Boston

We are not getting in until 10 am today but around 8 am we start hearing noises in the hallway and room service being deliver near us.  Oh well time to get we say.

The weather is beautiful again and we are really lucking out in that regards.

Today we received our Canadian declaration form. Everyone needs to fill it out before arriving in Canada whether  you plan to get off or not.  

Bernie has just headed to Horizon Court for bite to eat.  Personally I am still full from dinner!

Our plan for today is to head ashore and take the Old Town Trolley.  You can buy this tour from on board thru Shore Excursion Desk but we got our tickets on line from their website prior to coming for a bit less than on board.  

Bernie has just walked back in.  I say “boy that didn’t take long” and he laughs, apparently it is a zoo, and that is putting it lightly.  We don’t dock until 10 am and with everyone getting ready to go ashore for then it seems everyone had the same idea, get breakfast at the Horizon Court.  Long lines just to get into the buffet area and forget about getting a seat.  Of course I say back to Bernie “really, you should of known better” and yeah we should of.  So he waits about a half hour until 10 and then heads back up for a meal and it is better.

We have two other ships in port with us and there are a few sprinkles falling but nothing to slow us down.  But boy there seems to be a lot of people in the Atrium and we quickly realize they are queuing up to get off the ship.  An announcement has come on saying because of the tides they only have one gangway open on deck five.  The one on deck six is closed currently because it is just too steep with the tide being low.  We make our way to the back of the line which has stretched thru the art gallery on deck five to the forward stairway.  But it is moving very fast and we maybe wait five minutes.  It is also made slower because many don’t know about where to go or why and also don’t have their card out ready to scan.

When we get on land we start walking, the pier is very very long but we are okay with that but if you have mobility issues it could be a problem.  The ship has a transfer service that takes you to town for a small fee and sorry I don’t remember how much it was but I believe it is around $15 per person and you buy it once you go ashore.  Note though that a taxi would be similar.  We walk out looking for where we can board the hop on hop off trolley and there is a pick up spot nearby when ships are in port #17.  Check their website for details.

We did the tour which was around an 1.5 to 2 hours and decided to stay on and do most of the tour and then get off later and get a bite to eat.  Of course we could of gotten off and reboarded but we were being two things, lazy and really wanting a good overview.  Plus the tour kind of winds back and intersects so it would be easy to get on and off. 

We see so many sights, here are just a few of the pictures.

We grab a bite to eat at the Grainery and the food was very good but there are tons of restaurants and types of food to choose from to suit everyone’s taste.  

A friend of ours who lives in Boston (Sharon & Bruce, thanks) recommended Mike’s Pastry so we walk over there.  It is located in Little Italy, Boston’s North End and we love the atmosphere of this area, and heck we are not even Italian.  This place is famous for cannoli pastries and we grab one each and then one for Mario the Maitre d’ cause we know he is Italian.  

We wander back to the bus to take us on the Orange line back to the pier.  It has been a full day and lots of walking and we didn’t sleep well the night before and back in the cabin and we both look at each other and say “nap time”.

After a two hour nap we are woken to an announcement of looking for so and so.  Oh my it is 6:30…. So glad we have late seating for dinner.
We dress for dinner and then wander around to see what is happening around.  Oh a Martini demonstration is going on in the Atrium.  Corey is hosting and he is so good at his job so much energy and I can tell the people here love him.  And he calls out a few questions to win the final martini and I guessed the right answer to one so I walked away with a martini… great way to start the evening I say.

For dinner we are sat and the regulars are all around us, so we all say hi and catch up with each other. 

Douw has a few treats for us… oh so much and so sweet and it is appreciated.

I have a salad to start and the pork for my entrée and love the raspberry/ricotta spring rolls for dessert and they were hot which is just how they should be.
We want to see the production show “Do You Wanna Dance” which we have seen many times but Alberto is performing and well we love the energy and the effort they put into the shows.  And of course they don’t disappoint us again.  One note is the sequin jackets on the singers really need to be replaced they look sad!

One thing about this ship when you exit the theater on deck 7 you have to walk thru the casino. 

Thankfully is no smoking night because normally it is horrible having to walk thru it.  Sure you can go down to deck six and walk but even there it is smoky with Churchills Bar.  We also have ducked out to the Promenade outside deck too just to get away from the crowds and smoke.

Boy oh Boy you wouldn’t believe the crowds in the casino.  I don’t think I have ever seen so many people playing in any casino ever on board!  You couldn’t find a slot machine even if you wanted to.  And it is almost 11 pm and they are queued up for the machines.  Later we hear a woman saying how she waited for a machine and was glad she did cause she walked away with money.  

We are back in the cabin just before midnight and we watch a bit of the movie Mud which of course when we piece it together with all the bits we have watched throughout the day I think we have seen most of it…. The joys of trying to watch a movie on the ship.