.
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Great story Carlos. Ive cruised with RC a couple times and have also have only good things to say.
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That is an awesome story.:-)
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What a great experience!
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