Birthdays on Ibiza !!

3 August 2026 – Ibiza, España 

My birthday!  It turned out to be a rather crazy day.  I had a late brunch in the dining room, they seem to be doing that on Mondays after the turnaround Sundays, when some people disembark, other new passengers get on the ship, and we have a mid-day arrival at our port.  J stayed on the ship for a short nap, but I went ahead to the island of Ibiza.  The island has various boats that run from the cruise ship dock to either town or a couple of beaches – for 5 Euros you get a round trip ticket.  I like the little extra boat rides, and happily rode to the heart of the town. 

It was another hot day, and I thought a cold drink would be nice.  I found a nice café facing the water, consulted with the waiter, and after much discussion (in my minimal Spanish) we agreed that the strawberry bebida (drink) would guarantee no mango for me (muy allergica).  As I sat relaxing, an older man asked if he could share my table, he also wanted the breeze.  Sure, no problem.  It turned out he was on our ship as well.  Plus, it was also his birthday!!!  Surprised both of us, and shocked his wife when she came by to join us!

They had a drink each, I had a short coffee over ice – when the waiter brought our bill, he had it all on one paper.  I was trying to calculate my portion when the birthday man handed me money and said Happy Birthday, and just walked away!  I laughed, called happy birthday to him as well, and paid our bill.  Too funny!

I wandered around the shops, and bought a few small items.  And then found a gorgeous fuchsia linen dress which looked fabulous on me, so of course I bought it.  The saleswoman (from New York!) offered me a 15% discount as a cruise ship passenger.  I said of course she’d give me the birthday discount as well – she laughed and took another 5% off!!!  She and I chatted and laughed, it was just one of those sorts of encounters. 

I bumped into J in town, she was looking for me and I kind of snuck up on her.  We wandered a bit, and agreed we needed a snack in lieu of lunch.  Tapas are perfect for that, so she had the local specialty, grilled fresh sardines.  I had fried camembert cheese served with a raspberry sauce – delicious!

We took the little boat back to the dock, and walked back to our ship.  As we arrived at our stateroom, someone from either room service or the dining room showed up to deliver a single chocolate cupcake with a happy birthday note from the ship’s captain!!! 

It was another hot and humid day, meaning we both needed showers and fresh clothing for dinner.  (As well as a very quick wash of the day’s clothes, so they’d be clean and dry for another day.)  I wore my lovely new dress, which coordinates so nicely with the bright pink streaks in my hair.

For dessert, we were served a small chocolate cake covered in whipped cream and fruit, and the Indonesian waiters gathered to sing the traditional song.  They all shook my hand and wished me a very happy birthday.  It really is an adorable tradition on the ship, and I’m glad to finally have experienced it first hand!

I always thought the song they sing was Indonesian, but on our last night on the ship, we sat with two couples, and one man was of Dutch descent.  He said his family would sing that song every birthday or happy occasion – so apparently either the Indonesian waiters sing a Dutch song, or the Dutch sing an Indonesian song!  (I suspect it’s the former, since the man gave us a loose translation of the words.)

All in all, a very fun and unique birthday!