Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The end of the trip
Saturday, April 24, 2010
At Sea
I woke up at 5am. The engines were very quiet but the ship was really rocking and rolling. I looked out the porthole and you could barely tell the difference between the sea and the sky. The waves were awesome. The spray from some of the larger swells crashed into our porthole. I kept thinking of the ship that was capsized by a rogue wave in the Mediterranean. I was mesmerized watching the waves. I read for a while and then went back to sleep until 8:00. John was up and dressed and had already been out on deck. He said the ship was very quiet. I got dressed and we went up to the buffet for breakfast. John warned me not to eat anything greasy or that might upset my stomach. I think upset stomachs are common today from the sudden appearance of barf bags at the elevators. After breakfast John went down to the cabin and I went to the photo gallery to check out the pictures taken yesterday and pick up a souvenir album and page kit for my scrapbook. We’ve decided to carry our own bags off the ship tomorrow (John’s decision). The gift shop is busy today but there’s really nothing that I need or want.
I heard on the grapevine that a lot of passengers were seasick last night and this morning. We were lucky but I think John’s admonition to avoid greasy foods was a big help. Plus we stayed away from alcohol and went to bed early when the ship was tossing and turning. There were barf bags at all the elevators today. We were on the level with the medical center and I never saw the doors open or anyone going in or out during the entire cruise. There was a lot of maintenance done on our deck during the week…something to do with the “pipes”.
We spent a few hours reading in our stateroom (John finished the book he borrowed from the ship’s library) and then went up to the buffet for dinner. The food looked like the same thing we have been served just about every day…salad, chilled asparagus, a fruit soup, a baked fish in a cream sauce, tikka chicken, beef stew, rice, pasta, pizza, Indian dishes. Nothing called to me. John picked up a few items and I had an empty plate. After he ate I went through the specialty menus and decided to go to Bamboo the Asian Fusion restaurant on Deck 7 near Dazzles Lounge and overlooking the piano bar. John went with me but only had soup and a beer so he wasn’t charged a cover charge. I had a steamed pork bun about 6” across, Singapore noodles and a Chengdu style lamb dish. For dessert I got the mochi ice cream again to cool my palate. After dinner we went over to Dazzles for Patti and Jose’s last show.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Back in NY
Yesterday we were told that there was no need to rush off the ship and that we could take our time and use the pool, etc, one last time. Unfortunately when we woke up this morning it was raining in NY. I missed seeing us sail past the Statue of Liberty by just a few minutes. John had already been up on deck and said that there was a long line for the dining room on Deck 7 so we headed up to 12 to the buffet. This was the busiest I saw the place. Everyone wanted to eat at the same time. I grabbed a couple of hardboiled eggs, some bacon, fruit and a croissant. I figured I’d ease myself back to the real world and my diet. After breakfast we went down to our stateroom and watched tv until the announcement that the ship had been cleared and those wishing to walk off could proceed to the gangway on deck 7. Right. We gathered up our four bags (one BIG suitcase, one carry-on suitcase, a small duffle bag and a back pack) and maneuvered through the narrow hallway to the elevators. We were not the only passengers with this brilliant idea. We had to wait for about 4 elevators before we could fit all our stuff in an elevator for the ride up to Deck 7. We were supposed to be able to exit either mid-ship or in the front of the ship but there was no way to get past the gridlock of passengers and luggage jamming the aisle at mid-ship. We never found out what the hold up was, but suddenly the line began moving and we made our way through security, down the gangway and through customs in just minutes. We were directed to an elevator to the 2nd level where there were taxis waiting but on our way to the elevator we were approached and asked if we were interested in a limo. Sure. I haggled over the price and got the driver down from $60 to $55 including tolls and tip. He put up a big umbrella and directed us across the street to a very nice black Town Car. I gave him the address and we sat back enjoyed our final 20 minutes of vacation. We were literally at my mother’s apartment 20 minutes after leaving the pier! We left our bags with the doorman and went upstairs. My mother drove us to her office to pick up my car and we went back to her garage to get our bags and head home. Once we were on our way I called Andrea and let her know we should be at her condo by 1:30. We hit a little traffic in Milford. We stopped for lunch at Cody’s again and arrived at Andrea’s at 1:30. Rocky was waiting at her storm door, looking for us. Andrea opened the door and he ran to us like he was happy to see us. We spent some time talking to Andrea but it became evident that Rocky was ready to leave.
As soon as we got home I began unpacking and sorting out laundry. After all the bags were emptied I started looking for the daily Freestyles that I had carefully saved and packed in an outside pocket of our large bag. I couldn’t find them anywhere. The only time the bags were out of my sight was when they were in the limo and when they were in the porter’s closet. I have a feeling that the pocket they were in might have been unzipped and maybe when the driver pulled the bag out of the trunk the contents of the pocket spilled out in his trunk. No big deal, I still have plenty of other junk that I brought back with me for my scrapbook.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday & Friday
Bermuda –Day 2
We really slept in today. I didn’t wake John until 9:00! We dressed and went up to the Blue Lagoon, thinking that we could grab a quick breakfast there. Wrong. We ordered our breakfast and waited, and waited and waited. Finally, after 30 minutes John went and talked to the wait staff to find out what the problem was. Apparently when he asked for a slice of ham with his French toast it really threw the chef. They only have cubed ham to put in omelets. So John asked for scrambled eggs with ham. When they finally brought our food he got a ham omelet and French toast. I got the Blue Lagoon special with eggs over easy. It comes with bacon, sausage, beans, hash browns, mushrooms and grilled tomato. I wanted the mushrooms and tomato. Eeeuw, sausage stuck in a bowl of beans just looked gross. We finally got ourselves fed and ready to disembark. We headed for the transportation desk on the port and bought a full day pass on the bus/ferry. There was a ferry boarding so we got on and 20 minutes later we were in downtown Hamilton. THIS is the Bermuda I remember: all pastel colored buildings and turquoise water. We had to find the bus terminal and the #3 bus. We just took one wrong turn. We ran into a group of similarly lost people and found out that they, too were heading for the bus so we all trooped up to Victoria Place together. We found the slot for the #3 bus and moments later the bus pulled in. We had to wait while the driver had her break but we finally boarded the infamous Pink Bus. The streets haven’t gotten any wider in the past 25 years. The roads were laid out by a drunk snake and the buses zip along around hairpin turns. There’s only inches to spare when you pass a vehicle going in the opposite direction. Our first stop for the day was the Crystal Caves. 88 steps down, 88 steps back up, drippy stalactites/stalagmites and a cool underground pool in between. I hope my pictures came out. After catching our breath after climbing out of the cave we headed for the bus stop and the Aquarium/Zoo. The bus stop was in front of an ice cream parlor that I remember from our last trip to Bermuda 25 years ago. And across the street was the Rum Swizzle Pub. The bus pulled up as we rounded the corner so we were in luck for the 3rd time today. We found seats in the back of the bus and arrived at the Aquarium without mishap. One admission gets you into the aquarium, zoo and natural history museum. We spent about 2 hours looking at the exhibits. The zoo was undergoing construction so we could only see the flamingos from a great distance over the Galapagos tortoises. We left the zoo shortly after 4:00 and the bus pulled up as soon as we got to the stop. When we got back to Hamilton we headed for the ferry terminal and JUST MISSED the 4:30 ferry to Dockside. The next ferry wasn’t until 6:00. We figured we’d better get something to eat since we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. We stopped in several restaurants but they were all closed until 6:00. Just as we were about to give up I noticed a place called the Lobster Pot that I had heard a clerk in a bookstore we stopped in telling someone about. Good enough recommendation for me. They were open and serving dinner. We just ordered soups and a salad to share and two draft beers. I had conch chowder and John had lobster bisque. Very good. We ate and then headed to the ferry terminal. There’s a new ship in port: Celebrity’s Summit is at Dockside. We sat with some passengers and we were comparing our cruises. I told them how we sailed on the Summit in 2003 when we went to Alaska. The ride back to Dockside took a lot longer than the ride to Hamilton because we stopped at another terminal to let passengers off. Consequently, we didn’t get back to the ship until close to 7:00. I went upstairs to get in line for the chocolate buffet. It was nothing spectacular. I made a plate of treats for John and got him a cup of coffee and brought it downstairs. We went to Dazzles for Jose and Patti’s Country Western show. The lounge was already packed and we had to stand for a while until one of the bartenders found a seat for us in a hallway between Dazzles and Dazzles2. We stayed through the first set and then headed for bed.
Bermuda – Day 3
They saved the best for last. We had a glorious day today. It was breezy but we had clear skies and temperature around 70 degrees. We had breakfast in the main dining room. I had tropical fruit chunks and an egg white omelet. Sounds good, right? Well, then add the bacon, cheese, potatoes (ok considering I was going to be doing a lot of walking) and a croissant. Vacation will soon be over and I’ll get back on the diet. My new capris are starting to fall off of me so I don’t think I’ve done any major damage.
We really slept in today. I didn’t wake John until 9:00! We dressed and went up to the Blue Lagoon, thinking that we could grab a quick breakfast there. Wrong. We ordered our breakfast and waited, and waited and waited. Finally, after 30 minutes John went and talked to the wait staff to find out what the problem was. Apparently when he asked for a slice of ham with his French toast it really threw the chef. They only have cubed ham to put in omelets. So John asked for scrambled eggs with ham. When they finally brought our food he got a ham omelet and French toast. I got the Blue Lagoon special with eggs over easy. It comes with bacon, sausage, beans, hash browns, mushrooms and grilled tomato. I wanted the mushrooms and tomato. Eeeuw, sausage stuck in a bowl of beans just looked gross. We finally got ourselves fed and ready to disembark. We headed for the transportation desk on the port and bought a full day pass on the bus/ferry. There was a ferry boarding so we got on and 20 minutes later we were in downtown Hamilton. THIS is the Bermuda I remember: all pastel colored buildings and turquoise water. We had to find the bus terminal and the #3 bus. We just took one wrong turn. We ran into a group of similarly lost people and found out that they, too were heading for the bus so we all trooped up to Victoria Place together. We found the slot for the #3 bus and moments later the bus pulled in. We had to wait while the driver had her break but we finally boarded the infamous Pink Bus. The streets haven’t gotten any wider in the past 25 years. The roads were laid out by a drunk snake and the buses zip along around hairpin turns. There’s only inches to spare when you pass a vehicle going in the opposite direction. Our first stop for the day was the Crystal Caves. 88 steps down, 88 steps back up, drippy stalactites/stalagmites and a cool underground pool in between. I hope my pictures came out. After catching our breath after climbing out of the cave we headed for the bus stop and the Aquarium/Zoo. The bus stop was in front of an ice cream parlor that I remember from our last trip to Bermuda 25 years ago. And across the street was the Rum Swizzle Pub. The bus pulled up as we rounded the corner so we were in luck for the 3rd time today. We found seats in the back of the bus and arrived at the Aquarium without mishap. One admission gets you into the aquarium, zoo and natural history museum. We spent about 2 hours looking at the exhibits. The zoo was undergoing construction so we could only see the flamingos from a great distance over the Galapagos tortoises. We left the zoo shortly after 4:00 and the bus pulled up as soon as we got to the stop. When we got back to Hamilton we headed for the ferry terminal and JUST MISSED the 4:30 ferry to Dockside. The next ferry wasn’t until 6:00. We figured we’d better get something to eat since we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. We stopped in several restaurants but they were all closed until 6:00. Just as we were about to give up I noticed a place called the Lobster Pot that I had heard a clerk in a bookstore we stopped in telling someone about. Good enough recommendation for me. They were open and serving dinner. We just ordered soups and a salad to share and two draft beers. I had conch chowder and John had lobster bisque. Very good. We ate and then headed to the ferry terminal. There’s a new ship in port: Celebrity’s Summit is at Dockside. We sat with some passengers and we were comparing our cruises. I told them how we sailed on the Summit in 2003 when we went to Alaska. The ride back to Dockside took a lot longer than the ride to Hamilton because we stopped at another terminal to let passengers off. Consequently, we didn’t get back to the ship until close to 7:00. I went upstairs to get in line for the chocolate buffet. It was nothing spectacular. I made a plate of treats for John and got him a cup of coffee and brought it downstairs. We went to Dazzles for Jose and Patti’s Country Western show. The lounge was already packed and we had to stand for a while until one of the bartenders found a seat for us in a hallway between Dazzles and Dazzles2. We stayed through the first set and then headed for bed.
Bermuda – Day 3
They saved the best for last. We had a glorious day today. It was breezy but we had clear skies and temperature around 70 degrees. We had breakfast in the main dining room. I had tropical fruit chunks and an egg white omelet. Sounds good, right? Well, then add the bacon, cheese, potatoes (ok considering I was going to be doing a lot of walking) and a croissant. Vacation will soon be over and I’ll get back on the diet. My new capris are starting to fall off of me so I don’t think I’ve done any major damage.
My goal for today was to take a glass bottom boat tour and send John to the Maritime Museum in Dockyard. The ship’s GBB tour was filled so I took my chance at the tour kiosk on shore. The price was a little less than the NCL tour and we went to the exact same places. Only difference: we had 11 passengers and NCL had more like 100. We also got complimentary rum swizzles (all we wanted). We all staked out our seats inside around the glass floor and then went topside for the first part of the tour (which took us through the Bermuda Triangle. It was pretty windy up top but it was a pleasant ride. When we got to the feeding ground we went inside and were given bread to feed the fish. They jumped out of the water to grab the pieces of bread. We floated over a shipwreck that is home to a 60 pound grouper, saw David Bowie’s estate, some long-tailed birds that have no legs and I saw a turtle eating a Portuguese Man of War. John kept in touch via our walkie-talkies and met up with me near the pier. We walked to Snorkel Park so I could say I went to the beach and then to the Bermuda Art Colony. We ate lunch at the Onion and Frog and then stopped at the Bermuda Rum Cake Factory to pick up some cakes to bring home. After a quick stop at the pharmacy for shoe liners for John we headed back to the ship, ready to set sail for home. I don’t know why we waited 25 years come back here. We had a very nice time. Three days is plenty. I now have more alcohol in me than I’ve had in years…two rum swizzles and a fruity concoction at the Onion and Frog. John is napping and I am going to relax up on the pool deck until Sail-Away. We’re going to sleep good tonight.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Days 2 and 3.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Our 2nd day at Sea.
Today we really learned how to relax. We slept late and got up to breakfast around 9:00. Discovered that I don’t particularly care for kippers. Glad I also ordered a waffle and my assorted fruits. We took a stroll around the deck after breakfast. John headed down to the cabin and I went to check my email in the Blue Lagoon. At 11:00 all the specialty restaurants had a demonstration in the Bamboo Lounge showcasing their signature dishes and taking reservations. I collected John and we went up to Spinnakers for lunch. There’s a lot of assortment but nothing really exciting. I had some salad and pizza. It was just something to eat. Then we went out to the pool area and there was a barbeque going on with burgers, hot dogs and chicken. Boy did that look good! We stopped at the library and John took out a book to read and we went down to our stateroom and read and took a nap. We had dinner in the Venetian Dining Room. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table shortly before 6:00. I guess this was “lobster night” which means a lobster tail and slice of broiled grouper with basil mashed potatoes and some cubes of vegetables and two asparagus spears. Not a bad dinner. John had roasted NY Strip. I wondered what the difference was between the “broiled” NY Strip and the “roasted” NY Strip was…the roasted strip was slices of meat rather than a chunk of meat that you had to slice. I had chocolate ice cream for dessert. I’d like to see the kind of cow it came out of. For evening entertainment we went to Dazzles Lounge for Jose and Patti’s Music through the Decades show. They’re very good and very popular. Actually there are lots of good entertainers on board. After the show we went to the Blue Lagoon for a snack before bed.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Bermuda-day 1
When we woke up this morning we were docked in Bermuda. There were clouds but no rain. We went to breakfast up in Spinnakers and then grabbed the cameras and backpack and walked off the ship. We wandered around the dockyard area discovering a shop of Bermudian Crafters, the Bermuda Glassworks, The Bermuda Rum Cake Co (I couldn’t go in there because I had some peanut protein bars with me and someone in the factory has a severe peanut allergy). We went through the Clocktower Shops…lots of ways to separate you from your money. I was looking for a gift for Kendra and maybe something for myself. I didn’t want something that was made in China. I found out that the shells that were for sale in the form of jewelry are all imported (they might be crafted in Bermuda but it is illegal to take shells from the Bermudian waters). I finally settled on a painted shell for Kendra and then I saw a jewelry store with a stone called Luckystone, made of 4 different colored quartz crystals. It was very pretty so I got a pendant and pair of earrings set in sterling. John found a rooster wandering around the gardens. We headed back to the ship for lunch. We ate in the Venetian Dining Room. It was practically empty. I had Vietnamese Spring Rolls and a Cobb Salad. No chance of gaining weight with the portions they serve. After lunch I grabbed my Kindle and went up on Deck 12-13 to read in the sunshine. Actually in spots it was quite warm. Today seemed like the best day so far and, being in port, most of the kiddies were off the ship so it was practically deserted around the pool until about 3:00.
We had dinner at Cagney’s Steakhouse tonight. The food was delicious. I had a “colossal shrimp cocktail”, wedge of lettuce and a 5 ounce filet mignon with baked potato and spinach. The meat was as tender as any I’ve ever had. John had surf and turf and lobster bisque. It was a lovely meal. Now we’re going to head up to the lounge for Jose and Patti’s Neil Diamond tribute.
Our 2nd day at Sea.
Today we really learned how to relax. We slept late and got up to breakfast around 9:00. Discovered that I don’t particularly care for kippers. Glad I also ordered a waffle and my assorted fruits. We took a stroll around the deck after breakfast. John headed down to the cabin and I went to check my email in the Blue Lagoon. At 11:00 all the specialty restaurants had a demonstration in the Bamboo Lounge showcasing their signature dishes and taking reservations. I collected John and we went up to Spinnakers for lunch. There’s a lot of assortment but nothing really exciting. I had some salad and pizza. It was just something to eat. Then we went out to the pool area and there was a barbeque going on with burgers, hot dogs and chicken. Boy did that look good! We stopped at the library and John took out a book to read and we went down to our stateroom and read and took a nap. We had dinner in the Venetian Dining Room. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table shortly before 6:00. I guess this was “lobster night” which means a lobster tail and slice of broiled grouper with basil mashed potatoes and some cubes of vegetables and two asparagus spears. Not a bad dinner. John had roasted NY Strip. I wondered what the difference was between the “broiled” NY Strip and the “roasted” NY Strip was…the roasted strip was slices of meat rather than a chunk of meat that you had to slice. I had chocolate ice cream for dessert. I’d like to see the kind of cow it came out of. For evening entertainment we went to Dazzles Lounge for Jose and Patti’s Music through the Decades show. They’re very good and very popular. Actually there are lots of good entertainers on board. After the show we went to the Blue Lagoon for a snack before bed.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Bermuda-day 1
When we woke up this morning we were docked in Bermuda. There were clouds but no rain. We went to breakfast up in Spinnakers and then grabbed the cameras and backpack and walked off the ship. We wandered around the dockyard area discovering a shop of Bermudian Crafters, the Bermuda Glassworks, The Bermuda Rum Cake Co (I couldn’t go in there because I had some peanut protein bars with me and someone in the factory has a severe peanut allergy). We went through the Clocktower Shops…lots of ways to separate you from your money. I was looking for a gift for Kendra and maybe something for myself. I didn’t want something that was made in China. I found out that the shells that were for sale in the form of jewelry are all imported (they might be crafted in Bermuda but it is illegal to take shells from the Bermudian waters). I finally settled on a painted shell for Kendra and then I saw a jewelry store with a stone called Luckystone, made of 4 different colored quartz crystals. It was very pretty so I got a pendant and pair of earrings set in sterling. John found a rooster wandering around the gardens. We headed back to the ship for lunch. We ate in the Venetian Dining Room. It was practically empty. I had Vietnamese Spring Rolls and a Cobb Salad. No chance of gaining weight with the portions they serve. After lunch I grabbed my Kindle and went up on Deck 12-13 to read in the sunshine. Actually in spots it was quite warm. Today seemed like the best day so far and, being in port, most of the kiddies were off the ship so it was practically deserted around the pool until about 3:00.
We had dinner at Cagney’s Steakhouse tonight. The food was delicious. I had a “colossal shrimp cocktail”, wedge of lettuce and a 5 ounce filet mignon with baked potato and spinach. The meat was as tender as any I’ve ever had. John had surf and turf and lobster bisque. It was a lovely meal. Now we’re going to head up to the lounge for Jose and Patti’s Neil Diamond tribute.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
1st Day at Sea.
Monday, April 19, 2010
We lost an hour last night but they promised to give it back to us on the way home.
I slept great in my little bunk. I woke up around 6:30 and peeked out the porthole and the sky was just starting to wake up so I went back to sleep finally rising around 8:00. I took a shower (our shower is about the largest spot in our stateroom). It felt good. We have no cell phone service and the batteries on our walkie talkie’s are dead. I left them plugged in while we went to breakfast in the Venetian Dining Room. The dining room is beautiful with a window wall at the back of the ship. I was very good and just ordered an egg white omelet with a side of fresh melon. John had a couple of eggs with ham and a glass of juice. After a leisurely breakfast I went up to the Internet Lounge and checked my email and upated my blog. John joined me and we went down to the stateroom to grab the things I’d brought for the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet. All of the ship’s officers and key crew members were there and introduced themselves. One of our members had some ‘ice breaker’ games for us and it was a nice way to meet some new people. I didn’t join in the Scavenger Hunt. There were beverages and pastries available. I had a cup of tea and stayed away from the ICK. We were there for about an hour and then it was time for another feeding. We went to the buffet this time and I grabbed a small banana, 2 hard boiled eggs, a tiny piece of salmon and a slice of tomato with a glass of water. It was just fine. We went down to the stateroom and John stayed to take a nap and I grabbed a sweatshirt and went up to deck 7 to wander around. I found our embarkation photo and it was not awful so I bought it for my album. I’m parked near the sushi bar thinking of perhaps having sushi for lunch before my massage. John is having a good time even if it means he finds things to complain about. His biggest complaint being all the extra costs for things on the ship. Some things I don’t mind paying extra for, because I have the option to either do it or do something else (for example, there are plenty of restaurants including in the fare that are more than adequate for our needs so it’s my choice to pay a cover charge to eat in one of the specialty restaurants if I want).
I decided that since I was on my own for lunch today I would indulge in the Sushi Bar which has a $15 surcharge. I sat at the counter and really had no idea what to order. I think I wound up with a Godzilla Roll (because of the name) and a Spicy Tuna Roll. I know I wanted to try the Scallop Roll but decided to see how hungry I was and how large the portions were. Turned out what I ordered was more than enough and it was delicious. There was a family sitting next to me and when the waitress brought them a plate overflowing with assorted rolls I thought it was for everyone but it turned out to be for the 6-yr old child. Mom and Dad each got their own platters of food. And here I was with just two rolls. After eating the spicy tuna roll my mouth needed something sweet but I saw what the fruit sashimi plate looked like (mom and child each had one). I ordered the mochi ice cream which was a small scoop of mango ice cream incased in a rice paste shell and frozen with julienne fruits along side. It was fabulous. From lunch I went into the casino and donated the $4 I had in my pocket. At 2:30 I made my way up to the spa for my hot stone massage. I just wish I could do this every day. When she got to the scalp massage I thought about Rocky. He loves having his head rubbed and hates when you stop. I purchased some spa products to use at home. My hair looked like I had been electrocuted and, of course, I didn’t have a comb or brush with me. I took the elevator down to Deck 7 and found the ship’s store and John. 2200 passengers on board and I had to bump into my husband! We went to the Blue Lagoon for lunch for John and a snack for me. Now we’re relaxing in our stateroom watching tv. I’m going to have to shampoo my hair before we can go to dinner.
It was 7:00 before we even thought about dinner and John wasn’t particularly hungry after having a cheeseburger and fries and potato salad in the Blue Lagoon for his “snack”. There was a line to get into Aqua so we went up to Spinnakers, the buffet on Deck 12. I got some salad and chilled asparagus spears, some flounder and rice, all good for me, and then I succumbed to a slice of pizza. I wasn’t going to have dessert but I found the crepe station and had a boysenberry crepe. We sat by a window and watched the sun set and ships on the horizon.
After dinner we headed down to Dazzles Lounge for the music of Jose and Patti. We were lucky to find two seats together with a view of the stage. By 8:30 the lounge was packed and the show was wonderful. It was all music of the 60’s and there were people dancing in the aisles. What a trip down memory lane. Even John enjoyed the show.
After the show we packed it in for the night and watched a little tv and went to sleep.
After the show we packed it in for the night and watched a little tv and went to sleep.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Away we go!
Away we go!
It has been brought to my attention that I have been quite remiss about updating my blog. I can’t remember what my last post was and I am currently offline so I will have to do fill-ins later. However, right now I am perched at the end of my bed in stateroom #4586 of the Norwegian Dawn on my way to Bermuda. We left home at noon yesterday and dropped Rocky off at the home of my friend and co-worker, Andrea. I’m figuring he’s settled down and forgotten about us by now. We stopped for a quick lunch at Cody’s Restaurant in New Haven and then took the Merritt Parkway to NY to spend the night at my mother’s apartment. We went out to dinner at London Lenny’s where I had delicious grilled scallops. I brought half of my serving home with me for my snack today. We called my brother in China when we got back from dinner and we called it a night shortly after 8:00.
Today, Sunday, April 18, 2010 we were treated to mom’s famous waffles (the good kind with the whipped egg whites). They’re definitely not on my diet but how could I turn them down? I decided just to enjoy them and not beat myself up over indulging in a waffle. The two strips of bacon might be another story but the fruit was definitely on my eating plan. John made up the Murphy Bed in the guest room while I helped cook up 8 sausages. I did NOT have any sausage and John did not want or need 8 sausages but that’s how many there were so that’s how many we made. After breakfast John and I took a walk to Barnes & Noble to see if he could find something to read on the cruise. I found a Games magazine. John found nothing that interested him. We browsed around in Rite Aid and then went back to the apartment to get our stuff ready to be picked up by the limo. I was searching for my travel cell phone when it started ringing (narrowing its location to my overnight bag, but I still missed the cal). It was from Kendra, my mentee, so I called her back and wished her a good week next week at Nature’s Classroom. Our limo was ordered for 12:00 but arrived at 11:50. We got stuck in all sorts of traffic on the way to the pier. In Long Island City we were stopped for a motorcade of motorcycles that went on and on and on. Then in Manhattan we got caught up in road closures due to a parade down 5th Avenue. Our driver took everything in stride and we were early enough that we weren’t concerned about a delay. As it was, we got to the pier at 12:55 and dropped off our baggage and quickly went through the boarding process. We were on board by 1:25. We could have been processed faster if I had known to go in the line marked “Latitudes”. The first thing I did when we were finally on the ship was to book a hot stone massage for Monday. Then we went up to the 12th deck for lunch. I had a small piece of chicken, green beans and some jambalaya and a cup of orange herbal tea. It hit the spot. While we were eating an announcement was made that the staterooms were ready so after eating we explored the rest of Deck 12 and 13 and then made our way down to the stateroom. We had made the decision when we booked this cruise that we were not going to spend a lot on our stateroom. We did not anticipate having to climb over the desk to get into bed. We wound up having our cabin steward reconfigure the beds into two twin beds instead of a king size bed. We had a pleasant surprise waiting for us in the stateroom: our travel agent had sent us a bottle of wine and my mother gave us a $100 onboard credit. Later we received a plate of chocolate covered strawberries and chocolates, also from the travel agent. The lifeboat drill was held at 3:30 and was really weird. Our muster station was on level 6 in the Impressions Restaurant. We didn’t have to bring our life vests and I think there were a total of 12 people in our station. We had to look into the next room to watch a crew member show how to put on the life vest and then we were dismissed. Could there really only be 12 people in our lifeboat? The whole drill was over in about 5 minutes. We all left shaking our heads. I had to go to the guest relations desk to get a power cord (there’s only 1 110 volt outlet in our stateroom) and then we went out on Deck 7 to watch the Sail Away. I wanted to get pictures of the Statue of Liberty. We were under way shortly after 4:00 and just as we began moving my camera battery died. I found out just how quickly I could dash down 3 floors to our stateroom, grab my other camera and get back to our spot on the railing. After standing out in the wind for about an hour we were ready for a cup of coffee/tea. I brought my cup of tea back to the stateroom. We unpacked in about 5 minutes and then it was time to think about dinner. We opted to eat in one of the main dining rooms. We got up there around 6:00 and literally just walked in and were seated. The dining room was set up with plenty of tables for 2. I had a Greek salad for a starter and Miso Glazed Tilapia with bok choy and shitake mushrooms and Singapore noodles. It was delicious. The portions are small but I was very satisfied with my meal. John had a NY Strip steak with baked potato, green beans and onion rings. One of our waitresses recommended the Tiramisu for dessert and I had to try it. Again the portion was very small and it was fantastic. After dinner John joined me at the welcome show in the Stardust Theater. I thought it was very well done and John enjoyed the male vocalist and the comedian, Dave Henner. We blew some money in the casino and then stopped in Gatsby’s Lounge to listen to Bernie Martini (and have a sombrero). By 9:30 we were ready to head back down to the stateroom to watch tv and get into bed. We have a lot more room with the beds separated. Tomorrow morning is the Meet & Greet for the Cruise Critic Roll Call group at 10:30 in the Star Bar.
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