AKR2011

When our driver returned - right on time, I will add - we asked him to drop us at the end of the boardwalk. The boardwalk in Sydney is not nearly as long as the one in Charlottetown, but it is still nice. They have a sign for photos, and there are plenty of shore birds that Alex was excited to see. I was ready to return to the ship, but he wanted to stick around and count birds. Once at the port area, I found the world's largest fiddle and had a kind fellow passenger take my photo with it. I also popped into a small shop in port that was a drugstore. The couple that owns it are cruisers, and they told me that they noticed in their travels that passengers always need OTC meds and affordable American snacks, but there is never a shop right in port. This is how they decided to open their shop. There were many snacks, candy bars, cold and flu meds, aspirin, first aid, etc. I grabbed some lozenges for Alex, who was feeling a lot better but still waking up with a scratchy throat. The price was right and they made a difference the next few days.

Today Alex and I planned to hike the Baille Ard Nature Trail. My research said that it was a great place for birding and an overall nice hike. Getting off the ship was messy again, but we eventually made it. Were we cleared to leave at 9am as scheduled? I don't believe so, but this was a bit better than yesterday. I will give them that I guess. The port area does not have a lot to offer, but there are a few shops outside and a big building that plays some of the sea music I love. That building houses a huge room of crafters selling homemade goods, and I found a really nice ornament there. Before our tip, I tried to set up a cab ride to the trail, and I was messaging a cab company, but we were never able to fully connect. Luckily, once we left the building, there was a lot full of Taxis. They do city tours and such, so if you don't have something booked, you can just hire a driver to take you around. I asked about the Baille Ard Nature Trail, and the first person that I spoke to was unfamiliar with it, but then he asked another driver who knew exactly where it was and agreed to take us. Our driver actually went to school for forestry and worked on maintaining the trail. He has his degree now, but his family is in India and he has to travel home for lengths of time, so a permanent job in forestry doesn't work. Instead, he drives cabs during the tourist season and has the flexibility to go home in the winter months. We were charged about $8.00 American according to my credit card statement to get to the Baille Ard Trail, and we arrived around 10:45. Our driver wanted us to call him when we were ready to go back, but I am cheap and didn't want to pay for data, so we just asked him to come back at noon. Research told me that this was not a long hike. The Baille Ard Nature Trail has multiple loops and has some parts that are closed as they are working to improve it. It was not very crowded and felt very familiar to us. The woods were very much like those in The Catskills where we are from. Alex did not find any exciting birds, but of course, there were plenty of birds there overall. We bumped into some friendly locals and just enjoyed being on a hike together. This was the perfect spot for us.

Hi all. I am so sorry for not getting back here sooner. Life has gotten the best of me the past couple of days, but I am going to try and finish the Canadian ports today. After being up late playing cards the night before, I actually slept in today. Alex and I woke up together and had breakfast at the buffet. We really enjoyed eating in the Great Outdoors area and this was also a good place to fill up our water bottles before heading into port. When researching Syndey, I didn't find a ton of exciting things to do. My parents originally signed up for some kind of bagpiping excursion that was canceled a few weeks before. They ended up doing a concert of some kind instead, but they reported that it wasn't really worth the cost. If you chose to stay on the ship, there were of course many things to do:

Thank you for your feedback! It always helps to have multiple opinions. Our room was also a bit smaller, but we're pretty easygoing with that. I definitely agree that entertainment showed some sad cuts. And yes, getting off the ship was ridiculous! It was completely different the second week vs. the first. I have no idea what happened there, but I cannot get over how messy it was. They should have at least extended time in ports. We make the most of every vacation, but we are also hoping that some things change before we go on another sailing in 2025. I feel bad that this was my parents' first cruise experience. They still had a good time, but it could have been a lot better too.

The Sun was my husband's favorite, but we went in 2014. The size was great and the crew was absolutely fantastic. Our biggest complaint was that the sports bar had limited hours instead of the 24-hr. O'Sheehan's. Maybe this has changed?

The ship itself is pretty average, to be honest. Most of the smaller ships are similar, so we are looking at a bigger one in 2025. That being said, The Pearl crew is pretty special. That was a stand-out for us. Entertainment-wise, we definitely noticed a lack of bigger shows in the theater and that was disappointing. Luckily, Seaside Duo was always great and we made our own fun with games and drinks from our favorite bartenders.

I will post the next port tomorrow, but here is the Freestyle for the day. As always, lots to do:

Alex and I rested at the cabin for a bit and then eventually went to O'Sheehans for small bites. It was a beautiful sunset as we headed out to our next port. Then I went to Pure Variety while Alex hung out with my parents. Pure Variety was again very enjoyable with the dancers being the highlight to me. I met the rest of the family down in the Maltings are after and we played cards for a few hours while enjoying some drinks. I love a good Old Fashioned, but with Jameson of course. The bartenders at Maltings made some great ones for me. We went to bed after our cards since tomorrow was another port day. What started as a hot mess getting off the ship ended up being pretty great after all.

Back on the ship, we arrived back at our room with a new towel animal friend, and clean laundry. This was our third free load of the cruise and we had one left. I love getting my clothes back in the cute little basket all pressed. My white pants from the week before had gotten stained in Bermuda, and they returned white as new. And of course, you get all those yellow laundry tags that never seem to go away. We continue to find them all the time now that we are home.

Where it's wave over wave sea over bow I'm as happy a man as the sea will allow There's no other life for a sailor like me Than to sail the salt sea boys to sail the sea There's no other life but to sail the salt sea... - Great Big Sea I mentioned previously, sea shanties are my jam. I love all sailing songs and Alex and I have gone to quite a few festivals highlighting this kind of music. When we got back to the town square, a local band was singing sea songs and playing some Great Big Sea - my favorite Canadian band ever! I was rocking out and people thought that I had requested the music. I definitely had not, but I was so happy with this surprise. I left them a tip and then grabbed a snack. Alex went for Cows Ice Cream, which is super creamy and delicious. I opted for a Beaver Tail, which is fried dough with all kinds of toppings like Nutella, nuts, hot fudge, etc. I went simple with cinnamon sugar and added a scoop of their ice cream on top. It was a delicious treat! It was getting a little late, so we decided to head back to the ship after this. There was a bit of a line by the port, and we used the time to get our Christmas ornament. Two gangways were open when we reached the ship since the tide had gone back up, and this definitely made a difference.

When you reach the end of the boardwalk, you go into town. The sidewalks are marked with paint to follow the trail of your choice. We followed the green stripe to eventually get back to the town square. I thought this was a great way to help tourists navigate. The sidewalks pass an area that teaches about the history of the area, as well as the Beaconsfield House. That was on my list to visit, but it was unfortunately closed today. This was a really lovely walk, so I'm glad that we did it. Taking the cab also allowed us plenty of time to enjoy it without feeling rushed.

The weather fluctuated between clouds and sun for the hour or so that we were on the boardwalk. It was a really nice path that was well-maintained and full of friendly people. Alex bumped into another birder and got to share some stats while I just enjoyed the walk. My feet were swollen and sore again despite wearing my hiking shoes, but there were plenty of benches along the way.

On our way to Dave's, we popped over to a visitor's center for a walking map and to ask about going to Victoria Park. I thought it was close, but they said that it was a 45-minute walk. I popped into a shop, and one of the nice young workers called us a cab there. There is a roundabout right in the square where the cab pulled up in less than 10 minutes. We had a super nice lady who spoke about Canadian politics and dropped us off at the end of the boardwalk where the park was. I used my credit card to charge in Canadian and then tipped her a couple of American dollars. My card was charged about $8.00. Not bad! We walked through the park and Alex enjoyed finding all kinds of birds. It was later in the day, but he still found plenty to see. There is a nice path through the park and it wasn't very busy.

Once in port, I had one thing on my mind - Lobster Rolls! Mom and Dad had some kind of food tour through the ship. They were not super impressed with the lecturer but said that the food was good. I learned in my research that Dave's was a great spot for lunch, so that is where we went. Alex had never had a lobster roll before and didn't even think he liked lobster, but he agreed to give it a try. I like mine Connecticut Style - hot and buttered - and Alex ordered the same. Lobster rolls are probably one of my all-time favorite foods, and today Alex learned that he enjoys them as well.

O Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all of us command... I went to college by the border and Canadian Studies was actually a requirement. I even had a friend who majored in it. I've been to some parts of Canada in the past, but Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia were new to me, and I was very excited about these ports. I woke up to cloudy skies on my walk, and my feet were a bit sore as well. Bummer! I only walked a few laps before going back to the room, and there I noticed a Canadian Customs form outside our door. I think it was supposed to be in our room on Embarkation Day, but since we were B2B, we missed some things. We didn't even get the strawberries on this leg, but that's ok. I looked at the form and saw that it it was supposed to be turned in yesterday. I was really upset and immediately went to fill it out. Alex and I both signed, and then I ran down to Guest Services while he got dressed. An officer saw me in line and asked what I needed, and I showed the form. Another passenger in front of me was mad and said that I was cutting him. I explained that this man was speaking to me. He huffed and puffed and walked off. Then the officer apologized to me. I avoid this line at all costs. It's always long and no one is happy to be there. The nice officer saw that I was stressed and put me at ease. He said that it was okay and we could definitely get off the ship. I was so relieved! Alex and I grabbed some breakfast and met my parents for the 10-Minute Mystery and Trivia. Later Alex and I were the only ones to participate in the Jenga Challenge. We played for a solid half hour and neither of us was giving up. I wish I had photos, but I was standing on the milk crate that the blocks were kept in by the end there since the tower was so high. In the end, I won bragging rights! We were supposed to be able to get off the ship at noon, but some passengers needed to turn in their customs forms. Canada was also not clearing us. Plus, it was low tide. I added a couple of photos taken after we eventually made it off the ship of that low tide. They would only be able to open one gangway as a result, and this made it even more messy. Everyone was crowded in the hall trying to get out. It was after 1:00 before we finally made it out. No one was very happy with the way that this was handled. Communication was definitely lacking, but hey, we were finally in port!

I really struggled at Le Bistro the second time. I let NCL know in my post-cruise survey that the menu needs more and better options. I hope they listen.

I will end this for tonight, but here is the Freestyle for the day. Again, so much to do on The Pearl:

Alex and I often do not dine at La Cucina, but we had a great meal here tonight and Alex looked pretty snazzy in his suit 😍 I was excited to have pesto pasta and the Osso Bucco. Alex had the calamari followed by the snapper and really enjoyed his as well. I loved the cannolis for dessert while Alex had the chocolate tart and really liked that too. We really loved our meal and will probably book this one more often. We made a stop back at our room after dinner to change and checked out the Bridge Viewing Room. It had photos of the crew and a ship model, as well as a bunch of computer models. The curtain to look into the bridge was closed, and I went back a few times to see if it would ever open, but I always found it closed, unfortunately. Alex and I grabbed drinks at the Malting's Whiskey Bar and played some Abducktion there. Then we met Mom and Dad for the 80s Game Show. Since we had so much fun last week, we wanted to go back again. It was once again a blast and my mom especially loved it. They had gone to O'Sheehan's tonight for dinner and my mom was very happy to have nachos that were Celiac-friendly. After the game show, Mom wanted to go to Karaoke. Man, Bliss was packed! She and I each signed up for a song, but it took over an hour to be called up. We had seats at the bar in the back and our awesome waiter was there and remembered us. Lots of Jameson was served, and he also made us the infamous Alien Brain Hemmorage Shots that they no longer do. Lots of other shots and drinks were consumed as well. We continued to tip and he kept bringing us fun things to try. This was such a fun night, but I was quite tired by the end and we had our first port of this leg tomorrow. A ton of photos are coming up soon, so stay tuned for that as head in Canada.

As you all can probably tell by now, I love a good sea day. I am dreaming of a Transatlantic at some point in the future when I can have days at sea watching the world go by. It will probably be my first cruise when I retire, so I have about 25 years to plan 😄 This morning was a beautiful one for my sea shanty walk. I was up around 5:30 and then woke Alex up for breakfast in Summer Palace. He was still a bit congested, but he always felt better once he left the room. Alex hinks he may have been allergic to the detergent used to wash the sheets or whatever cleaners were used in the room. He always felt better once he was up and moving. We went to the Atrium after breakfast and my parents met us for Trivia. Once again, it was really packed. At one point I was able to find Cruise Director Will and suggest that they move Trivia out of this area. Unfortunately, Bliss was used for art auctions most days and Spinnaker was usually reserved for things during the day too. He said that The Atrium had more seating than the bars on Deck 6 too. They just need a better place for it in my opinion. We did Bean Bag Toss after Trivia and then my parents went to Bingo while Alex and I went to the Platinum Wines Around the World. We didn't get to that the week before and really enjoyed it. There were a bunch of us and many wines to try. It was free-flowing and fun. We then met Mom and Dad for lunch in Summer Palace where I was happy to have a couple of my favorites - Hummus and Milk Chocolate Cheesecake! We went to Deal or No Deal after, which was very fun to participate again, but none of us were chosen or big winners today. Dad and Alex took and walk and Mom and I did the 80s Movie Trivia together. We did pretty well and had a lot of fun. We also played Last Man Standing before Alex and I had to head back to our rooms to get ready for tonight.

My parents were quite hungry after enjoying their first drinks, so we took them to Summer Place. My mom has Celiac's Disease and was able to plan out her meals with the staff there. We all had a great meal, and then we toured them around the ship from top to bottom, stopping at a couple of bars along the way. My parents then went to get unpacked, and Alex and I hung out in The Atrium drinking and grabbing seats for Trivia and the Brain Race. My parents really enjoyed playing with us, and this was the first time that Alex and I really looked around at our new fellow passengers. This was an older crowd than the previous week and there were also a lot more people packing in for Trivia. We had dinner at Moderno tonight with my parents, and I was personally there for the salad bar! Alex and Dad loved the meats and Mom was happy that she could eat just about everything there, with the exception of a few things on the salad bar. The cheese bread is always gluten-free and delicious. Mom and Dad wanted to settle into their cabin and rest after dinner since they had been up since 3am this morning. Alex and I went to The Atrium for Seaside Duo and a few games of Carcassone on my tablet. As usual, the drinks were flowing and the bar staff were rocking out with us. Tip your bartenders and they will always take care of you. We had a funny moment when we ordered our first drinks and called on by name. The people sitting by us were amazed that they knew our names. That is the beauty of a B2B. We headed to bed after the show and were excited for a lovely day at sea tomorrow ♥️⚓

Feel I'm goin' back to Massachusetts Something's telling me I must go home And the lights all went out in Massachusetts... - The Bee Gees Seaside Duo sang this during one of their sets, and I absolutely loved it! What did I not love? Actually sailing back to Massachusetts and our friends going home. It was really bittersweet since my parents were now getting on. They basically swapped places with my parents on the bus this morning, and they even saw each other at the port outside. This morning we met Emilie and Luca for breakfast at O'Sheehan's, thinking this would be a good place to hang out before they had to leave the ship. The bus wouldn't come until after 10am, so they wanted to stay as long as possible. It was also a story day. Not the tornado warning that we had the week before, but it was rainy and gross outside. Because we all did customs in Bar Harbor, anyone B2B did not have to get off the ship this morning. They gave us stickers to wear so that we could feel special, but really so that no one would try to get us to leave! I had this dream of taking over a hot tub or something for the two hours that we had the ship to ourselves, but the weather didn't cooperate for that, unfortunately. Once Emilie and Luca got off, Alex and I hung out at the bar in O'Sheehan's playing some cards and games on my tablet. Yes, we had the whole ship to ourselves and stayed put. Honestly, it was really relaxing. We could have gone anywhere, including our room if we wanted, but the crew were all very busy cleaning and turning the ship over. We didn't want to be in their way, and we also wanted to get the first drinks of the day, because why not? The bartender that we met during Karaoke at Bliss was manning the O'Sheehan's bar, and we had a great time with him before everyone else boarded. He made us all kinds of fun drinks that no longer are offered. My old favorite, Mr. Worldwide, was on the menu this morning and I was not disappointed. I still miss the Daydreamer's Daiquiri that no one can make anymore, but this morning was really fun. Once they let people on, Alex and I took turns doing our muster (which was conveniently right outside O'Sheehan's). Soon my parents sent a text and we sent them to meet us there. My dad is a Jameson drinker like me, and our bartender had a double shot on the rocks ready for him! Below are a few photos that I grabbed this morning. I had gone on deck at one point to pick up the free port wifi and saw these signs about how to get into lifeboats in an emergency. I don't know if the slide would be really fun or incredibly scary. I'm just glad we didn;t have to find out!

I am going to go ahead and wrap up this week and then start Week 2 on the beautiful NCL Pearl. Here are my final thoughts on Week 1: The crew were so incredible. Bar and wait staff were especially wonderful and learned our names and orders very quickly. I really appreciate the Platinum rewards. The two loads of laundry were great, as were the dinners. It was also our first time getting to do the behind-the-scenes tour, and that was a highlight. I love sea days, so I was not upset with having four of them. After trying out the ducks, I could take them or leave them. It was nice to bring a smile to people, but maybe 24 in a week was a bit much. I missed having a magician or aerialist duo in the theater. I also wish there was another show with the dancers. They were only featured in Pure Variety and seemed very talented. Seaside Duo was not to be missed!

Back on the ship, I rested my feet in my new socks and took a nap. Then I went down to the bar for cocktails and read one of my books. I usually read a lot on cruises. This time I only made it through 2.5 books. They're all on my tablet ready for me to read as soon as I have the time again. When Alex came back we got ready for dinner, which was in Teppanyaki courtesy of our second Latitudes certificate. We ate with others who were like us and had been before. Teppanyaki isn't a place we go to often, but I always love the show. The Pearl crew did a nice job and we had a great meal. Tonight was Legends in Concert, and once again photos and video were not allowed. They had Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, and Elvis. All were incredible, but we especially enjoyed Tina. We then fought for seats in the atrium to catch Seaside Duo and drink a bunch of cocktails. No one wanted their shows to end and they did play an extra for us after. Emilie was ready for bed after that and Alex was ready for cold meds, but I don't like going to bed early on the last night. Luca was game to stay up, so we went to O'Sheehan's and played some Cribbage. After a couple more cocktails, it was time for bed. Tomorrow was turnaround day. This week was so relaxing with sea days, and I was feeling so at peace with our trip. It would be sad to see Emilie and Luca leave, but I was also really excited for my parents to have their very first cruise. I will post more tomorrow night. I need to get the photos ready. We have a lot more on the second leg since there were FIVE ports. Stay tuned ♥️⚓

After getting off the tenders, there is a big public bathroom and a small shop with essentials such as coffee and rain gear. Bar Harbor is known for Acadia and is trying to block cruise ships because of all of the people at the park. However, the shops and restaurants in town seem to love cruise ships. I'm not sure what the future looks like of this port, but it was definitely a favorite of mine, so I hope it does not get dropped. There is a free Island Explorer Bus sponsored by LL Bean that does loops to various spots at Acadia, and I researched that Jordan Pond was great for birding. Alex and I had an Acadia excursion the next week, so I didn't feel horrible missing out on this hike. While Alex jumped on the bus and explored Jordan Pond (photos below), I did some shopping. I'm really not much of a shopper, but Bar Harbor is like one of those towns that you see in Hallmark movies. Super cute shops with reasonable souvenirs. I also had my heart set on a Sea Bag. They are made in Maine from recycled sails and I have a tablet cover that I picked up from a nautical museum years ago. I was ready to in a handbag and there is a store in Bar Harbor. That store was set to open at 10, but it was not open yet when I got there. I instead navigated to Walgreens for the compression socks and cold meds. I picked up a $20 hoodie as well, and I grabbed the Christmas ornament. I went back to Sea Bags, but they still were not open. With my swollen ankles, I grabbed a small scoop of ice cream and headed back to the ship around noon. Alex had a lovely day at Acadia exploring Jordan Pond. He reported that the bus was very easy, but they are short on drivers. Most are retired school bus drivers, and he reported that they were very friendly and loved the Bar Harbor area. The hike around Jordan Pond took a couple hours and Alex said that it wasn't too busy. Acadia us huge, so I think the people are quite spread out. There was no admission or anything either, so it's a nice free option. Alex took some beautiful photos:

Bar Harbor Day!! We also had to do customs since we were back in the US. Unlike regular cruises when you do through customs getting back to your home port, it's a bit different when you port in the US before going back. We weren't sure what to expect, but we didn't plan a big excursion. Today I slept in until about 7am and Alex and I got up together. He was still congested but wanted to go on our planned hike. My ankles were super swollen today, and I chose to instead explore the port area and search for some compression socks and more cold meds. We had breakfast in Summer Palace and they started calling groups to customs and then the tenders after. Whether you get off or not, you still have to go through customs. If you get off, you cannot come back until everyone has gone through customs. They group everyone by letter with Group A being those with NCL Excursions, B the higher Latitudes Members, and then C through G were all groups based on muster stations. We were Group B but still in breakfast when they called us. We joined group C around 9am and were led to Deck 7 Forward. We walked downstairs and through the casino, then through Deck 6 Indigo for customs. They then led us down midship and onto tenders. It seemed confusing but was actually really organized. Spoiler alert, next week was a hot mess! We were on a tender by 9:15 and arrived in Bar Harbor by 9:45. If you decided to stay behind, there was of course plenty to do: