Putting AI to the Test: Port Mapping vs. Geography Flunks

Google Gemini and NotebookLM definitely got a workout today! Despite my Pro membership, I managed to hit my quota for generating videos and infographics as part of my research.

I’m wrapping up the day by building my own custom visual guide—with a little AI assistance—showing the locations for each port of call.

I don't know if you caught the news, but the Trump Administration recently made headlines at a conference when the State Department presented a map of Africa where every single country was completely mislabeled. It turns out a staffer hastily generated the slide at the last minute using OpenAI—complete with the OpenAI watermark still visible on screen! As it turns out, image generation models are notoriously terrible at spatial geography unless they're grounded by real mapping data.

Thankfully, my own AI workflow proved much better at navigation. Here is my map—I think it turned out pretty well!

                                                Click the map to make it larger for better viewing.

 

An overview of ATW 2027 with a little help from AI Tools (Gemini, NotebookLM, and Speechify

AI has been a wonderful tool to work with, and I’ve really enjoyed putting it to use for my upcoming travels!

Below are two videos providing overviews of my planned 129-day trip from slightly different perspectives. The first video concentrates on the journey itself. The second focuses on mobility considerations, my research into cabin locations, and advice on excursions that might involve rough terrain or be a bit too strenuous.

I used Google’s Gemini and NotebookLM to organize and research, and then added narration using Speechify for the script Gemini helped me build. (Note: The AI voice managed to skip over our time in Europe and Scandinavia before we head to Puerto Rico and wrap up in Fort Lauderdale where it all starts, but the rest of the outline is right on track!)

Check out the two videos below! I think AI is such a cool tool to use when preparing for a trip.

Planning a 129-Day World Cruise in My 70s: How I Used AI to Build a Custom Accessible Travel Suite

 

 

As I prepare to celebrate entering my 70s with a 129-day Grand World Voyage aboard Holland America’s ms Volendam in January 2027, I’ve also been diving headfirst into Artificial Intelligence. Having already tackled high-strenuous adventures in my younger years—like trekking to Machu Picchu and hiking around Iguazu Falls—I have no desire to push through exhausting, steep trails today. Instead, I used Gemini and Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM) to analyze my entire itinerary, curate step-free shore excursions, and transform my cruise documents into a complete suite of personalized media assets.

Below are the downloadable guides, infographics, videos, and podcasts created during this project. Feel free to explore each resource as I count down to departure!

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🎥 Video & Audio Overviews

• Maximizing the Grand World Voyage — The Energy-to-Impact Ratio
• Description: A cinematic video overview exploring the 129-day itinerary, focusing on balancing port energy, ocean cruising stretches, and high-reward accessible sights.
• The Itinerary Hacker
• Description: A documentary-style video blog experiment sharing my journey into AI travel planning, entering my 70s, and designing a step-free world cruise strategy.
• Tactical Mobility for a World Voyage
• Description: An audio briefing and podcast discussion covering milestone ports, ocean travel highlights, and practical mobility strategies for cane and walker navigation.

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📄 Detailed Mobility & Excursion Report

• Around the World in 2027 — Accessible Shore Excursion Guide
• Description: A complete, port-by-port guide detailing Easy (E) and Moderate (M) activity options, flat walking routes, accessible vehicle transfers, and closed-vehicle safaris.

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🖼️ Voyage & Photography Infographics

• Grand World Voyage Itinerary (Landscape)
• Description: A wide-format visual map and itinerary overview outlining major global legs, key ports, and accessible excursion levels—ideal for desktop viewing.
• Grand World Voyage Itinerary (Portrait)
• Description: A vertical layout of the 129-day voyage map, optimized for mobile readers and blog sidebars.
• Tender Ports Mobility Guide
• Description: An infographic covering key tender ports (including Easter Island, Moorea, Bora Bora, and Phuket), highlighting 5-Star Mariner priority tendering and pier footing conditions.
• Camera Desk Photography Guide — Reference Sheet
• Description: A quick-reference sheet for Deck 3 photography, combining morning arrival schedules with zero-walking vantage points for Table Mountain, Sydney Harbour, and the White Cliffs of Dover.
• Camera Desk Photography Guide — Structured Schedule
• Description: A clean, tabular desk schedule organizing ports, arrival times, Deck 3 vantage locations, and key camera highlights into a structured grid.
• Integrated Camera Desk & Vantage Point Guide
• Description: An integrated visual overview pairing the "from-the-ship" landmark schedule directly with Deck 3 promenade viewing strategies.

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By leveraging AI, planning this 129-day adventure has been just as rewarding as the trip itself. Follow along here on the blog as departure approaches, and feel free to use these guides if you're planning your own accessible world journey!

Celebrating 2027 as a Septuagenarian

 

Entering my 70s in 2027 calls for a major celebration.

While a few recent health bumps have kept me ashore, I am hopeful to get back to what I love: cruising the open sea. What better way to mark entering a new decade than embarking on another journey around the world?

I’m currently working through doctor approvals—two down, two to go!

Ever since my first Around the World trip in 2015, I’ve held a spot to do it again. I had originally eyed 2025 for a 10-year anniversary voyage, but the timing wasn't right for a four-month trip. Now, 2027 is the target. The ticket is purchased, most excursions are booked, and platinum cancellation insurance is in place just in case.

Check out the voyage map attached below. I’ve got my fingers crossed for smooth sailing starting Tuesday, January 5, 2027!

 ATW 2027 with Holland America

(click on the map to enlarge it for viewing) 

Lighthouses around the world

Here are some of the photos I've taken of lighthouses throughout the world.

 

My wish is to go on the 2025 Around the World Cruise...

 

2025 Around the World Voyage (124 Days) on the Zuiderdam

I participated in the 2015 World Cruise.  It will be ten years later when this voyage begins in January 2025.  This voyage has a somehat different route with stops in Easter Island, Northeast Australia, and portions of Africa.  

Well, here's hoping that I can participate.  I have reserved a spot on this voyage!

2015 World Cruise (114 Days) on the Amsterdam

The Amsterdam was sold during the pandemic, so it's no longer part of the HAL fleet of ships. 😢

The Egypt trip has been cancelled…

Click here for source of this Glasbergen cartoon.

After the Greenland and Iceland trip, I rescheduled my trip to Egypt to travel on the Nile for a cruise and to see the pyramids and other archaeological sites in Egypt (i.e., Cairo, Alexandria, and Aswan).  I paid for the trip and had all of the arrangements finalized for this adventure.  However, a few health issues earlier this month (December) have resulted in my having to cancel my plans for the trip to Egypt and to the Mediterranean. 

I will be spending the month of January and February taking care of a few health issues, so I will not be traveling anywhere for a while.  I guess the gods of travel, Hermes (Greek), Mercury (Roman) and  Khonsu (Egyptian), haven’t provided a ringing endorsement to my planned travel to this region of the world. 

This trip to Egypt is still on my bucket list for a future date.  Atleast I've already traveled quite a bit in Italy and Greece.  Stay tuned.  I’m hopeful for a full bill of health by March 2023 so that travel can resume.

Bar Harbor, Maine

Well, I went through the Customs and Immigration process at 8 am per the instructions on my letter from the Excursions Office.  I then reported to the Ocean Bar to wait for the tour group to tender to Bar Harbor.  I waited about an hour and a half.  They then announced it was raining, and we may want to go back to our staterooms to prepare for a walking tour in the rain.  I decided it was better to pack than to do a two-hour walking tour of the Bar Harbor of years past.  It would be time better spent packing this morning.  If the weather clears, I’ll go ashore later today.  I’m not disappointed because I’ve visited Bar Harbor a couple of times.  

We’ve been so lucky on this cruise with regard to the weather.  I cannot complain about the not-so-great weather on the final day of the cruise.  Now it is time to pack for tomorrow's disembarkation.  

Hey, that's Maine under the fog and mist of rain. As I write this, the fog horn on the ship is blaring.

One of the islands is visible from my verandah.  The clouds seem to envelop the island.

The Zaandam followed us from Halifax to Bar Harbor. Our ship's itinerary overlapped their itinerary on these two ports of call.  That's one of our tender boats making its way ashore.

One other nice thing about this part of the trip is we're back in the USA and in the Eastern Time Zone.  Okay, now get packing!

Halifax Sail Away

Halifax has really created an excellent waterfront boardwalk.  Restaurants, shops, and bars are all along the route.

Lots of folks were watching since theree were two cruise ships in today.

Even a helicopter seemed to observing our sail away from Halifax.

The two bridges across the harbor are called the Halifax Harbour Bridges.  Both directions are toll roads.

Even the boat I had a tour and lunch on were watching the departure.  So long Harbour Queen.

Two harbor ferries pass one another in the harbor.

 Next stop Bar Harbor, Maine, USA!