Hoosier Cruiser

January 5, 2026

After nearly a year of waiting and many fits and starts, I am boarding the Viking Sky today for the Viking 2026 World Cruise. I will be joining about 900 fellow travelers (including 80+ solo cruisers like me). My voyage begins in LA (actually San Pedro) but many of these folks started in Ft. Lauderdale almost three weeks ago and crossed the Panama Canal to get here today. I flew from Orlando to LA to meet the ship. Why not start the trip in Ft. Lauderdale you may ask? I live in Florida part of the year to be near family. Departing from Ft. Lauderdale would have cut short that family time and watching my grandson grow. Plus I have been on several Caribbean cruises and a canal crossing.

So the journey of a lifetime begins. For anyone who chooses to check in on my progress, I will try not to be too boring. But I should warn you that I am very much lacking in social media skills so don’t expect a frequent barrage of professional posts.

Next stop: Hawaii