4 Ports, 2 Countries, 7 Days, 1 Wonderful Husband: Glory to Canada, 9-17 to 9-24

[bnickle]

Prologue

 

I'm sitting in the Red Sail Restaurant as I begin this, enjoying coffee at 7:30 in the morning, on our first full day on the Carnival Glory. It's a day at sea, and the sky is a kind of hazy silver grey and the water is a little choppy, with traces of lacy whitecaps here and there. Not enough "rough" to be uncomfortable, but enough that you notice a little rocking. It's actually kind of nice. I'm drinking coffee, and it's sweetened just the way I like it. It's not horrible coffee and it's not fantabulous coffee, but it's my morning coffee and is more than serving its purpose.

 

My husband and I both turned 50 a few weeks ago and last winter decided that we would celebrate by taking this trip. Neither of us are fun in the sun people (which is readily apparent by the natural kabuki hue of my skin. I could climb into a microwave oven and set it on high and I'd still be pale.) I used CC to plan and scheme and research, and it was time extremely well spent. I could tell after a while what advice to consider, what to take with a grain of salt, and what to ignore completely. My prep included:

 

- Getting chatty with our PVP, Guido. He was wonderful. Patient and low key, he helped me make a couple of decisions that really suited my husband and me well. We chose early saver (which netted us almost two hundred dollars in savings on down the road) and found for me a savings of almost four hundred dollars that I didn't even know existed, about being from particular states. (And he found the savings by happenstance way after we had booked, without any prompting from me.)

 

- Saving, saving, saving. I decided to surprise my husband and have all of our onboard and at port money saved in cash by his birthday. Tucking away here and there, dipping into my small stash of cash that I always have on hand and by economizing on our regular budget over 8 months, I was able to present him with 500 in cash, 500 on a prepaid Visa, and 100 in dollar bills for tips. Who's the goddess? That would be me.

 

- I researched ports extensively and planned for all of them. Not planned so that we were locked into a rigid Draconian schedule, but planned so that we could enjoy some things specific to my husband's interest and our entertainment. (At the beginning of this adventure, my husband's favorite destination was "away". He told me to go for it and tell him when and where to be. He has a really stressful job and I wanted this to be a fun trip for him. I had pretty much within reason carte blanche, so I decided to not abuse it and to make this a fun adventure for us both. Me being so abusive and all.)

 

- I made flight arrangements for not only us, but for my sister, who was to fly up from her home in Georgia to stay with our kids (17 and 14) in the Kansas City area while we were gone. She was excited to come up for a visit and my kids were excited to spend time with their cool Aunt. We paid all of her expenses, including the flight and left money for her to dip into. She did us a huge huge favor and I didn't want her to spend a cent of her own money while there. Nine days is a long time for her to be away from her husband, and they were both really nice about it. We sent him back a bottle of wine to thank him.

 

- I made steakhouse reservations for the first night about three months out from sailing. Sent in an email form, and received a confirmation within 24 hours, smooth and simple. I made reservations with a schooner sailing company in Portland for a sailing tour, and reservations for an all day water taxi pass in Boston. I hired a driver in Halifax to take us on a four hour tour. And frequently I checked the Carnival site to check current prices on our stateroom.

 

- I joined the CC roll call for our trip and began chatting with some lovely, fun people. Pistol-packing mama had organized it, and it was fun to anticipate and chat up the adventure with others. We made arrangements to meet onboard, and I read some great advice that proved very useful.

 

That pretty much sums up my advance prep work. I packed, repacked, chose shoes, rejected shoes, and talked my husband off the ledge of taking every sweatshirt he owned, and we were good to go. The most fabulous sister in the world arrived on Friday, before we sailed on Saturday, and the fun was on. I decided to journal our trip as it happened, and here is the scoop. I am fidgeting with the Fun Times and will scan them all in at the end of the story.

 

Also, be aware there are not a tonnage of pictures, just a few I thought you may find fun.

 

 

Chapter 1: In Which We Have an Unexpected Excursion and a Cheesecake Eats My Husband.

 

The plan: get up at 4:00 am, be out the door at 5:00, get on the plane at 7:00, arrive at NYC at 11:00, jump on the Carnival provided shuttle, be on the ship and eating our lunch on the lido deck by 12:30. Aren't newbies just cute in their naiveté?

 

What really happened: wake up at 2:30 am. And 2:47 am. And 3:12 am. Realize my husband is laying there awake also. Give up and get out of bed about 3:30. Make the strongest coffee ever. Shower and dress, load my brother's car, and let him drive us to the airport. Yeah, we let him. We're generous that way. Had prepaid for luggage and printed out boarding passes so security and boarding was smooth as can be. In the air on time, and actually made great time and arrived in NYC 20 minutes early. Got our bags, took the two bottles of wine out and put them in our carryons, and waited for the Carnival shuttle. And waited. And waited. Finally got on the shuttle and took off.

 

Here's where the unexpected excursion came in. Traffic was thick, and there was a lot of road construction, all over NYC. Our patient driver took us all over trying to get us to the ship. And along the way, we drove by the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, the Alvin Ailey dance troupe home, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, Madison Avenue, Harlem, Spanish Harlem, and elebenty-nine Starbucks. It was kind of cool, but through no fault of the driver's took a little over an hour to get from the airport to the ship, and the people behind us were getting grumbly. I liked it. We did some sightseeing, and I knew the ship wasn't going anywhere anyways soon, so it was all good.

 

We had VIP checkin, and it was beyond wonderful and painless. We had arrived at the terminal about 1. Security was interesting. We had followed the rules and we each had a bottle of wine with us; I had one in my purse and my husband had one in his backpack. The security agent never asked us if we had anything, but at the next station I saw a woman's carryon being gone through carefully, so not sure what the criteria is for checking. We could have had Jimmy Hoffa in our bags and I'm not sure our agent would have cared. Then, onto checkin and seriously, checkin was a breeze. We started at the VIP room, but they were crowded and a clerk came up to us while we were sitting there and offered to take us to a quicker route at the desk. Since the VIP crowd was huge, they had opened a special line at the desk for stuff so we were processed there and then taken back to the VIP room to get our SandS cards. I had bought a prepaid Visa card and was nervous about it after reading several tips that they would not take prepaid cards on the cruise. What actually happened was this: they cannot take them at the terminal check in, because they cannot place holds in 50 dollar increments on prepaid cards. So what you do is put another credit card on your S&S account at the terminal, then go onboard and switch it to the prepaid card at Guest Services. That is what we ended up doing and it worked wonderfully. Embarkation picture, snapped. SandS card picture, snapped. By 1:30 we were dropping off our stuff in our room and headed up to the lido deck looking for food.

 

Our room was an ocean suite on deck 7, and was the perfect size for the two of us. It was clean and well organized and had a tonnage of storage space. Waiting for my husband was the bottle of malbec I had ordered weeks before from Bon Voyage to thank him for the adventure, and it was tied with a bright bow and the note I had composed. He was so surprised and pleased, and that just made me all the happier too. Funny how that works. We tossed my purse and the backpack down on the genuine synthetic leather sofa and left to find our way around the Glory.

 

We headed upstairs and began to explore the Lido deck. It was a little windy and brisk, so there were not many at all outside along the pool deck. It was warm inside, and while there were a lot of people milling about, it never seemed uncomfortably crowded. The lines were not bad at all. We decided to do lighter, since it was a little later for lunch for us, and had some fish and chips. Really good decision. Good size servings (for us...not really big servings) and that was important since we had reservations that night for the steakhouse. We had a DOD to celebrate sailing away, and they were strong! After we ate, we ambled back down to our room, and some of our luggage had arrived. I began nesting for the week putting our clothing away where I felt it should be and my husband would never think to look and soon it was time to head to the Azure Bar to meet with other CC roll callers.

 

By this time, the early morning was telling on us both. We met Pistol-packin mama, Utopian and Zoobuddy, and Dolphin, and Carolina Chica, and it was really nice. If you have had a positive experience with a roll call for an upcoming cruise here at CC, by all means, take the time to meet the people you've been chatting with. In our experience, they're lovely and nice and interesting. We chatted for a bit, then it was time for the muster drill and we all scattered for the safety briefing. That was pretty smooth and painless. Not the way I'd choose to spend 20 minutes, but overall fine. On our way out of the Azure Bar, outside of the Red Sail, there was a table to purchase your Unlimited Bubbles card so my husband, whose blood type is diet coke positive, plunked down the caching (including tax) to get the sticker. We know you save about 3 dollars in tax if you wait to get it while you're at sea, but srsly. He just wanted some coke, and he drinks a lot of it, so it was a good purchase.

 

We went back to our cabin, and it is a fun thing to be wandering around a place where there is an excited feeling of anticipation in the air. Everyone seemed happy, and there was this infectious expectation of fun...kind of hard to describe. When we got to our room another of our suitcases had been delivered, and we had no sooner gone into the room and shut the door then a quiet knock sounded and we opened it to meet Agus, our steward for the week. Agus could not have worked harder, or been as helpful as he was. He was friendly, and at times anticipated what we might need. This was to be his last cruise, and then he was headed back to Bali to his wife and baby, both of whom he has missed while at sea. I hope he has a good life there; he worked his behiney off during our cruise and represented Carnival extremely well. He explained his typical routine, which was to clean the room twice a day, once in the morning, and once in the evening. He said that he usually started hitting the rooms about 8 in the morning, and in the evening about 6. If that was inconvenient for us, just leave the "snoozin" sign on the door. He brought us a corkscrew and extra hangers, and always had a smile at the ready.

 

Sailaway was lovely. We chose to spend it on our balcony and take pictures of the NYC side and of the bridge, and to try to get pictures of the Statue of Liberty as we sailed home. It was fun. We were dehydrated from the flying and the hauling of luggage and the just kind of sitting aroundishness so we chugged diet coke and plenty of water while we enjoyed the scenery. Really amazing to see the NYC cityline, right along the water. We spent our honeymoon in NYC 21 years ago, and loved it then and loved seeing it again as we sailed. We had spent a day touring the Intrepid back then, and my husband was happy to take more pictures of it as we sailed by. Going under the bridge was fun, and startling if you don't know what to expect in the bridge's proximity to the top of the ship. Then.....out to gently rolling waters.

 

The Intrepid

 

 

 

Going Under the Bridge

 

We had reservations for 6:00 pm at the Emerald Room Steakhouse. At the risk of seeming like we were your great grandparents hunting down the early bird special, we wanted to eat early so we could not feel too stuffed full of good food to go to bed. We were already winding down from a long day. We were, I think, the first reservations of the evening. Our waitress was Olia, from Serbia. She was just lovely, and gracious. The evening started with a "Chef's Surprise" which was an amuse bouche, one for each of us. My husband....ya know, it's getting old calling him "my husband" and I don't think he wants his name used, so let's call him..."Liverpool" after his favorite European football team. Liverpool (omg, I think I'm going to LOVE this) had, for his amuse bouche, a small tiny itsy bitsy one bite hamburger, complete with a cherry tomato slice. it was adorable. It was the size of a burger you might find in Barbie's dream kitchen. He said it was very very good, and it was unexpected. I had presented to me a small one spoon dip serving of a spicy tomato bisque, and it was amazing.

 

Melica, the sommelier for the ship, greeted us next and asked if we wished for a bottle of white wine or a bottle of red for the evening, as first night guests receive a free bottle of wine with dinner. We chose red, and it was a wonderful merlot from Chile. I'm not a big merlot fan, but this was wonderful and smooth to us both. As it sat in our glasses and aerated over the evening, it got smoother and richer. We drank about 2 thirds of it with our dinner, and ended up taking the bottle with us back to our room.

 

When it comes to food, my husband and I are at opposite ends of the "like" scale. I will try almost anything, and finding my metabolism get more and more sensitive as I get older is a huge disappointment to me, because it has truly eliminated food I like out of my routine. Liverpool, on the other hand, is the pickiest eater...maybe ever. So it's really rare that we agree on what to order when we eat out. Really rare as in...I'm not sure it's ever happened. Before our dinner at the steakhouse, that is. We both ordered the lobster bisque for a starter, and the "Surf and Turf" for the main course. We both thought we had died and gone to some culinary heaven. The bisque was rich and creamy, and the filet mignon and lobster was simply perfect. I don't know if it was sitting by the window watching the sun go down over the horizon of an endless body of water, or enjoying being alone for dinner with Liverpool, or being served really well prepared food, or a combination of the three, but it was a perfect dinner.

 

For desert, I ordered the fresh fruit and Liverpool ordered his favorite desert ever in the history of people having tastebuds: cheesecake. My fruit was wonderful. It was mango, honeydew, kiwi, papaya, sliced into thin wedges and placed in a large martini glass. It looked like a flower arrangement, it was so lovely. It was topped with the fattest juiciest blackberry I've ever seen and was a light and delicious way to end the meal. Liverpool's cheesecake. Holy vats of cream cheese, Batman. That was the largest wedge of cheesecake either of us had ever seen, and Liverpool knows his cheesecake. Easily six inches high, it was a thick wedge of rich creamy sinful perfection. Seriously. If he could have married that cheesecake I'm pretty sure I'd be kicked to the curb. His servings of cheesecake, anywhere we go, are typically a third of what he was served last night, so he ate a little, had the rest saved, and brought it back to the room.

 

I read a lot of discussion on the steakhouses on Carnival, and I'm only going on one visit, but I have to say it was a highlight. Worth way beyond the 30 dollar cover charge. Fine dining like that, in a Kansas City steakhouse, can easily set you back upwards of 100 dollars per person, so we view it as a bargain if you are into that kind of venue. It falls into that category of "to each his own." You're either going to like it or not, and if you suspect you're not, there are plenty of other offerings on the ship. All I know is that Liverpool was really happy and that made me really happy. And I had a lovely buzz from the wine.

 

We walked around the shops and Liverpool bought a large insulated mug for his diet coke. Back to the room, watch a little tv, and boy howdy, boring as it sounds it was lights out by 10:00 p.m. I cannot comment on the comfort of the bed. I didn't wake up all night long to see if I was comfortable. All I know is I shut my eyes and it was 10:00 ish, and opened them a second later and it was 6:00 in the morning.

 

All in all, a lovely, wonderful, happy first day. And Liverpool has in his possession cheesecake and unlimited access to diet coke. Could life get any better?

 

Edited September 25, 2011 by bnickle

[bnickle]

Chapter 2: In Which The Chiefs Suck (This has nothing to do with the cruise, but jeeze. Srsly.)

 

So yada yada, up at 6ish, Liverpool is still asleep, I go to the Red Sail and get coffee and type up yesterday's adventures, yada yada yada, this is where I pick up the tale. Let me interject about the coffee onboard. Coffee is one of those things that are completely subjective to experience and taste. Like mom's meatloaf and Aunt Gert's potato salad, you have definite opinions on how it should taste, and no one else makes meatloaf and potato salad that measures up. Coffee is much the same. Put the same brewed coffee in front of 5 people and you'll get five really different opinions on it. The coffee on Carnival is fine, my babies. It tastes different than what I'm used to, but the most perfect coffee in the world is what I myself brew in my own kitchen. And I'm not there, and I'm ok with that. The coffee I had every morning on the cruise was hot, flavorful, and did the trick just fine.

 

Anyhoo, I sat by a window and typed up yesterdays bit of paradise then headed back to our room about 7. Liverpool was up and rumpled and adorable, and I volunteered to go get his morning diet coke fix. Where to find diet coke on board at 7 in the morning on a sea day? Why...the casino of course! Hard core spinners were parked on benches, looking frankly a little haggard as I padded to the bar and got the morning shot of carbonation for the Ruler of the Kingdom (an honorary title). We decided to send for room service for breakfast. Liverpool had fresh melon, croissants, orange juice, and in a move that completely stunned me, orange marmalade. I have never seen him eat an orange, and the only time he gets orange juice is once in a while during a vacation. Liverpool was doing his own didja ever!!! I had raisin bran, citrus segments, and coffee. It arrived about 20 minutes after we ordered it, and it was nice to enjoy the view of the sea and leisurely eat.

 

Took our time lolling about being all lazy and vacation-y. Finally sent Liverpool into shower, and he promptly came out and asked how to work the fixtures, because I keep forgetting that a uterus apparently serves simultaneously as a gps tracking device, world atlas, world soccer score keeper, and cell phone finder. We figured out how to work the shower and he happily discovered that the water is hot as soon as you turn it on. He loved that. We both got all showery and clean and head up to the 11:00 CC meet that Pistol-packin' mama had arranged. Mama, Utopian, Zoo Buddy, and Chica are there, and we chatted for a bit before Liverpool and I headed to the Emerald Room for the Food and Wine paring, which was at 11:30.

 

Lemme say that the Food and Wine pairing is a wonderfully presented activity. Melica, the sommelier, hosted the presentation, which lasted almost an hour or so. It is fifteen dollars a person and frankly is money well spent if you are interested, even just a little, in the dynamics of wine differences and pairing suggestions to make your wine and food even more enjoyable. We had been really impressed with Melica the evening before when we ate at the steakhouse, and she followed through with this really informative offering. We heard about differences in wines, wine regions, facts about different countries and their approach to wine marketing, and suggestions on how to pair wine to food to enhance the experience of dining. It was totally 15 dollars well spent. We sampled 5 wines and enjoyed a bite of food paired to each particular wine. It is amazing how the right pairing not only sets off the food to a higher level of enjoyment, but also how the right food can enrich the experience of the wine. We were seated at a table for 4 with a really nice couple, and had a good time chatting with them as well as enjoying Melica's talk. Whether you're a wine newbie (and that's where we fall) or an experienced connoisseur, I think you'll enjoy this. It's a great at sea activity, and timed so we went from there to lunch to make sure we ate a little to offset the pleasant buzziness.

 

Goodness, me, lunch. We decided to eat the sit-down lunch at the Platinum Dining Room, and that was just not a good decision. I blame me. So does Liverpool. We were seated with two couples. I am fine with this, but Liverpool is really reserved and frankly, he was still in his happy place from the wine tasting, so he was not thrilled, but he handled it as he does everything else; as a gentleman. He chatted with our table mates and all was well. Onto ordering. On the menu, for a starter, was "spring roll." Now, we eat a lot of Chinese food, and very little Japanese food, and we both thought they meant, ya know, the egg rolly kind of thing. They meant sushi. I had ordered it too, and I liked mine, but Liverpool was...befuddled. He gamely ate one, and then just kind of gently pushed his plate away and waited for his main course. We both, once again, ordered the same thing: the mongolian beef salad. It was really delicious. That's a great offering for lunch. Not a huge portion, and flavored really well.

 

Just a side note on the food. We really were happy with our choices, overall, and the food was delicious. The biggest problem we had was that we are not used to eating this much. Hard to believe, because I'm pretty much a chunky monkey, but I really don't like desert and we walked around for this cruise feeling stuffed. We quickly figured out that for us, we needed to be way more moderate than we realized, and that we needed to temper our intake of both food and alcohol. Also, it wasn't that we didn't enjoy our table mates. They were very nice people. It is just that it's far more my personality to do the grip and grin than it is for Liverpool.

 

After lunch, we drifted back to our room and both took naps. Liverpool was up and at 'em first and turned on the tv to discover the Chelsea-Manchester United game being shown, so he was happy. We also found out that the Chiefs had lost to Detroit 48 to 3. Ya'll, that's a whole new depth of ugly. There's nothing to be done about that but have good food and wine. So after spiffying all up, we headed down to the Golden Restaurant for our anytime dining.

 

Along the way, we stopped to have our portraits taken at a couple of different stations. The picture people were out all week long, and at no point did I feel pressured. When I wanted my picture taken, we stopped and posed; when I didn't, we smiled and said no thank you and they moved on to the next possible customer. They were in no way intrusive or annoying, at any point of the week. And Carnival people, I don't know what you pay that poor guy to hang out at the port dressed as a lobster for the photo op, but it's not enough.

 

After the paparazzi patrol, we headed to the dining room and were seated almost right away. Bobby and Singsoon were our waitstaff team, and were wonderful. Very pleasant and professional, and kept things moving at a relaxed and enjoyable pace. Our glasses never emptied, and food was delivered hot when it needed to be and chilled if it needed to be. Because we had fallen into some culinary twilight zone, we once again ordered the same thing, lobster and shrimp. Gotta say, it was delicious lobster and shrimp. I had the minestrone before and Liverpool had the shrimp cocktail, and he ordered a mild merlot and I had a really nice pinot grigio to go with. We were both pretty pleased with our choices. Right in the middle of eating, the waiters gathered to sing. I had not prepped Liverpool for this, and he was a little taken aback, especially when they announced that all married couples needed to stand and dance as the waiters sang "That's Amore." Liverpool isn't really a "stand up and dance" kind of a guy, and I know he was thinking, Dude, I just want to eat my lobster. But he stood up, took my hand and we danced, and cheesy and ridiculous as it sounds, it was lovely.

 

Here's where I slipped up. Liverpool ordered the melting chocolate cake, with two scoops of ice cream, and I decided to eat outside of my own comfort zone and get a real desert. I really don't like most deserts. I'm not a pie eater, or a cake eater. I don't like chocolate, and there are only a couple of cookies I like so I tend to stick with fruit or sherbet when I have anything a little extra. Tonight, I ordered the caramelized apples in puff pastry, and have to say I was not a fan. It was beautiful and the pastry was flaky and delicate; I think it was just me. I really really don't like desert. So that one was on me.

 

From arriving at the restaurant to standing up to go took 2 hours, so we headed on up to the Amber Palace to see "Livin' in America." We got there about 7:50, and it was beginning to fill up. We got great seats on the front row of the balcony and Liverpool went to get a diet coke and me a cranberry juice and I just kind of relaxed and enjoyed people watching.

 

The show was really fun. Again, cheesy and silly at times, but I myself do cheesy and silly with great enthusiasm, so it was all good. Very professional production, similar to a Vegas revue. The two show headline singers were extremely talented; the song choices were good, and the pace was fast and energetic. The dancers were really talented and put on a fun show to watch. Unexpectedly, a fun "hoe-down" dance was performed to a piece of Copeland's "Rodeo" and it was really a highlight of the show. Yes, the costuming at times was very much like what you see in Vegas, but nothing you wouldn't see poolside. It was fine. Kudos to Carnival for a fun and entertaining show.

 

We headed back to our room, read a bit, and went to sleep, once again not waking up to see if the bed was comfortable or not.

 

I do have to say, the waters were really rocky today. A couple of times in the show we felt a jolt; as if the ship was hitting a few major breakers, but it was very manageable. It had rained a good deal of the day, and was brisk outside, so several announcements were made throughout the day that poolside activities, like the hairy chest contest, were moved to Friday, our second day at sea. The mixologist contest was moved to the atrium. It was fine to us; we spent the day relaxed and quiet, and it was a perfect day. Just to recap: I have to curtail what I eat, I need to stick with fruit or sherbet for desert, it's fine for female behineys to show from their costumes, and the Chiefs sucked like a hoover today. None of this will be on the test.

 

[terri-eddie]

I love long, detailed, novella-type reviews! As a citizen of Nova Scotia, Canada, this is a cruise I will probably never take, but I will truly enjoy hearing your opinion of my country.

[bnickle]

Chapter 3: In Which Ivan is Not Terrible and A Seven Dollar Hamburger Costs Thirty-two Dollars.

 

 

Another wonderful day on vacation. Woke up to rocking waters and grey skies, about 6:00 in the morning. My mind knows we're on vacay but my body apparently thinks I'm still getting a husband and kids out the door by 7:30 so I just naturally wake up about 6:00ish or so every morning of the trip. I left Liverpool in his happy slumber and headed up to the Red Sail for my cup of morning heaven and to work on this journal. We were approaching Halifax, and the shoreline was wooded and dense; very pretty. As we moved closer and closer inland towards port, the timberline gave way to city skyline. Halifax is a nice size town (the largest city east of Montreal) and in the morning sweep of sun looked like any other town awakening to begin its day. I wander back to the room and Liverpool is up, hanging around on the balcony and snapping pictures. A drummer and bagpiper are heralding our arrival and I personally think every single day should be greeted that way. It was really cool.

 

Approaching Halifax

 

 

 

Bagpiper and Drummer welcoming the Glory

 

 

We had set our door-hanger breakfast menu out the night before, and it did not show up in the time frame we suggested. I called room service and they were very apologetic and the food arrived within ten minutes of the call. I really don't get upset at gaffes; they happen, and God knows I've "gaffed" on my own enough. What matters is how the gaffe is addressed, and the staff could not have been nicer about it. They addressed it immediately and were apologetic and courteous. End result, we enjoyed a really nice breakfast, so my world was a happy place. Again with the croissants, melon, and raisin bran. Yeah, we're boring.

 

Debarkation was smooth and fast. We had arranged for a driver to show us around Halifax and Peggy's Cove. His name was Brian, and he was waiting at the port with our name on a small sign. I found Brian through referral; I had contacted a recommended driver tour service and they were booked, but referred me to Brian. His car was the cleanest Lincoln Town Car I've ever seen, in excellent condition and extremely comfortable. Brian drove us through some really picturesque sections of Halifax and gave us excellent background of Halifax industry, town demographics, and history. He told us of the explosion of 1917 and we saw a monument to it. It was cool outside and the wind was picking up; the skies were getting more and more grey and the air was heavy with precipitation so we knew rain was coming.

 

Monument to the Halifax Explosion of 1917, and two tourists.

 

 

The drive to Peggy's Cove was gorgeous. Peggy's Cove itself was, to me, totally worth the drive. The landscape is kind of surreal; smooth, large boulders settled atop the shoreline. The time frame is debated, but over a thousand years ago (some say ten thousand) glaciers covered this section of Canada. The glaciers melted and left this survey of rounded, smooth boulders that jumble together in a sometimes precarious surface. The village is very very small, dotted with fishing shacks, small boats, piled up lobster traps, and coffee, souvenir, and craft shops. Brian drove us to the topmost point, the lighthouse.

 

The Lighthouse at Peggy's Cove

 

 

We had a half an hour to wander around a bit to meet our schedule for the Citadel back at Halifax, and we wandered about the rocks and the lighthouse, enjoying a view that God was in a really good mood when He created it. Even on a grey windy brisk day, beauty shown in unexpected and quaint ways. The souvenir shop was crowded, to the point that we really didn't spend a lot of time in it. The thing is, Liverpool and I are....height challenged. I'm 5'1" and he is about 5'5" so in crowds we get lost and hemmed in easily. It's way outside of our comfort zone to be in tight crowds so we stayed outside, but it was so gorgeous we were fine. An artist was selling his paintings, and I bought a small painting of the lighthouse. I've gotten into the habit over several years of getting small prints of places we visit and that's the art that decorates our home. I have a really pretty watercolor print of the Annapolis Harbor in our dining room and I smile every time I look at it because it brings back good memories. Anyhoo.....on to Ivan.

 

Brian wanted us to visit Ivan, a local character and teller of tales. We drove to his home, and got there a few minutes after Ivan's last tour had started, so we missed the very beginning of it. Ivan was indeed a character. Funny and gregarious and a very talented story teller, he told of Peggy and how she was the lone survivor of a shipwreck in the 1800's and the people of the village took her in and raised her, hence the name of the Cove. He told how his ancestors took her in, this was her bedroom, this was her dress, yada yada, and we realize eventually that this is all complete fabrication and he has written a children's book and this is the tale from it (kind of ala Anne of Green Gables. Anne is a beloved character and they are really well written and adored books, but she's a fictitious character.) It was disconcerting to us, and we kind of wish we had had more time at the lighthouse and skipped Ivan. Do not get us wrong; he was entertaining, and the book he wrote looks totally wonderful, and received high critical acclaim from critics of children's books in Canada and in the U.S. (I looked up info and reviews of the book.) It just wasn't our thing, and ultimately, it was fine. It was soon time to head back to Halifax to attend the cannon ceremony at the Citadel and off we drove.

 

A crowd had gathered at the hilltop of the Citadel, and Brian directed us where to stand, and at noon the cannon was fired over the city. It is fired everyday at the same time, and has been for over a century, to mark the Citadel's history of protection of this port town. We said our goodbyes to Brian and paid him. We had agreed on $135 for a four hour tour, and added a tip. He was the perfect driver and host, and I would recommend him to anyone happily. He will set the itinerary to your personal interests. His wife was who I dealt with when I called to make the arrangements weeks ago, and they were both lovely to do business with. You can reach him for information at b.transport@eastlink.ca.

 

This is the "value season" for tourism here, and the Citadel's admission was $6.90 per person (I think $5.20 for Senior Citizens 65 and older) and was a really good bargain. We took in a short 10 minute film about the history of the Citadel before exploring on our own. We walked the perimeter of the walls, toured the Army Museum, and watched the changing of the guard. Liverpool has a large military history book collection at home (World history in the family room; American History in the living room and yes, it's arranged dewey decimal. I'm a librarian, I can't help it.) On our own, it took us about an hour and a half all together, and soon it was time to head down through town. We were getting a little hungry, and there were several pubs along the way. We decided on Maxwell‘s Plum Pub. And the Tale of the Hamburgers began.

 

We think the staff at Maxwell’s had just been slammed. Tables were full of dirty dishes and two waitresses were bustling around cleaning and setting things to right. It was a cozy and clean pub, and is well kept. We sat down and right away a friendly waitress brought us menus. Here's the thing. The menu offered, for 9.95, a hamburger and fries. But if you order it Monday through Friday at lunch, it's 6.95 (you have to order a beverage with it to get the special price.) What a bargain! We each ordered the burger platter, Liverpool ordered a diet pepsi and I ordered an iced tea. Ya got your food, your beverage, and your special price. All should be rainbows and puppies. Sounds too good to be true.

 

They bring the burgers. Ok, here is actually the thing. Before, the thing was really a preface to the thing. We both later discussed it, and nowhere on the menu did we see that the platter was TWO burgers. And my babies, these were ginormous, godzilla burgers. Two. For each of us. So for 6.95 each, we're getting two large hamburgers, and frankly I knew I couldn't finish one of them. Even ditching the bun I could barely eat one of them. It was really delicious, a well grilled burger, with tasty fries. Had we known, we could have split the platter easily, and I'm not even sure the two of us could have conquered that mountain of fries.

 

Lunch. For one person. No. Really.

 

 

We get the bill, and it's about $26 dollars. Um, ok. 6.95 for each platter, and FIVE DOLLARS FOR MY TEA AND FIVE DOLLARS FOR LIVERPOOL'S PEPSI. If I'm lyin' I'm dyin. That's the hook. We didn't even think to check the menu for drink prices, as I find that typically, drinks fall anywhere from a dollar to three dollars, so we were not at all expecting that. Again, had we known, we would have ordered one platter and split it, but holy cow, five dollars for a coke? Did Queen Elizabeth fly to Canada and pour it herself? That was just a funky jolt, and we laughed about it, and would still recommend this pub to anyone, just caution them about the drink. At 6.95, the burger platter is still a bargain because it is completely perfect for two people.

 

Stomachs full and wallets lighter, we headed back to the ship. It was raining by this time, and windy, and we were grateful we had worn rain jackets and dressed warmly. Ok, here's a small kind of ranty observation. I know we are on a cruise. But it's not a tropical cruise. So the insistence some made on dressing as if they were in the Bahamas was perplexing (yes, lady, hauling your biggo Princess Cruise tote bag as you run back to your ship in the rain while wearing flipflips, white capris, and a tank top in the 58 degree weather, I'm lookin' at you). We saw a lot of that and it was kind of weird. I seriously hope she didn't have an accident, because flipflops are really not running shoes. Truly, to each their own, and it was more of an amusement than anything.

 

Embarkation was fine. There was a pretty long line, but it moved at a constant if not slow pace, and as Liverpool pointed out, the ship wasn't going to leave without us in line, so it was fine. The embarkation staff was courteous and pleasant, and in no time we were trudging up to our cabin and warming up. I was pretty drenched. We decided to find a latte for me and some diet coke for Liverpool and found both at the atrium bar. Caramel Latte. Life is good. Here's a tip: on port days, a lot of the ship shuts down until the ship is back underway. Creams Cafe, the coffee and pastry shop, is no exception. But the Atrium bar is always up and running and has lattes and cappuccinos, so it's a viable alternative when Creams is closed.

 

Checked in with my sister, relaxed on the sofa, took a small nap, and then Liverpool and I decided that we were not in that sit down for the two hour meal place, so we headed up to the Red Sail for dinner. I had a small salad and Liverpool had a turkey sandwich. We really were still full from lunch and I thought a salad would be perfect. Really, a nice dinner. Then onto the photo shop. We had had our pictures taken the night before, on our way to dinner at Cruise Elegant night, me with great trepidation. I will be right up front and say that I'm one of the least photogenic people ever. Seriously. Zombies on a bad hair day look better than me in most pictures. Not sure what that's about; not like I crack mirrors or anything, but put me in front of a camera and it is as if Frankenstein's mother wandered into the frame. I was hugely, largely, ginormously amazed that in the photos of Liverpool and me on Cruise Elegant night, I looked....not awful. Kudos to Carnival and whatever mojo was invoked for that bit of magic. The plan was to go back the last sea day and make final purchases; I'm just excited to have a nice picture of the best husband in the world and someone who may really be his wife.

 

We wandered around a bit, ran into Utopian and Zoo Buddy, and chatted with them for a bit. We were pretty zapped; I think being on vacation was just really hitting us, so we went back to our cabin, watched the Castle season premiere, and went to bed.

 

I have to say, this is a great vacay. Or, the highest praise Liverpool knows, it does not suck. (Something to know about Liverpool and me: we're compatible proof that in many ways, opposites attract. One of our opposites is my optimism vs. his pessimism. I tend to think the glass is always half full, if not brimming, and Liverpool thinks the glass is half full too...of poison.)

 

Edited September 25, 2011 by bnickle

[bnickle]

I love long, detailed, novella-type reviews! As a citizen of Nova Scotia, Canada, this is a cruise I will probably never take, but I will truly enjoy hearing your opinion of my country.

 

Your country is a slice of heaven, and we are already talking about taking a two week tour just of the rest of Nova Scotia. It was beautiful, and without fail, people were warm and friendly.

[bnickle]

Chapter 4: In Which The Weather Totally Screws With Our Cruise Director.

 

It was sunny, gorgeous, beautiful, warm, languid, dazzling, and breathtaking as we woke up to greet the day. Well, as I woke up. Liverpool was still asleep. He was on vacation, leave him alone. And....it was 6:00 in the morning. Dang this internal alarm clock that I cannot reset. I wandered up to the Red Sail and sipped coffee, watching the gorgeous Canadian scenery glide by as I typed up my version of the day before. It's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

While I was eating breakfast, I was approached twice by people wanting to know about my ipad. Not in the "oh, I've been thinking about that" kind of way, but more in the "what is that thing and what does it do" kind of way. One very nice gentleman, in his '70's, told me about how his son bought him a laptop saying, oh, this will make it easy for you to email me and to post pictures while you're on your cruise! Problem #1: the man had never touched a computer in his life. Problem #2: He brought it onboard anyway, bought a 100 dollar internet package as per his son's instructions, gave up after two hours of trying to determine how to use the internet package, on the laptop he can't figure out, and finally went to guest services who refunded 60 dollars saying that he had used the other 40 while putzing around trying to figure it out. All of this leads to: Mini-rant #2: People, for the love of all that's holy, quit buying your parents stuff your parents don't know how to use unless you're prepared to sit down with them and show them what to do. This poor man, who was bright and funny and smart and intelligent, felt stupid because he couldn't figure out an intricate piece of machinery he had absolutely no experience with. This had nothing to do with his age. Given simple instruction I bet he'd have 100 friends on Facebook within a week. So, just stop it. Either give them instruction to go along with the laptop/ipad/nook/netbook or give them something else altogether. I'm just saying.

 

Anyhoo, after chatting with him and assuring him that no, it's not really see spot run if you're not used to it, I wandered back down to the love of my life who had awakened and was enjoying the really gorgeous day that was shaping up. Josh, our CD, began speaking over the ship's communication system about how it was going to be a GORGEOUS day, expected high of low 80's and sunny all day long! Jinx! (Just a side note on our CD and his assistant. They were fine. They kept us informed of what was going on throughout the trip, without, I thought, being intrusive. I saw them both gripping and grinning all over the ship, and the morning shows were funny and entertaining. Didn’t make or break the trip at all, but were fine.)

 

We had left our door hanger on the door for breakfast and enjoyed what had become the usual: two croissants, orange marmalade (still can't get over that one), fresh melon, and orange juice for Liverpool and a bowl of raisin bran, melon, and coffee for me. We had decided that Saint John would be our laid back kind of wing it port. We dressed lightly, as the day was shaping up to be warm and lovely, and headed out to explore the vicinity.

 

Saint John is a nice town, and we liked the spots we investigated. I gotta say, Canadian people, at least the ones we came into contact with in Halifax and Saint John, were warm, friendly, and welcoming. Every driver we saw gave pedestrians the right of way, no one seemed impatient or rude. We liked the bits of Canada that we saw a lot, and a big part of that was the friendliness of every person we met.

 

We wandered around within walking distance of the ship, taking pictures, trolling in and out of stores and shops, and generally just kind of doing a mini walk-a-bout. The temperature kept dipping gradually, and the sky became hazy and cloudy as the morning flew by. We eventually hit the city market and it was really fun, but packed.

 

Yum-yum!!!!

 

We wandered into a market area just by the ship and found my own little piece of happiness and went in to try to connect to wifi so Liverpool could check in at work. We were never able to connect, but it was a really nice library.

 

 

We decided to eat lunch at a small restaurant along the Market Square, right near the ship, called Grannons. Liverpool had lobster roll, and I had lobster and scallop crepe. Holy happy tummy, Batman, that was a really good lunch. Kind of pricey, but a great pub atmosphere, really good service, and the food was fantastic.

 

The temperature had declined pretty steadily, and by the time we finished lunch had dropped easily 10 to 12 degrees, and the wind had picked up. The sky was overcast, and it was clear it was going to get colder so we went back to the ship early afternoon. Hmmm. What to do, what to do. As part of our winging it state of mind, we decided this called for a trip to the hot tub. We tugged on our swimsuits, walked up to the serenity deck, and climbed into what I like to call a nirvanic state of bliss. Both serenity hot tubs were literally steaming as the heat met the cool dampness of the air. There were a few couples in each tub, and they apparently had been there for some time. We sat there and chatted with some very nice people a bit, and eventually, as they decided they had all been in there long enough and drifted back to their rooms, Liverpool and I ended up soaking alone, atop the ship, peering out over the Saint John skyline. As a wise, handsome man said, it did not suck. Eventually we climbed out when it started sprinkling, and went back to our room to chillax ever so slightly before dressing for dinner. It never got above the perfect temperature it was at 8 in the morning, and we did not have the gorgeous day that was predicted. It's kind of comforting to know that Mother Nature is on crack the world over just as much as she is back in Missouri.

 

For dinner, we went to the MDR, and requested Bobby, our waiter from Cruise Elegant Night. We were led to our same table for two. Bobby was cheerful and greeted us warmly, and we chatted a bit about our day. Liverpool had decided on the langoustine and shark firecracker roll and I had the portobello mushroom spinach salad for our starters, then he had the pot roast and I had the seafood newburg. Dinner was delicious. I mean seriously, it was really really good, to both of us. The portions were just right, what was supposed to be hot was hot and what was supposed to be chilled was chilled. My dish, in particular, was prepared really well, and had large fresh scallops, mussels, and shrimp in a really rich and flavorful sauce. I don't know if it really was that good, or that it was food that I didn't have to cook, but it was seriously fantastic.

 

Just a side note on the food: it never occurred to me that I should order more than one of anything. That's not a judgement on anything; I just found the portions perfectly sized and I never once left a table on this cruise wanting. I had told Liverpool that it was recommended that one order two scoops of ice cream with their melting chocolate cake. He did the first time, but found it to be a little too much, so it was one scoop for him when he ordered it after that. We always had one starter each, and one entree. The bottom line is that you're on vacation, have fun and do what you want to do. This is just what worked for us.

 

After dinner we took our time wandering back to our room, and kind of just took it easy. I had changed into my p-jams, assured Liverpool I wasn't tired, and then apparently passed out into oblivion. I'm such a fun date.

 

At this point I decided to take it on faith that the bed was comfortable, as I kept forgetting to wake up in the middle of the night to check.

 

[bnickle]

Chapter 5: In Which Ginger Steers Our Boat.

 

Let me begin by saying that I love Portland. I really really love this city. This ended up being a fun and fabulous day, and....I love Portland.

 

Up again at 6:00 am. Apparently my body clock is just permanently set there. I had hung out the breakfast order on the door handle the night before, to be delivered about 7 and it was there, right on time. Let me say this about the room service staff: without fail, they were cheerful, helpful, polite, and very nice to be around. In a further testament to the staid boringness that is us, Liverpool had the usual, as did I. Not like Carnival has found the secret to making Raisin Bran pour out of the box all delicious and different. I just like what I like.

 

The plan for Portland was as follows: hang out on our own in Old Port for the morning, have lunch, and take a scheduled schooner tour around the bay from 2:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon. Liverpool has decided that if there is such a thing as reincarnation, he was a sailor in a former life, and was looking forward to the tour.

 

The view as we sail in:

 

 

By 9:00 we were dressed and good to go. A leisurely stroll down to the gangway and we were out the door. I think we had missed the first wave rush, because there was no line. Portland has a really nice port facility. In fact, pretty much all of the ports had ok facilities. The most plain utilitarian facility was Boston's. As Liverpool astutely pointed out, though, in Boston, they really don't care overall if you're coming in on a cruise. Their tourism casts a much wider net, so they don't really have to work on the whole tourist port thing. Anyhow, that's jumping ahead.

 

Portland is a really wonderful place. It was, by far, my favorite stop. Liverpool and I spent a week in Annapolis last year, staying in a B&B right in the historic district by the dock and I loved that. Portland reminded me of Annapolis. It's hilly, quaint landscape is a great blend of history, art, commerce, and business. We decided to do a walking tour of Old Port, a local historic district that features pubs, shops, craftsmen, a large farmer's market, and, our personal favorite, a bong shop.

 

That one kind of leapt out at us. We were just walking down the street, minding our own bidness, and peered into a window that was lined with the tastiest looking donuts, all iced and dotted with rainbow sprinkles. I leaned in to look closer, and looked at the shelf below, and realized that they were ceramic bongs. Shaped like donuts. Oh, the irony. We're easily amused.

 

 

The rest of the morning was fun, but not of the discovering a bong shop variety. We did find a great coffee shop called Mornings in Paris, and we took advantage of the free wi-fi for Liverpool to check in at work and deal with some e-mails. I had received notice that an e-book I had on hold through the library was available and they only hold them for three days after notification, so it was nice to be able to download it. Mornings in Paris features gluten-free pastries, and I had the best gingerbread cookie ever. I was amazed it was gluten-free. After we were caught up, downloaded, email responded and caffeinated, we sailed back out to the morning, winding our way all over Old Port and finding a gorgeous neckless at a small store dealing in pewter. By noon, we were headed back to the ship, pausing to spat over who had the worse navigational skills. My friends, for some reason it was me. I'm not usually so navigationally challenged, but I kind of blew at it on this trip for some reason. That, and I had funky sea legs the entire time we were at any port.

 

There were no lines at the gangway when we reboarded, and we were back on the ship by 12:30. Wow, it had been, like an hour and a half since we last ate, so we decided for lunch that the sit down lunch would be too heavy to then go rolling and weaving about the waves in a schooner. We made our way to the lido deck. It was sunny, gorgeous, and not at all crowded. Liverpool got a hamburger from the grill, and as there was only two people in line at the Mongolian Wok, I loaded up two bowls with veggies and handed them over, choosing beef and black bean sauce. Shoulda cut that in half, because it made up a huge lunch that I could only eat half of. But boy howdy, it was tasty.

 

It was time for Liverpool to relive what was apparently his former calling. I had done some research and found a schooner tour service called Portland Schooner, that offered two hour sailings during the fall around the bay. After speaking with the owner on the phone, I made reservations for Liverpool and I for our Portland port day at 2:30. You can bring wine and lunch or a snack on and enjoy it if you want, and can help with the rigging when it's time to furl or unfurl the sails. (Look at me, getting all sail talky!) I had talked about the schooner tour online at CC, and Utopian and Zoo Buddy had decided to do it as well, and Pistol packing' mama and her group decided to do the 12:00 sailing.

 

Right before we had reboarded the ship to go to lunch, we had done a dry run to figure out how to get to the schooner loading dock, and were pleasantly surprised to discover it was virtually right off the ship, around the corner from where one exited the security check point. From our room, out on the balcony, you could see the hut at the dock, and the schooners lined up ready to sail. It could not have been a lot closer. Total happenstance, but made it very easy when it was time to board.

 

This is the view of the ticket hut and the loading area for the schooner from our balcony on the ship.

 

 

 

And....this is the line that was waiting to board the ship just as we were leaving to go to the schooner.

 

 

Just a quick walk around the corner from the security checkpoint, and there you are.

 

 

Edited September 26, 2011 by bnickle

[bnickle]

 

 

The tour was 35 dollars apiece, and Utopian and Zoo Buddy showed up with wine, crackers, bread, and cheese. We set sail a little after 2:30 (waiting for four people to show up) and then it was a smaller sail away party out to the bay. Portland Schooner is a well run service, and I would recommend them to anyone. The three man crew was friendly, and while not offering an ongoing patter, answered all questions completely and offered bits of history and folklore while doing so. It made for a languid and relaxing trip along the coast. When they asked if anyone wanted to help with the rigging, Liverpool, to my complete amazement, leapt up and helped haul a sail up. He loved it. He was totally in his happy place. In the meantime, we chatted with Utopian and Zoo Buddy, and better companions could not be imagined. They were so fun, and I'd say that even if they hadn't brought wine.

 

What they did bring, in addition....was Ginger. Long story short, Ginger began life as a souvenir hula dancer girl and was transformed with a simple stitched covering into a hula dancer groundhog, complete with bikini top and lei. Zoo Buddy's office hauls Ginger around on their vacations, taking pictures of the groundhog having adventures, and she was on the schooner with us. It was hysterical. The crew happily let Ginger, the hula dancing groundhog, steer for a bit, and she kept the craft headed true and steady. I have to say that was one for the books, and we were highly entertained.

 

We sailed back into port at about 4:40, and it was a leisurely stroll back aboard the ship. Even though it was close to the time that all had to be back onboard, there were few in line, and we slipped right on board and up to our room.

 

I do love a sailor man.

 

 

What they did bring, in addition....was Ginger. Long story short, Ginger began life as a souvenir hula dancer girl and was transformed with a simple stitched covering into a hula dancer groundhog, complete with bikini top and lei. Zoo Buddy's office hauls Ginger around on their vacations, taking pictures of the groundhog having adventures, and she was on the schooner with us. It was hysterical. The crew happily let Ginger, the hula dancing groundhog, steer for a bit, and she kept the craft headed true and steady. I have to say that was one for the books, and we were highly entertained.

 

Seriously happy people.

 

 

We sailed back into port at about 4:40, and it was a leisurely stroll back aboard the ship. Even though it was close to the time that all had to be back onboard, there were few in line, and we slipped right on board and up to our room.

 

The Fun Times listed the night's headliner as Justin Illusion, and we decided to relax a bit after the Ginger-driven cruise and order room service, then go to see the show. Liverpool ordered the steak sandwich, minus the cheddar cheese, and I ordered the portobello and mozzarella on foccacia. Both sandwiches were ok. The kitchen ignored the "minus" part and there was little portobello on my sandwich. Both sandwiches were tasty, just not what we were expecting. But I was hanging out with Liverpool and watching a lovely sail away and life was good.

 

We went about 45 minutes early to get seats before the show. I took my Ipad, and Liverpool took a book. We read, chatted, and waited for the show to start. Ok, time for another thing. And here it is. When we first entered, they were beginning a tv show theme trivia contest, and that went on a while, the clock ticked down towards the main event, and the contest was over. Then, inexplicably, with maybe 15 minutes left before the show was to being, they announced that there would be a bingo jackpot game. It was chaotic and I can't think that the people who showed up for the bingo were happy with the wham bam speed of the game, nor were people happy who were trying to find a seat and couldn't because of the people who had come in for bingo. It was kind of weird, especially given that there are so many other venues about the ship where bingo would have fit nicely.

 

Due to the bingo, the main show was a few minutes late getting started, and when it did, it started with a bang. Justin Illusion is a fun, well paced, edgy combination of dance and illusion that was entertaining and enthralling. Yes, you're aware that it's all illusion, but it's all well done illusion, and the dance collaborated well with the presentation so that the show was very cohesive. There are some very talented performers aboard the Glory, and the dancing was innovative and fun. Justin has this whole Vin Diesel thing going on, and I have to say, it's working for him. All in all, a fun show, highly recommended.

 

What is a good follow-through to kinetic dancing and sleight of hand? A plate of chocolate chip cookies, of course. Liverpool ordered some from room service after we got back to the room, and then it was to sleep for us. This day could not have been better. Around the clock, it was fun, and we want to go back to Portland to spend a week or so in the future, maybe do the B&B thing and do some country-side exploring. But that's a trip for another forum.

 

Edited September 26, 2011 by bnickle

[kikiw]

Thank you for the review! I'm sailing this Sat on the same itinerary, and it's great to read about the ports and the ship beforehand! :D

[joydisney]

Can't wait to read more.. will be on Glory Saturday

[bnickle]

kikiw and joydisney, I really cannot recommend the Portland Schooner enough. Absolutely excellent tour, and it was 35 dollars each. Pistol packin mama went at the lunchtime cruise and she and her group brought on box lunches of lobster rolls and wine and had a picnic while they sailed. Seriously, it was a huge highlight.

 

We loved this itinerary very much, I hope you both have a wonderful time! Have an after-dinner cappucino for me!

[gelo7]

Great read, keep it coming.

[terri-eddie]

Your country is a slice of heaven, and we are already talking about taking a two week tour just of the rest of Nova Scotia. It was beautiful, and without fail, people were warm and friendly.

 

 

When you come again, be sure to visit Liverpool....it's about two hours down the coast [toward the southwest] from Halifax.

[bnickle]

When you come again, be sure to visit Liverpool....it's about two hours down the coast [toward the southwest] from Halifax.

 

Liverpool and I would love to visit Liverpool!

[bnickle]

Chapter 6: In Which We Play Transportation Roulette

 

The problem with Boston, if there is a problem, is....what do we manage to cram into one day? Not like there's a lack of interest, or history, or sights. No, Boston just sits there looking all...Bostony, and tempts us with its fresh seafood and its 250 year old sights. Dang you, Boston, for making us pick.

 

But up first, breakfast. I'm all about edgy and on the fringe, ya know....as librarians are. So this morning, I thought I'd mix it up and instead of Raisin Bran go with....Frosted Flakes. Yeah. There will be repercussions, I'm sure.

 

Our room service breakfast was, as usual, delightful. We headed out about 8:30 to disembark, and there was a small but quickly moving line. At this point I'm not sure why I bother to have my picture ID out, as no one gives it a second glance. Before you can say Paul Revere we're out the door and I'm calling the water taxi service to let them know we're ready to be picked up, as prearranged.

 

Ok, here's the thing. This is actually an appendix to the preface to the actual thing. I had researched, and found online, a water taxi service that shall remain nameless, as my experience with them was not good and I do not wish to throw them under the bus for what was maybe just some crossed wires. Rhowe's Wharf Water Taxi. It just could be that perhaps they misunderstood that by my two destinations being the "USS Constutution" and the "JFK Library and Museum" they thought I meant the Constitution and, oh, I don't know....the "MLF Hot Tub Museum" or the "LOL I Can Haz A Cheeseburger Museum" because all I know is that after I forked over the price for an all day pass QUOTED ON THEIR FREAKIN' WEBSITE (and at which the captain looked at us and said, oh, he cut you a deal? No, Tinkerbell, it's on the website) I was informed that the service didn't go anywhere near the JFK Library. This is after Liverpool and I had paid and and boarded and were on our way to the Constitution. I really don't want to seem like I'm dogging someone's business, so I am going to take the high road and not go all customerzilla on them. Rhowe's Wharf Water Taxi.

 

Moving on from the business that shall not be named (Rhowe's Wharf Water Taxi), I want to point out that it was a grey, overcast, can't-make-up-it's-mind-if-it-wants-to-rain kind of drizzly day. The waters were smooth and serene despite the kind of stormy skies, and in what is really a reverse of our usual life positions, Liverpool decided to take the approach that the water taxi ride was really its own excursion of the Boston Harbor, and that we'd figure out the rest of the transportation as it became an issue.

 

Boston on a drizzly grey morning

 

 

After I checked that he had a pulse and was not, in fact, a pod person, I agreed and we pulled up to our stop, just around the corner from the Constitution. When I began planning this trip, I had planned for us to visit the Constitution and the museum because Liverpool is a mondo history buff and really enjoys military history. I knew little about the Constitution except that it was, you know...some kind of ship. Of some kind of importance. I had a peripheral knowledge that its historical worth had weight, but little cognizance beyond that. Liverpool accepted the plans with the kind of enthusiasm as if I had said, and here's your new Lexus chauffeured by the Playmate of the Year. I was then given a short crash course in the importance of the Constitution and I have to say, I'm kind of embarrassed at my ignorance. The Constitution played a major role in the establishment of US military presence, and is the only vessel left of the six original frigates that made up the newborn United States Navy. It is the oldest commissioned ship in existence, and actually is still seaworthy.

 

The USS Constitution

 

Above decks

 

The ship itself is a marvel. Free tours are led every half hour by Navy personnel. The naval yards there actually house a Marine barracks, and a compliment of Naval personnel who oversee the Constitution's tours and reenactments. There are very narrow and steep ladders to climb up and down to below decks, and I have to think it would be difficult for anyone with mobility issues to see much of the ship.

 

The museum is staffed by volunteers, and hosts a very active historical preservation organization. It took about an hour and a half to see the displays, including a short 20 minute film. The admission is free; a 5 dollar donation is suggested.

 

Also housed at the Naval Yard is the decommissioned USS Cassin, a WWII destroyer. You can walk around it as well, but it is not "tour ready" and you're just on your own. Overall, it was an excellent adventure. I think it's on the list of stops for most of the trolleys, so that's a way it can be seen.

 

The Cassin

 

 

 

We got directions to the nearest bus stop with the idea of taking the bus to the metro station and hopping the metro down to the JFK Library and Museum. It was kind of misty and drizzly, and we decided spur of the moment to flag down a taxi instead and take it to the U of Mass Boston, where the facility is housed.

 

 

Perched atop a gently rolling bluff on the U of Mass grounds, the Library overlooks the bay. It's as impressive in its architecture as it is in the displays and artifacts within. It was 12 dollars admission, and before we began sightseeing we had a bite of lunch at a small cafeteria just inside the entrance. It was mostly cold sandwich and salad fare, fountain drinks, etc.

 

The JFK Library is very well arranged. You begin with a 19 minute film that focused mainly on JFK's life up to the nominating convention of 1960. From there, you exit to follow a chronological journey of the campaign, the election, and his assassination, with special attention paid to Jacqueline Kennedy's presence in the White House, Robert Kennedy's handling of the civil rights movement, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. We were hugely impressed with how much media exists of him; from home movies of the Kennedy family when JFK is an adolescent, to footage and audio of meetings between JFK and his cabinet dealing with several points of conflict, it is way beyond photo op archives. All in all, a really good way to spend the afternoon.

 

Liverpool and I are big historical site visitors; that is to say...we know our giftshops. Having been spoiled by the behemoth and fully stocked gift shop at Mount Vernon on previous visits east, we were surprised at the gift shops at both places. The book offerings, in particular, seemed sparse, when both subjects are prolific and well documented. I guess that's why Amazon was invented. To be fair, walking along a book shelf with Liverpool in a place like the USS Constitution Gift Shop consists of him looking at titles and muttering, "got it, got it, want it, got it..."

 

A U of Mass shuttle stops at the front door of the Library every 20 minutes, and makes trips around campus, also stopping at the Metro station nearby. Once on the metro, you're on the redline, which you take to South Station (the grey line) and transfer to a bus which takes you right to the cruise ship. The campus shuttle was free; the metro ride (rail and bus) cost 2 dollars each. Tell your bus driver which ship you're on and he will drop you off pretty much at the gate for it. The day we were there, there were three ships all lined up. In no time at all we were back on board, comfy, cozy, and ready to wine and dine.

 

The people at the metro station were helpful and friendly and patient with us hick mid-westerners. We were pretty clueless and at two different points, employees were quick to offer cheerful assistance, and it was greatly appreciated.

 

For dinner, we decided on the MDR once more with our pal Bobby and his assistant, Singsoong. We had chosen anytime dining, and we are so happy we did. We ended up eating at the MDR 5 nights, and had Bobby and Singsoong each time, and were very happy with the quality of the service. We tended to eat earlier, and were always down in line by 6 with very little wait for our table. There are pros and cons for both anytime and scheduled dining; for us, this really was a good choice.

 

For dinner that night I had the petite filet mignon and short rib confit and Liverpool had the snapper. The accompanying dish was a pumpkin hash and Liverpool ordered a side of steamed veggies thinking that would replace the pumpkin hash. He got both, and in his newfound didja ever frame of mind tried the pumpkin hash and thought it was "not bad." He had the caesar salad for a starter and I had wild mushroom soup. The soup was really really good. He said the caesar salad was....caesar salad. For desert it was melting chocolate cake and for me, orange sherbet. Once again we left the table very happy. We wandered around a bit, and decided to make the final purchase on our photos.

 

I think Carnival gets sold short on the photos. I thought the prices were extremely reasonable; very much in line with what you find in dealing with professional photographers. In choosing poses and sizes from a sitting with a photographer, you will easily pay more than 20 dollars for an 8 by 10, and frankly the deal where you can get 2 5 by 7's or a 5 by 7 and four wallets for 10 bucks we thought was a really good deal too. It's pretty competitively priced. One thing we did not take advantage of, but I thought was a good deal, was the transformation of the photo to a "canvas style" print (I forget the size, maybe 16 by 20?) for 59 dollars. I've looked into doing that with pictures at Joanne's and at Hobby Lobby, and it's more than that for the same size. If you have a really good picture taken on Carnival and want it in canvas style for your wall, I really think that's a pretty good bargain, again, competitively priced.

 

In any case, we decided on one pose of the two of us and had copies made, all for 40 dollars. The sizes are standard so you're not stuck buying their frames to match the "special" sizes. Then it was back to the room, chillax on the balcony, and find our pillows nice and comfy for the night. We really enjoyed Boston, and I can see us returning soon for a week or two vacation with the kids.

 

[Catrin]

I am very much enjoying your review!

 

Being a "New Englander" it is great to see an outside perspective of Boston, where I used to work!

 

I would love to be a tourist there for a day!

 

The one thing we found on our two cruises to Canada... the people WERE the Friendliest!!

 

Thanks for sharing... and love your humor!

Catrin

[nathand95]

Your review is definitely in my top 3 reviews I've ever read. I have tears in my eyes I'm crying and I don't often laugh from CC boards. At first I saw you didn't have alot of pictures, but I decided to check it out anyways and I am so glad I did. I love your writing style. It is written very eloquently with the perfect amount of humor. Comedy is all about timing and you have that down! I have only read 2 chapters, but they were hilarious and very informative! I can't wait to continue reading tomorrow.

[Delta Dear]

Enjoying your posts. This line really gave me a chuckle for the day. Thanks.

 

 

he promptly came out and asked how to work the fixtures, because I keep forgetting that a uterus apparently serves simultaneously as a gps tracking device, world atlas, world soccer score keeper, and cell phone finder.

 

How TRUE !

[smitty89]

Loving this review! Having lived in Winnipeg for a couple of years, I concurr - the people are the greatest!

[bnickle]

I am very much enjoying your review!

 

Being a "New Englander" it is great to see an outside perspective of Boston, where I used to work!

 

I would love to be a tourist there for a day!

 

The one thing we found on our two cruises to Canada... the people WERE the Friendliest!!

 

Thanks for sharing... and love your humor!

Catrin

 

 

Thank you for the kind words! We loved Boston so much...and Portland...and Halifax....and Saint John....wow. It was just the perfect trip. I am jealous that you worked in Boston, that must have been a blast.

[bnickle]

Your review is definitely in my top 3 reviews I've ever read. I have tears in my eyes I'm crying and I don't often laugh from CC boards. At first I saw you didn't have alot of pictures, but I decided to check it out anyways and I am so glad I did. I love your writing style. It is written very eloquently with the perfect amount of humor. Comedy is all about timing and you have that down! I have only read 2 chapters, but they were hilarious and very informative! I can't wait to continue reading tomorrow.

 

 

Thank you very much! I actually thought I'd post some random pics at the end of the review, along with the daily Fun Times. We actually took a lot of pictures, but most of the time the camera was in Liverpool's hands with the result that there are no food pictures, and elebenty-eight pictures of the aft of the USS Constitution. Yes, Liverpool is an aft man.

[bnickle]

Enjoying your posts. This line really gave me a chuckle for the day. Thanks.

 

 

he promptly came out and asked how to work the fixtures, because I keep forgetting that a uterus apparently serves simultaneously as a gps tracking device, world atlas, world soccer score keeper, and cell phone finder.

 

How TRUE !

 

Yes it is true! It actually came down to him asking me, where are our boarding passes and me saying, in your right front inside pocket.

[bnickle]

Loving this review! Having lived in Winnipeg for a couple of years, I concurr - the people are the greatest!

 

 

Winnipeg looks gorgeous. Liverpool and I have, on our dream vacation list, a trip involving getting on the Amtrak Empire Builder in Chicago and heading north, then along the US-Canada border to Seattle, all in a sleeper car. I think that'd be a gorgeous way to sightsee. It would take us right along the Manitoba border. And yes, with absolutely no exception, the people we spoke to in Canada were patient, kind, friendly, and proud of their land and heritage. We heard many interesting stories from a really wonderful group of people.

[spacewoman]

one of the best reviews I've ever read!!!

 

We were reluctantly leaving the Jewel that morning looking at Glory as we left the pier area.

 

Glad you had such a great cruise!

[bnickle]

Chapter 7: In Which We Practice Hot Tub Diplomacy

 

Our last day at sea. Wow that week flew by. It was a grey, soupy, foggy morning. The you-can’t-see-past-the-railing kind of foggy. The foghorn had begun blowing during the night and blew all through the morning into early afternoon.

 

The kind of fog they make scary movies about:

 

We decided that it would be nice to hit the breakfast buffet once, just to see the difference, and frankly it made us glad that we ordered room service every morning. Again, just an us thing. We're not big breakfast eaters, so Liverpool getting the croissants and fruit and me with my cereal and fruit was really more than we usually do. I had my first experience of someone cutting in line at the buffet line that morning. The line wasn't long, but I was there, with my tray, moving along the food line when a woman pushed her way in between another woman and myself, leaning over to scoop up some eggs. The woman on the other side of me said, um, you know there's a line, right? And the pusher just giggled and said, yes, I know. Well ok, then. I really find the pushing thing annoying, but even more, I find it annoying when women do that obnoxious little giggle that seems to say, I know I'm being an ass hat but I'm so darn cute you just can't be mad at me. Yes, sweetie, yes we can.

 

Anyhoo, the eggs were ok. The bacon was good. The fruit was fresh. Coffee was hot and pretty good. Liverpool had some French toast, and thought it was good. (I do love that man. I just asked him if he liked the French toast and his response was actually, “not up to your standards, but it was ok.” I may have to marry him. Oh wait….)

 

We had a flight out of LaGuardia at 12 noon the next day. We were a little concerned about the process of getting off the ship and to the airport to make that flight, so we went to Guest Services to see if we needed to make adjustments in our assigned time (we would be in zone 4). The staff at Guest Services, the two times we had occasion to speak to them, could not have been nicer or more professional. The agent said she would look into it and call us at our room with a plan, and she did within the hour. We were to self assist and be at the Amber Palace by 7:15, and would be let right off the ship and could get on a shuttle. Her instructions were clear and she was really helpful in making us (and by that I mean me) less anxious.

 

There was a special offered at the spa, a last day special of three treatments, ala carte, for 99 dollars. (Had I set an appointment at 8 in the morning it would have been 89). I decided to spa the day away and had an appointment set for 12:15 for a back and shoulder massage, foot and ankle massage, and mini-facial. Liverpool and I headed up to the whirlpool at the spa before and soaked till we got all wrinkly. We had a nice time talking to a gentleman, his wife, and son. The gentleman was an Israeli former diplomat, and he was interesting to talk to.

 

When it was time for my appointment, I headed to the locker room, showered, and put on a robe. My attendant was Jamy, and she was wonderful. Maybe one of the best shoulder massages I've ever had. The whole experience was soothing and nice, and relaxing. Only caveat: I had expressed, both vocally, and in a note on the form I filled out, that I did not wish to be sold any products. I just wanted the services and then to blow that pop stand. When we were done, Jamy trotted out a little card with two different regimens she thought I should try, all with the spa products. One regimen cost 283 dollars, the other 162. I told her that I wasn't interested in buying products, but she was determined to do the spiel. So I sat there and nodded and listened and said no thank you and she was ok with that. I guess they have to do the spiel no matter what.

 

Liverpool and I met back up for lunch on the Lido deck, and it was the first time all week we tried that. It was chaotic and crowded; people milling everywhere trying to find tables. There were many tables littered with trays and the remnants of meals, and there were many crew and staff members out hustling to get them cleaned off. Liverpool and I ended up heading up to the Fish and Chips booth, which had no line at all, and I got bouillabaisse and fish and chips. Liverpool got the fish and chips and cerviche. It was a good lunch, I just didn't enjoy the lunchtime lido crowdedness. Just a me rant, but I do wish they offered more on the room service menu besides sandwiches and salads.

 

We went back to our room, and I began packing and showered. Earlier in the day, Zoo Buddy called our room with a huge problem. They had a bottle of wine they had to kill before they got off the ship. We are nothing if not helpful. At 4 they visited our cabin and we sat out on the deck, enjoying the perfect afternoon and sipping a really fine wine. I had sent for veggies and dip, and we chatted and watched the sea. A funny thing, earlier, Liverpool had called me out to the deck saying, we're gonna pass another cruise ship. We watched it in the distance for a bit and then he said, um, they're going the same way. I think we're going to overtake them. That's right, it was NASCAR, Cruise Ship Style. Eventually we did overtake and pass them; it was a Royal Caribbean.

 

NASCAR on the ocean:

 

 

 

We were chatting and having a great time, when suddenly Utopian and Liverpool spotted porpoises in the water, slicing through the waves alongside the ship. There was a whole school of them, leaping up and out of the water and diving into breakers and whitecaps. They swam alongside for a bit and then disappeared, but entertained us for a while. It was so cool...a perfect whimsical way to end our voyage.

 

Unexpected grace

 

 

 

It was back to the MDR one last time for dinner, and again we had Bobby and Singsoong as our waitstaff. There was a young girl assisting them by taking care of the bar service, I think her name was Amaly, from Peru. She was so sweet and cheerful, and every night took excellent care of us. Her English was a bit more broken than a lot of the crew's, but we decided that she was young, and must be new to this. I had a friend in college who was teaching ESL to Hispanic-language students. After school started in the fall, she would host little weekend evening cocktail parties and invite all of her friends and her students, so her students could interact socially and develop conversational skills. It was fun, and in October, it would be halting and painful and consist of, "my name is....." and maybe a little about the rain or the sun. By January and February it was much more conversational and fluid, and talking to Amaly made me think of that and smile. She made a point to stop and talk to us every night, and I told Liverpool that actually it was a smart way to build her skills. She was delightful, both as a conversationalist and as a crew member.

 

I think this was our least favorite meal. And by that, I mean it didn't wow us. It certainly wasn't at all bad, just...meh. I had the navy bean soup (side note: I had soups several times during the week and without fail they were wonderful. Utopian had eaten a chilled orange soup and loved it) and the salmon, and Liverpool had crab cake for his starter and the red snapper for dinner. Not awful or bad tasting, just not great. We'd been wowed so much earlier in the week, that having what we both felt was a mediocre dinner was surprising. The waiters sang a lovely goodnight song, and we were outta there. Bobby and Singsoong, and Amaly, I hope you all have wonderful lives, because you made this week in our lives fun and memorable.

 

I do love me some carrot cake, and I had decided that before we left the ship I was going to have a slice of the monster carrot cake that was featured at the Creams Cafe, so we stopped there for desert. Liverpool got this huge sliver of layer chocolate cake, and I had a slice of carrot cake. It was 5 layers of cream cheese iced heaven. It was mondo huge, to the point I think in the battle of Mothra Carrot Cake vs Steakhouse Cheesecake, it would be a dead heat.

 

Back to our room, and I finished packing. We had a wake-up call placed for 5:15, and once more, the comfy bed lulled us right to snoozeland.