Our welcome home from the Gem: Review of January 13, 2010 cruise (with pics!)

[Cubechick]

Come on!!! It is cold up here in the Northeast. We need some more adventure and pictures, LOL!!!!!

 

I am enjoying the trip so far. Love the pictures from the Aft balcony. We are in an aft balcony on deck 10 on the Pearl for our August cruise.

 

You're going to love that view, Jim!!!

[Cubechick]

Day Six; Antigua

 

OMG. You’ve got to be kidding. We approach Antigua, the sun is shining, and as soon as we pull up to the pier, it starts to rain! Okay, this is getting seriously aggravating. We gear up for our excursion anyway and after a light breakfast head to shore. Adventure Antigua had told us that their boat would be at the dock just a three-minute walk from our ship. They were there as promised (phew!) and we board the boat ready for Eli’s Eco Tour. This tour is pricey ($90 pp) but the group is kept relatively small, (20 people or so), the tour is all day, multi-faceted (hiking and snorkeling in addition to the boat tour), and they provide lunch and rum punch on the way back to your ship. Not too shabby!

 

I don’t begin the tour in a very optimistic frame of mind. Our guides (Tony, Trevor and a guy who’s name I didn’t get) begin by pointing out a fort overlooking the bay and a Sandals resort…followed by another resort. Not too “eco-y” so far.

 

Then we pull up in front of an island called Long Island, and they start describing the uber-exclusive resort on the island (so exclusive that we’re told they turned away Princess Diana when she wanted to stay there as they didn’t want to deal with the paparazzi). Here we go again, I think, until they start explaining that the island is the nesting site for sea turtles. Our guides explain the habits of the turtles and the efforts undertaken to protect their nesting grounds (particularly during nesting season). Okay, this is good, I think to myself.

 

We then motor over to Rabbit Island where we see a number of pelicans in the trees. This is a nesting site for the pelicans and we’re given information about pelicans including that they don’t die from old age, but from going blind from hitting the water when they dive for fish (and being blind can’t find food). (We found this suspect and Googled this tidbit when we got home. Found that pelicans going blind from diving is a common myth, but untrue. Thank goodness…that seemed a bit cruel even for Mother Nature!)

 

Great Bird Island is the next stop and we anchor here for about an hour. Most of us make a short hike to the top of the island, mostly to soak up the amazing view. Others hang around the boat and snorkel. When we get back from our small hike, they offer snorkel lessons to anyone who wants and shortly thereafter they serve lunch. Lunch was simple, but surprisingly tasty, fare of barbequed chicken, pasta and garden salads, fried plantains, and banana bread for dessert.

 

After this we motor over to Hell’s Gate Island.

 

We’re given the option of staying on the boat, snorkeling (although instructed to be careful as the waves are pretty active here) or going to Hell’s Gate with Trevor. Foolishly we opt to go to Hell’s Gate (I use the word “foolish” only somewhat facetiously). We’re told that we will climb to a small cave, see a tidal pool, climb to the top of the island and cross the bridge that forms the Gate. What we didn’t understand beforehand was that Hell’s Gate is comprised mostly of limestone and is a jagged mass of rock that is an accident waiting to happen. They also don’t tell you that at one point you cross a bridge that affords you about a foot and a half of uneven walking space between the grass (where they tell you not to walk because there could be hidden holes) and a drop that seemed extremely high from our vantage point.

 

(picture from top of Hell's Gate after crossing tiny bridge of death)

 

All of us agreed after crossing the bridge and confronting an unexpected fear of heights that we’d all chip in for a helicopter to pick us up before we went back that way! Thankfully we didn’t have to and in retrospect, aside from the minor panic attack and the need to be very careful, we’re glad we went to Hell’s Gate. DH pointed out that in the States you’d never be allowed on this part of the excursion without signing a waiver and being covered in pads and a helmet!

 

The final stop is near a barrier reef for some snorkeling. It was wonderful and I am so happy to report that aside from that teasing shower when we first arrived in Antigua, we had beautiful weather.

 

Tony and crew drop us off near the ship by 4:15 as promised and we walk back to the Gem with the satisfaction of having spent a wonderful day in the sun.

 

There are two other cruise ships in port with us (plus the mega yacht Al Mirqab...Google that for some interesting reading!), and they depart before we do. One of the cruise lines, which we’d never heard of before, Ocean Village, plays a “good-bye” song as they back away from the dock. The upper decks are lined with passengers waving their arms and singing along, while their cruise director directs the action from the base of the funnel. I find this corny and but somehow endearing and I embrace their enthusiasm and wave back. Before long, the Gem joins the conga line of ships and sails into the sunset.

 

 

Tonight we are dining at LeBistro, our favorite restaurant, and are looking forward to checking out the changes to the menu that we’ve heard about. The mushroom soup has been changed (no longer served in a bread bowl) and while still very good, seems lighter, and not as decadent as the old version. The escargots are their fantastic unchanged selves (thank goodness!). DH and I both try new entrees (duck for him and pork tenderloin for myself). We find them to be okay, but don’t have much of a “wow” factor. (My pork tastes like, well pork chops with a mild cream sauce. Perfectly good but not exciting.) I have to admit I was looking for more “oomph” as these are the “signature” dishes by Chef Eric Cousins.

 

We took a walk around the pool deck after dinner and finally found Eli! He was at one of those tables set up by the pool surrounded by buckets of beer. He really hadn’t been given an assignment yet, and in fact had spent the previous two nights filling in for sick co-workers. But he told us that we could generally find him by the pool or at Spinnakers. We also found out that he would be joining the Epic in May. I hope we’ll have an easier time finding him then than we have on this trip (although given the size of the Epic, who knows!).

[amistad]

Great review, I am really enjoying it.

[slyfox0113]

We were in cabin 9670. You're right, the bed is a bit bigger than a queen. Very comfy and plenty of room! :D

 

I was reading your review and see you were in the same cabin I will be in when we sail in March. A couple of questions if you don't mind. Is there a tub? Is there a dining and sitting area in the suite? I am assuming they are on the other side of the room. DVD player in the room? This is our first time in a suite and we are excited! Loved your picture. How about motion. I don't really get sea sick but some people have said big mistake booking an aft cabin. There is a lot of noise from the engines.

[Cubechick]

I was reading your review and see you were in the same cabin I will be in when we sail in March. A couple of questions if you don't mind. Is there a tub? Is there a dining and sitting area in the suite? I am assuming they are on the other side of the room. DVD player in the room? This is our first time in a suite and we are excited! Loved your picture. How about motion. I don't really get sea sick but some people have said big mistake booking an aft cabin. There is a lot of noise from the engines.

 

Here are a couple of pictures of the AE we stayed in last year showing the sitting area and dining table (I didn't bother taking these same pics this year):

 

 

 

 

The rooms are identical so we just didn't bother...

 

Yes there is a DVD player and a catalog of DVD's that you can request from your butler, and yes the bathroom has a tub.

 

For us we love the stern of the ship. There is less motion (as a general rule) than you find all the way forward and we find the engine noise to be soothing (just white noise). And there is nothing like just looking at the wake the ship causes...also soooo relaxing!

 

[*Wink*]

I'm enjoying your review, Cubechick! And your pics!

 

Technical Question: How do you get your pics to come out so nice and big? Mine always seem to show up as little squares. You can hardly see what they're of.

[Cubechick]

I'm enjoying your review, Cubechick! And your pics!

 

Technical Question: How do you get your pics to come out so nice and big? Mine always seem to show up as little squares. You can hardly see what they're of.

 

I upload my photos to Flickr and bring them over from there. It lets me choose the size I want to post and since the website handles the big pics, I keep 'em that size. ;)

[*Wink*]

I upload my photos to Flickr and bring them over from there. It lets me choose the size I want to post and since the website handles the big pics, I keep 'em that size. ;)

Ah... thank you! I have a flickr acct. too. I appreciate the tip.

[cruisinreunion]

cubechick,

great review, I am enjoying your vacation;)

 

We are also from Massachusetts and wondering who did you use for transportation? We are from the Worcester area and going out of NYC in April.

 

can't wait for more....

[nu2cruzin03]

Here are a couple of pictures of the AE we stayed in last year showing the sitting area and dining table (I didn't bother taking these same pics this year):

 

 

 

 

The rooms are identical so we just didn't bother...

 

Yes there is a DVD player and a catalog of DVD's that you can request from your butler, and yes the bathroom has a tub.

 

For us we love the stern of the ship. There is less motion (as a general rule) than you find all the way forward and we find the engine noise to be soothing (just white noise). And there is nothing like just looking at the wake the ship causes...also soooo relaxing!

 

 

Hi Cubechick.

 

My husband and I are enjoying your reviews and pics. We were on the Gem in January 09, and have booked another cruise on the Gem for Jan 11. We have stayed in a mini suite, and have booked another mini suite for Jan 11, but are considering your same penthouse suite -- room 9670. Did your room have Internet access?

[CTCruisers]

The info is terrific. thanks!

[DCT61]

Some of the most beautifully shot pictures Ive seen on a review! Really well done.

[Cubechick]

cubechick,

great review, I am enjoying your vacation;)

 

We are also from Massachusetts and wondering who did you use for transportation? We are from the Worcester area and going out of NYC in April.

 

can't wait for more....

 

We used Exceptional Limos out of Milford. They were very good.

 

http://www.exceptionallimos.com/

 

Hi Cubechick.

 

My husband and I are enjoying your reviews and pics. We were on the Gem in January 09, and have booked another cruise on the Gem for Jan 11. We have stayed in a mini suite, and have booked another mini suite for Jan 11, but are considering your same penthouse suite -- room 9670. Did your room have Internet access?

 

Yes, we had WiFi. DH was using the netbook the entire cruise (and commented that the connection was faster than when we cruised on the Pearl last June).

[slyfox0113]

Here are a couple of pictures of the AE we stayed in last year showing the sitting area and dining table (I didn't bother taking these same pics this year):

 

 

 

 

The rooms are identical so we just didn't bother...

 

Yes there is a DVD player and a catalog of DVD's that you can request from your butler, and yes the bathroom has a tub.

 

For us we love the stern of the ship. There is less motion (as a general rule) than you find all the way forward and we find the engine noise to be soothing (just white noise). And there is nothing like just looking at the wake the ship causes...also soooo relaxing!

 

 

Thanks for all your answers and the pictures, I really appreciate it. I looked on the website at pictures but they are kind of just general pictures. Now I can see exactly what the room looks like. Can't wait. I am sure we will love the aft location,we loved to sit on our balcony and just watch the water go by but this picture you posted is awesome! Thanks again.

[wahine56]

Cubechick-

 

Thanks for the review, it was great. I'll be using your cabin next week and I promise I'll take good care of it. See that you are also doing the Epic before me. Can't wait to hear your review on that one also.

 

Pat

[uneamie]

We were on the cruise before you on the Gem......thank you for all those stunning pictures. Reminded me of what a wonderful time we had and how I wish it did not have to end. Totally enjoyed your carefully detailed review. :D

[nu2cruzin03]

Hi Cubechick -

 

Thanks for your response and all of the detailed information!

 

Lisa and Rick.

[Cubechick]

Thank you all for the nice feedback! Here's a bit more!

 

Day Seven; St. Maarten

 

You’ll never believe me, but we didn’t arrive to St. Maarten only to find it start raining on us! Yay!!! Our plan for the day was simple enough. Just walk around Philipsburg and perhaps look into going out to this bar near the airport that we’d heard so much about. We decided to walk into Philipsburg rather than take the water taxi. It’s only a 15-minute walk or so and any exercise is welcome to combat weight gain from all of the wonderful cruise food! (If you want to take the water taxi though, there are plenty of signs to direct you and $6 per person gives you all day access to the service.)

 

The first time we went to St. Maarten we went to Marigot on the French side and found it to be very pretty, but expensive. Last time we went to Philipsburg and found that we really liked it. The boardwalk area that lines the beach is very clean and prettily maintained. There are a ton of shops and bars and restaurants to keep you occupied and numerous beach chairs and umbrellas for inexpensive rental ($10-$20 for two chairs, and umbrella and usually a bucket of beers (little ones) or a meal if you’re renting through a restaurant). Philipsburg is surprisingly un-crowded given that it’s so close to the cruise ships (and there were three other ships in town with us each time we’ve been). I think most passengers head to Orient Beach and the French side and leave this little jewel for the rest of us!

 

 

We walk around the beach, just enjoying the sun before walking a block further in where you’ll find most of the stores and casinos. There was a small straw market that we had missed our last time around. As we walked, it took us a moment to realize that Philipsburg had lost power. Most of the stores were dark (although industrious shopkeepers tried to get you to shop anyway) excepting your high-end jewelers, the casinos (of course) and some smaller businesses that all had generators. The number of generators we heard and saw going into action leads us to think that losing power is not unusual here.

 

 

We wondered around for a couple of hours, hoping that the power would be restored. The casino offered welcome air conditioning, but had the atmosphere of one of Vegas’ more seedy downtown casinos. The power did not come on, so we decided to go back to the ship for lunch and a chance to cool down.

 

After lunch at a nearly empty Cagney’s we walked around the ship for a bit and the lazy bug struck. We read, we relaxed, and we napped, but never did get off of the ship again while in St. Maarten. Don’t you just love that you’re free to “whatever”?;)

 

Dinner was at Cagney’s again and was excellent. They have a dessert sampler on the menu that we ordered. It was a cheesecake, apple tart, and espresso brownie that were about two bites each. Our waitress seemed disappointed that we ordered this and assumed that we would tell her which one we liked after we sampled and she could bring us a “real” dessert. But these six little bites were perfect and I’d love to see similar offerings pop up in the other restaurants!

 

Tonight’s show was the Second City and we decided to catch the second showing at 9:30. We always enjoy this show and this group was no exception. They were funny and talented but in my opinion the performances we’ve seen on other ships have been better. This group only did one round of improv whereas the other acts we’ve seen have done two or three. I personally like the improv best. We then went to Spinnakers and found Eli manning the bar. Spinnakers isn’t conducive to just sitting and talking quietly, but we wanted to make sure to give Eli our business whenever possible, knowing that the bartenders have quotas to make.

[cruzndiz]

Cubechick I am loving your review!!! Keep it coming :D

[cruisinreunion]

Thanks for the info on exceptional limos. I just emailed them for info/rates. etc.

 

sounds like you had the perfect trip (wit the exception of the rain)

[Cubechick]

Day Eight; Tortola

 

Ah, Tortola, the last island in our journey. Seeing you is always bittersweet. The popular excursion when visiting this island is to take a tour to the Baths at Virgin Gorda. We have yet to do so because our stay at Tortola is so brief (only six hours). Rather than get up at the crack of dawn to catch a tour, we’ll wait until we take a cruise that stays in port longer. That in mind, this time we decided to go in search of the botanical gardens that we’d heard about on our rollcall. I see that the gardens are shown on the street map of Roadtown provided by the ship, so we set off in confidence, map in hand. And yes, also with umbrellas in hand. It is showering off and on this morning as if Mother Nature wanted to make sure we hadn’t been spoiled by our day of sun yesterday.

 

Getting to the botanical garden is a little tricky. We find the rotary easily enough having been here twice before. But as DH quickly discovers, the streets aren’t labeled. We check with a couple of police officers and are assured that we are on the right track and in fact are only a couple of blocks away at that point.

 

The JR O’Neal Botanic Garden is tucked into the heart of Roadtown and the entry is $3 per person. The gardens are lush, well tended and very well marked. We see numerous species of plants that we had never heard of like the shrimp plant

and the sausage plant.

And many that we had heard of but had never seen quite like this (e.g. the giant ficus).

We spent a good hour poking around the gardens (a final downpour in the middle of our visit finally yielded to sunshine), wishing that we were there in the summer when we imagine the plants would be in full bloom. Even so, there was enough in bloom (including the Christmas Garden)

that the visit was well worthwhile. The garden also had some local fauna in the form of lizards, chickens and red tortoises to add to the entertainment.

 

 

Back to the ship, with a quick stop at Bobby’s Market for more sparkling water. After a quick bite at the buffet we went down to the promenade deck to watch our lines being cast off. When leaving Tortola you always hear the names of stragglers being called over the PA system (we’re there such a short time, it’s easy to get sidetracked) and this time was no exception. What was different was that for the first time that we’ve sailed one passenger was missing when the gangway was pulled in. Our lines were tossed to us and we drifted away from the dock…and just floated there. Eventually, we saw a person that we guessed was a port agent making his way toward us with our wayward guest in tow. From all of the reports I’ve heard, cruise ships leave on schedule and that is that. Therefore I never expected what happened next, which was the engaging of the bow thrusters and azipods to push us back to the pier. It is hard to tell what a person is thinking, particularly when they’re wearing sunglasses and you’re observing them from seven decks up, but this woman seemed utterly unconcerned that she’d nearly missed the ship or that she was delaying the departure of thousands of people. She received a snarky round of applause when the gangway was finally lowered and she flounced onto the ship.

 

At this time we went to our balcony for it was the perfect vantage point from which to watch our departure from Tortola. This is when the advantage of being on this 10-day cruise really kicks in…we have almost 72 hours to enjoy before we arrive back in NY the frozen tundra. No packing yet!

 

 

For the second year in a row we’d been invited to the Courtyard for a cocktail party. The invitation is for suite passengers and VIP’s. This is a smart move on NCL’s part as it gives them a chance to promote the Courtyard. Prem and Tony Lockett greet us on our way to the inner sanctum. A guitarist provided background music as the butlers passed trays of hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. After a couple of glasses of champagne and pleasant conversation, we left the party to go to LeBistro.

 

We arrived at the restaurant only to be told that our reservation for that evening was at Orchid Garden. The concierge, who we hadn’t seen for nearly a week had goofed on our reservations. This was not a big deal, as I have mentioned the surcharge restaurants hadn’t been full, and we were quickly seated (and our reservation for the Orchid Garden moved to the next evening where it should have been). Dinner was very good; hey, it’s LeBistro! I have to admit that for the first time in my experience, I found that the tenderloin that I’d had in Cagney’s topped my steak served in LeBistro. And although we are more than used to the tiny appetizers served on board, we had to laugh that DH’s mussel appetizer consisted of exactly five mussels.

 

The evening show was a comedian “mentalist” named Jon Stetson. I have to confess that we found his show to be a bit dull, so we left early (we always get a seat toward the back, just in case). As we wind down for the evening, we look forward to our first “Behind the Scenes Tour” that we’ll be taking tomorrow.

[Intrepid]

Thanks for the great review and photos! We're getting aboard on Wednesday, and your review is a delicious appetizer!:)

[Cubechick]

Days Nine and Ten; At Sea

 

Off to an early start this morning. We wanted to make sure that we had time for a nice breakfast and a long walk back and forth (can’t say around as there is yet another section blocked off) on the promenade deck before our Behind the Scenes Tour that was scheduled for 11:00 am.

 

We were greeted by F&B Manager Tony Lockett who would be showing us around later. First, he turned us over to the capable hands of the Executive Chef. I can’t believe that I cannot remember his name. I stared at his nametag a billion times trying to commit his name to memory, but no go. All I can recall is that he’s from New Zealand and according to Prem (who told us this at the Meet and Greet) the chef is a former rugby player. He gave us the tour of the galley that supports Magenta and a look at some of the staging areas. Tony then returned to show us around the food preparation areas and storage areas. All I could think about while we were being shown around was the “Norwegian Germ” posts that had been flying around Cruise Critic right before our cruise. The Gem had a couple of cruises where it was thought that they had a noro-virus outbreak. Malcontents were coming to the boards blasting the sanitation on the Gem. All I can say is these people have never done a behind the scenes tour. I have worked in numerous restaurants and I have never in my life seen such strict sanitation processes and rigorous measures to eliminate any chance of cross-contamination.

 

All dishes, pots, pans, glassware, you name it are rinsed, washed, sanitized then the process is repeated. Dirty items enter through one door (or elevator as the case may be) and clean exit via another. If employees are leaving a “dirty” area for a “clean” they must thoroughly wash their hands before exiting the dirty area. All meats, fish and poultry are prepped in separate rooms and all items used in these processes are color-coded (for example, to prevent a poultry cutting board from ever being used for anything else). There is only one guy who breaks down all of the poultry and he has to change his clothes and shower before being allowed to leave that area at the end of his shift. All food is checked for temperature (multiple times) and all measurements are logged and time-stamped. There is simply no way that a germ escapes alive after all of these precautions.

 

The whole business was quite fascinating and we found the prep areas to be smaller than we anticipated given the amount of food being processed. I could just go on and on, but the whole F&B area was just interesting (and when we were in the pastry area, they prepared samples for us…yum!!!).

 

From there we had a very brief tour of the recycling area, with an explanation of how they break down everything from the food we don’t eat to the bottles, glass, etc. We also had a brief tour of the backstage area before heading to the laundry room.

 

Holy smokes, do I not want their job (although they at least have each other to talk to unlike the poultry guy). The amount of linens and towels they clean each day is staggering and will definitely have you using your towels more than once!

The do have a cool linen drying/folding machine (at least it looked like what was being fed in was wet), but at one piece at a time...

 

 

the piles of folded sheets and table cloths take awhile to form I'm sure!

 

In addition to that is the individual passenger and crew laundry that they process. The laundry runs 24 hours a day and the workers work in 10-hour shifts.

 

After the laundry area we were brought to the bridge viewing room for a private meeting with the staff captain. He spent quite a while with us, talking about the Gem and patiently answering all questions. The entire tour took about two hours so we found it ending at the perfect time for lunch. Off to Cagney’s we went and we joined another couple who’d been on the tour (and our rollcall) for a relaxing lunch.

 

The ocean was like glass as we motored our way north. We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in our normal, lazy fashion before going to dinner at Orchid Garden.

 

The Asian restaurant is a favorite of mine on all of the ships we’ve sailed on. The food is always very good and for a $15 surcharge, reasonably priced. I had the Szechuan beef for the first time (good and spicy) and DH had the Szechuan lamb (which, oddly, wasn’t as spicy as the beef). We declined dessert and our waiter told us that if we changed our minds, just to come back and ask for him. Very nice service!

 

The final day is always one of packing (boo) and slowly leaving vacation mode. The ocean was kicking up that morning (8 foot seas according to the navigation channel) as we did our promenade walk (going around the stern of the ship, you really had to hang on as the wind whipped around the corner!). By lunchtime, the seas were at 14 feet and the Captain came on to assure us that we’d experience calming around 4:00 (he said while most of us considered this “rough” he considerate it moderate…the nav channel would compromise and call the wave height “moderately rough”). This was the first announcement we’d heard from the Captain the entire cruise. It was the first cruise we’d ever been on where the Captain didn’t make his own announcement daily (with weather, ship’s position, etc).

 

By three o’clock, I’d thrown in the towel and given into the fact that we needed to pack. I’d save a bottle of sparkling wine to help get me over this hurdle, so I popped the cork and dragged the suitcases from their home under the bed. As we approached 4:00, I found myself staggering around the cabin as I tried to finish packing (not from the wine either!). I checked the navigation channel (and the view from our balcony) and we now had 20+ foot seas! So much for the Captain’s prediction…there was no calming in sight!

 

Dilip stopped by with our final suite treat and had to place it on the loveseat (as soon as he’d put it on the table, the plate had tried to head for the floor). The ship was really pitching at this point and during the five minutes or so that Dilip was in the room with us, the flower arrangement went flying twice (DH put it on one of the chairs surrounding the dining table) and the bottles of water hurtled from the shelf. We’ve hit worse waves than this (40 feet and 100 mph hour winds back in 2007 during a Nor’Easter) but have never experienced things falling off of shelves and tables like this. Our closet and cabinet doors also started opening and closing. Thank goodness they had handles and I have long hair, because we easily solved that problem by looping my hair ties around all of the handles.

 

We decided to take a walk around the ship and see how people were fairing. A lot of room service trays were observed and a lot of people looking a bit green around the gills. We stopped at Magnums, decided to have a cocktail, (what else is there to do at this point?) and joined in a game of ‘80’s trivia that was just beginning. Being in the center of the ship we thought the weather was calming (until we walked forward or aft). This is the first time that I’ve sailed where the center of the ship really did experience noticeably less motion than the rest of the ship. The Captain came on again around 6:00, again assuring us that everything was fine, and to apologize for not being around tonight, saying good-bye, as he’d be on the bridge. We noticed that this time he didn’t predict when the waves would calm (we’d hear people say that it wasn’t until around 4:00 the next morning).

 

Our final dinner was in the buffet (more Indian food for DH) then back to Magnum’s to people watch and have an after-dinner cocktail. We had planned on going to the show that night (which was still being performed, but would be minus any dancing due to the weather) but somehow the time came and went and we’d missed it. So that last night we just walked around the ship, taking in the Gem for one last time before heading back to our room and putting out our luggage.

 

Final morning

 

The Gem doesn’t arrive in NYC until 10:00 so we went to Cagney’s for a final breakfast. When the ship used to dock two hours earlier, we’d just hit the buffet for a quick bite before vacating our room. We much preferred that to having all of this time to kill. We enjoyed our breakfast at the same table that we’d been seated at for that first lunch 10 days ago, which made us think of that wonderful first day, when the entire voyage is before you.

 

Back to the cabin to wait for the ship to arrive at the cruise terminal. We stand on our balcony as we pass under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

and by Lady Liberty.

The moment has come for us to vacate our lovely room. A final check to make sure nothing was left behind, and then we make our way all the way forward to the Stardust Theatre. There was a delay in our leaving the ship (I heard it murmured that Customs had stopped disembarkation to deal with the huge number of passengers who had opted for walk-off debarkation) so we left about 30 minutes later than expected.

 

Once through customs, our van waited as promised (the driver had called to let us know where to find him) and in just about 4 hours we pulled up to our house. Where the driveway was covered in about 8 inches of snow. Ugh. Welcome home. When’s our next cruise???

[coka]

Hi Aimee! I love reading your reviews and seeing your pictures along with them. Seems like you had a great time despite any rain. Good to know I am not the only one who has never seen the VG baths! Looking forward to your next adventure.

 

coka

[Cubechick]

Thanks Coka. Goodness knows I look forward to your next adventure!!! :) When we saw the laundry facilities I recalled you saying that after seeing that you'd want to slip a twenty in with your dirty towels for those fellows. So true! (If only I could be sure that they'd get it!)

 

It's good to know we're not the only ones when it comes to the Baths...I'm sure we'll get there someday! (Although for us it'll be awhile...no Caribbean cruises on the horizon...)