navybankerteacher

I kind of hope they don’t turn those used shoes into water bottles.

A dozen - just counting those made from plastic water bottles? How many pairs overall?

Monaco is interesting - the changing of the guard at the palace was simply funny: several overweight guys in white uniforms shuffling around - out of step with each other. Then there is an amazing number of consulates -from small countries you wouldn’t think could have any necessary diplomatic connections - unless to provide a place to stash questionable assets.

I have no idea of who OneEarth.Org is, but “the tropics” means that belt between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn - which lies well to the south of Bermuda.

Yes - that’s it. My favorite “pilgrim monument” is at Corn Hill Beach in Truro - marking the spot where the Pilgrims found a large stash of corn which had been set aside by local Indians as a winter food reserve - - before they even got to Plymouth they had commenced stealing from the locals.

Then, I would suggest spending a bit of time on the starboard side an hour or so after sailing while rounding the end of Cape Cod to get a glimpse of the granite tower.

Bermuda is not tropical -

40 years ago was 1984 - the Big Red Boat started sailing in 1985. The posts to which you seem to have responded were talking about how cruising was a high end activity in the 1970’s.

Because when you are on an island there are several thousand other cruise passengers there overcrowding whatever ther is to enjoy, and you never get to spend an evening and night so you can really get to know the place.

Given the uncertainty over mooring position, I would suggest port side for the sailing parts of your cruise. There is nothing to match a sunrise at sea that first morning, and a seeing sunset at sea is a good way to end your last day.

After cruising in the Caribbean once or twice to get a sense of places, cruising is the absolutely worst way to spend time in the Caribbean. However it is the best way to come back from travel in Europe. It can be an excellent way to get a feel for a region - or to revisit places which keep calling to you (the coast of Turkey and the Aegean, for example). Like most everything else: it depends.

“Wealthy” is something of a subjective term. It has generally been possible for selective average income people to afford some higher cost activities by allocating resources and doing without some things a lot of other people might take for granted. (Just think how many $ a person could set aside for a cruise if he/she opted not to grab a Starbucks Vente while on the way to work every morning). In the 1970’s a couple or weeks on the Jersey Shore was a big vacation - while cruising was simply out of the picture for most.

True - they are in the higher price range — but then just a quarter century ago cruising itself was a high price vacation option. Only in this century did cruising become a mass market activity - so today’s new mega-ships serve that purpose; while refitted and new build smaller ships will continue to serve the upscale market they always did.

Are you aware that there will be at least seven new cruise ships coming on line in 2024 - which carry fewer than 1,000 passengers?