Pat Sand
The Roving Ranchers enjoyed a fantastic 10-day Caribbean adventure aboard Holland America’s beautiful Rotterdam! Our journey began on Feb. 20, when the Ranchers boarded the ship and met at the sailaway party. There’s nothing quite like watching the shoreline fade away with good friends, ocean breezes, and the promise of a great adventure ahead.
Joe Murauskis outdid himself by creating name tags for everyone, which made it easy to identify fellow Ranchers and remember names. It was the perfect icebreaker and helped everyone quickly connect—old friends catching up and new friendships forming right away.
Every day brought a little friendly competition as several Ranchers participated in the ship’s pickleball tournament, bringing home quite a few certificates of accomplishment. Others joined in social pickleball matches or cheered from the sidelines. The spirit was lively, the games were fun—and a few players got pickled!
After two relaxing sea days filled with sunshine, good food, and plenty of shipboard activities, we arrived in beautiful Curaçao. That evening, Holland America treated our group to a private one-hour cocktail party. It was a wonderful time to mingle, share stories from the day, and capture some great photos of the group. Afterwards, everyone headed to the dining room, where Holland graciously reserved three dining tables for us. The best part? Ranchers rotated seats each night, making it easy to dine with different people and enjoy laughter and conversation.
The next stop was Bonaire, where Joe arranged a private snorkeling adventure. With drinks flowing and warm Caribbean waters waiting, the group snorkeled, and it truly felt like swimming in a giant aquarium. Sunscreen was applied generously, and a few brave Ranchers even took the dare to swing off the rope and leap into the water. Let’s just say there were plenty of laughs and memories made that day!
Our next port was Aruba, where Ranchers once again spread out for a variety of exciting excursions—from exploring the island to relaxing on beautiful beaches.
After two more leisurely sea days, we arrived at Holland America’s private island, where the weather was absolutely perfect. White sand, turquoise water, and sunshine made for a postcard-perfect day, and many Ranchers captured breathtaking photos to remember it by.
All too soon, we returned to Fort Lauderdale on March 1. There were hugs, smiles, and a few “already planning the next trip” conversations as we said goodbye and wished everyone safe travels home.
And speaking of the next adventure … the Roving Ranchers Cruise is heading to the Panama Canal in January 2027! If you’d like to join the fun, contact Joe Murauskis at joefromrobson@att.net or Lori Rogers, who handles Ranchers travel, at lrogers@ciazumano.com.
Be sure to join the Roving Ranchers group on Nextdoor or Facebook to keep up with all of our activities and travels. One thing is certain—when the Ranchers travel, there’s always great company, plenty of laughs, and memories waiting to be made!