Well, after a day like we had visiting Christ the Redeemer, we kind of looked at each other and said, “how do you ever top that?” The answer is, you don’t. But it’s not about ranking experiences, it’s about enjoying them and looking forward to the next one. And, the next one was just hours away.
As I mentioned in my previous post, we returned to the ship after our post-Redeemer lunch at Assador a little before 3:00. We were a little tired, sticky from the humidity, and happy to have a little down time before the New Year’s Eve festivities kicked off later in the evening. I used the time to work on the blog while our epic morning excursion was still fresh in my mind, then had a light dinner at the ship’s buffet (not being very hungry after my five-meat lunch at Assador).
The Serenade was docked at the main port in Rio, as were a number of other cruise ships, a few miles (by sea, anyway) from the legendary Copacabana Beach, where the midnight fireworks were to take place, so at 7:00 pm we weighed anchor and made our way to a prime spot just off the middle of the beach, where the captain positioned us for the best possible view. And when I say we had a prime spot, I’m not exaggerating. Altogether, there were seven cruise ships anchored in a rough semicircle off the beach, and we had the center spot, with the other six spread out equally on either side of us. Not sure how Royal Caribbean arranged it, but it certainly made for a great viewing angle.
As you might imagine, prime viewing spots along the rail on the various public decks began to fill up well before midnight. The weather was perfect, with comfortable temperatures, a decent breeze, and no rain, so being outside while we waited was very pleasant. We actually put on windbreakers, and were very comfortable. Michele and I had a nice table in the stern, facing the beach, with snacks and drinks just around the corner in the buffet on deck eleven.
The fireworks started precisely at midnight, and they didn’t disappoint. They were launched simultaneously across the entire length of the beach, and by my watch went on for a little more than twelve minutes. Because they were going off constantly along the entire length of the beach, I can only imagine how many individual fireworks there were, but the number must have been stupendous. And as great as our view was, I can only imagine what it must have been like for the estimated two million Brazilians on the beach itself.
After the fireworks we were the first of the seven cruise ships anchored off the beach to sail away, and Michele and I stayed on deck to watch the city lights, along with Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf, shrink into the distance. We loved Rio and Brazil, and in some ways it felt like Rio was a sort of grand finale to the first part of our adventure, but in reality it’s just getting started. We’re now on our way to Montevideo, Uruguay, to be followed by Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Falklands and Antarctica. And after that, so much more.
In the short term, my goals for the next couple weeks as we follow that itinerary are to maximize the shore experiences, get some exercise on sea days, try to avoid the dessert bar in the buffet, and keep you posted on our trip of a lifetime through the blog. Stay tuned.
Along with several other cruise ships, we were docked at Rio’s main port, a few miles from Copacabana Beach. That’s an MSC ship right behind us, with a Costa ship in the background.You can also see Rio’s big ferris wheel in front of the Costa ship. I really like this photo.
On our way from the port to Copacabana Beach. That’s the MSC ship following us.
We passed by Sugarloaf on our way to Copacabana. The light on top of the mountain is the cable car station. You can ride a cable car from the base of the mountain all the way to the top, and if you look really carefully you can see the cable in the photo. We didn’t have time to do it, and I’m not sure I’d have had the nerve anyway, but those on the ship who did it said it was amazing.
Meanwhile, inside the ship preparations were underway for the big New Year’s celebration. Michele is standing on deck eleven next to some of the balloons that were hung for the midnight balloon drop to the Centrum down on deck four. Another net full of balloons is just off camera.
There was also a countdown clock on the big screen on the pool deck. By the time I took this photo most passengers were already securing good viewing spots along the rail.
Copacabana before the fireworks. The beach was all lit up to accommodate the two million Brazilians who came to celebrate the new year and watch the fireworks. The light on top of the mountain above the beach is Christ the Redeemer.
Poor quality photo, but I wanted to show some of the other cruise ships that joined us to watch the fireworks. We were in the central position with three ships on either side of us.
Another passenger shared this map that shows the positions of the seven ships anchored off the beach. The Serenade is in the middle. For those who don’t follow cruising closely, MSC is the Mediterranean Shipping Company, which has added cruising to its longstanding commercial shipping business. Costa is an Italian line owned by Carnival’s parent company. Azamara is a luxury cruise line that operates smaller, high-end ships.
The fireworks ran the entire length of the beach, and were spectacular.
Passengers (including Michele) watching the fireworks from the stern of the ship.
My favorite photo. Closeup of the fireworks with Christ the Redeemer in the background.
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